Manufacturing that produces faster, better
Adhesion on engineering polymers, better paint and ink durability, and in-line throughput gains through plasma surface preparation.
The surface challenge
On a manufacturing line, every step counts. Paint that blisters, ink that rubs off, a bonded joint that peels: every surface defect costs rework, scrap and lost time. Conventional chemical solutions (primers, solvents, undercoats) slow the line down, require drying, and bring ever-heavier regulatory and safety constraints.
Atmospheric pressure plasma sits directly on the line, right before the critical step (bonding, painting, printing). It prepares the surface dry, in seconds, with no drying time and no hazardous product storage. The result: less scrap, more throughput and quality that stays stable from one run to the next.
From engineering polymer to treated metal, from small-part conveyor to wide continuous sheet, our reactors adapt to the real constraints of your shop floor.
What plasma changes
| Indicator | Before | After plasma | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface energy — engineering polymer | 42 to 45 mN/m (PA, PC, epoxy) | 45 to 70 mN/m | Test inks |
| Bond strength | [x] | [x] | Single-lap shear |
| 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
Adhesion on engineering polymers
Prepare PP, PE, PEEK, composites and other low-surface-energy materials so glues and adhesives hold for the long run.
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02
Better paint performance
Increase paint wettability and anchoring to eliminate blistering, orange peel and in-service delamination.
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03
Ink adhesion
Activate substrates before printing for inks that resist abrasion, solvents and time, even on difficult polymers.
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04
Production throughput gains
Remove wet priming and drying steps. Plasma treatment happens at line speed, in a matter of seconds.
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05
Less scrap
More stable, repeatable surface quality from part to part cuts adhesion defects and rework costs.
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06
Solvent-free process
Drop chemical primers and solvents: less storage, fewer VOCs, lighter EHS constraints and a smaller environmental footprint.
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
At the station, inline or robot-mounted, depending on the part and the cadence. This is the first thing we settle, because it drives the choice of source.
Recognising a surface problem. The detailed comparison.
What plasma does, in detail
The right equipment for this sector
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Turnkey treatment cell
When treatment has to follow a path and stay repeatable.
View the family -
Compact plasma torch
Localised activation, to fit into an existing station.
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Surface energy test inks
The check that makes the process controllable in production.
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 — Manufacturing
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.
How do I know whether plasma applies to my case?
A simple test: if your problem shows up at the interface — adhesive that peels away cleanly, ink that beads, varnish that dewets — it is a surface problem, and plasma is in scope. If failure happens within the material or within the joint itself, it is a material or design problem, and plasma will not change it. A description of the part and the failure mode is enough to settle it.
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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Textiles
The full width, continuously, dry rather than in a bath.
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Sports and leisure
Foams and elastomers, where the parameter window is narrow.
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Agriculture
Seed, granulates and mulch film, treated in bulk.
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
More throughput, less scrap.
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.