Plasma advantages

Following advantages are reached by using the technique:

• Environmental friendly technique: because of the low energy consumption, the fact it is a dry technique (no additional drying step), no waste disposal problem and disposal cost.
• Qualitative and full controllable process: all parameters are controlled by the unit and quality control possible by print-out and data-logging.
• Effective treatment: higher degree of activation, longer shelf-life than alternative methods as corona and flaming.
• Operator friendly technique : no chemical products, gases, etc.
• No substrate damage or bulk property changes
• Different processes can run in the same unit
• No limit to substrate geometries: small and large, simple or complex, parts or textiles are possible

All these advantages makes it part of the future techniques for surface preparation and modification.

Plasma applications

The different possible treatments and their are applications are presented below.

Plasma can be used and industrial systems are on the market for following substrates:

• small parts like hubs or balloons up to very huge and complex substrates
• fibres, non wovens, paper
• plastic foils
• metal and ceramic parts

Still a lot of companies are dealing with certain adhesion problems when gluing, printing, coating or bonding has to be applied. In most cases one is still working with the standard chemical or mechanical preparation techniques.

Plasma can be an interesting alternative or solution with described advantages of being environmental and operator friendly, dry and complete controllable.

Therefore, plasma knows a growing market.

Another factor is the increased possibilities to modify the surface of quite a lot of materials. Nowadays and future needs in the medical market can be solved by looking to and using the plasma technology.