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Cryogenics

Started by kenskip1, June 29, 2004, 03:46:36 PM

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9shooter

Interesting discussion. I know of some applications for cryogenics that have proven succsessful. Copper weld caps deep frozen will pick up about 10% conductivity because the molecules are forced to line up more uniformly resulting in less resistance. They are also harder. However their application is limited to welding stainless steel at relativly low currents because if you heat them up too much the copper returns to near its former state. In the silverware industry this process netted a considerable cost savings.
   I also know that some of the finest custom knife makers will triple draw D2 steels and also cryogenicly treat their blades for a more uniform grain structure. I understand these knives hold an edge quite well.  I have heard of carbon nitriding chain saw  chains and also similar hardening processes and yes the teeth are harder, but they are also harder to sharpen. I don't think it would be cost effective to use these processes for saw chain unless you are cutting in sandy, dirty conditions. You can get carbide chain after all.
   The reason rifle barrells are cyro treated is to make the barrel micro structure more uniform. When a rifle is fired an osilation/vibration passes down the barrel and the more uniform the vibration the more accurate the shot. The Browning BOSS is another attempt to tame these osilations and it seems to work in that you can tune the barrel to get a uniform vibration. My bull barrel rifles essentialy do the same thing and they are accurate enough to poke the eye on a woody at 2-300 yrds. I realy don't care if it's between the eyes or in the eye!
Earth First! We'll log the other planet's later!

kenskip1

9 Shooter,
     Thank you for the reply.I may have over stepped my bounds of intelligence trying to find out if Anyone has tried this on a saw chain.I have had great success with this on my cutlery.It is a pleasure to here from someone that has equally good success with this process. Now if I could somehow get the people that modify saw engines to try this! Engine parts respond greatly to this process. Sadly however, I doubt that anyone willever try. Many two cycle enguines such as snowmobile and outboard racers have nothing but great things to say about this.Again, thank you for the first truly educated opinion, Ken
Stihl The One
Stihl Going Strong
Stihl Looking For The Fountain of Middle Age

kathicryo

Good morning, My name is Kathi Bond, owner of CryoPlus, Inc.
I exhibited at Sawlex in Youngstown 2 weeks ago, and spoke at one of the free techincal sessions on cryo treating saw blades, chains, chain saw bars, chipper knives and planer knives. We have been in business for 11 years and have had great success cryo treating these items. Check out our web page, www.cryoplus.com

kathicryo

The cost for chains and bars are both $5 each, chipper and planer knives are $4 per pound, not cost prohibitive for the average user. We start the processor every Friday and ship back to you every Monday.

kathicryo

The cryo does not change the "hardness" of the metal parts therefore it is not harder to sharpen. It raises the tensile strength, wear resistant properties and decreases brittleness. It makes it tougher and stronger. When the molecules realign the carbon fillers grow and expand, filling in all the microvoids in the steel, therefore making it stronger and less brittle.

kenskip1

Any disbelievers should look at this site. I highly recommend this process, especially to the hot saw enthusiasts. Ken

www.cryoplus.com/sawmills.htmlills.html
Stihl The One
Stihl Going Strong
Stihl Looking For The Fountain of Middle Age

sawguy21

Some winters,we cryo whether we want to or not. ;D At least it feels that way.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Sawyerfortyish

I don't know about the rest of you guys but I make my own loops of chain. It costs about 8.00-10.00 give or take a little. I can't see putting 5.00 more plus shipping both ways in an 8 or 10.00 item it don't make sense! The way I usally wear a chain is from sharpening. If you nick a rock because you don't see it a so called more wear resistant chain will also still need to be sharpend and wear from that. I don't see any benifit to doubling my cost of a wear item to try to get more life out of something that if bought in bulk is relitively cheap anyway.

countrysaw

ok this is kinda off subject, but

does "cryo" treatment benefit aluminum any, as i have seen steel crankshafts that have been treated and made a difference supposedly, but with the way aluminum transfers heat would this do any good?  I think that if you could take aluminum connecting rods and heads and make them stronger for as cheap as this is it would be a miracle, but for enginge components wouldn't it return to its original compositoin as soon as the engine heats up for the first time?  And after freezing wouldnt you have to have some parts re-machined to reset bearing clearances and stuff if this freezing changes mollecular structure i would also think that it would make the "stress risers" and shape of the part shift slightly

just a thought

zach
Right now i am playing in the sandbox

SwampDonkey

Way over my head Zach  ;D  :D

I'm with Sawyerfortish, the chains are only $20 and have been for years up here. It's not a big deal to take 10 mins to sharpen one. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

RSteiner

Over twenty years ago I had some experience with the cryogenic process for making materials more wear resistant.  I did have a few chainsaw chains treated with good results.

During the normal heat treating process a piece of metal is heated to a certain temperature, usually over 1000F to change it an austeinitic structure.   Then the heated piece of steel is quenched which changes the austentic structrue to a martensitic structure, or austenite to martensite.  This change in structrue is what makes the metal harder and more wear resistant.

Depending on the steel used and the control of the heating process the structure change may not be 100%.  By subjecting the heat treated metal to a deep freezing process in some cases some of the unchanged austenite structure can be changed to a martensitic structure thereby making the metal a little more wear resistant.

This could make a chain stay sharper a little longer the first time it is used.  One of the things that happen to a chain cryogenicly treated or not is as you cut the cutting edge of the chain sees tremendous friction resulting in heat and the duller the chain gets the more heat is generated.  The mositure in the wood being cut acts as a coolant for the chain to a certain degree.  Dry wood creates more heat in the chain and is harder to cut.

Once you cut too long with a dull chain there is enough heat generated to draw some of the temper and hardness out of the heat treated cutting tooth.  Once you have reached this point you have changed the structure of the metal making it softer forever and any cryogenic benefits are lost as well as some of the original heat treating.  This would apply to saw blades, milling cutters, and any cutting tool that gets over heated in use.

Cryogenic processing to make materials more wear resistant works but the results are effected by the quality of materials used, the heat treating process, and the cryogenic process.  As with heat treating the success of the process is dependant on precise times and temps.

Randy

Randy

beenthere

Randy
Thanks for the enlightenment. Sounds like you have a pretty good understanding, and a good way of explaining it. Makes sense to me now. :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

slowzuki

I have been watching the this industry grow for a bit.  It has appropriate uses but I have seen much in the engineering field where companies have abandoned it as the cost effectivness wasn't there.

It is certainly one of many heat treating processes available to us and can be used smartly.

Some non-ferrous alloys have completely different hardening mechanisms like precipitation hardening and I don't think the effects of have been well studying in this area.

I will be bold enough to say don't send stuff in just cause you can afford it.  The % improvement numbers range from negative up to the positive results published by treaters.  Dunk tank quenching is almost guaranted to hurt not help.

kenskip1

Slozuki, how can you argue with this.

"It does a fantastic job," he comments. The cryo process triples the life of his chipper knives, saw teeth and planer knives. "It saves labor and time and doesn't change the properties as far as being able to resharpen the tools." Nathan Replogle of Replogle Ent. in Henry, TN.

"We normally have a tool change at 110 to 130 inches on our gundrills with C-3 carbide tips. Now, since we cryogenically treat them, we are seeing consistent 350-450 inches between sharpening." Bill Crawford at Allied Machine in Dover, Ohio
"The cryogenic tempering process has significantly improved wear resistance and durability on two broaches we had cryogenically treated. They have broached over 500 rotors per broach and are still cutting clean. Prior to cryo, we broached 200 rotors." Glenn Pisching at Lincoln Motors in Cleveland, Ohio

"Toolinsert (knives) Ticn coated cuts 2,800,000 parts. The same knife cryo treated 4,000,000 parts and still moving up!" Wolfgang Stuchly at Julius Blum in Stanley, NC.

"Noticeable difference in wear. Less time changing knives. 2 to 3 times longer life. Less grinding to resharpen" Larry Hunter at Pike Lumber in Akron, Indiana

"Trenching teeth for digging trenches for highway underdrain systems lasted 1 ½ times longer." Kenneth Davies at Kokosing Construction in Fredericktown, Ohio

"Greatly enhanced performance of knife edge of calendar knives and Cameron cutter knives from every 1 ½ months to once a year." Dominique Nero at Salem Republic Rubber Co. in Sebring, Ohio

"Treated end mills maintain better cutting edge capabilities giving a 5 to 1 ratio over non treated tooling. Exceptional wear and stability." Dan Smarr at Stark Mold in Canton, Ohio

"4 times longer wear of steel pneumatic scissors cutting neoprene and rubber." Terry Shaw at Goodyear Air Spring in Greensburg, Ohio

"Used to drill 80 holes with Union Butterfield drill now drilling 296 holes with cryo treated drills." Frank Cic at Ecodyne in Massillon, Ohio

"Circular forming tools cutting glass filled Teflon are getting 4 to 5 times tool life between regrinds. Cryo treated milling cutters are doubling the life." John Forrest at Forrest Screw Machine in Mansfield, Ohio

"We used 3-4 cobalt roughing end mills for a 60 piece run. After cryo we used 1 tool to run all 60 parts without any noticeable wear on the tool." Tom Stugmyer at Ace Precision Ind. in Tallmadge, Ohio

"Treated slitter knives cutting corrugated paper went from lasting 2 weeks to 4-5 weeks after cryogenic treatment." Jim Greenwood at Trey Corrugated in Sharonville, Ohio

"Chipper knives would usually last for one shift which would make 20-25 tons of chips. The cryo treated knives made 45-60 tons of chips. When changing the knives I've seen fewer nicks in the blades and they didn't show any signs of burning." John Blake at Brookville Wood Products in Brookville, Pa.

"4:1 reduction in drill cost on Mazak 630 without stopping." Gene Knox at Canastota in Canastota, NY

"Average life for untreated Stanley #11-911 blades was 4-5 days before cryo. Treated blades are lasting 8-14 days." Dan Woerner at Sentinel Consumer Products in Mentor, Ohio

"Treated blades granulated cooler product, lasted 3 times longer and did not produce smoke during the granulating process." Ed Stake at Carlisle Tire & Wheel in Carlisle, Pa.

"Lathe tools lasted 4-5 times longer than the non treated tools." E. L. Wilson at Conax in Buffalo, NY

"Non treated 1/16" carbide drills drilled 120 holes. Treated drills drilled 416 holes." Ray Fowler at Federal Mogul Aviation in Liberty, SC.

"D-2 dies were normally line-side polished seventeen times in four months... after Cryo-treatment, once in three months." Jim Rau at TABC< Subsidiary of Toyota Motor Sales

"We use to change chipper knives every five days. Now we change them every four weeks!" Kaple Lumber

"Cryo-treated taps out-last untreated taps 5:1." F. E. Myers Company

"S-7 turret punches went from 100 hits to 1200 hits." Will-Burt Company

"Cryo-treated rifle barrels last longer and shoot straighter... the results are absolutely amazing." Shooter's News Magazine

"We ran more than forty races for the 1991 season between lower engine teardowns. Prior to cryogenic treatment, we had to tear them down every six to seven events." National Auto Racer

Need more evidance than this? I started this thread and I will continue to believe in it's benifits. Again, my cutlery is proof positive that this process works. Ken




Stihl The One
Stihl Going Strong
Stihl Looking For The Fountain of Middle Age

slowzuki

It does work in certain applications.  Running to the guy next door who dunks parts in a tank of liquid nitrogen doesn't always work.

They is more science to it than just getting it cold, I want people to understand that.

Ken

RSteiner

When I was involved with it years ago, I don't think the process has changed, it was very important to cool the mass at a certian rate, leave it "soak" in the cold for a set period of time and then rewarm the parts at a certain rate.  All the times and temps were critical to the sucess of the process.

Being the process takes considerable time the operator I dealt with said if we got parts to them on Thursday they ran them over the weekend and shipped them back on Monday.

As far as results it was very dependant on the type of material and the prior heat treating process.  Positive results were noticed many times or they were measurable rather than intuitive.  Sometimes just because you think it is better it feels like it is, like washing and waxing your car makes it feel like it runs better.

As someone has said, is the return on investment worth it given the price of a loop of chain.   At a treatment price of around $5.00 a loop that is 25% of the cost of the chain, I doubt that any one will or can say for sure that you will be getting that much or more performance out of a treated chain.  With chainsaws the cutting conditions vary so greatly from minute to minute it is really difficult to measure a difference.

Randy
Randy

sigidi

Hey there fokes,

been watching this one from the begining.

Now not to get anyone upset, but Ken all the instances you state from folkes who have had the process done are situations where the metal doesn't reach the temps expected on a chain when cutting. Folkes in industry doing mutiple drilling/maching tasks do so with lubricant applied all the time. Chain just doesn't have the removal of heat that those applicatons do, chipper's I'd think wouldn't reach the temps of saw chain either??

My understanding of the process is that it would be good for a saw chain initially, but would be nulliffied the first time the operator ran it too long and got it HOT!!

Ok we all know if the operator hits a stone or metal then this will dothe same thing, but there isn't a loss of extra $'s as compared to a new chain.

Anyway, just my 2cents
Always willing to help - Allan

kenskip1

Sigid,
You make a Valid point. Can you just imagine what the  EPA would do if the saw had constant lubrication on the chain? BAck to the issue at hand. As I stated early in the opening of this thread is that chains are made of Soft material. If a cryo treartment would help make the chain Stronger then would this be possibly cost effective? As two the temperature of a chain during operation this could vary with the climate and physical location, Ken
Stihl The One
Stihl Going Strong
Stihl Looking For The Fountain of Middle Age

sigidi

Ken,

yes as far as metal goes, chain metal is 'softer' than other metals, but would making it harder make it better?

I know you get those handsaws with the hardened teeth, which once blunt are cheaper to throw away than get re-sharpened etc.

I don't know enough about saw chain to pretend that I know if it could be more useful 'harder' than it already is, but just 'cause folkes felt gas lighting was good and the best solution for that time, didn't stop old mate Edison from making light globes did it?

Now, I am interested in the idea of making saw chain last longer between sharpens, but just can't get over the idea of it gaining heat and thus nullifying the cryo process. As an example, my woodworking chisel, I know that it's been hardened to a specific Rockwell, and this helps it keep it's edge and thus perform longer between sharpens. BUT, if when sharpening, I blue that chisel with the grinder, I've done serious damage to the hardening and thus compromised the benefits of the hardening process. My concern with the saw chain cryo process is that the saw chain regularly gets HOT in proper application and sometimes gets REALLY HOT, if occasionally misused. I see this heating as having a detrimental effect on the cryo process.

Do you know if any studies have been performed to see what kind of temp a piece of metal (which has been cryo treated) will lose the benefits of cryo treating? and for those that know, is this in the normal operating temps for saw chain?

For me this is the big question to be answered regarding the use of cryo on saw chain. Ability to sharpen is not an issue, i mean you can sharpen your chisel easily enough, right? also many other pieces of metal can still be worked after being hardened etc, So I figure the sharpening wouldn't be the issue, the added cost would be and the effectiveness of treatment at temperature would be whats needed to be looked at.

After all lets say a fella gets a loop of chain for $20, cryo is then $5 more, you would want your chain to last at least twice as long as when it wasn't cryo treated, for it to seem worthwhile going to the hassle of sending your chain off, a little bit longer (maybe 20-30 secs) in sharpening and possibly a little bit more effort to sharpen. It would need to outlast it's untreated brother by twice to be a viable alternative.

A quick side to this also, I'd say you would have to buy cryo chains as I would only want the cutters treated not the drive links.
Always willing to help - Allan

RSteiner

Sidigi

The observations you make are very well put especially about the temps a chian can see while in use.  The heat produced from trying to push a dull chain through a log affects the steel whether it has been cryo treated or not.

Once a piece of metal has been heated enough it affects the grain structure making it softer and less able to hold an edge.  If a chain was as hard as a chisel it would probably chip when the first rock or hard thing was hit. 

I have cut too long with a dull chain before and taken the hardness out of it, after sharpening it the edge would not last long at all until it was sharpened past the heat affected area.

So, it doesn't make any difference if something has been cryo treated or not if you over heat it either using it or sharpening it the hardness is affected.  As far as the heat seen at the cutting edge of a chain saw tooth it is much higher than one would think.  The metal behaind the edge is there to conduct away that heat.  I was once told that on a wood planner knife the very cutting tip temps can reach over 1000 F.  Push a dull knife too much and you can turn it blue.

Randy
Randy
Randy

GF

I was watching the online aution they had here for the State Of Okla, they had a cryp deep freeze that went down to -300 according to there information, they also said it worked fine.  Kept thinking why I should buy it but could not come up with a good reason, thing sold for $200.  I had heard about using them for steel etc but really didnt research it to much.

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