Flexible dry ice cleaning with selective particle size
In showcasing the PCS 60 PET model from the Aero 2 range at the Fakuma trade fair, dry ice cleaning system manufacturer Cold Jet demonstrated a flexible, IoT-compatible solution for users that wish to carry out cleaning applications with a single machine to different degrees of effectiveness on surfaces of varying sensitivity. This will result in a more environmentally-friendly production process and labour cost savings of around 70% for PET preform, blow moulds and machine maintenance. Production outputs could increase by up to 5%, according to the company.
An important feature of the ergonomic, mobile machine is the option to select from 28 individually adjustable dry ice particle sizes, which would be particularly interesting for PET injection moulders and blow moulders. Cold Jet Senior Vice President Dietmar Juchmes, responsible for sales in Europe and Africa, showed us the machine, which has already been announced for NPE 2021 (the trade fair was postponed from 2021 to 2024 because of the pandemic). Here at Fakuma it was presented for the first time as a physical exhibit. Weighing in at just over 100 kg and with dimensions of L 99 x W 48 x H 114 cm, the unit has a 7-inch LCD display, which Cold Jet claims allows intuitive operation. Besides the particle size, blow pressure and dry ice flow rate can also be varied and saved as one of nine possible profiles, password protected as necessary.
The manufacturer is also advertising an optimisation in terms of efficiency and energy. “In operation, the device consumes around 25% less dry ice and energy compared to previous models,” said Dietmar Juchmes. The dry ice particle sizes can be set at 28 steps from 3 mm to 0.3 mm and, as diamond-shaped particles, can be blown precisely and continuously. The blow pressure can be varied from 1.4 to 10 bar. “All parameters and documentation on cleaning processes can also reviewed on tablet or PC via an online portal meeting Industry 4.0 standards. The system can be serviced remotely and networked with other PLC-compatible machines,” continued Juchmes.
“With the acquisition of the PCS 60 PET, the buyer automatically receives a 3-year subscription to the online customer service platform ‘Connect’.” Further digital services from Connect include instructions, training videos and product documentation, statistics, analysis and procedure planning on all relevant cleaning tasks and applications, including data export, as well as live chat or direct contact with the Cold Jet service team. The Connect service is offered in three subscription variants with different service models.
The equipment is delivered with two special designed cleaning kits for the PET preform and blow mould application. For smaller facilities (fewer cavities) or requirements Cold Jet offers the i³ Micro Clean 2 PET solution with the specially designed PET preform kit.
Reflecting on the pandemic period and the Aero 2 range, Dietmar Juchmes said: “Our business is running very well and we have already been very successful with the new equipment. For example, a well-known pharmaceutical manufacturer in Germany has bought a higher two-figure number of PCS 60 PET machines for the individual facilities.” Cold Jet is offering the machines for € 35,000-45,000, with subscription fees for Connect amounting to € 3,600 per year.
Caption: Dietmar Juchmes showcases the PCS 60 PET at the Cold Jet trade fair stand.
