With the current temperatures – the article was first published in summer –, it is really tempting to visit a company whose full name is "CoolTech -180°C GmbH". Owner Wolfgang Lausecker offers cryogenic treatments for tools, musical instruments, hi-fi equipment and even people. This article will help you learn what you can do for yourself and your equipment.

Probably every hi-fi and high-end enthusiast has heard of cryo treatments. But the term is not always clearly defined. The simplest method is to simply bring the object to be treated into contact with liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196° Celsius. This can have amazing effects- for example, if you immerse a rose in nitrogen then a light touch will let it shatter like glass - but this is less desirable for tubes, for example. And even with the vinyl LPs I had in my luggage this is obviously not the desired result. The process developed and applied by Wolfgang Lausecker is much more sophisticated and gentle on the material.

The industrial engineer from Tyrol worked across the German-Austrian border at Plansee, a company that refined metal components using powder metallurgy. In the course of his work, Wolfgang Lausecker spent a longer period of time in the USA, where he came into contact with the idea of cryogenic treatments. After his return, however, his suggestions to stabilize the structure of metal parts by low-temperature treatment instead of very long storage were met with rejection. Probably the most prestigious components manufactured at Plansee were valves, pistons and bolts for a Formula One racing team. Subsequently, the company also manufactured aluminum and titanium parts and springs on site for teams in the American Nascar series. During this visit, Wolfgang Lausecker saw a cryogenic system in action for the first time and learned how many components, up to and including entire engine blocks, were optimized with extremely low temperatures in racing.