The automotive industry is at the forefront of using new materials and technologies to reduce cost and improve performance while striving for green manufacturing processes. Perhaps that’s why the automotive industry is one of the most aggressive users of in-line atmospheric plasma and flame surface treatment technologies.
Depending on the manufacturing processes being used there’s an application for surface treatment on virtually every part of a vehicle from bumper to bumper. Adhesion can be improved prior to glueing, painting, coating and printing on metallic and polymer surfaces such as PE, PP, TPO, POM, PUR and PTFE.
Plastic parts that are painted such as bumpers, dashboards, consoles, glove boxes and more, are pretreated with flame systems. These flame treaters are often integrated with robots for precise and efficient treatment patterns.
In fact, any part of an automobile that will be exposed to the elements is normally protected with some type of coating. Windshield wipers are just one example of a part that can benefit from treatment. Meanwhile parts of the vehicle that are exposed to high temperatures present challenges to all types of silicones and adhesives. Plasma surface treaters are used to increase the bond strength of adhesives used in head lamp assemblies, gaskets, mirrors and filters.
Other items in an automobile such as vinyl and leather seating material, decorative films, steering wheels, air bags, and component assemblies are all candidates for in-line treatment.
In addition to providing improved surface performance, plasma and flame surface treaters can also provide green manufacturing advantages. Quite often they lead to the elimination of hazardous chemical primers and solvent materials from the manufacturing floor which is good for the environment and shop workers.
To see which Enercon surface treatment technology is best for your application we invite you to contact our application experts for a free consultation. They’ll be happy to learn more about your objectives and can also offer you a free lab trial to confirm expected treatment results.