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CRYOGENIC PROCESSING |
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The Cryogenic Process
The cryogenic process can dramatically reduce consumption of perishable parts and can substantially reduce machine down time attributable to tool wear or part replacement. It is one of the fastest growing helps and money savers to reach industry and end users in decades. When performed properly to avoid thermal stress and PROPER tempering, cryogenics can increase tool life 200 to 300%. We offer a written guarantee or we give you your money back.
We can do dry or wet processing but prefer the wet process method. We use gas to take the parts down to –150F which is well below any thermal shock temperature, before introducing the liquid.
PRICING We have a $75 minimum charge and we charge as follows:
1 to 15 lbs $75 minimum 15 to 24 pounds $ 5.00/lb 25 pounds to 99 pounds $ 4.00/lb 100 pounds to 999 pounds $ 3.00/lb 1000 pounds to 1999 pounds $ 2.00/lb 2000 pounds and up $ 1.00/lb All processing is FOB Milton, NH
FERROUS METALS (parts must be heat treated) The parts are cooled and 100% safe from thermal shock, followed by a 20 hour minimum soak at –320F to assure a 100% transformation all the way to the core of the material. We do not perform short cut processing which does a surface conversion, leaving a totally confused and dangerous grain structure underneath. After a slow return to room temperature (usually in excess of 24 hours) we heat temper the parts to stabilize the freshly transformed martensite to prevent the parts from becoming chippy or subject to cracking. This temper is performed to ASM and AISI standards at a rate of 300F for 2 hours per inch of thickness to make certain the metal is totally, and properly tempered. No short cuts in this process.
NON-FERROUS METALS The parts are cooled and 100% safe from thermal shock, followed by a 10+ hour minimum soak at –320F to assure a 100% stress relief and fully stabilized material. After a slow return to room temperature (usually in excess of 24 hours) Aluminum, Brass, Copper or 300 series Stainless are shipped back to the customer. Titanium is heat tempered at 200F to stabilize the part. This temper is performed to ASM and AISI standards at a rate of 200F for 2 hours per inch of thickness to make certain the metal is totally, and properly tempered. No short cuts in this process. We do offer other special tempering cycles as specified by some military customers.
CARBIDES For many years carbide tools or inserts often didn’t show the life expectancy increases on certain brands, where non-virgin material was used in producing the tools. We have been working on this problem for years and we now have discovered a proprietary process that increases life on all carbide by 100%. We know there is little or no effect on the actual carbide itself, but we do know how to effect a tremendous gain in treating the binders that hold the carbide spheres on the cutting edge.
PLASTICS We do perform cryogenics on certain types of plastics and nylons for life extension in wear applications. We’ve seen great results in this area and our research continues.
MORE GENERAL INFORMATION Taken from the book, ’CRYOGENICS’
How does it work? What makes it work? We’ll cover that in more depth later in the book but for now, consider this as a starting point ....... Cryogenic processing increases the wear resistance of metals and various other materials by creating a denser metallurgical structure. For heat treated metals, it completes the heat treating process by the continuation of transforming grain structure into usable, life extending structure. In non-ferrous metals, carbides and in some man made plastics and fiber materials, it allows the molecules to readjust their position in relation to each other and close ranks, (increasingly denser structure) eliminating the weak voids in the structure.
Does that mean that all materials should be cryogenically processed to improve them? NO! It means there is a definite change taking place in materials subjected to cryogenics, but does not mean it would always be economically feasible, or dimensionally smart to perform the process. Low Carbon steels (with no heat treatment for case hardening) show almost no increased wear resistance. That doesn’t mean the structure hasn’t changes, but alludes to the fact there is very little wear resistance to begin with. The chemistry wasn’t designed for and doesn’t support wear resistance. The only thing cryogenics will accomplish for low carbon steel, that’s worth the cost of processing, is a very thorough residual stress relief.
Can the increase of wear be predicted? No! Contrary to some bad marketing concepts, the increase in wear resistance from a tool cannot be predicted accurately, neither by grade or by application as some claim. It will vary depending on how good the initial heat treatment process was to begin with. In non-ferrous application the same will hold true. It’s going to depend on the crystal structure that you’re beginning with.
Is it necessary to cryogenically reprocess the tools after resharpening? The cryogenic process is a one time application. The tool, if properly processed and soaked for enough time to produce transformation into the center of its mass, will exhibit the wear resistance increase from the first cut to the last cut regardless of how many times the tool is re-sharpened.
Can I replace some of the higher cost tool steels with lower cost, easier to machine tools with Cryogenic processing? That is entirely possible for some applications. However, you should not try to change the rules. Every application must first be evaluated on its own merit. These parameters can then be evaluated in order to chose the right steel grade to accomplish that specific application. It is fool hearty to ask a steel grade to do what it isn’t best suited for, although this happens everyday.
To get optimum properties for any application, careful selection of the grade of metal and heat treatment procedure is paramount for success.
To get optimum properties for any application, careful selection of the grade of metal and heat treatment procedure is paramount for success. If you’re interested in more information on this subject, we would suggest you look at “Heat Treatment, Selection and Application of TOOL STEELS” published by Hanser Gardner Publications in Cincinnati, Ohio in book or video format.
What can be successfully cryogenically treated? Commonly treated metals are the ferrous grades of heat treated steel alloys of all grades. But, it effects more than wear in just ferrous metals. It has an impact on wear, toughness and strength in non-ferrous materials, such as: Copper Alloys, 300 series Stainless Steels, Carbides, Aluminum, Titanium, Magnesium and on and on the list goes. It also effects many plastics, rubber compounds, solder connections on PC boards, various engine parts and many stress effected parts.
Does the processed tool hardness increase? This subject is covered in more detail in the text, but a simple answer is .... Yes, there is usually a very slight hardness increase in all heat treated ferrous metals processed. It may be too small to measure accurately in most shops, but a ¼ point, or even 1 point increase is normal. Be mindful it is not an increase in hardness that contributes to the increased wear resistance which we’ll cover this subject in depth in later chapters. Large, very significant hardness increases (2 to 5 points) will be observed if the heat treatment process was poor to start with. In fact, by asking customers to freeze tools overnight just in their refrigerator freezers always revealed if good heat treatment procedures were being used by customers doing their own heat treatment. If a part even under those simple low temperatures (-0oF) showed hardness changes, we could count on it that there was a heat treat problem. Tensile and yield strengths will for most metals, remain the same or achieve their published optimums. In some cases the strength of certain metals and plastics is increased. The yield strengthening of 300 series Stainless is well documented when used in a stretch forming operation utilizing deep cryogenic treatment.
Does the cryogenic process change the look of the parts after processing? Unfortunately no it doesn’t. It has been said if cryogenically treated parts were yellow after processing, customers would use it without hesitation. But the process is invisible to the unaided eye.
Today the cryogenic fever is speeding into many various fields and applications, such as....
.... cutting tools that last from 100% to 500% longer. .... welding electrodes that double and triple their life expectancy. .... PCB solder connections become stronger and electrical conductivity is increased. .... carbide inserts that double or triple in life. .... racing engines that wear better and make race cars, motorcycles and boat racers go faster. .... rifles that hold target pattern accuracy better. .... musical instruments produce better tonal quality and the valves slide more smoothly .... baseball bats hit balls 2% - 4% further. The 65 home run record could fall again.
Some scoff at the idea that there has been promotion of cryogenics for razor blades, golf balls or pantyhose, but those examples have been used to get people’s attention. It is because people have been talking about the subject that its reemerging after the poor beginning of the 70s. Let a lady try a pair of cryogenically treated pantyhose and she’ll be the best advocate for the process. Get someone who has a tough beard and save him money and you get his attention.
But still the biggest payoff at the present time is the tremendous wear resistance increases experienced in industries using cutting tools. But, even now we’re starting to see that change to everyday needs. All types of tools, equipment and metals are being improved when the process is applied properly and measured. Again the question, Why? What’s going on? The book goes on to describe the process, the cause and the results in depth.
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