The Importance of Specifying your Corona Treater When Ordering a Line Through an OEM
Corona treaters are not the most expensive part of your new line, but get the treatment wrong and your new line will be producing scrap at record rates. That’s why it’s critical for converters and extruders to pay special attention to the corona treater being supplied with their new OEM lines. Buyers of new OEM lines who take a passive approach to the make and model of the corona treater being included with their order, take a risk that their line may not perform up to expectations.
First, it’s important to recognize that corona treaters are custom pieces of equipment. This is a great advantage for companies who think about how they are going to initially use the corona treater and how they might need to use it in the future. It’s not uncommon for two companies purchasing the same OEM press for the same application to specify a different corona treater configuration for the same application. Likewise, it is possible that two different OEMS might specify slightly different corona treater specifications for the same application.
Be Proactive: Specify & consult with your corona treater supplier early in the process.
There are two actions you can take to ensure you get the corona treater that best meets your needs.
- Specify the corona treater brand of your choice to the OEM early in the quoting process.
- Consult with your corona treater supplier early in the process to get additional recommendations on the best technology to meet your requirements.
Let’s look at some common situations that can be avoided by following the “Specify Best Practice.”
Small application details are a big deal.
When it comes to corona treating, small details can have a major impact on optimizing the machine design. It’s critical to let your suppliers know if you want to have capabilities to run different types of films in the future. For example, some corona treater designs are not capable of treating metallized films. Likewise, some films are not as responsive to corona treating and will require significantly more treatment power.
Higher treatment power levels require larger power supplies, ground rolls, exhaust blowers and more. All of these items can increase the cost of your treater. Or worse, if these details are not unaccounted for, your corona treater may be incapable of properly treating those materials.
Line speed is another detail that can impact treater design and cost. Your line may be capable of running a certain speed, but if you are not planning to ever maximize the output you might be able to save money on your corona treater investment.
The goal is to build in future proof features without paying for capabilities you’ll never use.
Corona treaters integrated on OEM equipment may vary.
It’s important to note that a treater you buy through an OEM may not be exactly the same design as the when you buy it directly from the corona treater supplier. Corona treater suppliers and OEMs partner to optimize for fit and integration into specific lines. While most of the time this is very positive, it can sometimes lead to some surprises when the system is delivered and is different than the other corona treaters already installed in the plant.
Another aspect to consider is the time that transpires from an initial OEM proposal to an actual purchase. This can be several months to over a year. OEMs base their quote on information and estimated cost available at the time of the initial proposal. As the evaluation and buying process develops, the corona treater is often forgotten due to the scale of the entire purchase.
By the time the order is placed, and then weeks or months later when the OEM places the order with the corona treater supplier, a lengthy gap has occurred. It’s not unheard of for an OEM to find that costs have changed or the final application details suggest that the design of the corona treater should be altered for the specific application. By reviewing the details with the corona treater manufacturer earlier in the process, this situation can be avoided.
Safety & Guarding Features
Another area that is often overlooked is machine guarding. Your facility may have adopted a very specific standard for guarding around a corona treater. There are numerous effective designs to ensure operator safety including fixed guarding requiring tools to remove, sliding doors with safety interlocks, light curtains, and e-stops. If you have a specific expectation for guarding, it’s important to review with your suppliers.
Can the corona treater supplier provide timely & knowledgeable support?
Today, business is conducted on a global scale. Large OEMs from other countries have sizable staffs locally available to assist their customers. Many have a working knowledge of corona treaters, but ultimately when you need technical support, your corona treater supplier is the one who will be the most helpful to your operation.
It’s important to ensure your new line includes a corona treater that is well supported by the supplier with an available and well-trained support team. Support for corona treating requires expertise in mechanical, electrical and application engineering.
Smart converters and extruders take advantage of expert start-up assistance from their corona treater supplier. This ensures your installation will follow best practices and your team will be properly trained.
And don’t forget about parts availability. Specify a supplier that you place confidence in their ability to deliver parts in a timely manner.
Be proactive and specify the corona treater early in the process.
To ensure the best experience with a corona treater on a new line, take a proactive approach with your OEMs. Make sure your current and future application parameters are well defined and communicated. Invite your corona treater supplier into the conversation early to provide insights and recommendations. Think about details like machine guarding, after sale support, and your expectations relative to other corona treaters you own.
Regardless of the make or model of your current corona treaters, feel free to reach out to Enercon. Our team is happy to answer any questions you may have on all things related to surface treating.
