Cryo Treated Transmissions

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. cryo treats racing enthusiasts’ transmissions for longer life, higher levels of durability and smoother shifting. We have treated thousands of transmissions since we started cryogenic processing in 2003.

Transmissions wear with age and mileage. As a result, some fail prematurely and need to be replaced. In addition, racers who tune their vehicles to higher levels of horsepower and torque also induce more stress on their transmissions. This can also lead to a premature death of your transmission.

Steel components will benefit from three transformations. The first is residual stress relief. Steel parts still retain a certain percentage of residual stresses after heat treatment. Cryogenic treatment will further eliminate these stresses, reducing the micro stresses that a part could fatigue along.

The second transformation is termed the precipitation of eta-carbides. Steel parts will see eta-carbides populate dramatically in the crystalline structure. The precipitation of eta-carbides allows parts to enjoy a higher level of wear resistance, often 100% or over what it would be if left untreated.

Third, the crystal structure will become more robust with increased toughness after cryogenic treatment. Retained austenite from the heat treatment process will be converted to martensite during the cryogenic treatment process. This creates a more uniform microstructure free of imperfections and voids that could result in part failure.

Transmissions shipped to our location need to be disassembled prior to cryogenic treatment. Also, all plastic and rubber parts should be removed as they will not survive the process. We do not recommend that you treat the casing of the transmission.

Cost to cryo treat a transmission ranges from $150 for a 4 cylinder transmission to $350 for a V8 transmission. If you are tuning your vehicle and don’t want to experience a sudden, catastrophic failure of your transmission, then you should look into cryo. The cost outweighs the price of losing a race or even the time and labor to find a new one.

If you would like to learn more about cryo treatment for your transmission and other racing parts, please visit our cryogenic treatment for motor sports page. If you have questions regarding cryo treatment, please email us at info@nitrofreeze.com or call us at (800) 739-7949.

New Cryogenic Treatment Service for Racing Components Improves Performance

This press release was released to the internet today. I wanted to add it here too, so that all our customers could see it.

New Cryogenic Treatment Service for Racing Components Improves Performance

Worcester, MA – January 8, 2009 – The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. announces a new cryogenic treatment service that is specially tailored for racing and other high performance enthusiasts. The latest developments are the result of the company’s continuing commitment to meet the needs of the competitive motorsports market.

“We believe that our new treatment profile for motor sports customers provides the greatest control and longest duration of any cryogenic treatment process available”, stated Robin Rhodes, President of the Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. As the company’s founder, he has worked closely with several race teams that have become world-record holders in their performance classes for motorcycles and modified stock cars. Others, including boat, ski mobile and kart racers, have been victorious in national, regional and local contests. “Cryogenic treatment of engines, drivetrains, and brake systems results in better performance, increased output and longer part life that helps race teams win more races”, added Rhodes.

The process of cryogenically treating auto parts has become widely adopted in professional racing circuits. Racing teams that compete in NASCAR, Formula 1 and other international racing circuits have been using this technology for years, usually behind closed doors in their very private - and pricey – professional motor shops. “Our Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment service modifies the metallurgical microstructure of critical racing components so that recreational racers can have the same competitive edge as the World’s leading professional race teams.”, Rhodes stated.

In practice, stock, modified or custom components are sent to the company’s processing lab in Worcester, Massachusetts, where they are subject to the proprietary Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment process. After treatment, the parts are returned to the racer or mechanic for any additional modifications and final assembly. Common parts for cryogenic treatment include all engine components, such as cam and crank shafts, pistons and rings, connecting rods and engine blocks. Drivetrain components, including clutches, gears and shafts, and brake rotors are also widely treated.

Cryogenic treatment of racing parts benefits the components in several ways. First, residual stresses from part fabrication are removed, greatly reducing distortion, warping and fatigue failures that are caused by crack propagation of stress lines. Second, steel components adopt a uniform grain structure, eliminating imperfections that improve thermal properties such as heat dissipation. This also reduces the coefficient of friction to produce less drag. Lastly, modifications to the microstructure improve toughness, increase part stability, and greatly enhance wear resistance. “By using our Nitrofreeze® cryogenic treatment service, racers can get increased horsepower and extend the high performance life of critical components, ensuring that they can finish the race, despite the grueling demands that race conditions create”, according to Ryan M. Taylor, Product Marketing Specialist at Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc.

More information about cryogenic treatment for auto and racing parts is available on the company’s web site at, http://www.nitrofreeze.com/services/conventional-cryogenic-treatment/motor-sports-fleet/.

The Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc., located at 90 Ellsworth St. Worcester, MA, is dedicated to the commercial application of cryogenic technologies to serve the needs of industry, government and scientists. The firm offers a full range of cryogenic services, including cryogenic treatment, heat & freeze thermal cycling, cryogenic deflashing & deburring services, shrink fitting services, and dry ice (CO2) blast cleaning. It also offers engineering services, cryogenic lab work in support of R & D, and custom equipment design for new and unique cryogenic applications. It is a corporate sustaining member of the Cryogenic Society of America. To learn more visit http://www.nitrofreeze.com.

The Cryogenic Institute of New England Inc. was founded by Robin Rhodes and he first documented the widespread use of cryogenic treatment in motor sports applications in a paper he presented at the 23rd Heat Treat Conference of the ASM Heat Treat Society, the world’s preeminent technical body on thermal processing of metals. Both Rhodes and the company have been featured in numerous stories and technical articles about cryogenic treatment. Most recently, this has included being featured in the racing industry’s leading technical journal, Race Engine Technology, for its Nitrofreeze® cryogenic processing service.

Cryogenic Treatment for Racing and Automotive Parts

In the recent weeks, I have seen a jump in interest regarding cryogenic treatment for automotive parts. Many of these customers have a lot of questions, and we are more than happy to answer them.

Cryogenic treatment works on many different racing components. But many ask why would one want to have their parts cryogenically treated? There are several different reasons. Your parts will last longer. The residual stresses in the material will be relieved, which will result in a more uniform grain structure. This reduces the chance of failure within your part. The parts will also have a higher resistance to wear.

I can tell you that we have treated many crankshafts, transmission gear sets, pistons with rings, and connecting rods this year. There are many other applications for the racing industry, that can be seen here, http://www.nitrofreeze.com/services/conventional-cryogenic-treatment/motor-sports-fleet/. There are other parts we can cryogenically treat as well, just call and we will be glad to help.