Cosmetics with flawless packaging
Adhesion of decoration, marking and labels on plastic tubes, bottles and caps.
The surface challenge
Cosmetic packaging sells as much as the product does. Screen printing that flakes, hot stamping that will not take or a label that peels off, and the brand image suffers. The plastics used grip poorly without preparation.
Plasma prepares the surface of tubes and bottles before decoration, for a finish that withstands handling and time.
What plasma changes
| Indicator | Before | After plasma | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface energy — PP | 30 mN/m | 45 to 70 mN/m | Test inks |
| Surface energy — PET | 39 mN/m | 45 to 70 mN/m | Test inks |
| Contact angle (water) | 90 to 105° (polyolefins) | 35 to 70° depending on exposure | Goniometer, sessile drop |
| Effect retention | — | near-logarithmic decay; still hydrophilic at 7 days | Controlled ageing |
| Pass speed | — | 6 to 120 m/min per source | Configuration to be validated |
Documented order-of-magnitude figures, not our own measurements: pre-treatment values come from the Accu Dyne Test reference tables, post-treatment values from the atmospheric plasma literature. They place the process — they still depend on the substrate, its geometry and the line speed. A trial on your own part gives you your own numbers. Have my material measured.
What plasma changes
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01
Decoration adhesion
Screen printing and marking that do not flake.
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02
Hot stamping preparation
Foiling that takes cleanly.
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03
Label durability
Reliable grip on plastic substrates.
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04
Varnish wettability
Uniform finishes, with no dewetting.
From your sample to your line
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01
Characterisation
You send us a sample. We measure its starting surface energy and identify what is blocking adhesion: contamination, release agent, non-polar polymer.
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02
Parameter trial
We vary power, pass speed, nozzle-to-substrate distance and gas until the target effect is reached, and record the parameters that got us there.
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03
Validation
We check the result with the test that matters to you — adhesion, sealing, wetting — and document how long the effect holds on your material.
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04
Integration
Inline, before decoration or lidding, at packaging-line cadence.
Why screen printing flakes off a PP bottle. The detailed comparison.
What plasma does, in detail
The right equipment for this sector
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Wide-web plasma curtain
For films and labels running continuously.
View the family -
Turnkey treatment cell
For bottles and hollow bodies, which need a motion path.
View the family -
Surface energy test inks
The check that stops a batch being decorated on under-activated stock.
View the family
The final choice is made on your part and your cadence, not from a catalogue. All equipment, sorted by the problem it solves.
Frequently treated materials
This list is indicative. The vast majority of polymers, metals, glasses and composites can be treated with DBD plasma. The best way to confirm your case is to send us a description of your part and your objective. For the hardware, see the plasma equipment sorted by the problem it solves.
What we get asked — Cosmetics
How long does the treatment effect last?
Activation is not permanent: surface energy decays after treatment, faster on mobile polymers and in warm storage. That is why plasma is placed immediately before the step it serves — printing, bonding, sealing. The decay rate is measurable, and we document it on your material during the trial.
Does plasma replace corona treatment?
Both raise surface energy, but not under the same conditions. Corona suits flat film running over a roller. Atmospheric DBD plasma also treats three-dimensional geometries, hollow parts and non-conductive surfaces, with a uniformity that does not depend on holding a constant air gap. On your part, the answer is settled by comparison, not by principle.
Does the treatment change the part's appearance or dimensions?
No. Plasma acts on the first few nanometres of the surface: mass, dimensions and bulk mechanical properties are unchanged. On heat-sensitive substrates, parameters are adjusted to avoid any marking, and that is one of the things checked at the validation stage.
Are chemicals or a drying step required?
No. The treatment runs on electricity and process gas, with no primer, no solvent and no drying time. That is what lets it sit inside a line without lengthening the cycle, and what removes a hazardous-goods handling station.
Can it be retrofitted to an existing line?
That is the most common case. The treatment installs inline, at production speed. Three things need checking: the space available at the useful point, the electrical and gas connections, and extraction. Those three are what the integration stage covers.
Does the treatment survive storage before decoration?
That is the point to check, and it is measurable. Activation decays over time, and a bottle treated then stored for weeks does not reach decoration in the state it left in. Two answers: treat inline immediately before the step, or characterise the decay on your material and set a validity window. The second one presupposes the first measurement.
The selection guide
Atmospheric or vacuum? The question comes up on every project, and it is settled on three concrete criteria — not on a preference for one process.
- Both architectures, what each one can do and what it costs
- Three deciding criteria: part geometry, robotic integration, cycle time
- A grid to fill in so you can defend the choice to an investment committee
Guide being written — leave your email and you will get it on release.
In the meantime, the article comparing both architectures : The detailed comparison.
Related sectors
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Medical
The same surface demand, on regulated devices.
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Optics
The same surface demand, applied to light transmission.
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Biotechnology
The same substrates, but the goal is cell attachment.
What you send, what you get back
- You send
- [x] samples of your part or film, [x] minimum size.
- You receive
- surface energy values before and after, one treated sample, and a written record of the parameters used.
- Turnaround
- first reply within 48 hours, trial report within [x] business days.
- Cost
- [x]
Send a description of your part and your goal. Answer within 48 hours.
Three fields, and we get back to you
Packaging worthy of your brand.
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. A technical discussion with an expert.