Corona Treatment Systems & Equipment at 3DT

Our comprehensive selection of corona treatment products includes:

PolyDyne™ & PolyDyne Pro™

PolyDyne™ is our hallmark corona treatment product. Powerful, reliable, and versatile, this system is designed for speed and precision; it treats specific areas or components quickly and efficiently. It is ideal for use in high-speed applications, such as printing, assembly, extrusion, and coating production lines.

PolyDyne Pro™ is a high-performance corona treatment that improves the surface tension on substrates that are otherwise resistant to printing, adhesive, and coating applications. Designed with state-of-the-art monitoring technology, it can adapt to many different applications.

MultiDyne

MultiDyne™ is a corona treating system that is a perfect solution to adhesion issues in injection molding, blow molding, and extrusion applications. Specifically engineered to improve wettability or surface energy, it helps ensure powerful adhesion during coating, gluing, laminating, and printing applications.

FlexiDyne™ Pro

Our FlexiDyne™ Pro is a self-contained, floor model corona treating system designed to improve adhesion for 3D plastic components. It features a powerful generator for greater adhesion reliability and consistency and faster thru-put and adjustable corona discharge capabilities for better substrate flexibility. It is highly suitable for adhesive, coating, marking, printing, and labware functionalizing applications.

BottleDyne™ Pro

Our BottleDyne system is used to surface treat cylindrical plastic bottles of varying sizes. This fully integrated system enhances the adhesion of ink, labels, and adhesives for thousands of bottles per hour. It can be easily adjusted to accommodate various bottle sizes and is equipped with Allen Bradley controls for fast treatment option selection and real-time insight into performance.

TubeDyne™

TubeDyne™ is a compact, self-contained tabletop corona treatment system specifically engineered to treat the outer surface of medical tube ends to ensure high-quality adhesion to tubing, instruments, housings, catheters, and other medical equipment. It alters the surface energy of Pebax and polyethylene tubing to ensure the creation of a strong bond between adhesives, coatings, and inks.

UltraDyne™

UltraDyne™ is the ultimate corona treatment system for high-speed treatment of cups, tubs, narrow web, and tubes. Designed to meet the demands of high-speed Flexo and digital print technology, its mandrel and custom blade electrode produces a powerful corona discharge that modifies the surface polymers to achieve a secure bond between printing inks and coatings.

Purchasing a Surface Treatment System From 3DT

At 3DT, we are committed to providing each customer with the best surface treatment solution for their needs. Whether they require a standard or custom-engineered system, our collaborative approach ensures they receive a product that fully meets their specifications and standards. Below, we highlight the typical purchasing process for our customers seeking corona treatment systems.

1. Contacting our team. The customer submits an RFQ, sends an email, or makes a call regarding their need for a solution that improves adhesion on their component(s).
2. Researching the application. Our sales engineers discuss the application with the customer to gather more details that can help identify the right solution.
3. Performing sample tests. We perform surface treatments on sample components as per the customer’s requirements and restrictions. The results are fully documented to ensure the customer’s needs are met.
4. Choosing between standard or custom. The information gathered by our sales engineers and the results for the sample tests are used to determine whether a standard or custom solution is appropriate for the customer’s application.
   1. If our team determines a standard system is appropriate, we provide important information about the system to the customer (tech data sheets, drawings, videos, etc.)
   2. If our team determines a custom system is appropriate, we hold an application meeting with our sales engineers and the customer’s engineers to develop a concept and surface treatment method. We continue to make changes and adjustments until a successful solution is developed and the customer approves of the concept.
5. Providing a quote. Once our team and the customer’s team agree on a solution, we provide a detailed quote that includes the equipment description, price, payment terms, estimated delivery time, and other important information.
6. Approving the final quote/concept drawing. In the case of a standard system, the customer confirms their approval of the final quote with a purchase order. In the case of a custom system, the customer confirms their approval of the final concept drawing.
7. Producing the system. Upon receipt of the purchase order, we put the equipment in our production schedule. We also keep many standard systems in stock to ensure quick delivery.
8. Performing QC testing on the system. Each system is tested using rigorous quality control methods to ensure it operates as intended.
9. Shipping the system. Upon completion, the system is packed, crated, and shipped along with a comprehensive instruction manual to the customer.
10. Supporting the system. We provide a range of after-sale support services, including training, installation, and part replacement.

Advantages of Corona Surface Treatment

Corona surface treatment is a highly effective and versatile process that enhances the adhesive properties of a surface for optimal bonding with inks, paint, coatings, and adhesives. Corona treatment systems consist of two primary components:

• Power Source: The power source of a corona surface treatment system is used to produce and increase the voltage output and frequency. It typically incorporates a generator to produce the power and a high-voltage output transformer to increase the output energy provided by the generator.
• Treater Station: All treater stations have a high-voltage electrode and an isolated ground electrode that are used to run current through the material and create the corona charge. A solid insulating cover composed of dielectric material is used to cover one of the two electrodes to ensure the generation of a corona atmosphere.

Compared to other surface treatments, corona surface treatment offers numerous advantages, including:

• Bonding: Corona treatment enhances the ability of materials to bond with ink, paint, coatings, and adhesives, even for materials that are usually difficult to mark.
• Material Versatility: Corona treatments can be used on a wide range of materials, including all polymers, glass, composites, plastic sheets, metal foils, foam, metal, and metalized plastic films and papers.
• Process Compatibility: Corona treatment systems can be incorporated into many applications, from high-speed printing and laminating to medical and lab equipment preparation. They are often used in film extrusion, sheet extrusion, and packaging applications. And they are essential in surface treating extruded and molded 3D parts.
• Quick Treatment: Corona treatment systems can treat hundreds of parts per minute and up to 600 meters of film per minute, which allows them to be incorporated into high-speed production lines with ease.

The Corona Treatment Process

Corona treatment systems employ two electrodes separated by an isolator to produce a cloud of ionized air (i.e., corona discharge). This cloud is used to treat the surface of components made from various substrates. When placed under the cloud, the substrate is impacted by electrons with energy two to three times greater than what is needed to break the molecular bonds on the surface. The resulting free radicals cross-link in a way that increases the surface energy or surface tension, allowing for better wetting and adhesion properties.

Corona treatment improves surface bonding and wettability for even the most difficult-to-bond materials. Polymers, metals, and elastomers that typically display poor to no adhesive properties can be are treated to bond reliably and consistently with media. The effectiveness of the corona treatment process can be measured using a tensiometer, which measures the contact angle of a neutral solution deposited onto the treatment substrate. Special kits, such as the Dyne Solution Test Kit and Dyne Pens, can also help you determine the wettability of your substrate.

Partner with 3DT Today!

At 3DT, we provide comprehensive surface treatment solutions, from design to delivery to maintenance. Our systems utilize the latest technology to accommodate even the most challenging substrates. To learn more about our corona treatment products, visit our Resources Page or contact us today!