The Big Chill: Cryogenics of Indiana

A Center Grove resident saves White River Township Fire Department $30,000.

When many of us think of cold, an image of winter, snow, and ice comes to mind. Cold temperatures change the nature of materials. Water freezes, oil gets thick, your car tires harden, resulting in a rougher ride for a few miles. These are examples of “everyday” cold, perhaps -10 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of us have experience with temperature as low as -120°F. That’s the temperature that carbon dioxide freezes and becomes dry ice. However, cryogenics gets much colder. The process uses liquid nitrogen. It boils at −320.4°F. When materials are cooled to these temperatures fantastic changes happen and some of these changes can save thousands of dollars. Welcome to the world of Deep Cryogenics.

Brian Tomlinson
Brian Tomlinson and Jeff Bowden. Mr. Bowden is the head mechanic for WRTFD and a major advocate of deep cryogenics.

Brian Tomlinson, a resident of the unincorporated community of Center Grove, lives in this world. Brian knows cold. He and his partners own Cryogenics of Indiana, a firm in Lebanon that treats a wide variety of industrial tools, race car components, brake drums, aluminum baseball bats, bearings and more. When one talks with Brian, you start to believe that there are few things that can’t be improved by a “dip” in liquid nitrogen.

The great part is Deep Cryogenics can improve the performance and wear life of nearly any metal. For example, brake maintenance on their various vehicles is a major expense for the White River Township Fire Department (WRTFD). The large, heavy trucks are driven hard and that means they are hard on brakes. In fact, Jeff Bowden, the Head Mechanic for WRTFD, says when the trucks return to the firehouse the brakes are so hot you can smell them and it is not a pleasant odor. Commonly they replace the brakes on a fire truck every six months. Using brakes treated by Cryogenics of Indiana, they only need a brake job every three years! You don’t bring a fire truck into a car shop and ask for the $49 special on brakes. This brake job takes two days and cost about $7,000. So there is not only the direct cost of parts and labor, but you have a vital piece of equipment out of service for days. Joe Marsh, the Director of Maintenance for WRTFD expects to save up to $30,000 this year by using Cryogenics of Indiana. Since the fire fighters are also responsible for mowing the lawns around the fire station, they also have their lawn mower blades treated so they hold a sharp edge longer and are more easily sharpened when the time comes. Brian is trying to get the Center Grove Community School Corporation to start using Cryogenics to further help save our community even more money.

Break Drum
A break drum ready for treatment in the cryogenics freezer.

Brian Tomlinson explained the process. The brake drums and rotors are carefully cooled in a computer-controlled chamber chilled by liquid nitrogen, where they are held at -320°F for 28 to 40 hours. They are then slowly raised to room temperature and then heat treated to finish the process. At the end of the process, you have a set of brakes that may last as long as three years, as opposed to six months. Because they distribute heat more efficiently, the firefighters no longer have to deal with warping or heat cracks and the stench of burned brakes is gone.

Cryogenics Chamber
The computer controlled cryogenics chamber. Many parts can be treated at the same time.

Because the process has become more economical over the years, it is now cost effective to treat a wider variety of materials. For example, treated golf balls will go 20-to-30 yards farther. (Sorry, it won’t help your slice.) Metal baseball bats are stiffer and have demonstrated the benefits with longer hits. Treat razor blades, yes, the kind you use on your face, and they last much longer. But for now most customers have a fleet of vehicles or are heavy users of tools where sharpness is critical, such as wood workers, tree trimmers, and grounds keepers. However, it can also help the common person by enhancing the life of household items; a longer lasting cutting edge can mean a significant savings.

If you work with anything metal that needs frequent replacement or sharpening, you are likely to benefit from a bit of cryogenics. You can reach Brian at BrianTomlinson@CryogenicsofIndiana.com or check out their web site www.CryogenicsOfIndiana.com.

Comments 1

  1. Damon K says:

    Great story about cryogenics. This has saved my company a TON of $$$$.

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