Book excerpt: Polymer surface modification is a topic that has been the object of a large number of investigations by academia and industry, but relatively little attention has been paid to surface activation technologies which, when appropriately utilized, make specific polymer-based surfaces receptive to value-adding interfaces such as inks, coating and adhesive formulations. Adhesion strength is generally determined by the properties of a base material and its interface. Optimizing adhesion strength can be accomplished by modifying these interfaces chemically and physically. As polymers are continually engineered to meet new product application requirements, optimizing the activation of these surfaces requires a fresh look at cost effective ways to etch, clean and functionalize them. These demands require detailed information on the surface treatment of classic materials, as well as an examination of the latest surface treatment machine designs available anywhere in the world today which are used to process these materials. There are four full chapters devoted specifically to corona, ozone, flame, and plasma discharge surface treatment technologies; and an interesting and useful identification of common adhesion maladays.