General Mills Moves to Dry Ice Cleaning
Article provided by General Mills, Inc.
General Mills Bakeries and Food Service plant in Chanhassen recently acquired a high pressure, single- hose, dry-ice blast system for cleaning equipment. The blaster uses high-velocity dry ice pellets to clean difficult areas such as electrical motors, bottom panels, belts, bearings, roof vents, oven doors, and depositors. The purpose of purchasing this equipment is to effectively and efficiently return equipment to basic conditions. Prior to purchasing, the plant performed trials with different versions of the unit. The selected unit only required one person to operate. The equipment has proved to be reliable and easy for the operators to handle. Through the use of the dry ice blaster, the Chanhassen plant has experienced multiple benefits including:
- a reduction in water use and wastewater generation
- a decrease in the use of caustic sanitation chemicals
- improved product quality from better sanitation of difficult-to-clean areas
- utilization of the equipment as a tool in our continuous improvement process
- increase in sanitation labor efficiency
- additional assistance in maintaining dry clean areas
Through the use of the dry ice system, General Mills has been able to cut equipment down time in half, reduce water usage, and save money. The equipment will pay for itself within one year.