Product News - New Dry Ice Blasting Nozzles Address Needs Of Bottle Manufacturers

New Dry Ice Blasting Nozzles Address Needs

Of Bottle Manufacturers

Two new types of nozzles for dry ice blasting equipment have been introduced by Cold Jet to help manufacturers of blow molded HDPE and PET bottles clean their molds. According to the manufacturer, bottle manufacturers can use dry ice blasting systems to clean molds while they are hot and in the press.

But until recently, the back side of the blow mold and the deep-cavity injection molds used to make the preforms had to be cleaned by hand.

When dry ice blasting was first introduced to the plastics industry, the nozzles used were straight and were a requirement of two-hose, suction-style blasting machines. They could not be used on the deep-cavity preforms.

Now nozzles with 45- and 90-deg bends are available. When combined with the manufacturer's CUB single-hose blast unit, they can clean an entire blow mold surface, including the back side, as well as the entire preform mold.

This is said to eliminate problems with the clouding that occurs in the ribbing on PET bottles when the mold is not cleaned completely. The advantage cited for HDPE bottle makers is the prevention of the 'orange peel' effect that occurs during manufacturing if the mold isn't cleared of built-up residue.

The second nozzle design, also for use with CUB single-hose blast unit, is just for preform tooling and is especially useful for 'on-line' cleaning of the gates at the bottom of the cavities. These nozzles are machined from extruded polycarbonate, which helps protect molds from scratches and nicks if the nozzle accidentally comes into contact with them.

Prices for the new nozzles range from $400 to $900.

Cold Jet, Inc.

Loveland, OH