1 min read

Cryogenic Cleaning Solves Rocky Mineral Buildup Problem

Featured Image

Equipment used in the mining industry faces challenges that we rarely see above ground. Constantly surrounded by powdered rock, underground moisture, and minerals carried in the forced-circulation air, the electrical motors on mining machines take a beating if not protected carefully. In the state of Florida—not a region typically associated with mining—Thompson Industrial Services recently came to the rescue of an operation that was ruining electric motors at an unsustainable pace due to mineral buildup. Cryogenic cleaningsucceeded where more common cleaning methods failed.Manufacturing FertilizerThe Florida-based company in question was extracting phosphate from the earth, one of the primary components of plant fertilizer. The system worked quite well except for one major problem: The mining process caused a layer of gypsum to build up on key parts of the equipment’s electrical motors. This thick layer prevented the motors from cooling properly, and they were burning out on a regular basis. Because this specialized equipment is expensive, managers had to find a way to clean it rather than continue to buy new units.The Answer? Cryogenic CleaningAdding to the difficulty for the mining managers was the fact that they did not have the option to shut down production long enough to remove the motors and clean them. Spraying the electrical motors with water through hydroblasting was obviously not an option. Our experts suggested cryogenic cleaning, which utilizes micro size ice applied at supersonic speed instead of water to remove mineral buildup. Without turning off the motors, three technicians blasted the gypsum layer away, saving the equipment and avoiding any downtime at all.

You may think that your particular cleaning need is an unsolvable puzzle (at least in order to stay within budget!), but our experts will surprise you. Cryogenic cleaning, hydroblasting, and our other industrial cleaning solutions consistently exceed the expectations of our satisfied clients.

cryogenic cleaning of motors

Back

Press Contact
  • Emily Martin
  • Marketing Manager
  • 100 N. Main Street
  • Sumter, SC 29150

Request a Free Consultation

Get Started



Pneumatic and Hydro Vacuum “Safe Dig” Excavation During Construction Phase

Pneumatic and Hydro Vacuum “Safe Dig” Excavation During Construction Phase

As an integral part of our benefit as the only resource that our clients need to consult for industrial services, we extend our applications across...

Need to Know: Big Pump Recovery Boiler Cleaning

Need to Know: Big Pump Recovery Boiler Cleaning

The term “recovery boiler cleaning” doesn’t mean very much to people outside the industry. In fact, the average person thinks of boilers themselves...

A Few Surprising Facts about Hydro Vacuum Excavation

A Few Surprising Facts about Hydro Vacuum Excavation

We’d like to bring two facts about hydro-vacuum excavation to your attention. These two facts tell you almost everything you need to know about why...