Belgian firm Cryonomic has been manufacturing dry ice blasting machines for more than two decades, developing the technology with several versions of their technology over time. Their latest dry ice blasters, released in 2012, have been shipped to a number of countries around the world, although they were developed primarily for the European and Middle Eastern markets’ needs. Cryonomic produces dry ice blasting machines as well as dry ice pelletisers, with many of their units being used in a variety of industries mainly across Europe. The Cryonomic company, a division of parent company Artimpex, was an early pioneer of dry ice blasting technology. In 1992, their VSU-100E model was a miniaturised but still heavy and unwieldy blaster. Commercially, it was relatively successful, however – dry ice blasting technology was still new and very few blasters were available for commercial purchase. Following the relative success of the VSU-100E, Cryonomic realised the potential of developing dry ice blasting technology for a broader market, since it can be so widely applied in a number of industries. By 1997, Cryonomic had two more blaster models on the market – nicknamed “Junior” and “Jobber”. These blasters were more compact and mobile than their initial blaster design, and made blasting more accessible. Cryonomic expanded its working footprint, with more industries realising the potential and cost savings that come with dry ice blasting. The company became more well-known in the European market with Junior and Jobber, cementing their position as one of the region’s foremost dry ice and blasting technology providers.

[expand title="Read more"] The company increased its research and investment into dry ice blasting technology in the following years, with the VSU-380 blaster making its debut in 1998 and the larger, more powerful CAB 5x appearing on the market in 2002. These were much more durable than their previous blasting machines, being suitable for heavy-duty applications in harsher industrial settings. Cryonomic carried over these design principles to their more recent blasting machines, ensuring that they are durable enough to work in relatively tough environments. Considering that they are designed for European settings, however, they are less likely to be optimally efficient in warmer climates. Today, Cryonomic has a range of dry ice blasting machines in various sizes and capacities that have benefited from the technological advances of the last decade and eliminated many of the weaknesses in their previous machines. Their range has become fairly comprehensive:

• The COB range is light and easy to transport, and comes in four varieties. The COB62 and COB62 Plus machines are smaller for more difficult-to-reach applications. The COB71 and COB71R models are larger and more powerful. All of these are single-hose blasters that come with the gun and an optional range of accessories, including nozzle attachment sets, gun lights for easy illumination of darker blasting surfaces, an abrasive module and a pellet crusher. The optional abrasive module allows for an abrasive agent to be mixed with the dry ice in order to achieve specific aims, such as surface roughening, stubborn material removal, paint stripping, rust removal and so on. The abrasive agent for these blasters comes in a variety of grain sizes, from 0.1mm to 2mm, depending on the application it is to be used for and what the desired effect is. This abrasive agent is supplied by Cryonomic Belgium.
• The COMBI 7 Blaster is a one- or two-hose blasting machine, offering versatility across the full spectrum of dry ice blasting applications. It is designed to be versatile and very mobile, with the option to add an abrasive agent to the dry ice for texture blasting applications. Three models of the COMBI Blaster are available – the single-hose COMBI 71, the double-hose COMBI 72 and the interchangeable COMBI 73, which can be adapted for single- or double-hose use. The COMBI Blasters also come with a range of optional accessories. The detachable abrasive module combines the abrasive agent with the dry ice, allowing for more heavy-duty cleaning to be done with the blaster. The blaster can also be fitted with a pellet rotor and flow controller, to reduce dry ice consumption and save costs. Sound reduction cabinets can be fitted too, to make the blaster suitable for blasting projects in close proximity to noise-sensitive areas such as residential regions or offices.
• The CIP 5 Series Pelletiser is a dry ice production machine, creating high-density dry ice for use in blasters and non-blasting applications. The pelletiser is able to produce 3mm pellets for blasting as well as 10mm or 16mm pellets for storage and cooling. The interchangeable components mean it can also create dry ice sticks for more specific cooling projects. Pressurised liquid carbon dioxide is fed into the machine to be turned into dry ice snow, and then compressed into the desired shape. Four varieties of the CIP 5 are available: The CIP 5XS produces up to 35kg of dry ice per hour; The CIP 5S produces up to 80kg of dry ice per hour; The CIP 5M produces up to 160kg of dry ice per hour; and The CIP 5L produces up to 300kg of dry ice per hour.
• Cryonomic offers a range of dry ice containers, which are built to be robust and highly effective with hermetic lid seals and rust-proof bodies. The CIC container range is also designed to be stackable, and they come in four sizes for transportation and storage of dry ice pellets, sticks and blocks. The CIC containers come in four sizes: The CIC 85, storing 85 litres (or 75kg) of dry ice (available with or without wheels); The CIC 150, storing 150 litres (or 125kg) of dry ice (available with or without wheels); The CIC 300, storing 300 litres (or 250kg) of dry ice (available with or without wheels); and The CIC 500, storing 500 litres (or 420kg) of dry ice (available only without wheels).

Selected Cryonomic blasting machines are available in South Africa, and Dry Ice International can service and repair the machines locally, for your convenience. Contact us for pricing details or enquiries about importing Cryonomic’s blasters, accessories or equipment.