Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc.

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. Receives Approval for International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Registration

2009-11-10T09:07:00.003-05:00

As of October 13, 2009, we are an International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) registered company. We are proud to announce the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs decision to approve our ITAR registration. ITAR is a set of regulations created to control the manufacture, export and transfer of defense articles, information, and services. These regulations work to keep defense technology and information within the hands of U.S. persons only. The U.S. Department of State is the only body that can grant special approvals for outside subjects.

We are now the only cryogenic service provider that we know of that is an ITAR registered company. This will better help us serve our defense industry customers with their most sensitive projects. Our company has put controls and procedures in place to act in compliance with ITAR issued regulations. The U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) now recognizes the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. to work with all branches of the U.S. military. The DDTC enforces ITAR registration under authority created by the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).

Any ITAR related projects will be protected with the highest levels of security and confidentiality at the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. It is expected that defense, aerospace, and optics industry suppliers will be better served by our company with the addition of ITAR registration.

We have many customers and potential customers that require ITAR registered vendors. Our services including cryogenic deburring, cryogenic deflashing, cryogenic treatment, liquid helium processing, thermal cycling and shrink fitting may now be used by customers with ITAR related projects. That way, their projects are protected and confidential while receiving our high-quality cryogenic services. We take pride in this new development and will continue to better serve our customers in any way possible.

Rubber Expo - October 13 thru 15 - Cryogenic Institute exhibits

2009-10-05T09:51:00.005-04:00

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. will be exhibiting at the Rubber Expo 2009 & 76th Technical Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA for three days this month. The Rubber Expo will occur between Tuesday, October 13 and Thursday, October 15. On Tuesday and Wednesday the show will be open from 10:00AM to 5:00PM. The show will run from 10:00AM to 3:00PM on Thursday. We will be located in booth 1050 which is in the very back of the complex. The Rubber Expo will take place at the David H. Lawrence Convention Center located at 1000 Fort Duquesne Boulevard, in Pittsburgh, PA.

To visit booth 1050, simply enter through the front entrance and walk down the 1000 Aisle, which is located just a hair to the left. We will be at the very end of that row on the right hand side. The booth will show up in the directory under the company name, Cryogenic Deflashing and Deburring Systems. Unfortunately, our partners at Cryogenic Deflashing and Deburring Systems will be unable to make the trip this year to the Rubber Expo. However, we are happy to make the trip since we are located, locally on the East Coast.

At the show we will be exhibiting several of our products available to the rubber industry. One service includes cryogenic deflashing which is used to remove mold flash from rubber, silicone, polymer, and plastic parts. We offer our deflashing process as a service, but also act as a broker for the machinery that we use in-house. Another service we will exhibit includes cryogenic deburring, which is for the removal of burrs from plastic machined parts. We utilize the same machinery to remove burrs from parts that we use to remove mold flash. As a result, we can bring cryogenic deflashing and deburring machines in-house to fit seamlessly into your current operations. We will also exhibit two other services that can help the rubber industry. One is dry ice blast cleaning to remove any residue from molds that is unwanted. The process is non-abrasive, fast, and reduces cleanup time since dry ice evaporates when it hits the surface to be cleaned. Additionally, molds and rubber related tooling can be cleaned while hot, to further reduce downtime. The final service we will market is cryogenic treatment. Cryogenic treatment can be used on tooling and molds to increase their lifetimes. Cryogenic treatment enhances metals through increasing wear resistance, relieving residual stresses from the manufacturing process, and creating a tougher overall metal.

To learn more about the show and to purchase tickets, please visit the link below.

http://www.rubber.org/expos/

We hope that you can join us in Pittsburgh, PA at the Rubber Expo between October 13 and October 15. If you have any samples of parts that you would like us to review and run a sample process on, then please bring them to the show. We will make sure to complete a sample run of them upon our arrival back in Massachusetts.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Ryan Taylor at (508) 459-7447 or send an email to rtaylor@nitrofreeze.com. Come and stop by our booth, remember it is booth 1050, which is under the name Cryogenic Deflashing and Deburring Systems. We hope to see you at the show!

MassPlastics 2009 - Nitrofreeze Exhibit - Free Admission

2009-10-02T11:27:00.005-04:00

In just a few weeks, The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. will be exhibiting at the MassPlastics 2009 tradeshow in Fitchburg, MA. The MassPlastics show will start Wednesday, October 21st and will end on Thursday, October 22nd. The show hours for Wednesday are 10AM to 6PM. On Thursday show hours will be from 10AM to 4PM. The MassPlastics tradeshow provides a forum for the Northeastern United States’ plastics industry. Exhibitors from both local companies and global corporations will be at the show, displaying the newest in cutting-edge technologies to enhance productivity, increase efficiency, and solve problems.

The MassPlastics tradeshow will take place at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel & Trade Center on 150 Royal Plaza Drive, in Fitchburg, MA 01420. The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. will be exhibiting at booth 313. If you enter from the front of the building near registration you would walk towards the left side of the building. We are located in the 300 aisle in a corner booth on the left hand side. Our corner booth is located at the intersection of the 300 aisle and the main aisle that stretches the entire length of the building.

We would like to extend free admission to any of our current or potential customers. I have included a link to the MassPlastics website, where if you pre-register now, you will receive free admission. Once you arrive at the show, you simply need to pick up your pass at the registration booth near the entrance. The link to pre-register and get free admission is below.

MassPlastics 2009 Free Admission

At the show we will be exhibiting the services that we offer to the plastics industry. One is cryogenic deflashing for the removal of excess mold flash from molded parts. The second offering will be cryogenic deburring, which is used to remove burrs from machined parts. These two service offerings are non-abrasive (they will only remove the flash and/or burrs) and are cost-effective, thanks to batch processing. Both services are also safe (your parts do not come into contact with liquid nitrogen and will not have any dimensional change) and are environmentally friendly. At the show, our third offering will be our dry ice blast cleaning service for plastic machinery including molds and lead screws. The process can clean molds and other plastic machinery to like new condition. Since the dry ice evaporates on contact as it hits the surface to be cleaned, cleanup time is reduced significantly. This service is EPA, USDA, and FDA approved making it a safe and environmentally-friendly way to clean. For molds in particular though the service is non-abrasive, so it will not ruin molds. Rather it will just remove any buildup that has collected in them. The fourth and final service we will be exhibiting is cryogenic treatment. Cryogenic treatment is an inexpensive cost-cutting service that makes tooling and molds last longer, while reducing fatigue failures. Cryogenic treatment promotes residual stress relief in metals, converts retained austenite into martensite (creating a more uniform crystalline structure), and increases were resistance. We have seen many part lifetimes increase by at least two times and often even longer. This is an ideal service to cut costs and reduce downtimes for changing tooling.

We would like anyone who is having deflashing or deburring issues to bring sample parts of their application. We can review the parts, see what kind of issues that you are having, and also run a free sample. The same goes for cryogenic treatment, if you have a few small pieces of tooling that you would like cryo treated, we can run those too.

If you have any questions about the MassPlastics 2009 tradeshow, please call Ryan Taylor at (508) 459-7447 or email me at rtaylor@nitrofreeze.com. Also, if you have any questions or comments about samples or our services, please use the above contact information.

For more information about the services we will be exhibiting at MassPlastics 2009, click a link below.

Cryogenic Deflashing
Cryogenic Deburring
Dry Ice Blast Cleaning
Cryogenic Treatment

Make sure to pre-register and get free admission to the MassPlastics 2009 tradeshow. Remember, we will be at booth 313. We hope to see you at the show!

Dry Ice Blasting Creosote Wood Joists and Floorboards

2009-09-30T09:29:00.009-04:00

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc.’s dry ice blast cleaning manager, Ian Scott and I headed out to Boston on September 24 to complete a dry ice blasting project involving wood joists and floorboards. The job was to be completed in a single day’s work. The room to be cleaned was situated to the side of an alley way that was located off of a one-way street. We had to position our air compressor on a curb and then run hose down the alley to the back room. Additionally, our dry ice blasting machine needed to be brought down several steep stairs, which required the use of a ramp. Setting up the job took much less time than expected considering the logistical issues associated with the dry ice blasting job.

The objective of this project was to clean wood joists and the bottom of floorboards in a soon to be renovated dining room. The wood needed to be cleaned to a bare finish that was smooth. Ideally, the end result would look like brand new fresh wood that had been installed. Before even starting our dry ice blasting process, the wood looked very old and worn. It had a feathered texture and in some sections was stained and had dirt on it. Regardless, it looked like something dry ice blast cleaning would fix without issue. It was a humid day and since we were blasting in an enclosed area between the joists, it was very hard to see the surface being blasted. The floorboards cleaned up well, but it took several sampling efforts to get the right finish.

The joists on the other hand were a completely different story. The joists seemed at first to have been stained at some point in their lifetime. But, once we started dry ice blasting the joists, a certain smell started to permeate the room, even through our respirators. The joists appeared to have been made of what would remind you of utility pole wood. After doing some further reading on the subject, I discovered that it is quite likely that the wood was finished in creosote. Creosote was created as a wood preservative dating back to 1831. The house we worked in which was over 120 years old, may have had creosote protected wood joists, which prevented us from getting the clean that both us and our customer desired. We were only able to bring a wood stain look back to the joists. Unfortunately, we were unable to bring them back to bare wood. The wood seemed to have been soaked completely through with creosote and even after dry ice blasting the texture was still not smooth. It still had that feathered look.

I have included before and after photographs for you to view of the project.

Regardless, we learned something from this dry ice blasting project. First, creosote coated or soaked woods will not be able to be cleaned to a bare finish that looks like brand new unfinished wood. Rather dry ice blast cleaned creosote coated wood will look like it has been freshly stained. Second, wood timbers that have a rough finish (think utility pole wood) may not clean to look like smooth sanded wood. Therefore, dry ice blast cleaning will work on creosote treated wood, but not to the extent that we have seen on other wood cleaning operations.

For more information about our Nitrofreeze® Dry Ice Blast Cleaning visit our dry ice blasting page or call Ian Scott at (508) 459-7447.

The Fastest Chevy 292 Straight 6 in the United States

2009-09-28T14:07:00.010-04:00

Since our inception in 2002, we have cryo treated auto parts for our recreational customers. Many of our customers need their engines and transmissions to withstand the strains of more horsepower and torque. Our customers, who cryo treat their auto parts range from weekend racers to Nascar teams. In recent years, we have seen many customers use cryogenic treatment on components for drag racing vehicles.

One of our customers, Leo, has used cryogenic treatment on many of the auto parts in his 1954 Studebaker. Leo has had his entire Chevy 292 Straight 6 engine cryo treated just a few years ago. Since then he has raced two seasons without issue. He has the fastest Chevy 292 Straight 6 engine in the entire United States thanks to the use of a turbocharger; which allows his Studebaker to make over 1,000 horsepower. Today, we continue to treat performance auto parts for Leo and his Studebaker.

Our drag racing customers have been able to realize the full potential of cryogenic treatment. Cryogenic treatment allows drag racing engines to deal with the extra stresses and heat related to higher levels of horsepower and torque. Three transformations will occur in cryo treated auto parts. First, cryogenic treatment will promote residual stress relief in metal auto parts. Any stresses created from casting, forging, or machining will be relieved, allowing the metal to gain higher levels of endurance. Second, cryogenic treatment will create a more uniform molecular structure within the metal that is treated. This will remove any imperfections or voids from the metal that could eventually cause part failure. Third, in steel engine parts a transformation will occur named the precipitation of eta-carbides. This will increase the auto part’s level of wear resistance. As a result, parts subject to movement will last significantly longer. Another additional benefit is that cryo treated parts will have better thermal properties. This means that the parts will dissipate heat better, which will reduce failures caused by heat.

For more information about cryogenic treatment for racing applications take a look at our cryogenic treatment for racing page.

Most importantly, I wanted to share a video of Leo’s Studebaker. This video captures his vehicle with its cryo treated engine completing a quarter mile in less than ten seconds.

Dry Ice Blasting Painted Brick Video

2009-09-21T12:59:00.003-04:00

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. recently completed a historical renovation project on the second floor of 89 Shrewsbury Street. The objective was to remove coatings of paint from the brick walls using dry ice blast cleaning. Additionally, a few sections of the painted ceiling needed to blasted down to bare wood.

In 2007 we dry ice blasted the third floor of 89 Shrewsbury Street. The new tenants of the second floor liked the third floor results. As a result, they opted to have the same dry ice blast cleaning process completed on the second floor. Dry ice blast cleaning is very effective in removing layers of paint from brick surfaces. The blog post below has pictures of the brick walls before and after.

While the project was in process, I stopped by the work site and made a video. The video shows dry ice blasting of bricks in progress. This was one of the last areas to be cleaned using dry ice blast cleaning. The video can be seen below.

If you are interested in completing a dry ice blasting project at your residence, facility or office, please contact us. For inquiries regarding dry ice blasting, please contact Ian Scott at (508) 459-7447 or email him at iscott@nitrofreeze.com. For more information about dry ice blast cleaning visit our site here.

Dry Ice Blasting at 89 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, MA

2009-09-14T14:54:00.019-04:00

Over the past few years, we have completed many dry ice blasting renovation projects for home owners, commercial clients, and even construction firms. In July of 2007, we completed a project for Cardinal Construction at 89 Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA. Many of you may be familiar with this building because it houses a local restaurant named VIA Italian Table on the first floor.

The job completed in July 2007 was on the third floor of 89 Shrewsbury Street. The project involved removing paint from brick walls and cleaning painted wood ceilings. Many walls were required to be cleaned to the bricks’ bare surface, bringing back their original finish from over one hundred years ago. The painted wood ceilings needed to be cleaned in a few areas that would become main offices and a conference room. The Nitrofreeze® Dry Ice Blast Cleaning Service removed the paint and left the wood with a rustic smooth finish. In less than ten days the third floor of 89 Shrewsbury Street was cleaned and construction began on the new office space. The third floor now houses the Worcester Business Development Corporation with a total of 7,200 square feet of office space. I have added a link to a brochure about the third floor project, which can be viewed below.

Worcester Business Development Corp. at 89 Shrewsbury Street

In the summer of 2009, we are revisited by Cardinal Construction. They are interested in having the second floor dry ice blasted. The tenants moving into the second floor liked the look of the fresh brick on the third floor. As a result, they requested that the same process be carried out on the second floor. A mix of brick walls and wood ceilings needed to be cleaned utilizing dry ice blast cleaning. Many walls needed significant blasting as different paints had accumulated on them over the years. Some ceiling areas required blasting as designated by the customer. In particular, the conference room and a few offices would end up with fresh wood ceilings without any imperfections or paint.

The entire job only took nine days of dry ice blast cleaning. Our cleaning process allowed us to complete the entire second floor job on time and within budget. Historic restorations have become one of the mainstays of our Nitrofreeze® Dry Ice Blast Cleaning Service. We take pride in cleaning buildings to the point that they are at or near new condition. I have added pictures below to show you various areas of the second floor of 89 Shrewsbury Street before and after dry ice blasting.

Before & After Pictures

We can dry ice blast clean your renovation projects. Call Ian Scott, our dry ice blast cleaning manager, at (508)-459-7447 today, to discuss possible projects requiring dry ice blast cleaning. For more information about dry ice blast cleaning, please visit Nitrofreeze Dry Ice Blast Cleaning Service.

Cryogenic Deburring Consultation

2009-09-02T12:14:00.004-04:00

Cryogenic deburring is one of the mainstays of our business. We take pride in solving our customers’ burr problems with efficient, fast, and affordable solutions. Within the last week, we ran the parts that are pictured at the top of our cryogenic deburring page for a new customer. I have included a photo of the part that was deburred above. We had run these parts previously for another one of our customers. It was a familiar part for us, but there were some variations from the original customer’s part. However, our new customer was very enthused with the results of our cryogenic deburring process.

Below is the email I received from our new customer.

Good Morning Ryan,

I received the parts back yesterday the 1st. of Sept.

They look great. The next time I run these we will change the ball end mill more often to get rid of the heavy burr that you noticed on some of the slots. And also I have a groove tool being made to cut the O.D. grooves in one plunge to prevent the chips from wrapping around the groove. I know you noticed these also. But your process made it much easier to remove those with just an air hose. This entire order has been a learning experience.

It will be a couple of months before these get in the machine again. I will give you a heads up at that time.

But your work has opened my eyes to approaching plastic parts in regards to quoting for the future.

Thanks again for the help,

K.F.

Emails and responses from customers like this one make my day. We have many customers who are pleased with our deburring work. If you are unpleased with the way a company is currently deburring your parts, then give us a call at (800)-739-7949 or email us at info@nitrofreeze.com. We can review your parts and burr issues and give you advice as to how we can solve your problem with a safe, efficient, and affordable solution.

Team XXX Racing Third Event

2009-08-27T12:08:00.003-04:00

This Saturday, August 29th, I will be at the New England Dragway in Epping, NH. We are sponsoring an event by Team XXX Racing called “Import Wars”. This is the third event in a total of four. We will have a trailer set up near the concession stand. If you are looking for late-model performance parts, racing equipment, or cryogenic treatment for racing parts stop by at our stand. There will be several events during the day and gates will open at 8AM. The event typically lasts until 4PM. Below are some of the events that you can expect to see.

Team XXX Showdown – 11.50 & Slower – 16 car field

Power by Wang’s Shootout – 10.50 & Slower – 16 car field

Outlaw Pro – 10.49 & Quicker – 8 car field

Giant Car Show – 22 show classes

Street Fighter Motorcycle

Bracket Racing

Non-competition runs

If you want to race the price is $33, car show entries are $20, spectators pay $10, and kids go free. Hopefully, we will have nice weather so that it doesn't rain (bad news for the racers). That way we can expect many more racers to come to our event. I hope to see you there.

Nitrofreeze® Cryogenic Deburring Service Expands to Implantable PEEK Medical Devices

2009-08-13T16:49:00.003-04:00

Worcester, MA – August 12, 2009 – The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. is proud to announce the capability of removing machine burrs from PEEK medical devices including implants. The Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service has recently undergone trials by medical device manufacturers to remove burrs from PEEK implants. The results reveal that the Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring process is highly effective at removing complex burrs from these parts. In addition, several major medical device manufacturers have independently determined that cryogenic deburring is a safe technique for removing machine burrs from their PEEK implants and have approved its use for their parts.

“These positive results continue to expand the adoption of our Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service by medical device manufacturers as they shift away from less reliable and more expensive hand deburring ”, according to Robin Rhodes, President of the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. “The Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service offers medical manufacturers a safe, clean, and reliable technology to remove machine burrs”, he added. In recent years, the adoption of the Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service by medical manufacturers has consistently increased as more materials and part types use the company’s cryogenic processing to successfully remove residual machine burrs on complex and high value parts.

CNC machines that are used in the production of PEEK medical parts often leave residual burrs after the milling process is complete. Since many of these parts are implanted into humans, they must be 100% burr free while maintaining critical design features. The Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring process freezes the part to maintain essential tolerances - including surface finish and critical dimensions. Once frozen, the parts are tumbled while cryogenic-grade polycarbonate media is blasted at them to remove the offending machine burrs.

“It is exciting that the Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service continues to be adopted in the medical device industry, especially for the rapidly expanding segment of in-vitro (implantable) devices”, according to Ryan Taylor, Product Marketing Specialist at the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. “Medical device manufacturers of PEEK parts are quickly realizing the advantages of Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring, including fast turnaround, lower costs and higher quality”, he added.

The company offers deburring for medical devices on a contract service basis as well as by providing equipment to manufacturers so that they can process the parts themselves in-house. The service offering can accommodate small orders or high volume production lots of hundreds of thousands of parts per week. Most orders are processed within two days of receipt at the company’s main facility in Worcester, MA. The Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service is environmentally-friendly, fast, and cost-effective – especially when compared to the current forms of deburring employed in the medical device industry.

More information about the Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring service is available at the company’s web page, http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deburring.html.

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc., located at 90 Ellsworth St. Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, (800) 739-7949, is dedicated to the commercial application of cryogenic technologies to serve the needs of industry, government and scientists. The firm offers a full range of Nitrofreeze® cryogenic services, including cryogenic burr removal service, cryogenic deflashing services, conventional cryogenic treatment, heat & freeze thermal cycling, shrink fitting services, and dry ice (CO2) blast cleaning. It also offers engineering services, cryogenic lab work in support of R & D, and custom equipment design for new and unique cryogenic applications. It is a corporate sustaining member of the Cryogenic Society of America and ASM-The Material Society.

Protecting New Turbochargers From Failure Using Cryogenic Treatment

2009-08-06T14:32:00.004-04:00

Turbochargers an are expensive components to any vehicle. There are many ways that a turbocharger can fail, leaving the driver stranded. Turbochargers are often not easily repairable, although rebuild kits are widely available. Many mechanics will recommend that new turbochargers be installed rather than rebuilt or repaired units. As a result, the driver can expect to spend over a thousand dollars to get a new turbo and have it installed. Unless of course, the owner is an experienced DIYer that can do it with a little time and sweat utilizing a rebuild kit or brand-new turbo. Cryogenic treatment of a brand-new replacement turbocharger can be well worth the money, especially when considering the amount of time required to remove and replace a turbocharger. If cryogenic treatment is utilized; wear will be greatly reduced, as will fatigue failures. The end result is a turbocharger that will stay in alignment and be able to dissipate heat more efficiently. The bottom line is that cryogenic treatment will lengthen the serviceable life of the turbocharger.

What causes turbo failure? One major problem is oil starvation. Heat soak can cause oil lines to “coke” up at the turbocharger. Over time this oil blocks the passageways in the turbo causing oil starvation. Another way that turbos fail is that the driver will park the car and shut it off after a hard run. This results in the compressor wheel spinning without any lubrication at all. As a result, the bearings inside the turbocharger heat up and begin to wear. In time, this will cause the bearings in your turbo to fail. As a result, the turbo compressor and shaft will run out of alignment causing damage to the turbo housing and the compressor wheel. It’s at this point that it is too late and you are going to spend a significant amount of money to get everything back to normal. But, if you keep driving with a destroyed turbo, your engine can suck in all those small metal parts causing more significant engine damage. If it starts to grind, get it checked, do not keep driving it.

Is turbo failure completely avoidable? It needs to be understood that at some point the turbo will fail because its oil seals will begin to leak, causing significant amounts of blue smoke and oil loss within the turbocharger. I have heard horror stories with old Mercedes 500 turbo diesels from the 1980’s that ended up losing all of their oil through the turbo because the seals failed instantly. I myself had this problem with my old 1999 Saab 9-3 after 217,000 miles. Fortunately, it was just beginning to fail and the seals were only weeping. At start-up and on take-off I would see a large blue smoke cloud. Although synthetic oil is recommended for most turbocharged engines, it can cause some rubber gaskets and seals to weep with age. Normal oil will prevent this problem, but it is much more prone to oil “coking” causing eventual catastrophic turbo failure.

What can be done to avoid turbo failure? The first thing to do is to let your car idle after starting and before shutdown to avoid “coking” up the oil lines. This also ensures that the bearings will receive proper oil lubrication after a hard run. If a turbo is cryogenically treated before it is put back together, the owner can expect much longer life without failure. Unfortunately, the oil seals cannot undergo cryogenic treatment since they are made of rubber. Metals and alloys only react to the transformations of cryogenic treatment.

Cryogenic treatment of the compressor housing will remove any residual stresses from the manufacturing process. This will eliminate fatigue failures that take place in the housing. Additionally, the housing will stay in alignment throughout its lifetime. Thermal properties of the turbocharger will be improved through cryogenic treatment after the molecular structure has converted any retained austenite (RA) to martensite. Heat dissipation properties will be enhanced allowing the turbo to release excess heat into the engine bay. This will help protect the turbo from heat soak and oil “coking”. Cryogenic treatment of the bearings, compressor wheel, and shaft will improve the serviceable life of these components. This will reduce failures, due to the parts’ increased wear resistance after cryogenic treatment. Therefore, the bearings will run smoother and will stay within their critical tolerances. This will keep the shaft and compressor wheel from hitting the turbo housing wall and initiating a complete failure.

When it is time for a new turbocharger, make sure to get cryogenic treatment. For most applications cryogenically treating a turbo is less than $100 dollars. Even if you are going to rebuild the turbocharger yourself using a rebuild kit, it makes perfect sense to cryo treat the bearings to ensure that they do not fail prematurely. For more information on the process email me at rtaylor@nitrofreeze or call us at (800)-739-7949.

Dry Ice Blasting Fire & Smoke Damage

2009-07-23T13:03:00.011-04:00

Last week, we completed a dry ice blasting job along the coast of Maine. This summer we have seen an influx of dry ice blast cleaning jobs from home owners rather than industrial customers. This job involved cleaning an apartment that had recently experienced fire and soot damage. The small stove in this converted apartment had caught fire causing damage to the vaulted ceiling. For the most part, the rafters and ceiling were salvageable. It was our job to go to the site and dry ice blast clean the ceiling and rafters. In only one day we took the trip to Maine, completed the job, and came home.

Fire restoration jobs reveal how effective dry ice blasting is in cleaning wood surfaces. The black soot and char marks for the most part will be removed. This saves homeowners and insurance companies thousands on fire restoration considering the alternative option is to disassemble the structure and rebuild it with all new materials. Regardless, there are typically some parts that will need to be replaced as they will still not be up to code. However, this is for home / building inspector to decide.

Dry ice blast cleaning uses dry ice as a media to sand down the surface of the wood to be cleaned. As the dry ice hits the facade to be cleaned it begins to remove the surface finish. At the same time, the dry ice evaporates as it hits the surface to be cleaned. This reduces the amount of cleanup that is required after dry ice blasting has been completed. If we were sand blasting, we would need to clean up all the sand as well as the char and smoke particulate after cleaning. By using dry ice blasting there is far less residue that needs to be cleaned up. The picture below shows dry ice blast cleaning in action. The blasting gun is aimed at the surface to be cleaned and moved back and forth about two to four inches away in a sweeping motion. This cleans the surface and attains the desired clean that the customer requires.

At the job site we setup scaffolding so that we could reach the highest peak of the ceiling. Throughout the day we moved the scaffolding around in circles to clean all levels of the ceiling. After hours of blasting we went back over the surfaces to make sure that there were no spots that had not been cleaned. Any spots that were missed were taken care of. Below, are some before and after pictures of different sections of the ceiling. Dry ice blasting was extremely effective in cleaning the ceiling.

For more information about dry ice blast cleaning, take a look at http://www.nitrofreeze.com/dry_ice_blast_cleaning.html.

We have been dry ice blast cleaning since 2006 and have significant experience in fire restoration work. If you live in New England and need to clean smoke and fire damage, give us a call at 800-739-7949. We would be more than happy in assessing your fire damage cleaning needs.

Dry Ice Blasting For Mold Removal

2009-06-30T14:00:00.002-04:00

On Friday, June 26th we had the opportunity to complete a dry ice blast cleaning job in the suburbs of Boston. Like many other dry ice blasting jobs, this one was dirty. The job site involved a newly acquired house that had undergone some problems last winter. The previous owner was hospitalized and the home ran out of heating oil. As a result, pipes burst leaving water in the basement. As the water evaporated, mold and mildew were left on the rafters in the ceiling of the basement. The photo to the right shows the job before we went into clean. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture taken after our work, but I can assure you that the wood rafters were clean of mold and mildew. After review of the site, it was apparent that dry ice blast cleaning would be an effective way to remove the mold both in time and cost.

Mold remediation requires several steps to be fully effective. The first step involves drying the area that has become moist, allowing the mold to grow. The second step involves removing the mold from the surface that is contaminated. This can be done via sanding, sand blasting, soda blasting, dry ice blasting and by other means. The third step is to use a mold remediation product that will ensure that the offending mold will not rejuvenate. The final step is to monitor the areas that had mold to make sure that the problem does not re-surface.

Here at the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc., we offer dry ice blast cleaning as a service. We are more than capable of cleaning mold from various surfaces. However, we do not employ mold remediation products to the surfaces that have been cleaned. The customer has the option to do this themselves or hire a contractor to complete the final steps of mold remediation.

Any person with a potential mold problem should consider the options before taking up the project. Utilizing sand blasting and soda blasting will result in a significantly larger clean up. Not only will the cleaned surfaces have run-off but so will the process. I can’t imagine blasting sand everywhere and then having to clean it all up. Sanding mold off will take a very long time and will be labor intensive. But, dry ice blast cleaning is different. The surfaces cleaned will result in run-off on the floor, but the dry ice will evaporate. Therefore, cleaning is limited to a sweep, vacuum, and mop. In terms of time, the clean-up will be much shorter utilizing dry ice blasting.

Next time you have a mold problem and need the mold removed, call us at 800-739-7949. We will come to your location and review the problem. Then we will provide you with a quotation for the job. When it comes to mold, you want it gone the first time with as little extra work as needed. Utilizing our dry ice blast cleaning service is a step in the right direction.

For more information about dry ice blast cleaning, please visit the link below.

Dry Ice Blast Cleaning for New England

Import Wars Racing Event at the New England Dragway in Epping, NH

2009-06-22T13:30:00.008-04:00

On June 20, 2009 I had the opportunity to head up to Epping, New Hampshire to the New England Dragway. Although, I have visited many car shows for both new and classic cars; I have never visited a race track. Since I arrived very early in the morning, it was very desolate with just a few cars around. I knew that by the end of the day, I would see massive rubber smoke plumes and many performance tuned vehicles flying down the track.

The reason I headed up to Epping, NH for the day was because one our authorized dealers, Team XXX Racing was running an event called “Import Wars”. “Import Wars” is a racing event with a total of four track days. The first two have already transpired. The first was on May 23 and the second was on June 20. There are two track days left for the event. One will be on Saturday, August 29 and the finale will take place on Saturday, October 24. The final event is supposed to be the best of the year with hundreds of cars attending for the day. Even better, the competitors will all be looking to bring home the gold, and with it being the last event of the season, they will do whatever is necessary. It can be expected that spectators will probably see some blown up engines and transmissions that day, because limits will be pushed. Hence the reason why they might want to get wear items cryogenically treated before the final event.

If you would like to join the upcoming “Import Wars” events, then take a look at the Team XXX Racing site here at http://www.teamxxxracing.com. “Import Wars” involves index racing which is simply old-school drag racing. The racer has to do two things very well to win. First, the racer must cut a light very well. Second, the racer needs to run close to the index to become the winner.

As a sponsor for Team XXX Racing, we provided gift certificates to the 1st and 2nd place winners, as well as the top two semi-finalists. The same will happen at the next two events and hopefully, for many more years to come. The owner of Team XXX Racing, Rob Ingles, set up a display in the vendor section at the dragway. Team XXX Racing, Nitrofreeze, and Boston Dyno (http://www.bostondyno.com) all joined in the booth to provide our products and services. We met a lot of good people who were interested in motor sports and high performance vehicles. Many of them had limitless knowledge on import vehicles and performance parts. It was fun to get out there and finally meet the die-hard fans of racing and see their vehicles as well.

During the day I was able to see several races. Some were just ridiculous with vehicles flying down the track that you never thought could go that fast. Some even bounced up in the air as they took off from the line due to high amounts of torque. As stated earlier, there was a lot of burnt rubber in the air, especially before the cars lined up to race. Each would get a chance to burn some rubber before moving up to the starting line. It was a great way to spend a sunny but cloudy morning and afternoon.

The “Import Wars – Showdown” event resulted with the owner of Team XXX Racing, Rob Ingles, taking first place with his Acura RSX. The second place winner and runner-up did a great job too. Overall, it was a small showing for the day, but fun nonetheless. Unfortunately, rain had been predicted for much of the weekend and it had already rained for several days this past week. This resulted in many racers not attending the event, even though we ended up with a cloudy but sunny, humid day.

I will be attending the next two events, so feel free to come by and visit our booth in the vendor’s section. Remember, the dates are August 29 and October 24. If you have to pick just one, go in October; we are expecting a blow-out. Below are the links to the sponsors of “Import Wars”.

Http://www.nitrofreeze.com - Cryogenic Treatment for Motor Sports
Http://www.teamxxxracing.com – Race Club and Performance Parts Sales
Http://www.bostondyno.com – Dyno and Performance Tuning

That’s all for now, but we hope to see you at the remaining events. Thank you.

Shrink Fitting Tight Tolerance Parts

2009-06-16T12:16:00.009-04:00

Shrink fitting has been one of our service offerings since our inception in 2002. We are capable of shrink fitting all types of parts and have seen some very diverse applications. We have shrink fitted parts that are only a few inches in length as well as parts that are more than 20 feet in length.

But why choose shrink fitting? Shrink fitting is the best method to insert parts into a housing when press fitting will not allow it. Shrink fitting is capable of creating assemblies that require very tight tolerances. The bottom line is that conventional press fitting methods have limitations as to what they can mechanically force into a housing.

Our shrink fitting process is often referred to as compression shrink fitting. We cool the insert utilizing a cryogen such as liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide. This allows the insert to contract in size due to the drop in temperature. At the same time the housing that the insert is to be put in is heated. By heating up the housing, the opening is expanded through the increase in temperature. After the insert has reached equilibrium and the housing has been heated; the parts are finally fitted to create one assembly.

Some shrink fitting jobs that we have completed have not required both heating and cooling. But in cases where tight tolerances exist, a multi-step approach must be employed. This multi-step approach simply involves cooling of an insert and heating of a housing.

When choosing a shrink fitting vendor, one should choose one with extensive experience. Shrink fitting certain types of metals can result in a need for further processing after the shrink fitting process is completed. Only experienced vendors are aware of these extra steps. Additionally, it is important to choose the correct profiles for heating housings made of different materials. Otherwise, thermal stresses can be induced on the parts to be shrink fitted.

We have completed hundreds of shrink fitting jobs for large multinational conglomerates, military contractors, research labs, and transportation companies. We are more than capable of handling your shrink fitting requirements and applications.

Deburring Nylon & Delrin

2009-05-29T13:10:00.004-04:00

Last week, we exhibited at the Eastec 2009 Tradeshow at the Big “E” Fairgrounds in West Springfield, MA. We met many new people who have burr issues with materials ranging from plastics to aerospace alloys. Although many of these people and their companies try to remove burrs while machining; they still find themselves with some sort of burr issue. While a significant portion of these burr issues were with metals; there were two other materials that kept being mentioned. Nylon and Delrin were two materials that had workers seeking a new solution for removing burrs.

Nylon and Delrin were problematic in terms of machining, but also with molding. Many molders had flash issues while molding these two types of materials. While we would all love to use an alternative material and just forget our burr and flash issues; it’s not that simple. Customers’ needs must be met and fulfilled. The bottom line is that they choose the material. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s Nylon or Delrin.

Many of the people we spoke with at the show are using hand deburring and deflashing. They do it because it keeps operations in-house and is relatively cheap. But, they all agree on two things. First, hand deburring lacks consistency across each part that is deburred. Second, although hand deburring is cheap it can be time consuming. It seems that most manufacturers dislike using Nylon and Delrin due to the residual burrs and flash it creates. When this work is done by hand, it is not unusual to see more burrs created.

Do I have a solution for manufacturers with Nylon and Delrin burr and flash issues? Yes, I do. Our company cannot accommodate every single part that comes through the door; due to size and other restrictions. But, we have had a strong track record deburring and deflashing these two materials. There are many advantages to outsourcing deburring and deflashing for materials like Nylon and Delrin. First, burrs and flash will be removed consistently amongst your parts. No gouges or chips in places that render parts unusable. Second, we will run your parts within two days of receipt. Your parts won’t sit in our facility for two weeks before we run them. Third, all those employees doing hand deburring can be re-assigned to other projects. Fourth, with prices per part as low as $0.02 each; how can it not make sense?

For more information about our services, visit the following links.

Cryogenic Deburring
Cryogenic Deflashing
Electromagnetic Micro Deburring

Give us a call today at 508 459-7447 or email us at info@nitrofreeze.com. We would be pleased to review your parts and see if we can solve your burr and flash issues.

Tuning your car? Destroying Transmissions? This Might Help…

2009-04-17T12:27:00.001-04:00

We all know modifying your car equals sweet speed and better performance but, the resulting gains in torque and horsepower can cause some serious issues to your stock parts. I am not the one to decide but ECU tuning is a great start for anyone looking for increased performance but, with each stage of increased horsepower and torque, mechanical parts must be replaced for the tune to work correctly. In particular, you may need to add parts such as an air intake, intercooler, exhaust, downpipe, stronger pistons, larger cams, or bigger turbos.

But, what about that transmission in your newly tuned car? Its stock and all you did was change the transmission oil previous to tuning the car. It is understood that not all tuned cars need their transmissions to be upgraded if only doing a stage 1 or 2 tune. However, it is highly dependent on the vehicle itself. The biggest issue arises from transmissions that are not made for the extra wear and tear from the extra tuned power. Other transmissions are built to handle extra power but only to a certain point. No matter what, tuning usually results in an upgraded clutch sooner or later.

So, if you are tuning that car or truck and adding significant power, then you need to think about your transmission. Some people have the money to buy a custom upgraded transmission; many do not and will go with a used transmission. Regardless of it being new or used, you should consider cryogenically treating your transmission gears and synchros before putting it all back together, especially if you are tuning that car significantly.

Cryogenically treating your transmission gears and synchros will increase their wear resistance significantly. They will wear far less when pushing out all that newly tuned power through them. At the same time, residual austenite will be converted to stronger martensite. This improves the structural integrity of the part and will keep it from flexing under stress. Cryo treating these gears and synchros will ensure that the transmission does not need to be torn down for years to come. Many people think that cryogenic treatment is a very expensive process. Gears and synchros can be cryo treated for less than several hundred dollars. In the case of 4 cylinders, treating these parts is less than $100 dollars. So, if you are going to spend money on new parts and equipment for your transmission, why not ensure that they last?

For more information about cryogenic treatment and its application to auto, truck, and motorcycle equipment, please visit http://www.nitrofreeze.com/racing.html.

Deflashing for Plastics

2009-04-02T16:33:00.002-04:00

In these interesting economic times, it is hard to get the funding to replace molds and their associated tooling. It is understandable for companies to replace their molds as it removes several secondary operations from the manufacturing process. If funding is not available for mold replacement, then we have the solution to help keep mold houses producing parts on old molds.

As molds wear, seams develop and enlarge. During the molding operation excess material squeezes into these seams and flash develops. When the parts are ejected from the mold, the problem appears. Flash can be seen on the external geometry of the part along parting lines and around edges. Sometimes excess flash can even end up in inner dimensions due to through holes and cross holes. The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. offers deflashing solutions for the removal of flash from molded plastic parts.

First, we offer our deflashing service for the removal of flash from molded parts. Our company uses a form of deflashing termed cryogenic deflashing. Cryogenic deflashing utilizes freezing temperatures, polycarbonate media, and batch processing to remove flash. Rather than have several people remove flash by hand (which raises workman’s compensation through cut fingers) at slow speeds; we are able to deflash thousands of parts daily at significantly lower costs. Automation of our deflashing operation lowers your costs and allows your workers to do more productive things with their time.

Another option that we offer is cryogenic deflashing equipment sales. If you have a large enough operation and require deflashing from day to day then this may be your best option. We offer several models for cryogenic deflashing, from table top models to full size standalone units. These deflashing units are among the most efficient in terms of liquid nitrogen consumption available today.

Finally, if we cannot deflash particular parts then we will find a company who can. Through our many contacts in the deflashing and deburring industry, we will be able to find a solution for your flash problem. Many of these contacts are also capable of sourcing machinery if required.

Before we do any production orders of deflashing for your parts, we require samples. Through our sampling process we are able to calculate batch size and pricing. We also request that you include a drawing when sending a sample if possible. For imformation about the deflashing process take a look on our web page titled Deflashing, Cryogenic Deflashing, and Deflashing Plastic - Cryogenic Institute. So, call us today at 800-739-7949. We have the solution to your deflashing problem.

Cryogenic Treatment Service Provider to Offer Brake Parts In-House

2009-03-26T13:06:00.004-04:00

I have been distributing this press release across the web. As always I wanted to post it on our blog for even better visibility. In short, our company is now able to source rotors for our customers from various vendors. Our relationships with our vendors allow us to pass on deep discounts to our customers. Anyways, take a look at the press release below...

Cryogenic Treatment Service Provider to Offer Brake Parts In-House

Worcester, MA – March 25, 2009 – The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. is pleased to announce the capability to provide brake rotors and pads for cryogenic treatment at our facility. This latest development is a result of the company’s commitment to meet the needs of auto and racing enthusiasts. The company currently provides its Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment service for brake rotors and pads as well as many other motorsports applications.

“We believe that adding this capability of providing our customers with brake parts will further save them money”, stated Ryan M. Taylor, Product Marketing Specialist at the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. In recent times with more expensive fuel prices, shipping costs have grown exponentially. Sheering off one leg of shipment can create a significant cost-savings that can be realized by consumers, especially when a brake rotor weighs over 15 pounds. “This capability allows us to purchase brake rotors and pads at a significant discount, which we are able to then pass on to our customers”, added Taylor.

The capability to purchase brake rotors and pads on behalf of our customers allows us to pass on deep discounts. Through several local vendors we are able to source OEM and aftermarket brake parts for our customers. Brands available include AC Delco, Brembo, Raybestos, Zimmerman, Pagid, ATE and many others. Purchasing brake rotors and pads for cryogenic treatment directly through our company will be less expensive than having a customer source them and then ship them. Additionally, customers choose the type of brake rotors they want, whether they are original, cross-drilled or slotted.

In practice, brake parts will be purchased and delivered to the company’s cryogenic treatment lab in Worcester, Massachusetts, where they are subject to the Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment service. After cryo treatment, the brake rotors and pads are returned to the auto or racing enthusiast for final assembly. Purchasing these parts directly from the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. saves on shipping, retail prices, and downtime.

Cryogenic treatment of brake rotors and pads offer many significant benefits. First, rotors will adopt a uniform grain structure which will improve thermal properties such as heat dissipation. This will allow the customers brakes to stop in shorter distances when hot. Second, residual stresses from the manufacturing process are removed. As a result, warping and cracking along the braking surface are drastically reduced. Finally, modifications within the microstructure improve toughness, part stability, and wear resistance. Rotors will last significantly longer than untreated rotors. “Our Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment service enables enthusiasts and everyday drivers to save money on labor costs and brake costs, while improving braking power and safety”, Taylor stated.

For more information about cryogenic treatment of brake parts, please visit our web page titled Cryogenic Treatment for Racing and Cryogenic Auto Part.

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc., located at 90 Ellsworth St. Worcester, MA, is dedicated to the commercial application of cryogenic technologies to serve the needs of industry, government and scientists. The firm offers a full range of cryogenic services, including cryogenic treatment, heat & freeze thermal cycling, cryogenic deflashing & deburring services, shrink fitting services, and dry ice (CO2) blast cleaning. It also offers engineering services, cryogenic lab work in support of R & D, and custom equipment design for new and unique cryogenic applications. It is a corporate sustaining member of the Cryogenic Society of America. To learn more visit http://www.nitrofreeze.com.

The Cryogenic Institute of New England Inc. was founded by Robin Rhodes and he first documented the widespread use of cryogenic treatment in motor sports applications in a paper he presented at the 23rd Heat Treat Conference of the ASM Heat Treat Society, the world’s preeminent technical body on thermal processing of metals. Both Rhodes and the company have been featured in numerous stories and technical articles about cryogenic treatment. Most recently, this has included being featured in the racing industry’s leading technical journal, Race Engine Technology, for its Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment service.

We Will Source Your Brake Rotors for Cryogenic Treatment

2009-03-23T13:17:00.004-04:00

At the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. we offer cryogenic treatment for brake rotors and pads. In recent times, many customers have been asking if we can supply the rotors, complete cryo treatment, and then ship them to the customer...Now we can. We can get you OEM and aftermarket rotors and pads from different manufacturers including AC Delco, Brembo, Zimmermann, Raybestos, and others. This saves our customers on expensive shipping costs one way to our facility. Plus, due to our relationship with our vendors we are able to source our rotors and brake pads at significantly discounted prices. These discounts are then passed on to our customers.

If you are ready to cryogenically treat your brake rotors or pads, then give us a call at 800-739-7949. If you would like to know why you should cryo treat then please read on.

Here are the reasons why you should treat your brake rotors.

1. Treating your brake rotors will allow for better wear resistance. They will last longer as a result; often 200% to 300% longer.
2. Your brake rotors will wear more evenly. This will allow for a smoother stopping surface for faster braking.
3. Brakes will be able to dissipate heat faster due to better thermal properties after cryo treatment. This will reduce brake fade and allow for shorter braking distances.
4. Think of the labor savings. If you do not have to change rotors and pads for 100,000 miles then you will save on the labor of two or more brake jobs, which amounts to hundreds of dollars.
5. Cross-drilled rotors will see a reduction in cracking and develop cracks much later in life. Many customers have treated these rotors and have seen a 300% increase in rotor lifetime.
6. Customers have reported that cryo treated brake systems allow for more than 50 feet shorter stopping distances when hot.

For more information about cryogenic treatment for brake rotors, please visit Cryogenics for Racing. Please remember that non-metallic brake pads should not be cryogenically treated (I.E. ceramic or semi-metallic pads).

Cryogenically treated brakes are beneficial to fleet customers, racers, and every day drivers. You will enjoy safer braking, longer brake part lifetime, and best of all you will save money. We can source rotors and brake pads for you at great prices! As always, if you would like to provide your own rotors or pads we are more than happy to cryogenically treat them.

Cryogenic Treatment of Manufacturing Tooling

2009-03-10T16:00:00.001-04:00

Years ago, cryogenic treatment was first instituted for its use on tooling used in the manufacturing process. The only problem was that the first cryogenic treatments had these parts soaked in liquid nitrogen. As a result, these parts were subjected to thermal shock, leaving them in a brittle state. Needless to say, the parts were far less useful after the original form of this treatment.

Today, cryogenic treatment is computer controlled and does not rely on immersing parts in liquid nitrogen. Rather the parts are put in a chamber that is filled with gaseous nitrogen. This lowers the temperature to -300°F and allows the temperature to be held for 24 hours. Our ramps up and down to temperature are the slowest in the industry to maximize part stabilization.

The bottom line is tooling costs money. Some pieces cost a lot of money due to their complexity and design. The U.S. economy is slow and manufacturing orders are at the lowest they have been in 25 years. At this point you may be asking, why do I want to spend any more money on tooling? Cryogenic treatment extends tooling life significantly. Our customers normally see a 200% to 250% increase in tooling lifetime. However, you can always expect between 100% to 300% increase in lifetime after cryogenic treatment. Let’s say you have a particular CNC machine used just for drilling. The carbide drills you use last 40 hours of constant use. They cost $20.00 each. Now, you decide to get the drills cryo treated. Cryogenic treatment for each drill costs $4.00. Now they last 120 hours and you only paid $24.00 for each drill. Of course, there is shipping costs, but they are relatively inexpensive. But above all, think about all the down time you are missing. There are two setups that now do not occur, saving you even more money. Overall, you will save money on both tooling and downtime.

What kind of tooling should be cryogenically treated? Here at the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. we have cryo treated thousands of pieces of tooling for many manufacturing companies. Tooling parts that have been cryo treated include dies, punches, cutting blades, saw blades, molds, broaches, end mills, heat sinks, electrodes, carbide tools, and other types of tooling. Spending just a little more money upfront will benefit you through the cost savings that cryogenic treatment offers.

For more information about cryogenic treatment, please visit http://www.nitrofreeze.com/cryogenic_treatment.html. Another good site to visit is our engineering data sheet section at http://www.nitrofreeze.com/datasheets.html.

If you have any other questions or comments about our services, please call 800-739-7949 or email us at info@nitrofreeze.com.

Cryogenic Deflashing for Rubber and Silicone Parts

2009-03-05T15:35:00.004-05:00

One of our service offerings, cryogenic deflashing has seen a major spike in orders lately. Many customers with silicone and rubber parts are utilizing cryogenic deflashing to clean any excess flash from their parts. For the past twenty five years cryogenic deflashing has been the most efficient way to remove flash from rubber and silicone parts. This form of deflashing can save manufacturers a significant amount of money over hand deflashing.

There are two types of cryogenic deflashing available today. The original method involves a large barrel spinning around. This form is called cryogenic tumble deflashing. The barrel is filled with the parts then cooled to cryogenic temperatures and tumbled. This form of cryogenic deflashing is good for smaller parts with excess flash on the edges. As the parts are tumbled at such low temperatures the flash flakes and rubs off of the parts. Smaller rubber and silicone gaskets are also suitable for this process. We offer cryogenic tumble deflashing in house and have for many years.

The second form of cryogenic deflashing utilizes a media to spray the parts. This process was introduced several years after cryogenic tumble deflashing. We refer to this form simply as cryogenic deflashing. Parts are inserted in to a basket which is then put into the machine. This process is computer controlled and capable of saving recipes for each particular part that is run. Variables that are computer controlled include time, temperature, throw wheel speed (rate at which media is blasted), and basket rpm. Other variables include amount of parts in the basket and the media size used on the parts. This process is more efficient than tumble deflashing for many kinds of parts. Parts with parting line flash, gate flash, ejector pin flash, and flash within cross holes and slots will be removed with this process. This form of deflashing is more effective because cycle times are shorter due the extra media blasting capability. As a result, we are able to save you more money when deflashing your parts. This particular cryogenic deflashing service has become one of our most successful service offerings.

Cryogenic deflashing offers an efficient means to remove flash from your parts. Turnaround time is typically two days after receipt which means fewer delays. Process times are often twenty minutes or less, allowing significant cost-savings. If your parts have very exquisite geometries and a fixture is required, we can design and build one. For those utilizing cryogenic deflashing in house within their manufacturing process, now is the time to outsource especially with fluctuating manufacturing orders. Think about all that wasted money spent on unused liquid nitrogen. Shipping costs are much less than the money wasted on lost liquid nitrogen. Call us today at 800-739-7949 for an efficient way to remove flash from your molded parts.

For more information about cryogenic deflashing, take a look at http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deflashing.html. For a Frequently Asked Question section on the process, please visit http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deflashing_deburring_faq.html. To see the cryogenic deflashing process in pictures, go to http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deflashing_deburring_process.html.

We will be presenting these services at the Eastec 2009 tradeshow at the Big E Exposition fair grounds in Springfield, Massachusetts from May 19th to May 21st. You can also visit us at MassPlastics 2009 tradeshow at the Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center in Fitchburg, Massachusetts on October 21st and 22nd. Hopefully we will see you there!

Cryogenic Deflashing & Deburring for the Medical Device Industry

2009-02-09T13:34:00.003-05:00

Since the turn of the New Year, we have seen an influx of medical customers seeking cryogenic deflashing for molded parts and cryogenic deburring for machined parts. These two services can eliminate those strings, residual fibers, hanging burrs, and excess flash from medical devices prior to final inspection and shipment.

However, many questions arise as to how our process works and if it will adversely affect the medical customers’ parts. Two main concerns of our medical customers are cleanliness and structural deterioration of their parts. I would like to address these concerns as it is important for medical consumers to know their manufacturing processes very well.

Our cryogenic deflashing and deburring process removes excess flash and burrs; that is all that it does. Your surface finish will not be affected. Your parts will look exactly the same as they did when you shipped them, except they will be flash and burr free. One of the beauties of cryogenic deflashing and deburring is that all the small cross-holes and inner part geometries will be clean of flash and burrs thanks to media as small as 0.015”. After the process is complete, a post-tumble usually lasting less than a minute is initiated. This helps remove all the excess media from the parts. We can also clean your parts after the cryogenic deflashing or deburring is complete. We use mild and medium surfactants to remove residual media, flash, and burrs. This process helps remove surface tension from the parts as well.

Now it is important to address the structural deterioration issue. First, cryogenic deburring or deflashing will not cause your parts to fail any earlier. We run our processes above material freeze temperatures or at them. We never go lower than the freeze temperature. Cryogenic deflashing and deburring requires that the flash and burrs be frozen in order to remove them. That is why we have to go down to cold negative temperatures. Some medical customers are misled into believing that liquid nitrogen touches the parts. This is not the case; rather liquid nitrogen is converted into gaseous nitrogen which then cools the chamber were the parts have been inserted. Our deburring and deflashing cycles usually last no more than twenty minutes. Therefore, it is not long enough a time to cause structural deterioration that could shorten the life of medical parts.

For more information about cryogenic deflashing, please look at http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deflashing.html. For information regarding cryogenic deburring navigate to http://www.nitrofreeze.com/deburring.html. If you have any questions about deflashing or deburring for medical parts, please call us at (800)-739-7949 or email us at info@nitrofreeze.com. Call us today to send us your samples.

New Cryogenic Treatment Service for Racing Components Improves Performance

2009-01-14T15:15:00.005-05:00

This press release was released to the internet today. I wanted to add it here too, so that all our customers could see it.

New Cryogenic Treatment Service for Racing Components Improves Performance

Worcester, MA – January 8, 2009 – The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. announces a new cryogenic treatment service that is specially tailored for racing and other high performance enthusiasts. The latest developments are the result of the company’s continuing commitment to meet the needs of the competitive motorsports market.

“We believe that our new treatment profile for motor sports customers provides the greatest control and longest duration of any cryogenic treatment process available”, stated Robin Rhodes, President of the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. As the company’s founder, he has worked closely with several race teams that have become world-record holders in their performance classes for motorcycles and modified stock cars. Others, including boat, ski mobile and kart racers, have been victorious in national, regional and local contests. “Cryogenic treatment of engines, drivetrains, and brake systems results in better performance, increased output and longer part life that helps race teams win more races”, added Rhodes.

The process of cryogenically treating auto parts has become widely adopted in professional racing circuits. Racing teams that compete in NASCAR, Formula 1 and other international racing circuits have been using this technology for years, usually behind closed doors in their very private - and pricey – professional motor shops. “Our Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment service modifies the metallurgical microstructure of critical racing components so that recreational racers can have the same competitive edge as the World’s leading professional race teams.”, Rhodes stated.

In practice, stock, modified or custom components are sent to the company’s processing lab in Worcester, Massachusetts, where they are subject to the proprietary Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment process. After treatment, the parts are returned to the racer or mechanic for any additional modifications and final assembly. Common parts for cryogenic treatment include all engine components, such as cam and crank shafts, pistons and rings, connecting rods and engine blocks. Drivetrain components, including clutches, gears and shafts, and brake rotors are also widely treated.

Cryogenic treatment of racing parts benefits the components in several ways. First, residual stresses from part fabrication are removed, greatly reducing distortion, warping and fatigue failures that are caused by crack propagation of stress lines. Second, steel components adopt a uniform grain structure, eliminating imperfections that improve thermal properties such as heat dissipation. This also reduces the coefficient of friction to produce less drag. Lastly, modifications to the microstructure improve toughness, increase part stability, and greatly enhance wear resistance. “By using our Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment service, racers can get increased horsepower and extend the high performance life of critical components, ensuring that they can finish the race, despite the grueling demands that race conditions create”, according to Ryan M. Taylor, Product Marketing Specialist at Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc.

More information about cryogenic treatment for auto and racing parts is available on the company’s web site at, http://www.nitrofreeze.com/racing.html.

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc., located at 90 Ellsworth St. Worcester, MA, is dedicated to the commercial application of cryogenic technologies to serve the needs of industry, government and scientists. The firm offers a full range of cryogenic services, including cryogenic treatment, heat & freeze thermal cycling, cryogenic deflashing & deburring services, shrink fitting services, and dry ice (CO2) blast cleaning. It also offers engineering services, cryogenic lab work in support of R & D, and custom equipment design for new and unique cryogenic applications. It is a corporate sustaining member of the Cryogenic Society of America. To learn more visit http://www.nitrofreeze.com.

The Cryogenic Institute of New England Inc. was founded by Robin Rhodes and he first documented the widespread use of cryogenic treatment in motor sports applications in a paper he presented at the 23rd Heat Treat Conference of the ASM Heat Treat Society, the world’s preeminent technical body on thermal processing of metals. Both Rhodes and the company have been featured in numerous stories and technical articles about cryogenic treatment. Most recently, this has included being featured in the racing industry’s leading technical journal, Race Engine Technology, for its Nitrofreeze® cryogenic processing service.

Cryo Treating Audio Equipment and Components

2009-01-09T15:03:00.006-05:00

For many years we have offered cryogenic treatment for audio equipment. Musical applications for cryo treatment include audio tubes, guitar strings, brass instruments, speakers, cables, pedals, microphones, harmonicas, and even amplifiers. However, recently some customers have decided to conduct experiments with our helium cryogenic processing service. A typical cryogenic treatment uses liquid nitrogen and normally achieves temperatures as low as -310°F. Helium processing allows temperatures to drop as low as -450°F which allows even further relief of residual stresses and increased dimensional stability.

Cryo treated equipment presents many observable results. Our customer, Charlie Kersch, noticed an extended dynamic range in his treated musical components. He also mentioned that high notes were much clearer and had less distortion. Overall, he believes that the sound quality of his components was improved. At the same time, audio component life should be extended as well.

If one wants to cryogenically treat their audio components then they should know that some parts cannot be treated and may require disassembly. In particular, plastic parts sometimes become brittle and crack during the cryogenic process. Therefore, if you want to treat an audio cable that has plastic termination plugs, then you may want to see if removing it is possible prior to cryogenic treatment. The bottom line is that metal and plastic items should be loosened or taken apart to protect plastic parts from any adverse affects.

For more information about cryogenic treatment visit http://www.nitrofreeze.com/cryogenic_treatment.html. For more information about cryogenic helium processing visit http://www.nitrofreeze.com/cryogenic_helium_processing.html.

I asked our customer, Charlie Kersch, the following questions via email.

1. What processes did you use? Cryogenic treatment? Cryogenic helium processing? Or both?
2. What did you treat in particular? What processes were used on these components?
3. What immediate results did you see after treatment? Were they quantifiable (IE. Did you do actual tests or are the results by ear?)?
4. What are your impressions of cryogenic treatment and/or helium processing?

His response is below.

Hello Ryan,

I am finally finding the time to return your E-mail.

I have been using both nitrogen and helium cryogenic processing. I have been trying to fing a balance between cost and results.

Nitro/cryo. items included; cables (patch, speaker, instrument, power, USB), harmonicas, analog guitar effects pedals, analog wah pedal, microphones. He/cryo. items include vacuum tubes, a Vox AC-15 handwired combo amp with a Celestion Alnico Blue speaker and instrument cables. Currently being treated are more of the same and a Hammond melodica with internal mic pick-up.

I have used quantitative test results done by others to guide what process I try. Results in my equipment have been judged by ear only. I have been on the lookout for a simple software program for documenting changes that may be observable on an oscilloscope.

I have noticed an extended dynamic range in treated equipment. High notes in particular are clearer and less brittle sounding. Longevity of equipment should be improving dramatically, but will take some time to know for sure.

I was pleasantly surprised the Vox combo-amp worked immediately on putting it back together and turning it on. One of the vacuum tubes had an dampening sleeve which cracked apart. That particular tube and the rectifier tube both developed sympathetic resonance at certain frequencies. I am not sure if the cryo treatment or poor quality tubes were to blame. I replaced both tubes with some cryo'ed NOS tubes of better quality. It's now my favorite amp to play through. I have a Fender and Victoriette to try next.

Some plastic parts cracked. Some adhesives failed. One instrument cable had the outer cover crack along its entire length; its matching partner was unscathed. The plastic part of a banana plug cracked.
The plastic comb in a harmonica cracked. Cracked plastic was repaired with cyanoacrylate and are perfectly utile.

The harmonicas played more like broken-in instruments. The reeds respond faster and bend easier. I wear out all my harmonicas by wailing loud on the bends. I am waiting to see how well the cryo'ed harps last. I sent in a couple more to be treated. Those I disassembled to avoid cracking the plastic. Any combo metal-plastic items should be loosened or taken apart for treatment.

Overall I have pleased with results. Noting better sound quality and anticipating better longevity. I would most like to see someone do objective testing on the difference between Helium process and multiple treatments with nitrogen. So far I have been able to compare cables treated with helium to those treated once with nitrogen. The sound difference was easily audible; esp. in the high frequency range. The Helium cables also become much more flexible compared to the Nitro cables.

Guitar strings play more like broken-in strings and stay bright longer in both tone and visually.

Sincerely,

Charlie Kersch