If you prefer not to carry out the surface treatment for your components yourself, make use of the surface treatment services on our premises. We offer several plasma systems as well as qualified and experienced staff who will ensure that your parts and components receive optimum surface treatment. The surface treatment services are provided by Diener plasma GmbH & Co. KG. Our company is certified to DIN ISO 9001: 2015 and DIN ISO 13485: 2016.
If you have any questions on one of the above topics or wish to inquire about our surface treatment services, please contact our support:
Phone: +49 7458 999 31 0
Email: treatment@plasma.com
Options in surface treatment services
Plasma cleaning, activation, etching and coating is possible for almost all materials. We can accommodate components of a size of up to 1.90 m x 1.30 m x approx. 1.40 m and bulk goods in high volumes of up to 50 l per batch; smaller systems are available for small volumes.
The benefits of plasma solutions
Plasma cleaning
Plasma micro-cleaning gently removes molecular and organic contaminants from almost all surfaces without damaging the components.
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Plasma activation
Plasma activation increases the surface energy, ensuring optimum wettability during painting, gluing, printing or bonding.
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Plasma etching
Plasma etching of a surface creates a textured surface to ensure strong adhesion. Isotropic etching is achieved through chemical etching, whilst anisotropic etching is achieved through physical etching.
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Plasma coating
Plasma can be used to treat workpieces with various coatings. To do this, gaseous and liquid raw materials are fed into the vacuum chamber.
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PWIS-free cleaning
Today, PWIS-free components are required in many applications.
These components must be free of paint wetting impairment substances. This is a precondition not only for the actual painting process but also in all downstream processes; primarily in the automotive sector, the demand for this service is increasing.
Via plasma cleaning, almost all materials and components can be cleaned to meet this requirement.
Since this is an ultra-fine cleaning process, heavily soiled parts may possibly need to undergo pre-cleaning first.
Next, the cleaning status can be checked by means of a paint wetting impairment test.
Here, the standard specified by the customer is used, e.g. VW standard 3.10.7 or Festo standard 9420102.
After cleaning, the parts are packaged contamination-free. At the customer’s request, a cleaning certificate is issued confirming PWIS-free status of the parts.
Determining the wetting angle
To find whether a surface has the suitable surface tension for a specific further processing step, digital wetting angle determination can be used.
We will be please to determine the wetting angles for you. The resulting images can be saved directly and placed at your disposal.
Traceability
For a long time now, complete traceability has been mandatory not only for medical products.
Whether in the automotive industry or in aerospace technology – in many industries, the applicable standards or the customers themselves demand that every product must be traceable through all stages of its manufacture.
Plasma treatment is no exception. Thanks to our special system control software, this requirement can be met without any problems.
The automatic program control saves every process in a dedicated directory. It comprises all data about the product treatment, including the limit value parameters of the entered program.
It is also possible to forward the data or save them to a database to prevent data loss in case of a computer failure.
A process printout can be made after each completed batch. The respective volume is defined at the start of the program.
The completed batch is then allocated to the product is by means of a label which indicates the same data as the production log, and which is applied to the packaged product. Here, too, the quantity can be freely selected in advance.
The batch as well as the day and time of treatment day and the treatment time are visible at a glance from the label.
All documents on the current treatment are collected in the product folder.
These product folders are generated for each customer and article so that all data such as order, delivery note, manufacturing order, order confirmation and logs are available in one place.
Further assembly processes
If components should be further processed as quickly as possible due to a short lifetime of the activation (e.g. metals), we can optionally carry out straightforward assembly processes for which no special previous knowledge or tools are required, directly in our house as part of the surface treatment services, e.g. stick labels on the products.
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the maximum component dimensions that can be processed on your system?
The maximum dimensions of the components are 1.90 – 1.40 m, due to the existing contract treatment facilities at Diener plasma GmbH & Co. KG
What quantities or batch sizes can you process at the same time?
The possible batch size depends on the size and shape of the components, as well as their arrangement within the system.
It is therefore not possible to specify a standard quantity. In practice, however, several components can be processed simultaneously in a single process cycle, thereby enabling efficient batch processing.
How long does the plasma treatment process take per component or per batch?
The duration of the plasma treatment process depends heavily on various factors, including:
• The material of the component (e.g. plastic, metal or glass)
• The size and geometry of the components
• The desired effect of the process (cleaning, activation)
• The number of components per batch
Consequently, it is not possible to specify a standard treatment time.
Is there any information or empirical data on how long the surface activation lasts after treatment?
The duration of surface activation depends heavily on the material and the storage conditions.
Plastics:
Depending on the material, the activation may remain stable for anywhere from several days to several months. Factors such as storage conditions, humidity and surface contact influence the stability of the activation.
Metals and glass:
With these materials, the activation generally diminishes much more rapidly and usually lasts only a few minutes to a few hours. It is therefore advisable to carry out further processing as soon as possible after treatment.
What test methods do you use to verify the success of the plasma treatment?
To verify activation:
Surface energy measurement using test inks.
The use of test inks allows a quick and reliable check to be carried out to determine whether the required surface energy has been achieved.
Determining surface energy using water:
This method enables an assessment of the surface wettability without contaminating the components with test inks.
To verify cleaning:
For applications with purity requirements, we carry out appropriate tests to ensure that the components are free from substances that interfere with paint wetting (LABS).
Furthermore, a contact angle measuring instrument and a laser scanning microscope are available to us for process development.
Can the processes be traced?
Yes, all treatment processes are fully documented and recorded.
The following process parameters, amongst others, are stored:
• Treatment time
• Plasma power
• Process gas
• Batch data
• Date and time
What certifications does your company hold (e.g. ISO certifications), and are these audited regularly?
Diener plasma GmbH & Co. KG is certified to the following standards:
• DIN EN ISO 9001 – Quality Management System•
• DIN EN ISO 13485 – Quality Management System for Medical Devices
These certifications are regularly reviewed through independent audits to ensure compliance with the requirements of the standards and the continuous improvement of our processes.
Do you issue test or process certificates following treatment?
For our LABS-free treatment, we issue the relevant test and process certificates on request. These comply with the requirements of: Festo and VDMA 942010
How are the components packaged after plasma treatment to protect the treated surface?
After treatment, the components are immediately placed in contamination-free packaging to prevent the activated surface from becoming contaminated again.
