News: Plasmatreat North America at NPE 2024
Pioneering advancements and forward-thinking innovation in plastics manufacturing is Plasmatreat’s focus for NPE2024. With its Openair-Plasma® technology, the world market leader for atmospheric plasma systems presents a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly process alternative to conventional surface treatments for plastics. Trade show visitors will experience innovative application examples such as the live treatment of and printing on polypropylene (PP) at booth W7479 in the West Hall.
Sustainable Plasma Solutions for Industrial Manufacturing Advancements
At the Plasmatreat booth, guests will discover how plasma serves as a highly effective and eco-conscious solution in industrial settings. Through treatment with Openair-Plasma, predominantly non-polar plastics can have their surface energy enhanced, thereby modifying their surface properties. This activation process enables materials to be prepared for subsequent industrial treatments. Activation heightens surface wettability, thereby enhancing adhesive and coating strength, as well as material printability.
For materials where activation alone proves insufficient, PlasmaPlus® technology offers an alternative process. Applying nanocoatings to surfaces generates functionally enhanced surfaces capable of exhibiting superhydrophilic properties, leading to enhanced adhesion. Through plasma applications, the plastics processing industry gains access to a broader array of materials. This allows for the substitution of costly engineering plastics with more affordable standard plastics, facilitates the reliable processing of recycled materials, and enables the joining of initially incompatible plastics. All plasma processes are solvent-free, offer location-selective applications, and seamlessly integrate into existing production lines. Manufacturers can substantially diminish their CO2 emissions with plasma technology while treating surfaces without volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Plasma Treatment & Printing Demo on Polypropylene
During the trade show, attendees will have the opportunity to witness a firsthand demonstration of plasma treatment and printing on polypropylene—a material renowned for its low surface energy, presenting challenges for ink adhesion. Plasmatreat will unveil its technology within a SAR Automation LP work cell, harnessing process automation featuring a KUKA industrial robot. The live demonstration will illustrate how their technology elevates surface tension, markedly enhancing printability. A polypropylene frisbee will undergo plasma treatment before being printed on a Mimaki UJF-6042 MkII e flatbed UV inkjet printer.
Bonding Incompatible Plastics and Enhancing Manufacturing Efficiency
Another notable facet of plasma technology is its capability to address the challenge of joining incompatible plastics. Through precise plasma treatment, these materials can be effectively bonded together, paving the way for innovative manufacturing possibilities. Plasmatreat's live table will educate attendees on how plasma activates a variety of surfaces, showcasing real-time demonstrations with various plastic materials. Additionally, visitors will learn valuable insights into troubleshooting adhesion and cleanliness challenges via Brighton Science's BConnect process monitor.
Plasmatreat serves a wide range of industries, specializing in large-scale microfine cleaning, activation, and coating of surfaces crafted from a variety of plastics and composites. These materials are utilized across numerous manufacturing sectors. In applications like extruding plastic films, printing, and bonding non-polar materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and recycled materials, Openair-Plasma emerges as a crucial technology for cost-efficient and eco-conscious manufacturing processes.
Plasmatreat is at NPE from May 6-10, 2024 in Orlando, FL, booth W7479, West Hall.
