Consultation
Plastics, Rubber & Injection Molding
Clean Molds In-Place. No Disassembly. No Cool-Down. No Damage.
Mold contamination is one of the most persistent productivity problems in plastics and rubber manufacturing. Release agent buildup, carbon residue, polymer deposits, off-gassing residue, and flash accumulation progressively degrade part quality, extend cycle times, and increase scrap rates. Traditional cleaning methods — manual scraping, solvent soaking, ultrasonic baths, or abrasive blasting — require mold disassembly, cool-down time, and risk damage to precision machined surfaces.

Sublimate Technologies provides mobile dry ice blasting that cleans mold cavities, vents, runners, core pins, and parting lines while the mold is still in the press or at operating temperature. Every job is customized to your mold geometry, material, and contamination type.
Request a Mold Cleaning Assessment

The Mold Cleaning Challenge

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Downtime from Disassembly

Traditional mold cleaning requires pulling the mold from the press, cooling it down, disassembling it, soaking or scrubbing individual components, drying, reassembling, reinstalling, and heating it back to operating temperature. This process can take a full shift or more. Dry ice blasting cleans the mold in-press at temperature — many cleans take 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on mold complexity.
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Surface Damage from Aggressive Cleaning

Wire brushes, scrapers, abrasive blasting, and harsh solvents can scratch parting line surfaces, damage vent channels, alter cavity dimensions, and destroy the polish on mold surfaces. These micro-damages accumulate over time, degrading part quality and shortening mold life. Dry ice blasting is non-abrasive and preserves the mold surface.
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Incomplete Cleaning in Tight Geometry

Vents, runners, undercuts, lifter channels, and fine detail areas collect residue that manual methods cannot fully reach. Dry ice pellets can be directed into these areas with precision nozzles, cleaning geometry that hand tools cannot access.
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Scrap and Quality Issues

Contaminated molds produce parts with flash, short shots, surface defects, and dimensional variation. Each compromised cycle adds to scrap costs and rework. Consistent mold cleaning directly reduces reject rates and improves cycle-to-cycle consistency.
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Chemical and Solvent Residue

Solvent-based mold cleaners can leave films that interfere with part release, contaminate the next production run, or require rinsing that adds time and creates waste. Dry ice blasting leaves zero residue — the mold is ready for production immediately after cleaning.

Applications in Plastics & Molding

Injection Mold Cavities & Cores

Remove polymer residue, release agents, carbon, and off-gassing deposits from mold surfaces without altering dimensions or surface finish.

Vents, Runners &
Gates

Clear clogged vents and contaminated flow paths that cause short shots, flash, and fill imbalance.

Parting Lines & Shut-Off Surfaces

Clean buildup from parting line surfaces to restore proper seal and eliminate flash at the mold split.

Compression & Transfer Molds

Remove cured rubber residue, flash, and release agent buildup from compression molds used in rubber and thermoset manufacturing.

Blow Molds & Thermoforming Tools

Clean polymer residue and contamination from blow mold cavities and thermoforming tool surfaces.

Die Cast Tooling

Remove die lube buildup, carbon, and metal flash from die cast mold surfaces and cooling channels.

Flash & Deflashing Support

Remove flash and burrs from finished molded parts as a secondary finishing step — dry process leaves no residue on completed components.

Hot Runner Systems

Clean hot runner manifolds, nozzles, and gates to restore proper flow and prevent color or material contamination between production runs.

The Business Case for Dry Ice Mold Cleaning

The Business Case for Dry Ice Mold Cleaning

Cleaning can be performed while the mold is still in the press, eliminating cool-down and disassembly time.

Extended Mold Life

Dry ice cleaning removes buildup without abrasion, helping molds last longer and reducing maintenance costs.

Reduced Scrap Per Cycle

Clean mold cavities produce more consistent parts and lower overall scrap rates.

FAQ

Can you clean the mold while it is still in the press?

Yes. This is one of the primary advantages of dry ice blasting for mold cleaning. In most cases, the mold can remain in the machine and even at operating temperature during cleaning. This eliminates the time spent pulling, cooling, disassembling, cleaning, reassembling, reinstalling, and reheating the mold.

No. Dry ice pellets are much softer than tool steel. The process does not scratch, etch, or alter the mold surface. It preserves polished finishes, textured surfaces, and precision machined dimensions.

Cleaning frequency depends on the material being molded, the complexity of the mold, and your quality standards. Some high-volume operations clean every shift or every few thousand cycles. Others clean weekly or during scheduled maintenance windows. We help you determine the right interval based on your specific conditions.
Dry ice blasting effectively removes release agent buildup, carbon and off-gassing residue, polymer deposits, flash buildup, grease, and general contamination from mold surfaces, vents, runners, and parting lines.
Yes. Dry ice blasting is safe for both steel and aluminum tooling. Pressure and media flow are adjusted for the specific material to ensure effective cleaning without any risk to softer aluminum surfaces.

Ready to clean your molds faster, with less risk, and without pulling them from the press?

Request a Mold Cleaning Assessment
Download our Mold Cleaning Assessment
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