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Cryogenics Extend Tool Life- 4/29/2009Gazo’s experiments show that either cryogenically treating router bits to harden them, blowing cooled air on them during use, or doing both, improve the lives of tools and keep cuts clean later in the tools' lives. Cryogenic treating requires cooling the tools to -300°F and then bringing them back up to ambient temperature, a process that can cost just a few dollars per pound of tools. Gazo uses a tungsten-carbide router bit that has not been cryogenically frozen or exposed to cool air during use as a control in his experiments, cutting more than 100 miles of tool path in a medium-density fiberboard. Bits that are not frozen but subjected to a blast of 40° and 20° air during use increase tool life by as much as 25%. A bit that has been cryogenically frozen but not cooled during use sees tool life increase by about 65% over the control. Blowing 40° air on that bit increases its life by 85%, and using 20° air increases tool life by 217%. Bits with less wear, and thus longer lives, also give cleaner cuts for longer periods, consume less power and create less noise during cutting. Gazo says manufacturers will likely find cryogenic treating an affordable option for increasing tool life in tungsten-carbide tools. Applying cooled air, however, would be best evaluated on a case-by-case basis. "You've got to figure out the safety and whether it is worth the trouble of setting up," Gazo says. "This is worth investing for a company that wants to save money on tools. There is a benefit to be had." Read more about the study here. 
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