Dry Ice Blasting for Freezer Frost
at McLane Food Services (Concord, NC)
Using Ice to Remove Ice?
Client: McLane Food Services – Concord, North Carolina
Service: Dry ice blasting to remove accumulated frost/“snow” on steel roof trusses and concrete freezer floors
Contract Type: Fixed-cost SLA with recurring service schedule (third-shift, weekend windows)
The Problem:
We were contacted by McLane Food Services to assist in solving a recurring problem. Warm air entering at their loading docks filters into their freezer creating continuous frost on trusses and air-handling components. Over time, that “snow” falls, bonds to a 0°F concrete floor, and is compacted by forklift traffic into a rock-hard, uneven surface—a safety and productivity issue.
Before Merritt Industrial – Old Method:
Internal teams used poles/sticks to knock down frost. This took many hours, tied up staff, and never fully removed buildup—especially on the floor.
Merritt Industrial’s Solution:
Deploy industrial dry ice blasting machines to strip frost from trusses, air handlers, and structural steel—then apply a repeatable floor-removal workflow designed for sub-zero conditions.
Why Dry Ice Blasting Works in Freezers
- No water added:
Dry ice sublimates (solid CO₂ → gas), so there’s no meltwater to refreeze, no steam, and no slurry. - In-place cleaning:
By using dry ice as a projectile, we’re able to reach the trusses, hangers, and air units without teardown - Fast & thorough:
The thermal shock of dry ice helps release bonded frost; high-velocity media and air pressure carries it away. - Cleaner floors, safer travel paths:
Removing frost at the source (truss system) reduces re-accumulation on the floor making for smoother forklift traffic lanes.
Frost loading the steel trusses inside the freezer. When this buildup falls, it bonds to the 0°F floor and becomes dangerous compacted ice.
Heavy frost and ice buildup on steel roof trusses inside a 0°F freezer at McLane Food Services in Concord, NC, before dry ice blasting removal.
Ice-coated evaporator fans inside the McLane freezer.
Piled frost and compacted ice collected at the loading dock after Merritt Industrial’s dry ice blasting and floor-cleaning workflow.
Floor Removal: Built for 0°F and Below
Cold storage floors are unforgiving. Typical equipment stalls or ices over; manual chopping is exhausting and slow. During our initial trials, Merritt Industrial engineered a systematic, repeatable workflow with specialty attachments and equipment to protect worker stamina.
The result: predictable removal rates, cleaner surfaces, and less downtime.
- Zero-degree optimized equipment (hoses, nozzles, and anti-freeze procedures)
- Staged workflow to avoid re-freezing around work zones.
- Remove the ‘snow’ from the trusses.
- Load the removed snow from the floor, transport it outside of the freezer for media waste disposal.
- Third-shift crews to work when aisles are most available
- QC sign-offs so operations know exactly what’s complete
Merritt Industrial = Solutions Provider
(Not Just a Service)
When you hire Merritt, you’re getting process engineering + execution:
- Top-line equipment & redundancy:
- Cold Jet PCS60 for precision, Aero40/Aero80 for throughput;
- six machines in fleet.
- Experienced technicians: We tune feed rate, standoff, and nozzle geometry to maximize removal—not just “make chips.”
- Own compressor & ice logistics: No dependency on your plant air; we bring the CFM and handle all dry ice supply.
- Fixed-cost SLA: Budgetable, recurring service on your schedule—no surprises.
Dry Ice Blasting Works in Freezers video library
FAQ
Yes. Dry ice sublimates to CO₂ gas—there’s no liquid water added during the process. We can efficiently remove ice and frost without adding to the build-up.
We schedule around your shift and traffic, work on weekends/overnights, and coordinate barricades so aisles reopen in sequence. (if needed)
Yes. Many of our clients are on fixed-cost SLA that sets a cleaning schedules ensuring working environments stay clean, safe and operational.
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