How Atmospheric Plasma Surface Treating Enables Ink Jet Printing on Wire & Cable

摘要

Ink jet printing offers numerous production advantages for wire and cable makers in the military, automotive, telecom and datacom industries. However not all materials used in the wire and cable industry are receptive to ink jet formulations. Traditional printing on wire and cable is accomplished with contact printing technologies such as print wheels and hot stamp systems. Ink jet printing offers numerous advantages over traditional marking technologies. It is economical, efficient and offers greater operational control and flexibility. However, ink jet chemistry alone is not always enough to achieve bonding success. Many of the materials used in the wire and cable industry such as PE, PVC, PP, PTFE, XLPE, ETFE, FEP, EPDM and silicone have very low surface energy making it difficult for ink bonding. Additional factors such as surface contamination and additive migration can also undermine adhesion success.