COATING & LAMINATING
Corona Treatment for Coating and Laminating Applications
Delamination, weak bonds, and inconsistent coat weights cost converters thousands in rejected product and lost production time. QC Electronics corona treaters deliver the precise surface energy your coatings and adhesives need to bond permanently, at any line speed.
Get a Quote → Talk to an EngineerTHE CHALLENGE
Why Coating and Laminating Require Corona Treatment
Coatings and adhesives need to wet out evenly and bond permanently to the substrate surface. When the surface energy of your film is too low, coatings bead up, adhesives fail to anchor, and multi-layer laminate structures delaminate under stress, sometimes days or weeks after production.
Untreated polyethylene has a surface energy of just 30 dynes/cm. Polypropylene sits at 29. Most adhesives and coatings require substrate surface energy of 38-44 dynes/cm or higher for reliable bonding. Without corona treatment, the gap between what your substrate offers and what your coating demands leads to bond failure.
The problem compounds in multi-layer structures. Every interface in a laminate is a potential failure point. If any single layer has inadequate surface energy, the entire structure is compromised, and you won’t always catch it until the product reaches your customer.
THE SOLUTION
Reliable Bond Strength at Every Interface
QC corona treaters raise the surface energy of your substrate to the exact level your coating or adhesive chemistry requires. Whether you’re running solvent-based adhesives, solventless systems, or extrusion coatings, we size the treatment to your specific process—not a generic recommendation.
→Extrusion coating: molten polymer is applied directly to the substrate at high temperatures. Corona treatment ensures the extrudate bonds to the surface instead of peeling away after cooling.
→Solvent-based adhesive laminating: requires substrate treatment to 40-44 dynes/cm for reliable wetting and bond development. Higher initial tack minimizes telescoping risk, but inadequate surface energy still leads to adhesion failures
→Solventless laminating: adhesive surface tension is typically around 40 dynes/cm, requiring substrate treatment to 48-50 dynes/cm for best results. This is the highest treatment threshold of any laminating method, and at faster line speeds, the adhesive has even less time to wet out properly
→Water-based coatings and adhesives: highest surface tension of any coating type. Requires maximum treatment levels and benefits significantly from in-line corona treatment to maintain surface energy at the point of application
Why In-Line Treatment Matters for Laminating
Corona treatment is reversible: surface energy begins to decay the moment treatment occurs. Slip agents migrate to the surface, environmental exposure reduces polar groups, and the treatment level you measured at the treater may not be what your adhesive sees at the laminating nip.
In-line corona treatment—positioned as close to the coating or laminating station as possible—ensures your substrate has maximum surface energy at the exact moment the adhesive or coating contacts the surface. This is why QC treaters are designed for seamless integration into existing converting lines.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
Corona Treaters for Coating & Laminating
Based on your coating process, here are the QC systems we typically recommend. Every system is custom-configured to your exact substrate, adhesive chemistry, and line speed.
MOST POPULAR
Advantage Bare Roll
The go-to for converting operations that coat and laminate. Treats both conductive and nonconductive substrates. Ideal for multi-layer flexible packaging structures.
CoatingLaminatingConverting
FILM EXTRUSION
TNT Covered Roll
Patented design for extrusion coating and blown film extrusion lines. Delivers high-efficiency treatment on nonconductive substrates with minimal heat transfer to temperature-sensitive films.
Extrusion CoatingBlown & Cast Film ExtrusionPatented
RESULTS
What Corona Treatment Delivers for Coaters and Laminators
Stronger Bond Strength
Coatings and adhesives anchor permanently to treated surfaces. Eliminate delamination, peel failures, and weak seals that cause product recalls and customer complaints.
Consistent Coat Weight
Proper substrate wetting allows coatings to spread uniformly across the web. No beading, no bare spots, no edge pull-back, even at high line speeds.
Higher Line Speeds
Higher surface energy improves coating flow-out and reduces the time needed for adhesive wet-out. Converters have realized speed increases of 50-200 fpm with proper in-line corona treatment.
Reduced Waste
Eliminate rejected product caused by bond failures that don’t show up until quality testing or—worse—in the hands of your customer. Consistent treatment means consistent bonds.
OUR PROCESS
From Your Application to a Working Solution
01
Application Review
We gather details about your substrate, ink type, line speed, treat width, and production environment.
02
Lab Testing
Ship us your substrate. We run it through our treaters and measure dyne levels to determine optimal treatment parameters.
03
System Design
Our engineers configure a corona treater matched to your exact specs: application, substrate, treat width, power density, and mechanical integration.
04
Install & Support
Every system ships after a week-long QA test under load. We support installation and provide ongoing technical assistance.
EXPLORE OTHER APPLICATIONS
GET STARTED
Ready to Solve Your Ink Adhesion Challenges?
Tell us about your printing process, substrate, and ink type. Our engineers will recommend the right corona treatment system and provide a detailed quote.
Request a Custom Quote →Or reach us directly