Surface energy

Surface energy plays a decisive role in the printing or bonding of plastic parts. It describes how well the surface of a material can be wetted. If the surface energy is high, this means that the surface is polar and offers good adhesion for printing ink or adhesive. In contrast, low-energy, i.e. non-polar, surfaces offer lower adhesion.

When printing, it is important to note that the interfacial energy of the surface to be printed should be at least as great as the surface tension of the printing ink. This means that the surface of the material must wet the printing ink sufficiently so that it can spread evenly and adhere.