Test inks
A treatment you do not measure is not a process, it is a bet. The measurement takes seconds, costs a few dollars, and tells you before you bond whether the joint will hold.
22 to 72 mN/m · ISO 8296 : 2003 · ASTM D2578-09 · Bottle or marker
When this equipment is the right one
Without measurement, the only way to know a treatment worked is to wait for the customer to come back. Test ink moves that check upstream: in seconds and for a few dollars, it gives a figure for surface energy before the critical step.
Before bonding, painting or printing
The line spreads: the surface is above the stated value. It retracts into droplets: it is below, and the next step is going to fail.
To control a production run
On witness samples, the measurement documents how regular the treatment is part after part.
To build a qualification file
It is the numerical proof, backed by a standard, that an auditor can verify.
How it works
The ink is calibrated to a known surface tension. Applied to the surface, it spreads if the substrate surface energy is above that value, and retracts into droplets if it is below. Working through the range brackets the real value.
Two ranges cover different needs: the extended range, compliant with ISO 8296 : 2003, compatible with all materials; and the non-toxic range, compliant with ASTM D2578-09, formulated for low surface energy materials such as PTFE, EPDM, PET and PVC.
The figures
Datasheet — 2 pages, PDF
Full specifications, dimensioned footprint, required utilities and protocols. The document to pass on to your integrator or your investment committee.
Choosing the right variant
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Extended range
From 28 to 72 mN/m, compliant with ISO 8296 : 2003, compatible with all materials.
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Non-toxic range
From 22 to 72 mN/m, compliant with ASTM D2578-09, for PTFE, EPDM, PET and PVC.
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Two formats
Bottle with an applicator brush, for the laboratory; a tip marker, for checks at the station.
What to plan for on your side
Equipment that does not talk to your PLC stays an isolated station. Before any order, we validate with you the real constraints of your line : protocol, footprint, available utilities and extraction.
These values are indicative and are confirmed at the process study stage, on the configuration actually retained.
- Floor footprint
- [x] mm
- Mass of the assembly
- [y] kg
- Extraction required
- [z] m³/h
- Protocols available
- [x]
- Cable lengths
- 3, 5 or 7 m
- Indicative lead time
- [y] weeks
What we have already treated
Materials qualified in the laboratory : [x].
Your material is not on the list ? That is the most common case. Send us three samples : we treat them, we characterise them, and you receive a costed answer within 48 hours.
- Electrode service life
- [y] h
- Replacement cost
- [z] $
- Preventive maintenance
- [x]
- Warranty
- [y]
- Rental possible
- yes
Before you write to us
How do I know whether this equipment suits my part ?
By sending it to us. We treat your samples in our Quebec City laboratory and you receive a costed answer within 48 hours : surface energy before and after, the parameters retained, and our frank opinion if plasma is not the right answer to your problem.
Can it be rented before buying ?
Yes. Rental serves to validate a production hypothesis on your site, with your parts and your operators, before committing to an investment. Terms : [x].
What documents do you provide for a customer audit ?
The corresponding process file : the plasma parameters retained, characterisation methods, validation results on your parts and operating procedures. For regulated markets, the level of documentation is adapted to your sector's requirements.
And if no configuration fits ?
Our engineers then design the reactor to specification : dimensions, gases, controllers, interface, sized on your material and your throughput. See the custom reactors →
The neighbouring equipment
Compact plasma torch
A nozzle that blows plasma straight onto the area to be treated, a few millimetres from the part. The most common way to activate a precise area without touching the rest.
See the page →Specialised treatment stations
Some materials cannot be treated like a part: a powder requires every grain to pass through the plasma. This range gathers turnkey stations designed for those cases.
See the page →What this equipment lets you do
Send us a part.
The quickest way to find out whether the test inks suits your process is to let us treat your material. 48 hours for a first answer, no commitment.
Answer within 48 hours. No commitment. A technical discussion with an expert.