Plasmatreat at the JEC World 2026: Plasma technology for composite materials

Lightweight composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), thermoplastics and hybrid structures are increasingly being used in the aerospace and mobility industries. However, these materials often have low surface energy, which makes it difficult for adhesives, coatings and sealants to adhere reliably. Targeted pre-treatment of the surfaces prior to further processing is therefore essential. Conventional processes such as mechanical grinding or the use of chemical primers often reach their limits with large or geometrically complex components, are difficult to control and automate, are time-consuming and are associated with environmental and occupational safety requirements.

Plasma technology for cleaning, activation and coating

Plasmatreat's open-air plasma technology works under atmospheric pressure conditions and enables selective, reproducible surface cleaning and activation using only compressed air and electrical energy. Organic contaminants are removed and the surface energy is selectively increased without changing the basic material properties. A new application in the open-air sector is HydroPlasma, in which distilled water is introduced into the plasma jet to effectively and reliably remove organic and inorganic residues without damaging the material surface. In addition to atmospheric plasma treatment, Plasmatreat also uses its Aurora plasma low-pressure plasma technology in the aerospace industry when particularly uniform and full-surface treatment is required. In closed vacuum chambers, complex and large-format components are cleaned and activated homogeneously under defined process conditions. With PlasmaPlus technology, nano-thin functional coatings can be applied at atmospheric pressure, but also at low pressure, which can be used as an environmentally friendly adhesion promoter, for example, and represent an alternative to conventional chemical primers.

Plasmatreat live demonstration at JEC World

Quality assurance and reproducibility of treatment play an important role for manufacturers in the industrial processing of lightweight materials. Plasmatreat uses its specially developed Plasma Control Unit (PCU) to continuously monitor and document relevant process parameters such as plasma power, gas flow, temperature and treatment speed. This enables consistent treatment quality, supports quality assurance and facilitates the integration of plasma technology into automated production lines and qualified manufacturing processes. At its stand at JEC World 2026 in Paris, Plasmatreat will be demonstrating open-air plasma treatment live in Hall 5, Stand G65. The plasma experts will activate CFRP and other composite materials in front of visitors. The demonstrations will show how adhesion processes can be stabilized during bonding, painting or sealing, even with complex component geometries.