Flame Treatment for Plastics, Metals & Glass
Flame treatment is a widely used process for improving adhesion on plastics, metals, and glass. Whether you’re bonding, printing, or coating, effective surface preparation is critical — and flame treatment delivers consistent results across a wide range of materials.
At Rapidflame, we design and supply burner systems tailored to each material type and application. This page provides a full overview of flame treatment methods, material-specific processes, and common industrial uses.
Plastics:
Flame Plasma Surface Treatment
Flame Treatment for Plastics
Flame treatment is a highly effective method for improving adhesion on plastic surfaces. Many plastics, especially polyolefins like polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE), are chemically non-reactive and have low surface energy — making it difficult for inks, paints, coatings, or adhesives to bond.
By exposing the plastic to a precisely controlled gas flame, the surface is activated through oxidation, increasing its surface energy and enabling strong, durable bonds. This process is fast, clean, and ideal for high-throughput industrial applications.
Common applications include:
-
Automotive components (e.g. bumpers, trims) before painting
-
Plastic packaging and containers before printing or labelling
-
Plastic films, sheets, and profiles in wen converting lines
Rapidflame systems deliver consistent, uniform flame treatment across flat or 3D plastic parts, and can be configured for manual or automated production. All systems are built for reliability and safety, complying with relevant European or North American standards.
Learn more about how flame treatment can improve plastic adhesion in your process by visiting our main surface plasma flame treatment page:
Flame Treatment For Metals
Metal Flame Treatment for Adhesion and Oxide Layer Control
Flame treatment of metals enhances adhesion by cleaning the surface and modifying the oxide layer. While metals generally have high surface energy, many bonding and coating processes benefit from controlled surface preparation using flame.
A precisely directed flame removes surface contaminants such as oils and residues, while simultaneously generating a fresh oxide layer that promotes stronger chemical or mechanical bonding. This is particularly useful when preparing metal surfaces for painting, adhesive bonding, or lamination.
Common applications include:
-
Aluminium and stainless steel components prior to bonding or coating
-
Surface reactivation of galvanised or pre-coated metals
-
Inline treatment of metal foils or sheets in web processing systems
Rapidflame systems are engineered for consistent, repeatable performance in both automated and manual processes. Burner configurations are available to suit a wide range of part shapes and production line layouts.
All systems are designed to meet the relevant local safety and compliance standards.
For more information on how our Flame Treatment systems can improve surface activation for your metal products, contact us.
Flame Treatment For Glass
Adhesion Promotion on Glass Using Flame Surface Treatment
Glass surfaces are naturally smooth, chemically inert, and difficult to bond without pre-treatment. Flame surface treatment modifies the outermost layer of the glass, increasing surface energy and improving the adhesion of inks, coatings, adhesives, and labels.
By briefly exposing the glass to a high-temperature, controlled flame, the surface is cleaned of organic residues and subtly restructured at the molecular level. This results in better wettability and stronger chemical bonding with subsequent layers.
Flame treatment is widely used on:
-
Glass bottles and containers prior to screen printing or labelling
-
Technical glass parts in automotive and appliance manufacturing
-
Architectural and decorative glass before applying coatings or films
Rapidflame systems offer precise flame control, uniform treatment, and compatibility with curved, flat, or high-speed production lines. Systems are designed to meet the relevant safety and compliance standards.
Contact us for more information on glass flame treatment systems
Advanced Silicone Based - Silane Gas Flame Treatment for Glass
In addition to standard flame surface activation, Rapidflame also offers silicon-based gas flame treatment for glass surfaces—an advanced process that deposits a thin, adhesion-promoting silicon layer directly onto the glass using controlled combustion of silane or organosilicon compounds.
This process involves injecting trace quantities of silane gas (such as SiH₄ or functionalised organosilanes) into the flame, forming a sub-micron silicon oxide or siloxane-rich layer on the glass surface. The result is a chemically bonded interface with enhanced compatibility for a wide range of inks, including UV-cured, solvent-based, and water-based systems.
Benefits of Silane-Enhanced Flame Treatment on Glass
-
Improved Ink Adhesion
The silicon layer chemically bonds with both the glass and the applied ink or coating, greatly improving adhesion performance and durability.
-
Surface Energy Modification
The treatment alters the surface energy of the glass, making it more receptive to polar or non-polar ink systems depending on the gas used.
-
Inline Integration
Our systems can incorporate silane gas dosing directly into existing flame treater setups, enabling continuous high-speed production without additional handling steps.
-
Tailored Chemistry
Rapidflame offers various gas chemistries, including vinyl- and amino-functional silanes, to match your specific adhesion and process requirements.
Applications
-
Decorative glass bottles and containers
-
Automotive glass components
-
Architectural and appliance glass
-
Enhanced light transmission for solar glass
-
Technical glass printing for laboratory or medical use
Why Choose Rapidflame?
With years of experience in combustion surface treatment, Rapidflame is uniquely positioned to support clients requiring advanced surface engineering on glass. Our systems are fully modular and designed for precision control of flame width, heat flux, and reactive gas composition—ensuring repeatable results across production runs.
Whether you require high-speed pre-treatment for screen printing or a tailored silane-enhanced flame process for demanding industrial applications, Rapidflame delivers dependable performance, full integration support, and exceptional after-sales service.
Contact us for more information on Silane gas flame treatment systems for glass products and substrates.
Contact Us
Our team of experts is ready to provide you with a flame treatment system suitable for your application. Get in touch with us today, complete the form below.