Special Treatment

Surface treating technology makes printing on plastic substrates possible, but not just any off-the-shelf equipment will do.

PRINTING ON FILMS without first treating the substrate surface is a lot like skydiving without a parachute. It's possible, but the result is going to be a mess.

Luckily, there are several surface treating options, each with advantages for different applications. Of the three main kinds of treaters, corona treaters are the most common, according Tom Gilbertson, Enercon Industries Corp.'s vice president of applications engineering. They are used for most applications and are less expensive alternatives compared to atmospheric plasma and flame treaters.