Cryogenic Deflashing
Liquid nitrogen freezes flash brittle while the part stays tougher — a quick mechanical impact knocks the flash away cleanly, with nearly 100% removal and zero effect on the part's properties.
Freeze · Tumble · Blast · Deflash
What Is Cryogenic Deflashing?
Rubber loses its elasticity after being rapidly cooled at cryogenic temperature by liquid nitrogen (or liquid carbon dioxide) — it first hardens, then embrittles, and finally crystallizes. Flashes embrittle much quicker than the parts themselves, since they have far less thickness, creating a clear difference in hardness between the part and the flash.
At this stage, a mechanical impact is given by tumbling in a barrel and/or blasting with media through barrel rotation, and the flash is removed. The process uses liquid nitrogen, barrel rotation and media — steel balls, ceramic balls or other suitable media — in varying combinations to remove flash in a precise, economical and expedient manner.
Because flashes have a much thinner surface area than the product, they freeze very quickly and become brittle. Tumbling action, combined with the impact of the media, removes the flash without damaging the part itself — including inner, dimensionally complex flash that no other method can reach. Once the process is complete, parts return to ambient temperature and their physical properties return with them, leaving a clean part with no dust or residue and nearly 100% flash removal.
How Cryogenic Deflashing Works
Freeze
Liquid nitrogen (or CO2) rapidly cools the parts, and the thin flash freezes far faster than the thicker part.
Embrittle
Continued cooling hardens, embrittles and crystallizes the flash, while the part stays comparatively tougher.
Mechanical Impact
Barrel rotation, tumbling and/or media blasting knock the brittle flash off without damaging the part.
Return to Ambient
Parts warm back to ambient temperature and their physical properties return, leaving a clean, flash-free part.
Different Types of Deflashing
Tumbling
- Freezing and tumbling action
- Jobs with simple design
- Flash only on the outside
- Eg. bushes, grommets
Shot Blasting
- Freezing, tumbling and shot blasting with small polycarbonate pellets
- Jobs with wide variety of design
- Flashes on the outside and inside
- Eg. o-rings, gaskets, seals
Spin Tear Trim
- High-speed spinning in a drum (non-cryogenic)
- Jobs with cutting grooves
- Flashes on the outside and inside
- Eg. o-rings, washers
Our Cryogenic Deflashing Service
Consistent, Reliable Quality
We offer cryogenic deflashing service for rubber and plastic components, eliminating the concern of supplying parts of visibly different quality to the customer.
On-Time Delivery
Meeting your "on-time" delivery schedule with the peace of mind that parts are handled and processed in a professional and thorough manner.
A Secondary Source When You Need One
Should your machine face breakdown or downtime, or you're unable to keep up with customer demand, you can offload some of your requirements to us.
New Product Testing & Setup
We help with new product testing and parameter setup, so your process is dialled in before full-scale production begins.
Built for Molders and OEMs
CryoNet provides cryogenic deflashing services to rubber molding companies and OEM manufacturers that make compression molded & injection molded parts.
The Materials
Most rubbers, plastics and composites can be successfully and economically deflashed with our cryogenic deflashing service.
System at a Glance
| Freezing Medium | Liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide |
| Mechanical Action | Barrel tumbling and/or media blasting via barrel rotation |
| Media Used | Steel balls, ceramic balls, small polycarbonate pellets or other suitable media |
| Flash Removal | Nearly 100%, including complex internal flash |
| Part Impact | No change to physical properties once returned to ambient temperature |
| Ideal For | Die cast metal parts, complex rubber parts, plastic parts, medical parts |
Cryogenic Deflashing, Answered
Does cryogenic deflashing affect the part's physical properties?+
What's the difference between tumbling, shot blasting and spin tear trim?+
Can this remove flash from complex internal geometries?+
What materials and parts is this service suitable for?+
Can you help if our own deflashing machine breaks down?+
Get a Quote for Your Deflashing Job
We offer services at the best possible and most economical processing charges — among the most competitive in today's cost-conscious industrial trends. Call us or email us to get a quote for the deflashing service for your product.
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