Cryogenic Deflashing Standard and Model Selection Guide

How to judge whether your part is suitable, what flash thickness works, and which PG-series machine to choose

NANJING PEGE TECHNO MACHINE CO., LTD  |  Frozen Shot PG Series  |  Technical Guide 2026

Cryogenic deflashing is not a universal process. It works brilliantly on some parts and fails on others, and the difference usually comes down to three measurable factors: material, flash thickness, and part geometry. This guide sets out the standards PEGE applies in production, explains the physical principle behind them, and then walks through machine selection for the PG-series range.

It is written for process engineers, tooling engineers and purchasing managers who need a straight answer before committing to a machine or a trial.

Quick answer Suitable: rubber and elastomers, glass-fibre reinforced engineering plastics, thermoplastic elastomers, and zinc or magnesium die-castings. Flash thickness: under 0.2 mm for rubber, under 0.15 mm for plastics, and under 0.1 mm for silicone. Thinner is always better. Shape: small parts (roughly smaller than a fist), rounded profiles without sharp edges, and flash that is long, thin or hidden in holes and difficult to trim by hand. Not suitable: pure PA, pure PC, ABS, PP, HDPE, ETFE, thin-wall or fragile parts, and parts where the flash is as thick as the body.

 

1. What Parts Are Suitable for Cryogenic Deflashing

Cryogenic deflashing removes mould flash by freezing it until it becomes brittle, then blasting it away with polycarbonate media while the part body stays resilient. The process therefore depends on one condition: the flash must embrittle before the part body does. Everything in this section follows from that single rule.

1.1 Suitable material groups

PEGE machines process three broad material families. Each requires a different temperature setting, and each behaves differently at low temperature.

Material group	Typical materials	Suitability	Practical notes
Rubber and elastomers	NR, NBR, HNBR, CR, EPDM, FKM, ACM, SBR, PU	Excellent	The most common application. Proven on O-rings, gaskets, seals and custom moulded parts.
Silicone (VMQ)	Silicone rubber	Difficult	Requires below -110 C, round robust shapes and flash under 0.1 mm. Lower success rate; sample test essential.
Engineering plastics	PA+GF, PC+GF, POM, PPS, PBT, PET, PEEK, PPSU/PSU, LCP	Good	Glass-fibre reinforcement is normally required. Works best on precision injection-moulded parts with thin flash.
Thermoplastic elastomers	TPU, TPO, TPV, EVA, TPR, TPE	Good	Most TPE grades respond well because of a clear embrittlement differential.
Die-cast metals	Zinc alloys, magnesium alloys	Good	Thin die-cast flash becomes friable at relatively warm settings. The metal body is unaffected.

Suitability ratings reflect PEGE production experience. They are a starting point, not a guarantee. Any new compound should be sample tested before production parameters are fixed.