Extrusion International 6-2021

17 Extrusion International 6/2021 „ Vetaphone A/S, the inventer of corona treatment, is cel- ebrating its 70th anniversary in 2021, and continues to pio- neer the market for surface treatment under the Eisby family management. It was the advent of plastic packaging materials in the years following the Second World War that led to the invention of a surface treatment that has become known globally as co- rona. In his small home workshop in Denmark, Verner Eisby set about solving the problem of getting ink to adhere to non-absorbent plastic fi lm. Today, the company he estab- lished is managed by his two sons, Frank and Jan, and sup- plies cutting edge surface treatment technology to leading OEMs, converters, and extruders around the world. CEO Frank Eisby explained: “My Father could not have known what his invention would grow into – today, corona treatment is a universal process that spans many industries across all continents, and without it the whole sector of fl ex- ible packaging would not exist – that’s an incredible legacy and one that we are very proud of.” What Eisby discovered in 1951 was that the key to adhesion is all to dowith surface tension and the relative values between the liquid being applied and the non-absorbent substrate be- ing used. In modifying the surface tension of the substrate by applying a precisely controlled electronic discharge at close range, the chemical structure can be altered to allow the liq- uid to bond securely and avoid the risk of ‘smudging’. While the principle behind the process is simple science, the development of the technology required is ongoing, as new Celebrating 70 Years of Innovation Vetaphone A/S www.vetaphone.com and complex substrates are introduced into the market and innovative techniques are demanded by brand owners to en- hance the appearance of their packaged products. In more recent times, this has led Vetaphone to develop plasma sur- face treatment, which is not a replacement for corona, but a more advanced application of the same scienti fi c principles. Today, the company is a global enterprise, employing around 80 people at its high-tech headquarters in Kolding and around the world, and is represented in more than 60 different coun- tries. The pioneering spirit is still intrinsic to the company’s DNA, which is highlighted by the recent opening of a fully equipped showroom facility for in-person and online demos that comple- ments its unique Test Lab facility that was launched in 2020. Company CSO Jan Eisby commented: “We are very proud of our unique heritage and will use our unrivalled knowledge and expertise to innovate surface treatment technology that meets the ever-changing needs of a vibrant marketplace. Vetaphone was the fi rst and remains the foremost in this sec- tor, and our future plans are designed to increase the mar- ket’s understanding of the science behind the technology.” Read more on page 48. Vetaphone staff from around the world gathered at the company’s HQ in Denmark to celebrate the 70th Anniversary on 1st November