Medical demands surfaces without compromise
Reliable adhesion, controlled hydrophilicity and durable anti-fog treatment for devices, endoscopy optics and tissue-contact components.
The surface challenge
In medical manufacturing, a poorly prepared surface shows up as a bond that lets go, a coating that peels or fog that blocks the field of view mid-procedure. The engineering polymers and metals used often have a surface energy too low for an adhesive, a coating or a marking to hold over time.
DBD plasma activates these surfaces without solvent and without changing the geometry of the part. It also sets the stage for depositing a functional layer, such as a permanent anti-fog treatment on endoscope optics.
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
Permanent anti-fog treatment
Optics that stay clear throughout the procedure, with no warming and no hand-applied product.
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02
Activation before bonding
Prepare polymers and metals for an adhesive assembly that withstands time and sterilisation cycles.
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03
Hydrophilic surfaces
Improve fluid flow in channels and microfluidic devices.
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04
Precision cleaning
Remove residual organic contamination before a critical assembly step.
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, before bonding or assembly, or built into a robotic cell in a cleanroom. We agree the documentation level your regulatory framework expects.
A bond that fails is almost always a surface problem. The detailed comparison.
What plasma does, in detail
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Cleaning
Removing organic residues without solvent or abrasion.
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Adhesion
Making adhesive, ink or paint hold on a non-polar polymer.
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Thin film
Depositing a function — barrier, hydrophobic, tie layer — from 1 to 300 nm.
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Anti-fog
Stopping condensation beading on a transparent surface.
- All applications All six treatments in the catalogue, explained one by one.
The right equipment for this sector
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Precision Plasma Jet
Localised, precise treatment on small parts without heating the rest.
View the family -
Turnkey treatment cell
When treatment has to be repeatable and traceable, part by part.
View the family -
Thin-film deposition station
To deposit a functional layer rather than only activate.
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 — Medical
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.
Can the process be documented for a regulatory file?
Yes. Every project ships with a process file: plasma parameters, characterisation methods, validation results and operating procedures. For regulated markets we match the documentation level to your framework — which you tell us up front, because it drives the shape of the file as much as its content.
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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Optics
The same surface demand, applied to light transmission.
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Cosmetics
Bottles and labels, seen through decoration.
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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
Your devices deserve a controlled surface.
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.