Openair® plasma in the manufacture of household appliances
Every year household goods become more complex and sophisticated. High gloss materials might be combined with rubberized grips; clear windows might be printed with instructions; glass and metal components incorporated. At the same time the quality of the printing has to be perfect and smudge free and therefore rapid drying times are required. In all of these instances Plasmatreat's Openair® technology increases flexibility, decreases cycle time, improves quality and helps eliminate solvent based adhesives and inks, so they can be replaced with water-based equivalents.
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Leading manufacturers such as Electrolux, Whirlpool or BSH are using our technology in a large range of white goods. In laundry machines, materials for internal components such as drums and heat exchangers are now made of polypropylene rather than metal which reduces weight and cost, and at the same time increases durability. Openair® plasma is used to treat gaskets which helps ensure they make watertight seals.
Small savings and design innovations in diverse areas add up to a significant competitive advantage. |
Openair® plasma enables the use of new material combinations
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Many household goods are now injection molded where rubberized grips are incorporated into the design. Costs can be reduced by combining these different materials together at the molding stage. Without plasma the materials would not flow together and bond properly. Using plasma, the assembly can be fully automated, eliminating the need for manual assembly. |
Openair® plasma allows water-based inks to be employed
Water-based inks can replace solvent-based inks if the surface is first activated with Openair® plasma. Not only does this save money and reduce environmental concerns, it can also make products safer. Lego employed this technique so they could print a toy doll with food-grade inks, which are safe for children to put in their mouths.
In another case we cut down on scrap in the manufacture of golf balls. The application of a UV coating was improved by the pre-treatment with Openair® plasma.
We
are specialists in using Openair¨ plasma for the household appliance
industry.
If you have a potential application please call us. |
