One-pass enough for corona treating system

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 16, 2006

Corona treating system for EPDM profiles makes it possible to treat multiple surfaces and difficult configurations with one-pass coverage, consistency and convenience.

Top quality adhesion of printing inks, adhesives or coatings on polymer materials, such as PE, PP, PS, EPDM-rubber and other substrates, is a common requirement throughout the plastic and rubber processing industry.

All polymer materials exhibit by nature a low surface energy, resulting poor adhesion and wetting properties.

To cope with such difficulties, Dyne Technology offers customised and standard units with integrated corona systems.

Since the installation of the first customised corona station for the surface treatment of EPDM profiles over 10 years ago, it has advanced its surface treating technology with the Profiletec - a corona treating system for EPDM profiles.

It is now possible to treat multiple surfaces and difficult configurations with one-pass coverage, consistency and convenience.

In practice, corona treatment has become one of the most common processes used for surface refinement.

The method increases the surface energy of plastics before they are printed, laminated or coated.

This surface treatment improves interlayer adhesion and promotes adhesion of the spread coating compound or printing ink.

The final effect achieved by the treatment depends on various parameters, including electrode efficiency, duration of the corona discharge, the type of material being treated, the temperature and moisture, contamination, the surface morphology and similar factors.

Corona treatment eliminates the inefficiencies, safety hazards and product damage potential of open flame treatment, chemical surface preparation and sanding techniques, while offering improved bonding results.

To improve the adhesion qualities, the surface is modified using electrical discharges.

Different types of corona electrodes enable the treatment of a broad range of materials, including a simple, yet effective process for sponge dense and TPV materials.

Profiletec provides sustained continuous operation, and ensures that further processing can occur in the most optimal way.

It completely replaces processes such as roughening up, fluoride treatments with gas or the use of primers.

Profiletec consumes less energy compared with the industry average, and this makes itself apparent not only during the initial investment stage, but also in reduced long-term running costs.

It includes a modular electrode system made in non-corrosive materials, featuring a low number of wearing parts and a compact design.

A customised Profiletec usually consists of three to five treating units (heads) and can handlle high line speeds (20-25m/min depending on the type of profile) and complex parts made of conductive and non-conductive rubber.

The system increases the surface tension from 34 to 50mN/m, which is the tension level required for the best adhesion possible.

The system can be used in the extrusion line and in fabrication.