Plasma Surface Treatment offers cleaning and adhesion

Henniker, a UK based manufacturer of plasma surface treatment equipment and processes, has launched HPT, its new range of bench-top systems for ultra-fine cleaning and adhesion

The HPT-Series are microprocessor-controlled units that generate cold gas plasma in a sealed vessel under reduced pressure.

Henniker has said that on metals, glass and ceramics, the cold plasma is extremely efficient at removing trace organic contamination from the surface of parts where critical bonding must be achieved.

In the case of polymeric materials, the surface is rendered active to bonding agents, without affecting the bulk material properties, producing a permanent bond in applications such as printing, painting and gluing.

Available in single or dual gas inlet versions and with on-board gas mixing manifold, the HPT-Series can accommodate single parts or multiple items where high throughput, volume production is required.

The plasma treatment is a completely conformal process and treats complex 3D parts as well as simpler, flatter profile parts.

An optional vapour delivery inlet extends the use to liquid precursors and a corrosion resistant version expands the choice even further to address specific treatments of a wide range of engineering polymers including ABS, PEEK, PA6, PDMS and fluoropolymers such as PTFE.

The company said that a typical sub-3 minute process cycle for example will produce an increase in the surface energy of PEEK from 30-35mN/m to greater than 72mN/m.