Cryogenic Machining of Polymers

Rationale Behind Temperature Control (Tg > Room Temperature)

Decoding Plastics Machining

While considerable time is often spent understanding the properties and machining characteristics of metals, equal attention should be devoted to machining thermoplastic polymers. As material science advances, thermoplastic polymers are becoming an ever present part of CNC machining.

To simplify your education journey in machining thermoplastic polymers, we have done much of the groundwork and condensed the information into key concepts that are easy to grasp. But first, let’s review some fundamental principles.

For more information on this subject please check out this article. 

❄️ Why Use CryoCut® for Machining Plastics? Let’s Cool Things Down:

• 🧊 Ice-Cold Precision – Liquid nitrogen keeps plastic cool, reducing melting, smearing, and deformation.

• ✂️ Crisp, Clean Cuts – Say goodbye to burrs and fuzz; hello to sharp edges and smooth finishes.

• 🔥 No More Meltdowns – Eliminates heat buildup that can ruin surface integrity or cause warping.

• 🚀 Faster Feed Rates – Run faster and harder without overheating—CryoCut handles the heat so you don’t have to.

• 💸 Less Tool Wear – Keep your tools sharper, longer. Less friction = longer tool life.

• ♻️ Cleaner Chips, Less Scrap – Cooler cuts create more consistent chips and less material waste.

• 🧠 Better for Exotic Polymers – Ideal for tough-to-machine plastics like PEEK, Ultem, and Teflon.

• 🎯 Boosts Accuracy & Repeatability – Maintain tight tolerances across long runs with less variation.

• 🌱 Eco-Friendly Cool Factor – No messy coolants or cleanup; just pure, clean nitrogen.

• 🧪 Perfect for Proof of Concept & R&D – Easily test cryogenic performance on new materials and designs.