CASE STUDY – BETTER LABEL ADHESION

For decades the Lectro Engineering Company, the worldwide leader in three-dimensional plastic surface treating equipment, has been treating a variety of plastics used in the manufacturing of containers. LLDPE, MDPE, HDPE, and PP are just some of the plastics that pass through LectroTreat systems to increase adhesion.

There are still cases in which a manufacturer has a problem and the Lectro Engineering Company is there to solve it. In this instance, the company produced eye drop containers and was having issues with consistency of treatment. The product was also not holding treatment for a long period of time. The end user was complaining that labels were coming off. They were also not satisfied with the surface treatment and returns to the manufacturer reduced production to unacceptable levels.

The eye drop container is a retail product, and the end user is very specific about the look of the container. Flame can mar, shrink, or alter the surface to a point where the product cannot be used. LLDPE also melts quickly which contributes to the scrap rate when flame is used. LectroTreat introduces no heat when treating parts. This is critical in dealing with LLDPE since flame warms the container to the point that the containers stick to each other. As the eye drop containers pass through LectroTreat, they are all treated to the same dyne level which exceeded the end user’s needs eliminating the problem of inconsistency. In addition, the manufacturer saw a huge increase in production rates since containers did not have to be oriented as they did for flaming. There was less downtime and no longer a need to monitor the treating area; another bonus as labor costs were reduced.

Production runs went more smoothly to the point that additional containers were made and stored. In many cases the treatment held for months which allowed for more flexibility with the end user and their requirements.

Other benefits include a reduction in energy costs, lower insurance rates with the removal of flame in the plant, and the ability to quickly move LectroTreat in and out of production lines as needed.

Most importantly, the customer is happy with the unit. Applications such as these will become more prevalent internationally as the plastic container market continues to expand in these regions and the Lectro Engineering Company will there to help solve the problems.