Newsletter

Abaris is always on the lookout for new technologies that will help advance the performance and production of composites used in manufacturing. Abaris has added plasma surface treating equipment for composites and plastics from Enercon Industries as a classroom and lab tool to demonstrate the ability for plasma surface treating to improve surface properties for adhesion.

Plasma is the fourth state of matter and is essentially the ionization of air. Enercon’s Blown-ion Plasma treaters produce an intense plasma discharge that treats surfaces with positive ion bombardment.

The potential for this type of surface treating to be incorporated with other processes in the manufacturing and repair of composites is intriguing. In some cases, it may be able to eliminate inconsistent manual (by-hand) surface preparation techniques and add a well needed improvement in process consistency. In other cases the benefits of plasma may be part of improving the production speed and efficiencies of an automated production line.

Learning more about plasma there are a number of good resources available including a technical presentation on improving structural composite adhesion strength that Enercon and Abaris partnered on in association with Composites World. One can also attend Abaris’ next Adhesive Bonding of Composites & Metals class and learn about it first hand!