When most people think of “cryogenics,” they’ll think of the technology used in science fiction to freeze people so they can be thawed out in the future. However, the people exploring that far-off technology prefer the term “cryonics.” Cryogenic materials are actually far more common. The term has “generally been used to refer to temperatures below approximately -150° C,” according to Dr. Ray Radebaugh of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Cryogenic technology can be found in hospital MRI machines, food processing facilities and grade schools, mostly in the form of liquid nitrogen and helium. And in manufacturing, cryogenic cooling is becoming more and more common as various industries discover the advantages of liquid gasses compared to traditional coolant.
As with many cutting-edge technologies, the industrial use of cryogenic coolant began in the aerospace and medical industries. The extremely low temperatures possible with cryogenic technology is perfect for the tough materials in this industry, especially for titanium alloys and other materials where work hardening is a major issue. With cryogenic cooling, it becomes possible to push the cutting parameters to be much more aggressive without experiencing the excessive heat that will ruin complex components, thus increasing productivity without sacrificing tool life.
Cryogenic cooling has also been a game-changing technology for shops that have to meet stringent regulations regarding part quality and cleanliness. In particular, the FDA requires many medical components to be washed clean of any coolant – a step that isn’t necessary with cryogenic technology. CO2 coolant, for example, flows just like standard internal coolant, but after it’s done cooling the tool it evaporates into a harmless gas. This isn’t just better for the environment. In many cases, cryogenic cooling can significantly reduce or eliminate time spent on post-machining processes, which makes a big impact on the total per-part cost of a process.
This technology isn’t particularly difficult to use, though taking full advantage of the cooler working conditions and avoiding cold-affected zones can take a small amount of trial and error for new processes. Instead, the main barrier for most shops is installation. Retrofitting existing spindles for through-tool cryogenic coolant can be a complex and expensive endeavor, so most shops opt to implement the technology with new machines that come with the technology pre-installed.
Once cryogenic coolant is deployed, however, it’s usually much easier to maintain and manage than traditional coolant. There is no need to restock the racks of spare coolant taking up space in a shop, and the compressed CO2 doesn’t need treatment – after all, there’s no risk of mold or other contaminants in the super-cold environment within the cryogenic coolant system. And there’s no coolant disposal fees that have to be paid to get someone to haul away the used, often toxic coolant.
On the toolholder side of the equation, REGO-FIX is already serving the cryogenic coolant market with its powRgrip-based system, PG-CRYO. These advanced, sealed holders use slightly modified collets designed to feed CO2 coolant through the tool and directly to the cutting edge, avoiding any pools of gas that might cause icing to produce clean chips efficiently. Currently, these collets are often purpose-built for specific applications, though solutions like directional ports on the face of the holder may allow for more standardization in the future. To learn more, contact your REGO-FIX distributor or visit REGOUSA.com.