Category Archive: 3DT’s Team

3DT Now Provides Preventative Maintenance Services

Thorough Preventative Maintenance Program Means Optimum Production

3DT’s system are highly dependable and have superb longevity. However, every hard-working piece of equipment needs preventative maintenance from time-to-time to ensure optimum production. Consequently, 3DT now offers full preventative maintenance service packages. Once scheduled, we will send one of our highly trained service team members to your facility to provide a comprehensive service evaluation of your 3DT corona or plasma system resulting in ideal production and surface treatment results.

3DT’s technician will complete a thorough examination of your system, provide adjustments as needed, as well as replace worn parts. Here is a list of typical maintenance service activities:

Service Team Members

  • Examine the Treating Heads for:
    • Wear, buildup & ground continuity of Nozzles
    • Clean Treating Heads
    • Inspect Electrodes for wear, pitting, and carbon buildup
    • Check Belts condition and tension
    • Examine Cables, Hoses, Bearings and Fittings for integrity & tightness
  • Review High Voltage Transformers for signs of arcing and wires for weakness
  • Check functionality of Boards & Panels and record output data
  • Inspect and test the Electrical and Cooling Systems
  • Monitor the Exhaust System for faults, filters and proper venting
  • Inspect the System Cabinet for wire, filters, lighting & hardware integrity
  • Monitor the Overall System while running to assure it is functioning according to original specifications

3DT’s technician will arrive on the arranged day at your facility with spare parts and components should replacements be needed. Parts will be charged at the standard cost. Your spare parts stock would be used first and then replenished at standard cost. Fees for time and labor will be established beforehand. The customer will pay for basic travel expenses. What’s more, 3DT will be glad to work with you in establishing a regular maintenance schedule, such as quarterly, bi-yearly, or annually.

Preventative maintenance is critical for manufacturing because it keeps production running, produces high quality products, reduces environmental risks, and saves money in the long run. Following a regular, thorough P.M. schedule, whether performed by your team or ours, will help to keep your production lines and surface treatment systems humming season after season. To discuss, please contact Paul Sacotte at PSacotte@3DTLLC.com or give him a call at 1-262-253-6700.

What is the HeliDyne System?

The HeliDyne system by 3DT LLC is an innovation in surface treatment technology designed to enhance the adhesion of a broad range of substrates. Our state-of-the-art system redefines the possibilities in surface treatment capabilities. With over 30 years of experience in corona and plasma treatment, 3DT has become a leading force in technological advancements for surface treatment.

Revolutionary Surface Treatment with HeliDyne

The HeliDyne system introduces a groundbreaking method of enhancing material properties through a unique helix-patterned corona electrode technology. This patented innovation is crucial for achieving superior adhesion on various substrates, particularly in challenging applications involving advanced polymer panels and honeycomb boards.

Its capability to process materials up to 1 inch thick and 80 inches wide makes it a versatile foam sheet surface treatment solution for industries demanding high-quality surface treatment. Integrating an Allen Bradley PLC and a Maple Systems HMI ensures a seamless operation, allowing for precise control and monitoring of the surface treatment process.

Furthermore, HeliDyne’s design accommodates many material types, including porous, hollow, or oversized, substantially expanding its application range. It is the perfect option for foam adhesive surface treatment. Built with uncompromising craftsmanship, this system is a testament to 3DT LLC’s commitment to excellence and innovation in surface treatment technology.

As a result, HeliDyne marks a breakthrough in the industry, establishing unprecedented standards for efficiency, flexibility, and adhesive strength in surface treatment applications. If you’re looking for an advanced solution for advanced polymer panel adhesive, look no further than HeliDyne by 3DT LLC.

Advanced HeliDyne Corona Treatment System Features

The HeliDyne Corona Treatment System is outfitted with various features engineered to meet the rigorous demands of modern manufacturing environments. Below are key components that delineate HeliDyne’s superiority in the field of surface treatment technologies:

   – The 3DT system features a robust generator and transformer housed within an electrical cabinet.

   – It utilizes an Allen Bradley PLC for control, boasting an HMI equipped with a touchscreen for programming, runtime and service logs, diagnostics, and an alarm/troubleshooting interface.

   – The electrode assembly is fully enclosed and custom-designed for your application.

   – HeliDyne corona treats materials up to 1 inch thick and widths up to 80 inches, making it ideal for panel and foam surface treatment.

   – The system is designed for frequency-matching to ensure optimal treatment levels and enhance production efficiency.

HeliDyne is engineered with a robust aluminum main frame housing the treating station, cabinet, and conveyor for long-term, seamless operation. It includes an ozone exhaust system to ensure a clean environment. You can choose between single or double-side treatment options, providing flexibility for advanced surface treatment, such as polymer panel adhesive application.

Built to adhere to stringent US NFPA 79 machine safety standards and IP54 standards for dust and moisture protection, our equipment guarantees safety and reliability in every use. HeliDyne’s advanced technology significantly improves surface functionality, strong adhesion and rapid, efficient manufacturing.

Unlock the Future of Advanced Adhesive Applications With Helidyne

The HeliDyne system by 3DT LLC is the peak of surface treatment technology, raising the bar for reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness in foam adhesive solutions. Our innovative technique improves adhesive properties in polymer panels, foam sheets, and various substrates, showing our dedication to excellence and leadership in the industry.

Contact us today for a detailed consultation on using the HeliDyne system for your adhesive foam surface treatment needs or to discover our full range of surface treatment solutions. You can also visit our HeliDyne product page to learn more about the system’s specifics. With over three decades of experience, we are confident in helping you find the perfect solution for your business needs.

How Long Do The Effects of Corona and Plasma Surface Treatment Last?

Atmospheric plasma and corona treatments are electrical surface treatments used to improve a material’s surface properties for downstream printing, bonding, and adhesion applications. The effects of surface treatments can last hours, weeks, or years depending on the type of material treated, the applied treatment, and the conditions in which the treated material is stored. For best results, secondary processing should be performed shortly after the surface treatment.

At 3DT, we provide customized surface treatment solutions based on each client’s unique application, timing requirements, and processing needs. Here, we’ll discuss the longevity of these treatments, including optimal process windows and decay prevention tips.

Factors Influencing Surface Treatment Longevity

Plasma and corona treated substrates tend to revert to their untreated states over time. The longevity of the surface treatment is influenced by:

  • Additives. Additives (plasticizers, pigments, etc.) present in the bulk of the treated material can migrate to the surface over time and reduce surface treatment effectiveness.
  • Process contaminants. Process-related impurities such as mold release agents can adhere to the material’s surface and interfere with downstream surface treatments.
  • Material density. High-density materials generally maintain their modified surface energy properties longer than low-density materials since their tightly packed polymers slow the migration of subsurface molecules.
  • Process window. While several factors influence the shelf life of surface-treated materials, tests with polymer surfaces suggest that the surface activating effects are retained at 28 days post-treatment. 3DT works closely with clients to establish a workable process window that accommodates individual timing and processing requirements while optimizing adhesion results.

Surface treatment longevity also varies according to the type of polymer being treated. Typical surface treatment shelf life on commonly used polymers are listed below.

Surface Treatment Shelf Life for Polymers

Graph

Process Window Optimization

For optimal results, the time between the surface treatment and secondary printing or bonding operation should be minimized. Roughly 90% of polymers are processed within seconds or hours of being surface-treated. Typical process windows for various substrates are described below.

  • Polystyrene labware such as Petri dishes and multi-well plates are typically corona treated, packaged, and shipped to the laboratory, where they are used on an as-need basis. These items must be capable of retaining their modified surface properties for long periods and often have expiration dates exceeding two years.
  • Polypropylene syringes are printed directly after corona treatment to ensure optimal ink adhesion.
  • EPDM rubber profiles receive adhesives seconds after plasma treatment.
  • Blown polymer films are typically corona treated, wound into a roll, and stored until needed. Before the final processing step, the roll is cut into a usable size and bump-treated (retreated with the surface treatment).
  • Glass substrates are corona treated to remove contaminants and enhance hydrophilic surface properties for subsequent bonding applications. Treated glass retains its activated surface for days to weeks, allowing manufacturers to perform the required secondary operations within a reasonable timeframe.
Plasma Dyne Pro Treated V Non Treated Area RemovebgNote how Ink adheres in the
center of the bottle, where it was plasma treated.

 

Decay Prevention Tips

Key recommendations for preventing surface energy decay after treatment include:

  • Optimize storage environment:
    • Avoid high temperatures, which promote faster migration of subsurface molecules.
    • Maintain low humidity levels
    • Protect material from airborne contamination and direct skin contact, both of which can accelerate decay
  • Keep material covered: Surface-treated substrates should be properly covered and protected from the surrounding environment using well-fitted, contaminant-free containers and covering.

Long-Lasting Corona and Plasma Treatment Systems from 3DT

Leveraging over 30 years of experience, 3DT creates industry-leading surface treatment equipment for everything from printing and adhesive processes to sensitive cell-culture applications. For custom requests, we work with clients during the application development phase of their projects to establish an individualized surface treatment strategy. With your application, process, and timing needs in mind, we then develop a custom plasma or corona treatment system that ensures optimal timing between the surface treatment and subsequent processing operations.

Designed for seamless integration into existing production lines, our innovative systems include:

  • User-friendly operational controls
  • Status menu
  • Run time log
  • Troubleshooting screen
  • Fault log
  • PLC control (for material handling systems)

In addition to our custom capabilities, we also offer a complete line of standard corona and plasma surface treatment systems capable of handling a range of substrates and geometries.

Located in Germantown, Wisconsin, all our products are made in the USA. Contact us or request a quote to discuss your adhesion challenges and equipment needs.

Guide to Plasma Surface Treatment and Corona Surface Treatment in Medical Device, Pharma, and Labware Manufacturing

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Guide to Plasma Surface Treatment and Corona Surface Treatment in Medical Device, Pharma, and Labware Manufacturing

Medical practitioners are increasingly utilizing plastics in their devices and instruments due to the material’s versatility, quick processing, light weight, bio-compatibility, sterility and price point. Plasma and corona surface treatment are an ideal fit for medical, pharmaceutical, and labware manufacturing. Once surface treated the value of inexpensive polymer parts greatly increases due to now becoming specialized, functionalized, engineered components. Plasma and corona surface treatment produce reliable, durable, and uniform results through electrical discharge that heighten energy on the surface of polymers and other substrates to increase their capacity for adhesion and bonding.

What Can Plasma Surface Treatment and Corona Surface Treatment

Corona Surface Treatment

Note how the ink adheres in the center of the bottle where it was plasma treated with 3DT’s PlasmaDyne Pro.

 Achieve in Medical Device Manufacturing?

Medical device manufacturers use plasma and corona surface treatment for various reasons. First, surface modification improves adhesive, coating, and ink bonds with a substrate by chemically changing substrates from being hydrophobic to hydrophilic. Manufacturers utilize corona and plasma treatment to solve complex challenges, especially plastic material applications that present incompatibility issues for bonding. Other specialized applications include applying protective coatings that either draw or fend off fluids and improved cell adhesion in laboratory containers made from polycarbonate and polystyrene.

What Are Some Useful Applications for Plasma and Corona Treatment in the Medical Industry?

Within medical manufacturing, the range of uses for plastics is vast. As a result, corona and plasma technology is regularly used for improving the bonding power of ink, adhesives and cell culture growth. Surface treated items include syringes, tubing, pipettes, bottles, flasks, vials, multi-well plates, Eppendorf tubes, culture plates, and other polymer labware items manufactured for research, drug discovery, and diagnostics testing. Surface treatment is employed for all types of parts and components for medical devices and pharma packaging.

Plasma treatment can assist the bonding of dissimilar materials. This can involve bonding metal to plastic, silicon to glass, polymers to other polymers, biological content to microtiter plates, and even bonding to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Whether bonding metal to plastic, silicon to glass, polymers to other polymers or biological content to microtiter plates, corona and plasma can be used to promote adhesion. 

Adhesion promotion is achieved by increasing the substrates surface-free energy creating a dramatic improvement in bonding. In some cases, up to a 50x increase in bond strength can be achieved.

What Are the Benefits of Using Plasma and Corona Surface Treatments?

Plasma and corona surface treatment generate numerous benefits for medical, pharmaceutical, and laboratory components. These treatments offer:

Syringe, Tubing, Corona Treated, Printed

Surface treatment creates secure bonding of ink, coating, adhesive and more.

High-Quality Results

Businesses in these sectors all require reliable, high-quality products for critical applications, making plasma and corona treatment ideal. As these surface treatments ensure consistent and superior wettability, the resulting products will have greater capabilities for adhesion—even for the most challenging of plastic substrates—as well as overall product performance. The secure bonding with media such as ink, paint, and adhesives is an important benefit for medical devices, changing a two-dollar plastic part into a fifty-dollar component. 3DT specializes in developing these processes and systems for customer’s unique applications. 

Speed

Both plasma and corona surface treatment are typically fast, usually taking little time at all, depending on the process and materials. Treating can take just seconds to complete, with the potential for treating up to 1,000 parts per hour. As an added benefit, these surface treatments do not necessitate primers, curing or drying; cutting those stages from the production timeline for greater time savings.

Uniformity

These processes are an excellent solution for products that need treating on the whole of their surface, even hard-to-reach nooks, crannies, and drill holes. As such, they are ideal for 3D components with complex configurations, providing consistent, reliable pretreatment. Processes utilize highly repeatable, recipe-based programming.

Uniformity

3DT’s MultiDyne with 2 treating heads treats a medical device placed on a spinning mandrel prior to printing.

Cost-Effectiveness

Plasma and corona surface treatments have opened up additional opportunities for medical manufacturers. To start, the speed of these treatments plays a part in increased savings. They can also reduce operating costs by allowing companies to adopt the use of alternative materials that are less expensive than typical base substrates, as well as chemicals, primers, and adhesives. This also leads to less scrap and waste generated which equates to greater savings as well.

Environmental Friendliness

Surface treatment improves the adhesion of environmentally-friendly, solvent-free, water-based primers, adhesives, and inks, eliminating the use of chemical baths and primers.  Plasma surface treatment, unlike chemical processes such as priming or etching, are clean processes that do not produce environmentally harmful waste. Instead, they give off minor amounts of non-hazardous gasses only. Corona processes generate ozone, but using an ozone filter eliminates the issue. Additionally, corona and plasma do not use an open flame, and are much safer for operators. 

What Medical Devices Are Treated with Plasma Surface Treatment or Corona Surface Treatment?

Medical Devices

3DT’s FlexiDyne Pro quickly corona treats polystyrene labware for improved cell culture growth.

Plasma and corona surface treatments are applicable for:

  • Ampules, vials
  • Catheter tubing
  • Implants
  • Insulin pens
  • Lenses
  • Medication bottles
  • Needle hubs
  • Ostomy bags
  • Petri dishes
  • Labware: flasks, multi-well plates
  • Surgical instruments
  • Syringes

3DT is Your Source for Corona & Plasma Technology

Plasma and corona surface treatment are vital in healthcare manufacturing for providing effective, reliable adhesion and product performance. As a leading manufacturer in surface treatment, 3DT LLC provides clients with innovative, high-performance bonding solutions for a wide variety of substrates from plastics and rubber to glass and metal. We offer both standard and custom-engineered systems for greater application versatility. Learn more about our product line here. Our team can incorporate 3DT’s systems into new or existing production lines. For more information on our capabilities and how our surface treatment technology can support your operations contact us today at sales@3DTLLC.com or call 1-262-253-6700.