We have created various tools to help converters with their calculations. The one that has been requested the most of, “How many watts should I run my treater?” We have created a simple calculator, simply fill it out and it will tell how the recommended watts to run a treater
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimated baseline settings for secondary corona treatment. Actual power requirements will vary based on machine condition, specific material blends, and environmental factors. Always validate settings with on-line dyne testing. Packaging HQ provides these estimates for informational purposes only.
Secondary Corona Treatment Estimator
For already treated films only. This estimator is intended for secondary treatment during converting and is not meant to replace treatment at film manufacture.
Estimated Power Range
0 - 0 Watts
Estimated Watt Density: 0.00 - 0.00 W/ft²/min
Corona Treatment Tool FAQ
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Flexible packaging is heavily influenced by real world environmental factors. The exact power needed to bump a film's surface energy will vary based on your plant's ambient humidity, the age of the film, the specific resin blend, and the condition of your treater's electrodes. We provide a low to high range to give you a safe, highly accurate starting window for your line trials.
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It is critical to tell the calculator what is currently on the surface of your web so you do not over treat it:
Pretreated film needing boost: Use this for standard, bare films that were treated at the time of manufacture and just need a standard "bump" to restore their dyne level before printing.
Chemically treated / primed / coated: Use this if your film has a top coat or primer. These surfaces are delicate and require significantly less power to activate. Too much power will burn the coating off.
Cleaning / contaminant removal only: Use this if your dyne level is already perfect, but you want to run a very low wattage discharge to burn off light surface oils or dust before the ink station.
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Pushing a film's surface energy past 42 to 44 dyne requires exponentially more power than bumping it from 38 to 40. Pushing standard films into the high 40s or 50s on a secondary printing press treater greatly increases your risk of backside treatment, blocking in the roll, or creating a powdery layer of oxidized polymer that will actually cause your ink to flake off. Always treat to the absolute minimum dyne required by your ink system.
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No. This tool is specifically calibrated for secondary treatment (also known as bump treating) on a digital press or converting line. Treating completely raw, zero-dyne film requires massive power supplies and specialized electrode setups at the initial extrusion and manufacturing stage.
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We recommend setting your corona treater's power supply to the low end of the estimated range. Run a short test web, stop the press, and immediately test the surface with a fresh set of dyne pens. If the ink is not wetting out properly or the dyne is too low, incrementally increase the power toward the higher end of the range until you achieve the perfect bond.
Have broader questions or need help troubleshooting specific print processes? Check out our Main FQ Page for in-depth guides, including setup tips for HP Indigo digital presses.