Abstract: A dry ice pelletizer includes a ram structure that eliminates the need for piston rings to form the pellets thereby eliminating contamination of the pellets from piston ring wear products and piston/cylinder lubricants. The ram structure is pulled down into compression contact with dry ice snow formed in a snow chamber by a pair of hydraulic actuators coupled to a cross-head. The physical separation of the ram and the actuators further eliminates the source of contamination from hydraulic actuator fluid.