🏎️ Case Study: Dry Ice Cleaning Helps Formula Student Team Strip Powder Coating Without Damage

🎓 The Client: THM Motorsport Formula Student Team

The Formula Student Germany (FSG) competition, held at Germany’s Hockenheimring, challenges university teams to design, build, and race a small Formula-style car. More than just racing, it evaluates students on design, engineering, cost-efficiency, and business strategy.

Since 2008, the University of Giessen’s THM Motorsports Team has participated in the competition, involving 26 students and faculty across engineering, business, and industrial design. These students gain hands-on experience in race car development, testing, and innovation under real-world pressure.

⚙️ The Challenge: Modify a Race Car Without Damaging Its Frame

For the 2012–2013 season, the team aimed to upgrade the successful F21-12 model, introducing improvements in:

• Engine cooling
• Tank and oil systems
• Chassis and carbon components
• Front crash structure

However, to implement these structural changes, they first needed to remove the powder coating from the tubular steel frame of the existing race car.

❌ The Problem With Traditional Cleaning Methods

• Conventional removal techniques like sandblasting or chemical stripping posed significant risks:
• Surface damage to the race car frame
• Secondary waste requiring time-consuming cleanup
• Toxic chemicals or residues
• The team required a non-destructive, clean, and precise method of powder coating removal.

❄️ The Solution: Cold Jet’s Dry Ice Blasting Technology

While attending the Eurhe Solution: Cold Jet’s Dry Ice Blasting TechnologyoMold trade show in Frankfurt, the THM team discovered Cold Jet’s dry ice blasting systems. A live demonstration with HS Blasting, a Cold Jet equipment user, confirmed that dry ice cleaning would be the ideal solution.

Why Dry Ice Cleaning Was the Right Fit:

• Non-abrasive and non-toxic
• No risk of damage to delicate tubing or weld points
• Zero secondary waste – dry ice sublimates into gas
• Eliminates chemical exposure for the team
• Quick and efficient compared to sanding or chemical baths

The method works by accelerating dry ice pellets at high speed to break the bond between coating and substrate using kinetic and thermal energy.

🚗 The Outcome: Precision Cleaning, No Damage

The frame of the F21-12b car was stripped of powder coating safely and cleanly, allowing the team to modify mounting points and redesign key structural components. According to project manager Stefan Porth:

“The most important aspect was that dry ice cleaning eliminated the secondary waste you’d have with sandblasting. This saved us a lot of cleanup work.”

🏁 The Results: A Clean Finish and a Strong Performance

With the improved vehicle:

• The car reached 0–100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds
• Produced 63 kW (86 hp) from a 599cc engine
• The team placed 23rd out of 74 international teams
• Won a special award for Best Prepared Vehicle for Technical Inspection

Their meticulous preparation, aided by dry ice cleaning, gave the team a competitive edge in both performance and presentation.

🌿 Dry Ice Cleaning in Motorsport: The Future of Surface Preparation

Cold Jet’s dry ice blasting is rapidly becoming the preferred solution in motorsport and manufacturing. Whether preparing surfaces, cleaning carbon fiber, or restoring delicate components, it provides:

• Environmentally responsible cleaning
• No media residue or water runoff
• Surface-safe stripping for sensitive materials
• As motorsport engineering evolves, so do the tools that support it.