Edition - 10 | Page 24

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING z Know your films !

Know your dynes – Jan Eisby of Vetaphone

With the growth in demand for flexible packaging predicted to continue at a rapid rate for the foreseeable future , Jan Eisby , CSO at surface treatment pioneer Vetaphone , explains to Nick Coombes why it is so important that printers and converters know exactly what they are dealing with to ensure optimum productivity .
z What ’ s the basic principle behind what you ’ re doing at Vetaphone ?
Jan Eisby – Our company philosophy is based on sharing knowledge , because we believe it empowers people to do a better job . And because we invented Corona treatment 70 years ago , we have an unrivalled archive of data and expertise that we can use to assist our customers .
z Why is it so important to understand the process of Corona treatment ?
Jan Eisby – Because it ’ s all about adhesion and the issues associated with non-absorbent materials , where matching the surface energy of the ink or lacquer to the substrate is essential . If they don ’ t match , there will be problems with adhesion , so Corona treatment is the way we change the surface structure of the substrate to ensure good adhesion . We measure this surface energy in dynes , which is a function of watts of energy applied per square meter per minute .
z So really , you need to know your dynes too ?
It ’ s important to know if the surface energy of the substrate is higher or lower than the ink or lacquer being applied so the correct level of corona treatment can be applied Photo Vetaphone
Jan Eisby – Yes , because all plastic film intended for packaging is surface treated at extrusion , but films change over a period of time , and under different storage or transport conditions ,
24 Packaging South Asia 5 October 2021