Topic: Applied plasma engineering in packaging technology - bonding packaging industry, printing on glass, packs and cartons, painting on glass, coating glass

Packaging Technology: Openair® plasma treatment for optimum conditions for adhesive bonding

High production rates require stable processes

Regardless of whether the objective is to label a jam jar, to print on a glass bottle or to seal milk or juice packs a key factor in the packaging industry is the ability to process the various materials reliably and at low cost.

Pretreatment for gluing safety labels	Openair® plasma pretreatment allows the use of universal adhesives

Pretreatment with Openair® plasma makes it possible to process different materials and coatings that are sometimes very thin, as is the case, for example, in the production of composite packaging units. Cardboard packaging units are processed at very high speed. If in doing so an adhesive bond is needed, recesses in the area of the bonding surfaces usually have to be taken into account, especially in the case of high-gloss surfaces coated with plastic. Otherwise the plastics employed will not adhere. By using Openair® plasma technology this is no longer necessary. High-gloss gluing points are directly and selectively pretreated in-line so that reliable bonding is ensured.

Plasma pretreatment allows simple processes

In the labelling of glass bottles Openair® plasma is employed for pretreating the glass. This allows the use of a universal and above all low-cost water-based labelling adhesive.

By way of example, metal lids on jam jars are moulded into shape using a lubricant. Some of this lubricant remains adhering to the painted metal surface. In order to avoid using an additional adhesive and to keep using a universal adhesive for all products Openair® plasma is employed.