Nova: Bringing industrial-grade plasma treatment systems to the laboratory
New plasma treatment system offers industrial-level processing on a much smaller scale, for use in research and development.
Nova – a novel, advanced benchtop plasma system, which bridges the gap between industrial-grade plasma treatment and laboratory environments – has been developed by Henniker Plasma (Runcorn, UK), a manufacturer of plasma treatment systems.
Plasma treatment is used to alter the surface properties of materials to improve their adhesion, bonding and wetting in subsequent processes. Plasma itself contains a mixture of energetic, highly reactive species – including positive ions, electrons, neutral gas atoms/molecules, excited gas atoms/molecules and UV light – and when these come into contact with a surface during plasma treatment, they enact specific effects upon it. By finetuning the composition of the plasma and experimental parameters, researchers can tailor the effects of their plasma treatment.
Although the process is invaluable in research and development, plasma treatment is often limited by the control capabilities of smaller plasma systems, which can be difficult to augment for large-scale production.
Nova offers a solution to this problem. The advanced benchtop system delivers the automation logic, process parameters and data recording features of Henniker’s larger systems, but on a much smaller scale, bringing industrial-grade processing into a laboratory environment.
It is developed from the company’s production-scale Nebula Plasma System, and combines PLC automation, recipe-driven control, data traceability and optional CoatX™ nano-coating platform in a more compact device.
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The system generates a high-purity, low-pressure plasma environment, which ensures uniform surface treatment. It also supports a variety of gases – such as oxygen, air, argon, nitrogen and fluorocarbons – to clean, activate and modify surfaces including polymers, metals, ceramics and glass. Each cycle is monitored and maintained via PLC control, meaning pressure, power and plasma density are consistent, and outcomes are repeatable and reliable.
As such, Nova has myriad potential applications, ranging from microfluidics and biomedical coatings to micro-electromechanical systems device functionalization and optical and electronic interfaces.
“The Nova represents the next step in bringing industrial plasma precision to the laboratory,” Terry Whitmore, Managing Director at Henniker Plasma, explained. “It allows R&D teams to innovate and refine their plasma processes with the same control logic and automation used in production environments – ensuring faster development cycles and a seamless route to scale-up.”
