Metal cutting tools are essential to give the working pieces a desired shape. They are used primarily to remove leftover material from a manufactured metal piece by implementing the shear deformation process.  Metal Cutting tools are essential in the fields of construction, automotive, aerospace, medical, manufacturing, and machining. However application of metal cutting tools for a longer duration impacts their durability, and wear resistance, and creates metal fatigue. Here Cryogenic treatment comes as a vital solution. 

What Is Cryogenic Treatment 

Cryogenic treatment is an after-treatment followed by heat treatment of metal cutting tools. The process starts with placing the metal cutting tools into a cryo-chamber and reducing the temperature to below -150℃. Further, the temperature is gradually reduced to extremely low levels. Earlier the material used for the cooling process was liquid nitrogen, however, at present gaseous nitrogen or solid carbon dioxide is used to reduce the temperature and keep the metal cutting tool in the exact state for a couple of hours.

While a minimum of six hours was desirable for the treatment, it is better to keep the metal cutting tool parts for an extended period. Some tests occur for 24 hours at  -300℉. The entire process can be precise and controlled by a computer. Additionally, Calibration gas canisters are necessary during the treatment to ensure precision. 

Benefits Of Cryogenic Treatment

Stable Microstructure 

When metal cutting tools go through cryogenic treatment, it results in microstructural changes inside the metal. The heat treatment provides toughness and toughness to the steel, however, still there remain some voids. The metal still contains soft iron particles i.e. austenite and non-uniform structure. The cryogenic treatment converts the remaining austenite particles into hard iron i.e. martensite.  This modification within the metal cutting tools at such a low temperature creates a uniform and stable microstructure. 

Mechanical Properties Enhancement

Cryogenic treatment helps the metal cutting tools achieve a stable and uniform microstructure. As a result, the metal cutting tools gain additional hardness and toughness. As a result, metal cutting tools became stronger, and can cut metals in a better manner reducing rework.

Increased Durability

A study conducted by International Journal of Modern Engineering Research states that cryo-treated metal cutting tools exhibit 80% better wear resistance than untreated metal cutting tools. Cryogenic treatment relieves the residual stresses, which improves the cutting tools’ wear resistance and lower their fatigue failures. It makes manufacturers and machine shop owners to experience higher life of metal cutting tools. Additionally, the tools maintain cutting-edge sharpness and reduce the downtime needed for scheduled changes in tooling.

Improved Productivity  

Cyrogenically treated metal cutting tools showcase higher productivity, quality and support applications those require higher cutting speeds and feed rate. These metal cutting tools produce better quality metal cutting spares requiring less grinding, reshaping, or rework. Further, the cyrogenically treated tools possess improved thermal conductivity, that makes the cutting tools handle higher temperatures associated with faster cutting operations in a better manner.

Cryogenic treatment transforms metal cutting tools in multiple manner. It gives them a solid uniform microstructure, improves their strength, increases their wear resistance, diminish the metal fatigue, and finally improve their productivity on a daily basis. Cryogenic treatment is an essential boon that should be performed on every metal cutting tool.