Customer Cost Reduction: Apex Knives Pvt Ltd

Customer Cost Reduction through Cryogenic Treatment
The Cryogenic processing of metals and plastics is carried out with an aim to increase the performance of the materials. As part of the treatment, the material is slowly cooled from room temperature down to 196°C in a prescribed time, temperature profile. Once the temperature of –196°C is reached, the materials are soaked at this temperature for a period of 24-72 hours depending on the material being treated. On completion of the soaking period, the temperature is slowly elevated back to room temperature again as per the prescribed profile. This cryogenic processing step causes irreversible changes in the microstructure of the materials, which significantly improve the performance of the materials. The treatment calls for a precise temperature control during the processing, usually up to one-tenth of one degree, necessitating elaborate controls and sophisticated instrumentation.

Advantages of cryogenic treatment
It has been observed that the process provides the materials a stronger, denser and more-coherent structure thus increasing the abrasive resistance and thermal and electrical conductivity. For steels, the explanation of the phenomena in Layman’s terms is as follows: Super cooling the steel refines the carbides in the steel by expanding the carbide structure to fill any voids in the metal. Then as the higher temperatures return, everything relaxes into where it wants to be thus providing stability to the steel. Every step in the treatment is carefully controlled else the temperature extremes will shock the steel into delaminating.

Metallurgy of cryogenic processing
Two primary mechanisms are at work in cryo processing. Firstly, the super-cold treatment converts any retained austenite to marten site and the marten site is tempered as the metal return to room temperature. The martensitic structure resists the plastic deformation mush better than the austenitic structure, because the carbon atoms in the martensitic lattice “lock together” the iron atoms more effectively than in the more open-centered cubic austenite lattice. Tempering the martensite makes it tougher and better able to resist impact than un-tempered martensite. Secondly, cryogenic treatment of high alloy steels, such as tool steel, results in the formation of very small carbide particles dispersed in the martensite structure between the larger carbide particles present in the steel. This strengthening mechanism is analogous to the fact that the concrete made of cement and large rocks is not as strong as concrete made of cement, large rocks and very small rocks, (Coarse sand). The small & hard carbide particles within the martensitic matrix help support the matrix and resist penetration by foreign particles in abrasion wear.

Further explanation to the “Concrete effect” is as follows: Cryogenic treatment of alloy steels causes transformation of retained austenite to martensite. Freshly formed martensite changes its lattice parameters and the c/a ratio approaches that of the original martensite. Etta (h) carbide precipitate in the matrix of freshly formed martensite during the tempering process. This h carbide formation favours a more stable, harder, wear-resistant and tougher material. This strengthens the material without appreciably changing the hardness (macro hardness).

The other major reason for the improvement is stress relief. The densification process leads to an elimination of vacancies in the lattice structure by forcing the material to come to equilibrium at –1960C and lowering the entropy in the material. This lower entropy leads to the establishment of long range order in the material which leads to the minimization of galvanic couples in the material thus improving the corrosion resistance of materials including Stainless Steels.

Besides, there is some amount of grain size refinement and grain boundary realignment occurring in the material. These two aspects lead to a tremendous improvement in the electrical and thermal conductivity of the material thus transporting the heat generated during the operation of the tool away from the source and increasing its life.

Typical applications of the technology range from perishable tools and dies to alloy steel wear parts, gun barrels, machine knives and blades transmission gears, shafts, bearing cams, automobile engine parts, camera parts and microelectronic circuits, guitar strings and other musical horns, copper electrodes and the list goes on. This treatment can be carried out on tools and components which have been provided various coatings to enhance certain material characteristics and the net result is an increase in the performance of the coating over and above the existing coating. This has been found useful in the case of TiN, TiCN, Ti Al N, Hard Chrome, Stellite etc. coatings on various materials to enhance their wear resistance.

Cryogenics at a glance

Increase productive life of your engineering components by 25-100%

Decrease your perishable tooling consumption by 25% and add to your profits

Increase service life of your tools by 50-200%

User Testimonials

Application Tool Material Work Material Improvement

Chipper Knives A8 Wood 25 to 100% improvement

Down Hole Pump Parts SS tool Steel Sour Oil wells Reduced Corrosion

Blanking Carpenter Low Carbide 484 RC 56Steel Red.Chipping/Breakage

Drilling M42 Titanium Alloy 2 to 1

Forming Die A2 RC 60-62 Electric Iron 2 to 1

Abrasive Wear 52100 Alumina Wheel 165%

Abrasive Wear D2 Alumina Wheel 178%

Abrasive Wear A2 Alumina Wheel 225%

Drilling C2 Carbide Graphite 2 to 1

Face Milling C2 Carbide 4340 4 to 1

Milling M7 Titanium Alloy Significant

De-burring C2 Carbide Inconel 718 4 to 1

Hobs M2 & M7 Hi-Ni-Alloy 3 to 1

Key Cutters M2 & M7 Hi-Ni-Alloy Replace Carbide

Punching M2 & M7 Hi-Ni-Alloy 6 to 1

Punching D2 302 Stainless 3 to 1

Broaching - Auto frame 2 to 1

Logging Saw Chain Logs 400%

Milling 8% Co 347 Stainless 375%

Wood Cutting HSS & Carbides Hardwoods 5 to 1

Disposable Razor Stainless Human Whiskers 15 to 1

Die C2 Carbide 400Stainless 2 to 1

Can Die D2 Aluminum 2.5 to 1

Stamping Die D2 Mid Steel 10 to 1

Erosion Airborne Sand 7-4 PH Reduced by 60%

Machineability - Thin Wall aluminum 50% Saving in time.

What happens in Cryogenics?

Cryogenic processing tinkers with materials at the molecular level at Cryogenic stillness resulting in

Homogenizes the Crystal Structure
(Achieved by specially designed advanced ramp-soak time programs)

Grain Structure refinement
(New ultra fine carbide particles are formed which are uniformly dispersed throughout the material matrix.)

Improved structural compactness
(Copper Alloys, Steel alloys) significant effects even felt in such finely processed materials like piano strings, banjo, guitar strings etc. this shows that material characteristics are different even at such small cross-sections which are easily corrected by Cryo-tech) improves high frequency capabilities. Copper electrodes exhibit improvements in service life.)

Prevents concentrated Heat Built-up
(Tools, Carbide tools, ball and roller bearings and tools, turbine blades, combustion, chamber, steel industry automobile industry etc. significantly benefit from this improvement)

Increases Resistance to Deformation
(Copper electrodes exhibit improvements in service life)

Reduces Deformation significantly
(Results in less removal of material for redressing, normal saving in Cryo treated material is between 3 & 5 times)

Reained austenite is converted to a fine martensite matrix
(Powdered metal parts, steel alloys etc.)

Mechanical Properties like micro-hardness, Tensile Strength etc. are the same across any crosS-section
(Unlike other processes, cryogenic processing is a one time process and its effect is through and through)

Significant improvement in dimensional stability
(Helps machineability, very close tolerances obtained, reduced scrap-prior to machining cryogenic processing is carried out in several applications such as in machining of radar domes, cockpit instrument panels, missile parts, special precision bearings etc.)

Relieves residual Stresses
(Cutting tools, punches, dies electrodes, castings, forging, automobile gears, cam shafts, crank shafts, ball and roller bearings, springs, cutters, slitters, slotters, trim knives.)

Several fold improvement in hot hardness
(Turbine blades, ball and roller bearings even in battle tanks, gun barrel, tools, dies, valves, steel industry, combustion chamber, fluidized beds, missile cones, compact disks etc.)

Significant improvement in material toughness
(This process can tinker with material hardness without affecting impact strength adversely)

Binder Materials like Cobalt Nickel and in some cases additives of tantalum, Tungsten or Titanium are advantageously affected
(Carbide inserts, brazed carbide tools etc.)

Big decrease in the amount of catastrophic shattering
(Powdered metal parts)

Produces stronger, denser parts for better performance and longer service life

Cryogenics – Areas of Application

Steel cuttings tools / Cobalt /Tin / Chrome & Carbide Tools, Like Drills, End mills, Reamers, Broaches, HoGs, Form Tools, Routers, Knives, Piercing Tools, Key Cutters, taps , Extrusion Dies, Hot Die Steels, Progressive Dies, Slitters, Slotters, Trim Knives, Cutters, Lathe Beds, Gears, Rollers, Precision Tools, Jewelry Tools
Chipper Knives, Paper Cutting Knives etc.
Automobile Components like engine blocks, piston rings, crank shafts, cam shafts, brake drums, gears, bearings…
Down hole pump parts, seam welding wheels, saw chains, bullets, chains, motor shafts
Traveler Rings, earth Mover parts, sand blaster components, spark plug electrodes…

Cryogenics – Important Points to note

Chipping BREAKAGE:

Tolerance/Machining:

Dimensional stability:

Downtime savings:

Regrind Savings:

Typical Uses of Cryogenics

Increase life of tools, products & Stress relieve metals for tear free drawing.
Produce superior tolerances for steel products, improve surface finish, AND INCREASE service life of forgings and castings.
Reduce machine downtime, increase productivity and reduce scrap rate.
Increase Grinding Intervals
Get the product as close as possible to its absolute design limit.
Help switch to cheaper raw materials if desired.

Apex Knives & Cryogenics

Chipper Knives
Flaker Knives
Shear Blades up to 1.5 meters in length
Plastic Granulating Knives
Top & Bottom Circular Knives for Paper Industry up to 300mm in diameter
High Speed Steel Circular Saws for Tube/Metalworking

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