Is it Time to Bump the Bump Treating
BUMP TREATING IS a way of life in a package printing plant. Re-treating substrate surfaces before going to press helps provide a consistent and predictable print quality. Skipping it can leave a print job littered with pinholes, poor ink adhesion, and other printing blemishes.
Progress made in recent years in surface treating equipment has extended the longevity of treatment applied following extrusion, but printers still rely on bump treatments for successful runs. In fact, according to Ralf Weber, marketing, Erhardt + Leimer Inc., the trend in surface treating leans more toward multiple treatments. This is due to several reasons, Weber said, including:
• Increased printing speeds—More than one pass through a surface treater helps guarantee a high dyne level that will give ink the ability to adhere to the packaging substrate, regardless of press speed;
• Increased print quality requirements—Brand owners expect more from their packaging, which means when a job leaves a print shop, blemishes caused by poor ink adhesion could spell a returned order; and
• The tendency for printers to use less solvent inks—More environmentally-friendly inks require a higher dyne level to make up for the lack of adhesion-inducing elements they contain.
Printers are up against ever-steeper expectations in delivery times and quality. Compounding these expectations is the need for printers to be able to run several different substrates on the equipment they already have. Most printers can handle all kinds of materials due to bump treating. Like a security blanket, re-treating helps printers address the variability in the effective life span of the surface treatment, which differs from substrate to substrate.
There are many factors that influence how long a material holds a dyne level. Taking everything into perspective, if a printer is printing a range of materials for a range of applications, re-treating substrate surfaces is the key to consistency. "More converters use film from several different suppliers and run several different products on each press," said Chuck Ballard, product manager corona treaters, Pillar Technologies. "Given these variables, the only way to ensure a consistent quality is to bump treat the material."
Whether or not re-treating substrates is a necessity for all printing methods and ink types has long been debated, said Mark Plantier, vice president of marketing, Enercon Industries. It is an accepted fact that bump treatment is required for all water-based and UV printing applications. Traditional thinking also dictates that surface treating is not possible and not required for solvent applications, but a closer look at the printing process reveals otherwise, he said.
Plantier explained, forward thinking and quality conscious solvent printers have identified a number of ways surface treating actually enhances their converted product. Even though solvent inks are inherently more aggressive than their water-based counterparts, they can not overcome all the variables presented by pretreated film. Surface contaminants created by slip additives rising to the film surface create pin holing, inconsisent ink adhesion, and often reduce effective solvent line production speeds. Bump surface treating overcomes these obstacles to high-quality printing. Safe operation on solvent lines is achieved through the use of a special pressurized surface treating system.
Bump treating, therefore, fits into two categories: 1) When ink will not adhere without bump treatment, and 2) When bump treating enhances print quality and printing process, Plantier said. In both cases, a surface treater eliminates surface variables from the printing process. Improved process control means fewer returned print jobs and loss customers, which makes surface treater a very inexpensive insurace policy, he said. And With the equipment available today, there's a solution for every printer's woes.
Fast, easy electrode cleaning and job changeover
Corotec Corp.
Corotec Corp.'s Uni-Dyne® concept corona treating system with a removable electrode cartridge is designed specifically for narrow-web converters. The new feature allows for fast and simple removal, cleaning, and replacement of the electrode assemblies, minimizing maintenance and downtime.
The latest feature of Corotec's Uni-Dyne narrow-web treater, the removable electrode cartridge with a pull-out handle, allows the entire electrode assembly to be removed in seconds for cleaning. The open design of the cartridge itself allows access for thorough cleaning. Customers can keep spare cartridges on hand and even have different electrode configurations for different treating applications if desired. This feature reduces downtime.
Easier-to-clean electrodes and replacement cartridges provide simplicity for customers and are especially advantageous to those operating in excessively humid environments where electrode maintenance is more frequent.
Atmospheric plasma for optimal treatment
Enercon Industries
The new Plasma3™ atmospheric plasma surface treating system is a surface treatment technology developed by Enercon and its technology partner, Sigma Technologies International. This system successfully treats a wide range of substrates and is designed to provide the optimal treatment and functionalizing of web surfaces. Systems can be customized to fit most production lines.
The ability to produce long-lasting treatment results on materials that would be otherwise unresponsive is one of the major advantages of Plasma3™. However, the ability to clean, etch, and functionalize surfaces has made Plasma3™ a successful solution for many industry-leading firms. The Plasma3™ system is the state-of-the-art solution for treating films, papers, foams, nonwovens, wovens, fibers, metals, and powders. The system can also run up to 1,000 fpm, depending on the substrate and can be added to any extrusion, lamination, and production line width.
Corona treating for high-speed printing
Erhardt + Leimer, Inc.
www.erhardt-leimer.com/www.afs.biz
AFS' newly developed AVE-250E stands for a non-compromising philosophy of efficiency and robustness while granting full flexibility to AFS customers. The particularly compact and tough station fits into any installation situation. The film is thread easily through the open access, shortening the set-up time and increasing the station availability. The built-in PLC ensures that the station opens briefly and then closes again automatically. Roller and electrodes are even better protected, but customers have quick access to the complete electrode group.
Corona treater with improved production
Pillar Technologies - An ITW Company
Pillar Technologies' P6000 Plus power supply with skip-treat capabilities and an improved heat sink is offered for applications located in high humidity or warmer-than-normal plant environments.
Based on specific plant production requirements at line speeds up to 1,500 fpm, the skip-treat feature functions by energizing and de-energizing multiple power supplies and inverters within milliseconds of time. An operator-friendly display menu can store up to 100 different plant production requirements without the need for encoder re-calibration.
by Kate Sharon
Managing Editor
