Dry Ice Cleaning for Printing Presses
Thoroughly clean printing equipment on-site without water or solvents
Why printers are switching from solvent and manual cleaning
Dry ice blasting cleans presses and rollers in place — without solvents or stripping them down.
- Presses stripped down — lost production time
- Solvents that can swell or damage rollers
- Chemical fumes, residue and disposal concerns
- Anilox cells clog and never fully clear
- Hand scrubbing dried ink, UV and adhesive
- Clean rollers and presses in place, no teardown
- Non-abrasive — safe on rollers and cylinders
- No solvents or secondary waste — CO₂ sublimates
- Reopens clogged anilox cells and fine detail
- No drying time — faster back to press
What it cleans
- Anilox rollers
- Print cylinders
- Ink trays & fountains
- Rubber & rollers
- Drying units
- UV / LED ink buildup
- Adhesive & glue residue
- Press frames
- Guide rails & rollers
- Dryers & ovens
- Electrical cabinets
- …and more
See it in action below ↓
Find your setup in 4 questions
Get a machine, compressor guidance, a dry ice plan and an estimated starting price.
What are you mainly cleaning?
Your typical press size?
Air compressor?
How often will you use it?
Your recommended setup
- ⚙️Machine
- 💨Air compressor
- 🧊Dry ice plan
- ✅Best for
Estimated setup
Compressor sold separately — read the air compressor guide. Dry air treatment (dryer / separator) is required for stable blasting.
Getting set up is simple
Four steps from delivery to your first blast — plus what to have on hand.
- 1Connect air
Compressor and dry-air line to the machine.
- 2Load dry ice
3 mm pellets into the 44 lb hopper.
- 3Blast
Pellets vanish on impact, lifting dried ink and adhesive.
- 4Back to press
No water, no residue, no drying time.
What you'll need to run it
Air compressor
AI30 / AI30 Plus: 71–141 CFM.
AI50: 200–400 CFM.
Dry, clean air
A refrigerated dryer or moisture separator keeps pellets from freezing and clogging.
Dry ice pellets · 3 mm
Buy fresh locally, or make your own on demand with an AIP50 pelletizer.
How many cleanings until it pays for itself?
Cleaning presses and rollers in place saves press downtime and labor every changeover — here's a typical estimate.
Estimated payback
17 cleanings
If your shop already has a compatible air compressor, the AI30 can pay for itself in about 17 cleanings — from the press downtime and labor saved every changeover.
Strip down and hand-wash with solvents · hours of press downtime · anilox never fully clears
Clean rollers in place · non-abrasive, no solvents · faster back to press
Estimates vary by press, ink buildup, local dry ice price, labor cost and downtime value. Use as a planning guide, not a guaranteed projection.
FlexoPrint Solutions, Chicago, IL
“Cleaning our presses used to take hours and required strong chemicals that our team hated working with. Dry ice blasting completely changed that — it’s fast, safe, and doesn’t leave any residue. We can now clean anilox rollers and ink stations without disassembling everything. Huge time saver.”
— Jason R., Maintenance LeadFlexoPrint Solutions
Frequently asked questions
Will it damage my anilox rollers or cylinders?
No. Dry ice is non-abrasive — the pellets sublimate into gas on impact, lifting ink and residue without removing base material. Unlike brushes or hard media, it won't wear roller surfaces or anilox cells, so line screen and volume are preserved.
Can I clean the press in place, without stripping it down?
In most cases, yes. Because the process is dry and solvent-free, you can often clean rollers, cylinders and frames in place — cutting teardown and downtime between jobs. Start at lower pressure and increase as needed.
Does it clear clogged anilox cells?
Yes. Dry ice blasting reopens ink-clogged anilox cells and fine detail that hand washing and solvents often leave partially blocked — helping restore consistent ink transfer and print quality.
Does it work on UV, water-based and solvent inks?
Yes. It lifts dried UV/LED ink, water-based and solvent ink, plus adhesive and coating buildup. For very heavy dried-on buildup or high-volume lines, the higher-output AI50 is the better fit.
Do I need an air compressor?
Yes — it's sold separately. AI30 / AI30 Plus need 71–141 CFM at 87–116 PSI (10 HP+, 150 gal tank); AI50 needs an industrial screw compressor at 200–400 CFM. No compressor yet? See the AI30 + 20HP system.
Where do I get dry ice?
Buy fresh 3 mm pellets from a local CO₂ supplier before each job, or make your own on demand with an AIP50 pelletizer and storage box.
Ready to bring dry ice cleaning to your press room?
Pick your machine, or talk to us about the right setup for your presses and rollers.
- ✓ 1-year warranty
- ✓ Free freight shipping
- ✓ US-based after-sales support
