If you’ve attended an NCMA mixer, you’ve probably met Roger Shiradelly, who runs the Controlled Thermal Processing shop in Mt. Ulla, far enough off the beaten path he doesn’t have to worry about prying eyes.
Much of Roger’s work is protected by confidentiality agreements, so we grabbed lunch and he told me about himself and his business.
Roger’s early life included stints as a mechanic and along the way he became a certified tool and die maker. He even drove super late models at Grundy County Speedway in his native Illinois for a time.
In 1999 he moved to North Carolina and opened Controlled Thermal Processing. It’s a process by which parts – engine parts mostly – are “cryogenically frozen” in a vapor corrosion inhibitor that runs for 70 hours for each 2,000-pound batch of parts. This cryogenic process reaches 300 below zero. It might hold parts from a weekend warrior who is having transmission woes, or from engine builders who want a little more life for certain parts. Used parts that come Roger’s way are tested first to see if they are too worn or cracked, which would negate the freezing process that equalizes the atom spacing in a metal.
Other than engine parts, Roger routinely freezes transmissions, torsion bars, sway bars, rear ends, and go-kart tires. Yes, go-kart tires. He also sells brake rotors and pads to police departments (which can get a workout on pursuit vehicles). Prior to purchasing Roger’s brakes rotors and pads, police departments would realize 5,000-6,000 miles from those parts; afterward, Rogers’ treated parts run for 40,000-60,000 miles.
To learn more about Controlled Thermal Processing, visit the site here.
Corinne Economaki