In aerospace and high-performance manufacturing, bonded multi-material assemblies of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP), advanced thermoplastics and metals are replacing traditional mechanical fastening methods to reduce weight and maximize structural strength. Achieving durable adhesive bonds across dissimilar surfaces remains a significant challenge. Surface contamination, coupled with the low surface energies of epoxy resin thermosets and thermoplastics commonly used in aerospace applications, such as PEEK, PEKK and LM-PAEK, requires not only cleaning but also functionalization to achieve sufficient bond strength. Traditional preparation methods such as abrasion, solvent wiping and chemical etching are labor-intensive manual processes that can lead to inconsistencies from part to part while also presenting environmental and safety concerns.
Atmospheric and low-pressure plasma technologies provide a uniform and non-destructive alternative for surface preparation. Openair-Plasma® enables automated cleaning and chemical surface modification by removing organic contaminants at the molecular level while introducing functional polar groups that significantly increase surface energy. In addition, AURORA-Plasma offers a fully enclosed chamber solution with a variety of process gases, making it suitable for a wide range of materials, dissimilar material assemblies and geometrically complex parts.
This PlasmaTalk reviews academic and industrial research demonstrating how plasma treatment can replace traditional manual preparation methods and deliver a highly effective, reliable and scalable solution for surface preparation in aerospace applications.
Key Takeaways
- Understand how plasma removes organic contaminants and introduces polar functional groups to maximize surface energy and wettability.
- Learn how plasma can replace manual sanding and solvent wiping while preventing fiber damage and surface defects and improving bond strength.
- Explore production integration possibilities ranging from robotic Openair-Plasma® cells to large-format AURORA-Plasma systems.
The webinar offers practical insights and a live Q&A session in 40 to 60 minutes. Do you have specific questions? Send them in advance to academy@plasmatreat.com —we’ll answer them live during the webinar.
Please note that, due to our international audience, we use UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Check your time zone using the TimeCalc calculator below.
