Transport that assembles and protects
Preparing materials before bonding, sealing and coating application for mobility components.
The surface challenge
Rail, marine, heavy mobility: components face vibration, temperature swings and aggressive environments. A poorly prepared bond or coating will not hold up in those conditions.
Plasma activates surfaces before bonding and coating, for assemblies that stand up to real-world stresses.
What plasma changes
| Indicator | Before | After plasma | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface energy — polymer | 30 to 44 mN/m by family | 45 to 70 mN/m | Test inks |
| Peel strength | [x] | [x] | T-peel (ASTM D1876) |
| 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
Component bonding
Joints that resist vibration and time.
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02
Coating adhesion
Fix paints and protective layers on difficult substrates.
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03
Joint sealing
Activate surfaces before applying sealants, elastomers and profiles for joints that stay leak-tight against vibration, humidity and temperature swings.
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04
Cleaning before assembly
Remove residual contamination.
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 gasket application, or robot-mounted along the bead.
A gasket that lifts is a surface problem before it is a product one. The detailed comparison.
What plasma does, in detail
The right equipment for this sector
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Turnkey treatment cell
Treatment follows the bead along a robot path.
View the family -
Compact plasma torch
Local activation on bond zones of large parts.
View the family -
Wide-web plasma curtain
For profiles and strip running continuously.
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 — Transport
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 it work on large parts?
Yes, provided you treat the useful zone rather than the whole part — which is nearly always enough, since only the bonding surface matters. On a large part the question is therefore not size but access to the zone and repeatability of the path. That is what a robotic cell solves.
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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Automotive
The adhesive bead on filled polymer, in high volume.
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Aerospace
Structural bonding on composite, with the traceability that comes with it.
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Construction
Profiles and panels running continuously, before bonding or painting.
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
Assemblies that take the punishment.
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.