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The Cryo-Tech Process Currently, Material Improvements Inc., operates under the name of 300­ Below, Inc., and is headquartered in Decatur, Illinois. These days, the company is best known for the "Cryo Tech Process©," a controlled, liquidless "cold" treatment that utilizes slow cycle times and extremely low temperatures (-300­ and -320­ Fahrenheit). Hasty freezing at higher temperatures often results in cracking, but Cryo Tech's slow chilling cycle gives treated materials sufficient time to physically adjust to progressively lower temperatures. "A dry process means the material is not exposed to any cryogenic liquids, eliminating the risk of thermal shock," says CEO, Pete Paulin. "The material is frozen through a thermo-dynamic refrigeration cycle. 'Controlled' simply means the entire process is performed by computer according to a precise, prescribed timetable. The material is cooled slowly, held for 20-60 hours, and allowed to return to room temperature slowly. The treated material retains its original size and shape throughout the entire process." "Following treatment, materials show nominal changes in yield and tensile strength. The treated material may become less brittle without losing hardness. What does change most significantly and considerably is the material's toughness, stability, and wear-resistance. Gains between 50% and 500% may occur, depending on the component structure and previous heat-treating." Dropping the temperature very slowly establishes an orderly arrangement of crystals, increases internal bonding energy, and achieves a structural balance throughout the mass of the material, adds Vice President, John Koucky. The Cryo Tech journey back to room temperature also proceeds at a snail's pace, leaving intact the molecular transformationn achieved in the freezing phase. The result is a much improved part or tool with no cracking, warping, or any other cryogenically imposed defect in evidence. "We do all our freezing in a computer-controlled chamber," Koucky continues. "Cooling is first done electrically. The temperature is brought down to 100 below, then to -300­ to -320­ Fahrenheit using gaseous liquid nitrogen. It's really a two-step process. After the material is frozen cryogenically, we put it in a tempering oven. We do this because tempering requirements vary in terms of time and temperature depending on material, and its thickness. Some people have come into this business thinking they can do cooling and tempering in the same chamber. The job goes faster that way, but the results are never as consistently excellent as those you achieve using a two-step process." 300­ Below also has processes in place that sharply reduce the risk of rust, chipping, and oxidation. Some of the company's competitors have trouble in this area because they don't go that extra mile to avoid trouble, Koucky claims. "We have a well-earned reputation for being perfectionists," Koucky continues. "That's one of the reasons our customers keep coming back. The schedules we run, the cooling curves and tempering times are pretty much proprietary, and we don't advertise what we are doing in this area. But our experience in handling different materials and configurations has given us a considerable edge over our competition. We have, for example, a good deal of equipment for handling pieces of unusually large size. Recently, for example, we processed a die that weighed 27,000 pounds, and had a cross-sectional area of 39 inches. Very few of our competitors are equipped to tackle anything even close to that. We regularly process parts up to 25 feet long, and are set up to do just about anything a customer may want.The point is that we have experience with really big jobs, and while our current processing limit is 27,000 pounds, if we got a job double that size we would simply build another chamber." Tools, Trumpets, Golf Clubs & Auto Parts The Cryo Tech Process has been proven most effective on high-speed, high-carbon, high-chrome and other steels. Many cutting tools, dies, and wear parts are made of such materials, and experience has shown that strength, endurance, and longevity is significantly increased as a result of cryogenic processing. The cost advantages of the process are obvious. The Cryo Tech process drastically enhances wear resistance without diminishing hardness. The process also adds fine carbide particles to the microstructure of steel, resulting in greater tensile strength. Extending the working life of tools and parts sharply reduces the time and money lost to reconditioning and replacement. Nor is it necessary to re-process once a tool or part has been passed through the Cryo Tech process. The improvements last for life. The Cryo Tech process works equally well on metal baseball bats and golf clubs, musical instruments, and auto parts. According to Director of Motor Sports, Bob Reed, cryogenic tempering adds great durability to the engines of racecars, and may also keep other components in these high-strung vehicles in good working order. The process significantly improves abrasive wear resistance and durability, resulting in longer engine life, higher horsepower, and less breakage. "Some top fuel dragster and funny car teams burn nitro-methane, liquid dynamite, in other words," Reed says. "Engine-wise you're looking at 500 cubic inches putting out over 5000 HP That's a herd of horses, and when you put that kind of power together you have an explosion waiting to happen." Crankshaft breakage and engine component cracking are a common problem in drag racing, Reed continues. Cryogenic treatment may reduce the occurrence of such problems to virtual zero by reducing abrasion, and keeping all internal parts in proper alignment. "300­ Below is the creator of the commercial cryogenic processing industry, and the largest player in the business, processing more than a million pounds per year," Paulin adds. "This has given us more experience in more fields of cryogenics than anyone else in the industry. Our founder, Ed Busch, was the guy who started it all, and through the years he has been a fabulous mentor to us."

 

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