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Revolutionary Technology for Powerful Adhesion

3DT delivers innovative, reliable and effective corona and plasma surface treatment solutions.

Tag Archive: corona treating system

  1. Corona Surface Treatment for Wide, Thick, Porous Substrates

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    Ground-Breaking Surface Treatment for Foam, Corrugated Material, and More

    Surface treatment methods, such as corona and plasma surface treatment, improve the wetting and adhesion properties of numerous materials.

    3DT manufactures proven, innovative surface treatment machinery. Our equipment enables manufacturers to improve the adhesion characteristics of numerous materials utilized in manufacturing, including polymers, elastomers, composites, glass, metal, and paperboard.

    Our HeliDyne system is a proprietary and patented corona system engineered for the corona treatment of wide, thick, and porous materials. Treating dimensions include materials up to 2 inches in thickness and up to 200 inches wide. HeliDyne delivers optimal surface activation for gluing, printing, coating, and laminating applications.

    HeliDyne’s capabilities include: the corona treatment of foam and fiber glass parts and shapes, in-line extruded foam, honeycomb sheets, corrugated boards and more. Due to their porous nature, these materials have not been successfully corona treated until now!

    How Does HeliDyne’s Corona Treatment Work?

    HeliDyne’s unique corona discharge improves the wettability and adhesion on surfaces for downstream processes involving ink, adhesive, laminates, and coatings. Corona discharge surface treatment enables chemical bonding for these applications by modifying the molecular bonds on the substrate’s surface. The corona discharge creates free radicals that react and form cross-links, raising the surface energy.

    Previously, performing corona treatment of porous material has not been possible because electrodes (which create the corona discharge) require solid material to discharge properly. Permeable materials cause the electrodes not to fire or arc, damaging the material. However, HeliDyne’s numerous small electrodes that constantly rotate in a helix pattern overcome these issues and provide gentle, thorough corona treatment without misfiring and substrate damage.

    HeliDyne is highly customizable for varying widths, thicknesses, and in-line or manual production methods. Whether your material is 20 inches wide or 200 inches wide, 1/8 inch thick or 2 inches thick, HeliDyne is the solution. Systems are built to your production specifications, with or without a conveyor.

    HeliDyne’s unique surface treatment technology, coupled with 3DT’s thoughtful engineering, sophisticated and user-friendly programming is designed for high performance and your surface treatment success.

    Applications of HeliDyne Surface Treatment

    Our Helidyne surface treatment technology can be utilized across a wide range of applications, including household goods, automotive, and medical industries. Examples include:

    • Protective foam cushioning in vehicles:  HeliDyne’s foam sheet surface treatment improves adhesion on foam sheets and parts for the adhesion of Velcro fasteners.
    • Corrugated boat decking: HeliDyne’s surface treatment treats large panels of corrugated composite material, improving adhesive bonding for subsequent layers, providing strength and cushioning.
    • LVP flooring: Vinyl flooring requires surface treatment to bond its laminated layers and decorative printing inks.

    Key Benefits of Surface Treatment

    3DT’s HeliDyne surface treatment system resolves bonding issues and thereby improves product performance. It offers these benefits:

    • Improved Surface Tension: HeliDyne’s treatment significantly enhances the surface tension of materials, even those with poor adhesion qualities. This allows a broader range of adhesives, coatings, and inks to bond effectively.
    • Enhanced Wettability: HeliDyne’s treatment converts hydrophobic materials into hydrophilic, enabling inks and coatings to spread evenly for a consistent finish and bond.
    • Low Contact Angles: Once treated by HeliDyne, measured substrates achieve low contact angles, improving adhesion and ensuring media, glue, and coatings hold fast.

    These benefits apply to many materials, including foam sheets and honeycomb panels. Yes, wide, thick, and porous materials are no problem for our HeliDyne surface treatment process.

    Revolutionary HeliDyne

    At 3DT, we take pride in our HeliDyne system as a ground-breaking approach to corona discharge surface treatment. This system’s ability to treat the most challenging materials – porous, wide and thick – is unique only to 3DT’s system. HeliDyne ensures precise and effective surface modification to optimize bonding and adhesion. Learn more.

    3DT: Versatile Surface Treatment Solutions

    3DT manufactures a comprehensive range of innovative corona and plasma surface treatment systems designed to improve adhesion across numerous substrates, shapes, sizes and production demands. All systems are customizable for your application and built with proven technology, robust engineering, and state-of-the-art components. From stand-alone units to fully automated, turnkey, “Smart” solutions – 3DT delivers dependable, long-lasting performance.

    Contact us to discuss 3DT’s advanced adhesion solutions for your surface treatment needs!

  2. 3DT Now Provides Preventative Maintenance Services

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    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.

  3. Company Spotlight – SOFTAL

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    SOFTAL Corona & Plasma GmbH is an industry leader in designing and producing groundbreaking corona and plasma surface treatments for various materials, including plastic film, labels, textiles, paper, panels, metal, and more. Over 60 years of experience have made SOFTAL one of the most important companies in the surface treatment area.

    As SOFTAL has headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, 3DT LLC represents the company in sales, support, and service in the US and Canada. 3DT offers corona and plasma treatment systems for 2D and 3D applications, which 3DT and SOFTAL both manufacture.

    Who Is SOFTAL?

    SOFTAL was founded in the 1950s when the industrial use of corona technology was young. As that technology became essential to industries worldwide, SOFTAL led in its innovation and growth. Now a globally trusted company with patented processes, SOFTAL has mastered the manufacturing of premium bonding techniques for coatings, adhesives, and lacquers, increasing quality and productivity without primers.

    Although industry needs have changed over time, the SOFTAL promise of “adhesion guaranteed” has remained constant. “Adhesion guaranteed” symbolizes what SOFTAL is all about: the adhesion of your product customized for your processes, materials, and budget. SOFTAL has over 250 BOPP treatment stations and has produced over 10,000 corona stations, making it one of the most knowledgeable suppliers in the world.

    What Products Does SOFTAL Offer?

    SOFTAL offers a variety of surface treatment products such as:

    • Corona treatment systems – SOFTAL manufactures a complete line of corona treatment stations that improve the adhesion of glues, printing inks, lacquers, and other coatings to the surface of multiple materials. During corona treatment, corona energy is created when a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) fires in the gap between the electrode and the counter electrode, causing a chemical reaction on the material being treated resulting increased adhesive forces.
    •  Plasma treatment systems – Plasma technology uses one or more high voltage electrodes which charge the surrounding blown gas molecules, resulting in a highly ionized field that is forced onto the targeted surface. This airstream, or plasma discharge, reacts with the substrate and breaks the existing hydrogen bonds altering the chemical properties of the surface. Plasma treatment is especially suited for functionalizing thicker and thermally sensitive material such as polymer foam and wide materials such as plastic sheets, glass and metal plates. Plasma is nearly potential-free allowing conductive materials, such as embedded electronics to be effectively treated.

    Benefits of SOFTAL

    ADHESION GUARANTEED!

    SOFTAL offers several advantages to its customers worldwide:

    • Install and forget. SOFTAL understands that the bottom line for most companies is a product that works and is simple to maintain. Therefore, all of SOFTAL’s user-friendly, modular products are durable, safe, cost-efficient, and easy to fix and service.
    • Adhesion guaranteed. SOFTAL’s slogan of guaranteed adhesion means that no matter how large its customer base gets, it will never forget its roots or what matters to you. Its treatment systems are modular, so SOFTAL is constantly growing, improving, and developing new processes and systems for its customers’ benefit.
    • Customer-specific interfaces and solutions. Its hardware and software solutions enable SOFTAL to customize all of its systems to fit with your materials and processes. As a result, you can concentrate on your core competencies, and SOFTAL and 3DT will handle the surface treatment of your materials.

    • Reliable service. SOFTAL is proud of its strong reputation and high level of customer satisfaction. With its network of trained, worldwide professionals, like us here at 3DT, SOFTAL can be almost anywhere in a matter of hours to solve your problem.

    SOFTAL Services With 3DT

    SOFTAL’s reliable commitment to easy-to-maintain products, adhesion solutions, customized answers, and fast service has made them a strong partner for 3DT.

    Through a range of comprehensive and custom services, 3DT utilizes its 30 years of experience in quality adhesive and surface treatment solutions to offer dedicated customer service. Recognized throughout the world for our innovations in plasma and corona surface treatments, we serve numerous industries, including the packaging, automotive, electrical, food and drug, and medical sectors.

    Find out more about SOFTAL products here.

    As a representative for SOFTAL in the USA and Canada, contact us at 3DT or request a quote today for more information on what our companies can do to help.