PEEK
Cryogenic Deflashing & Deburring for PEEK Parts
PEEK flash is as hard as the part it is attached to, and a hand blade that slips leaves a nick in a part that costs too much to scrap. Nitrofreeze breaks the flash off without a tool touching the part.
Can PEEK parts be cryogenically deflashed?
Yes — Nitrofreeze cryogenically deflashes and deburrs molded and machined PEEK (polyetheretherketone) parts at its Worcester, Massachusetts facility, in unfilled and glass-filled grades, and in medical and implantable grades of PEEK. PEEK is one of the high-performance polymers Nitrofreeze processes most often, alongside Vespel®, Torlon® and Ultem®.
Will deflashing affect the part’s dimensions or surface finish?
No. The Nitrofreeze process does not affect surface finish, geometry, or the material itself. Parts are cooled until the flash turns brittle, then tumbled with polycarbonate media that breaks the flash at its thin root while the molded surfaces and critical dimensions of the PEEK part stay exactly as they were inspected.
What about parting lines, ejector-pin flash and internal threads?
Parting lines and ejector-pin locations are where hand trimming PEEK fails — the flash is hard, and a blade that slips takes material out of the part instead of off it. The Nitrofreeze process carries media over the whole part in one cycle, reaching parting lines, ejector-pin flash, internal threads and cross-holes without a tool touching a sealing or bearing surface.
What PEEK parts does this work for?
Nitrofreeze deflashes and deburrs PEEK coupling rings, bushings, bearings, seals, valve seats, insulators, connectors and test-socket components for aerospace, defense, medical, semiconductor and industrial customers. Published case studies show the work on real customer parts: a glass-filled PEEK coupling ring, a production run of glass-filled PEEK coupling rings, and a molded PEEK aerospace component where the molder held flash to the required 0.003″ and cut deflashing cost 83.4% against hand trimming.
How small — and how large — can parts be?
Nitrofreeze processes parts from 0.025″ with thin walls up to 12″ × 12″ in its cryogenic machines — and there is no upper limit on part size: larger PEEK parts route to dry ice deflashing or hand finishing. There is no minimum order quantity; runs are subject to a $125 minimum lot charge.
What’s the turnaround and typical cost?
The first run of a new PEEK part is treated as a sample: five-day turnaround, free, as Nitrofreeze’s Pre-Production Engineering Evaluation. Once the customer approves the process, production orders turn around in as little as two days after receipt, with same-day and one-day service available for a small premium. Large volume orders typically require more time to process. Deflashing typically runs 10–20% of the value of the part.
Is Nitrofreeze ITAR registered and ISO certified?
Yes. Nitrofreeze is registered with the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) as a manufacturer/exporter under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by NQA with a scope that names cryogenic deburring and deflashing. View the ISO certificate.
Send us your PEEK parts
The first run is a free Pre-Production Engineering Evaluation — five days, no obligation, with the process documented before you commit.
Nitrofreeze Cryogenic Solutions · 78 Chilmark Street, Worcester, MA 01604