PlasmaSwing

Reliable bonding and coating without primers, no final sanding, and without adapting the machinery to your workpieces dimensions: The PlasmaSwing got you covered! Plasma discharges are an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technology for cleaning, disinfection, pre-treatment, and functionalization of surfaces. The PlasmaSwing technology uses a mechanically responsive system to ensure and maintain correct working distances, as it automatically adapts to changing dimensions and geometries of workpieces. Applications reach from disinfection to coating, gluing, forming composites and many more. As a simple and reliable application of cold atmospheric plasma, surface treatments are thus conducted in a failsafe process.

Background: The invention is related to industrial and personal equipment for cleaning, disinfection, pre-treatment, and functionalization of surfaces using plasma treatments. This energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technology doesn’t require chemicals. Maintaining tool’s correct working distances can require elaborate machinery.

Description of the Invention: The invention presents a mechanical system to ensure and maintain correct distances by automatically adapting to changing dimensions and geometries of workpieces. The need for elaborate electronic regulation is thus obsolete. The invention can be applied to all materials including metals, ceramics, glass, polymer or bio-based materials. Applications reach from disinfection to coating, gluing, forming composites and many more.

Main Advantages: The invention provides a significant improvement to the state of the art, which allows for a simpler and more reliable application. Improved adhesion of coatings and higher bonding strength of various materials are thus achieved in a failsafe process for workpieces with random thickness and surface inclination.

Example fields of application: (1) Cleaning of metal sheets, plates, foils, etc. (2) Application of plasma polymers as thin barrier coatings (3) Enhanced adhesion on polymers and bio-based substrates.

Opportunities: We are looking for a commercial partner to build a prototype based on the lab-scale demonstration device. We are looking for partnerships either with industrial users interested in a license-free, full-support pilot plant or with commercial manufacturers and distributors of industrial plasma equipment interested to include the technology in their portfolio.

 Subject of negotiation.

•  Partnerships to set up the industrial prototype are highly welcome.

The invention allows to employ renewable energy source in manufacturing industries as a replacement for chemical and mechanical processes. As such, it enhances the efficient use of resources and prevents waste generation related to surface treatments and surface preparation. The proposal contributes to Objective 6 of the Slovenia’s Development Strategy 2030 by promoting the development of science and research in priority areas and the transfer of research achievements to a highly competitive economy.

• wood working and processing,
• manufacture of paper and paper products,
• manufacture of furniture.

• modern technology, equipment or infrastructure,
• development of solutions that will enable environmentally friendly and safe timber construction.