What plasma changes, concretely
Six applications of DBD plasma surface treatment, six answers to surface problems that cause a bond to fail, an optic to fog up, or a coating to miss.
All our interventions come down to one of these six actions on the surface. The technology is the same, the reactor can be too, but the goal changes: prepare, deposit, clean, wet, seal, treat against fogging.
Cleaning
Remove invisible contamination before a critical assembly or deposition step.
DiscoverWettability
So that varnishes, inks and coatings spread evenly, without dewetting.
DiscoverAdhesion
So that adhesives, paints and inks bond durably to polymers and difficult metals.
DiscoverThin Film
A new property in a few nanometres, without altering the core of the part.
DiscoverAnti-fog
An optic that stays clear, where sprays only hold for a few hours.
DiscoverSealing
So that sealants and gaskets hold up against thermal cycling and vibration.
DiscoverFrom the symptom to the equipment
The six applications describe what plasma changes on your surface. This table bridges them to the catalogue : what you are trying to achieve, and the equipment family that delivers it.
| Application | What you are trying to achieve | Where to look in the catalogue |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Remove mould-release oils, dust and organic residue before a critical step. | Activation and cleaning equipment |
| Wettability | Raise the surface energy so a liquid spreads instead of beading up. | Activation equipment · Surface control and test inks |
| Adhesion | Graft polar functions right before bonding, with no solvent and no primer. | Activation equipment |
| Thin film | Add a new property within a few nanometres, without touching the bulk of the part. | Deposition equipment |
| Anti-fog | Optics that stay clear, where sprays last only a few hours. | Custom anti-fog treatment |
| Sealing | Prepare the surface so sealants and gaskets survive thermal cycling and vibration. | Activation equipment · Integrated stations |
A treatment has to be verified
A well-tuned plasma is invisible : the surface looks identical before and after. Verification therefore goes through measurement, before the next step of your line.
Test inks
The fastest shop-floor check : draw a line and watch whether it stays continuous or retracts. That surface-energy reading tells you whether activation took. See the control section
Contact angle
The laboratory measurement : place a droplet and measure the angle it forms with the surface. The lower the angle, the more wettable the surface — exactly what the Wettability page shows.
A trial on your own part
No surface measurement replaces the real test : peel, cross-hatch, thermal cycling, depending on what the part actually endures in service. That is what our feasibility assessment is for.
What we are asked most often
How long does the treatment last ?
It depends on the material, its formulation and storage conditions : some polymers hold their activation for days, others lose it within hours. It is one of the first things we measure on your part, because the answer decides where the treatment belongs in your line.
Does the part have to be treated right before bonding ?
That is the most common case, and the reason the treatment is installed in line rather than at a separate station. If your process forces a delay between treatment and the next step, it has to be validated — see the previous question.
Does plasma damage the part ?
Atmospheric plasma acts on the first molecular layers. The bulk of the part, its dimensions and its mechanical properties are unchanged. That is what separates a surface preparation from a bulk treatment.
Is my material compatible ?
Engineering polymers, metals, glass, composites : most industrial materials respond to plasma, but not in the same way and not with the same settings. Send us a sample rather than a datasheet : it is faster, and the answer is more reliable.
One application, or several ?
Often several, in a single pass : cleaning then activating before bonding is one process step and three applications on this page. The matching table helps you see which ones combine.
What if my need is not on the list ?
The six applications describe what plasma does to a surface, not the list of problems it solves. If yours does not map onto one immediately, describe it : that is the starting point of our free feasibility assessment.
Your case deserves a precise answer.
48 hours to find out what plasma can do for your surfaces. No commitment, just clear answers from an expert.
Response within 48 hours. No commitment. Technical discussion with an expert.