Crimping of crimp fitting parts

One can shrink fitting components with liquid nitrogen or dry ice, in order to be able to make a very precise and tight fitting during the assembly.

Application areas

Various machinery parts are fitted with a tight fitting. This means that the clearance between the two parts is so minimal that there is a strong connection.

With a fitting, when the components must be pressed into each other, one speaks of a press fit. Making a press fit can be performed in different ways:

• Only with mechanical tools (thus only with the use of a press)
• When a mechanical press fit is not strong enough, parts can be strongly warmed up by inductive heating (causing it to expand) or cooled strongly with liquid nitrogen or dry ice (making it shrink). Thereafter the parts are pressed into each other. When the parts are brought back to room temperature after the pressing, it creates a fit that will no longer come loose.

Requirements

For both liquid nitrogen as well as dry ice you can count on IJsfabriek Strombeek.

With a temperature set at -196°C, liquid nitrogen is extremely cold. It is therefore important to use a suitable tub in which the liquid nitrogen can be poured. If you use this method on a regular basis, we can provide you with a well-insulated stainless steel bucket so that the loss of liquid nitrogen is minimal.

The user must of course take note of the necessary safety rules and wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with the use of liquid nitrogen or dry ice.

Advantages

• no welding processes necessary to connect components with each other
• the use of sealants or silicone is superfluous
• the friction between the parts is limited to a minimum
• a thermal press fit is very strong
• relatively inexpensive method

Delivery forms

IJsfabriek Strombeek can deliver liquid nitrogen in bulk (tank is provided at the customer), in mini bulk using a mini-tank (cryogenic transportable tank) or thermos flask with small offtakes.

For dry ice, we offer various delivery forms from pellets to ice-discs.