game-changing surface pretreatment technology rory a. wolf vp business development enercon...
TRANSCRIPT
Game-Changing Game-Changing Surface Pretreatment Surface Pretreatment
TechnologyTechnologyRory A. Wolf Rory A. Wolf
VP Business DevelopmentVP Business Development
Enercon Industries CorporationEnercon Industries Corporation
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Flexible Packaging Industry Graphic Challenges Higher Productivity & Efficiencies
Higher press speeds Minimal press set-up Fully automatic change-over of
plate cylinder mandrels/sleeves, anilox rollers/sleeves
Next job make-ready organization Self-adhesive plate sleeves
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Surface Adhesion Challenges
Substrate
Water-based interfaces are formulated with non-soluble binders composed of styrene acrylic alkali-soluble binder and resin emulsion.
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Substrate
As interfaces dry, ammonia and volatile amines leave and emulsion particles can “touch”, combining to form a surface film.
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Substrate
Trapping these interfaces can trap volatile amines which can exist as salts, interfering with interface-to substrate and interface-to-interface bonding.
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Tribocharging caused by contact and separation of a web from rolls can cause “spidering” of flexible packaging inks and coatings following impression to the web.
Tribocharging effect influences surface tension requirements
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
2x2 micron images of PP film
A.No Corona Treatment
B.WD = 1.16W/ft2/min (12.5W/m2/min)
C.WD = 1.93W/ft2/min (20.8W/m2/min)
D.WD = 2.71W/ft2/min (29.2W/m2/min)
Topographical Image Phase Image (Height – 10nm) (Range – 60º)
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Slow Speed High Speed
Treater Ground Roll
Treater Ground Roll
Contact Area
Contact Area
…………………………………….. ……………………………………..
Boundary Air
Boundary Air
Contamination
Contamination
Boundary layer air and surface contaminations reduce ground roll contact area at high speed with current art surface activation systems
Reduction in complete surface activation by entrained air behind the web, causing backside treatment.
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Current Surface Activation Technologies Limitations of Current State Corona
& Atmospheric Plasma Systems
Boundary layer air not sufficiently removed at high speeds.
Backside treatment creates ink picking. Tribocharging effect on ink spidering
not neutralized at treater. Ionized air (ozone) or plasma gases
entrained with web.
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Limitations of Current State Corona & Atmospheric Plasma Systems
Limited removal of low molecular weight organic surface contaminations.
Splices and varying material thicknesses require manual gap adjustments, reducing productivity
No recent system designs which offer flexographic printers new solutions with integrated sustainability.
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Current Surface Activation Technologies
Plasma Technology Change
Step-Changes for Next-Gen Atmospheric Plasma Technology Completely remove boundary layer air effect to
minimize flexible packaging ink/coating adhesion issues.
Neutralize tribocharging/ink-spidering effects at surface treatment.
Higher discharge concentration to remove surface contamination and improve ink/coating adhesion
Significantly reduce gas entrainment with webs, gas consumption.
Reduce treater maintenance/damage due to material thickness variations, splice impact.
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Current State APT Next Gen APT
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Plasma Technology Change
Experimental DesignParameter Description
MaterialUntreated & pre-corona treated BOPP film
Process
Current state semi-chambered atmospheric plasma
Next-Gen Atmospheric Plasma design
Power DensityHigh Low
Gas Composition100% Air (ozone-generating)100% N2 (non-ozone)
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Trial Results/Data Analysis
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Treatment Longevity (Days)
Sur
face
Ten
sion
(m
N/m
)
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
50
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46
Next Gen/High PD/AirNext Gen/High PD/AirCurrent/High PD/AirCurrent/High PD/AirNext Gen/High PD/N2Next Gen/High PD/N2Current/High PD/N2Current/High PD/N2
Next Gen/Low PD/AirNext Gen/Low PD/AirNext Gen/Low PD/N2Next Gen/Low PD/N2Current/Low PD/ AirCurrent/Low PD/ AirCurrent/ Low PD/ N2Current/ Low PD/ N2
Summary of Results Next Gen Atmospheric Plasma Technology
improves surface energy level relative to Current State technology, at both high and low power density, relative to gas chemistry.
Gas-Phase treatment longevity patterns similar between Next Gen and Current State.
No significant difference between air plasma and inert plasma treatment level or longevity relative to either system.
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Boundary Layer Air Completely removed. No Interference with Plasma Chemical Reaction at Surface
Additional Trial Parameters Measured
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Boundary Layer Air Completely removed. No Interference with Plasma Chemical Reaction at Surface
Gas Containment > 40% Reduction in Gas Consumption vs. Current State technology
Additional Trial Parameters Measured
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Boundary Layer Air Completely removed. No Interference with Plasma Chemical Reaction at Surface
Gas Containment > 40% Reduction in Gas Consumption vs. Current State technology
Tribocharging Both system designs neutralized web charge at the discharge
Additional Trial Parameters Measured
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Boundary Layer Air Completely removed. No Interference with Plasma Chemical Reaction at Surface
Gas Containment > 40% Reduction in Gas Consumption vs. Current State technology
Tribocharging Both system designs neutralized web charge at the discharge
Footprint / Sustainability Next Gen electrode discharge capacity > 3:1 vs. Current State Technology
Additional Trial Parameters Measured
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Boundary Layer Air Completely removed. No Interference with Plasma Chemical Reaction at Surface
Gas Containment > 40% Reduction in Gas Consumption vs. Current State technology
Tribocharging Both system designs neutralized web charge at the discharge
Footprint / Sustainability Next Gen electrode discharge capacity > 3:1 vs. Current State Technology
Gap Maintenance/Adjustment
Assembly (Gap) maintained throughout trial; auto-adjusted to web thickness
Additional Trial Parameters Measured
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Boundary Layer Air Completely removed. No Interference with Plasma Chemical Reaction at Surface
Gas Containment > 40% Reduction in Gas Consumption vs. Current State technology
Tribocharging Both system designs neutralized web charge at the discharge
Footprint / Sustainability Next Gen electrode discharge capacity > 3:1 vs. Current State Technology
Gap Maintenance/Adjustment
Assembly (Gap) maintained throughout trial; auto-adjusted to web thickness
Backside Treatment Air plasma discharge generated < OSHA allowable ozone ppm
Additional Trial Parameters Measured
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
Boundary Layer Air Completely removed. No Interference with Plasma Chemical Reaction at Surface
Gas Containment > 40% Reduction in Gas Consumption vs. Current State technology
Tribocharging Both system designs neutralized web charge at the discharge
Footprint / Sustainability Next Gen electrode discharge capacity > 3:1 vs. Current State Technology
Gap Maintenance/Adjustment
Assembly (Gap) maintained throughout trial; auto-adjusted to web thickness
Backside Treatment No backside treatment for either system design
Exhausted Emissions Air plasma discharge generated < OSHA allowable ozone ppm
Additional Trial Parameters Measured
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®
THANK YOU!Rory A. Wolf
Enercon Industries Corporation
SPE International Polyolefins® Conference and FlexPackCon®