Afera technical seminar
GO TO 2023 EVENT WEBSITE | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Photos
Afera holds 10th successful Technical Seminar in Brussels
The unique technical event
Afera’s Technical Committee welcomed attendees to our 10th TechSem in April 2023, our first technical event to take place face-to-face since the advent of the pandemic. Organised in Europe’s accessible capital, the popular biennial Technical Seminar has established itself as a platform for presenters to share innovative ideas and projects with the entire European adhesive tape value chain. The structure as well as the content of the event offers our growing audience of technical and operational professionals the chance to acquire new information and concepts with which to expand their specialised knowledge of adhesive tape products and processes.
The TechSem programme allowed for a full two days of lectures, structured discussions and networking. We felt this year’s lineup in particular offered valuable content to participants, with 24 lectures covering a great variety of subjects spread over 4 themed, half-day sessions: New Perspectives, Tape Chemistry & Simulation, Tapes & Sustainability, and Production Technologies & Regulations. Attendees were especially urged to participate actively in the panel debates.
What Afera Members thought
Afera’s TechSem 2023 proved to be the ideal setting for gathering together the most prominent players in the PSA market, by offering a well-packed programme including the latest innovation and sustainability topics. It is the ideal combination of networking, technical exchange and great atmosphere that makes me want to join every other year when it is hosted.
Nick Dewingaerden
Business Development MS Polymer Division
Kaneka Belgium NV
I see the event as a gathering during which the most prominent players in the tape industry exchange technical experiences and ideas with young engineers and managers. It is a place to network, and it doesn't shy away from confronting the challenges the tape industry will be confronted with. During the Sessions, there is always an amicable vibe which keeps people returning to the event.
Michel Sabo
R&D Application Development Manager
Nitto Belgium
It really was a great event. Hats off to the organisers and staff!
Dr. Evert Smit
Afera President
Director Scouting
Lohmann GmbH & Co., KG
Participants survey
About 60% of attendees participated in a survey of Afera’s 10th Technical Seminar, and on a scale of 1 to 5, they gave the event a 4.3. The “overall schedule of activities” received the highest rating at 4.47. Some anonymous comments which reflected the success of the event:
It was very interesting to watch a presentation on odour and what consumers think of it. I learned about a specific approach to testing materials for odours that I had not known about before.
Dr. Harryson shared a very interesting subject about achieving innovation. This is a compelling way to develop a product intelligently. His slides were perfectly set up with a balance of text versus images.
Dr. Dargazany’s presentation on predicting performance loss of adhesives in extreme environments using informed machine-learned tools included an impressive use of modelling. This good, interesting and very specific session showed us real science pushing the boundaries of what is possible!
I thought Prof. Martín-Martinez’s great talk on potential thermoplastic polyurethane as PSAs provided both interesting content and results in a lot of detail. He had a good way of presenting, forming a nice connection with the audience.
I like how an end-customer such as Luca Micci illustrated his concern for waste reduction versus recycled waste. His message that everything is possible as soon as you want to make it happen is positive, and I learned that it can also be linked to financial improvement for a company.
Also rated very highly was “adequate time for networking” (4.37) and “Did this educational event meet your expectations?” (4.25). The lowest score was attached to “hotel facilities and service”, which were not quite up to par because of unforeseen renovations taking place. Danny Beekman, Afera TC Member and technical service manager at DRT, speaking on “Bio-based tackifier resins for boosting acrylic PSA performance,” and Ilaria Lombardi, R&D and sustainability director of ICAP-SIRA Chemicals & Polymers, speaking about going “Towards carbon neutrality: biobased PSA combining performance and sustainability”, were the most popular presenters/presentations.
Organisation
Afera’s event was formulated and hosted by a focussed working group including Ralf Rönisch, head of R&D at Coroplast Fritz Müller GmbH & Co. KG; Danny Beekman, technical support manager at DRT; Michel Sabo, R&D application development manager of Nitto Belgium N.V.; Ian Grace, business development manager of healthcare at Loparex B.V.; Martijn Verhagen, team leader for liquid coated adhesives at Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG; Matthias Renka, regional technical sales manager at Organik Kimya San. Ve Tic. A.S.; and Astrid Lejeune, secretary general of Afera.
Global Tape Forum & Global Test Methods Committee Pre-Meeting
Afera hosted the combined Global Tape Forum and Global Test Methods Committee Pre-Meeting as the kick-off event to our 10th TechSem at the Brussels Marriott Hotel. Chaired by Afera Technical Committee Chairman Reinhard Storbeck, the Meeting included a dozen delegates from the 5 member organisations of Afera, CATIA (The China Adhesives and Tape Industry Association), JATMA (The Japanese Adhesive Tapes Manufacturers Association), PSTC (The Pressure Sensitive Tape Council, North America) and TAAT (The Taiwan Regional Association of Adhesive Tape Manufacturers), discussing the current events and status of the organisations and their projects. A clear theme of sustainability seems to be running through many of our activities and objectives! Afera Standardisation Consultant Karsten Seitz also reported on the recent release of the 2023 edition of the Afera Test Methods Manual, Afera’s new Dynamic Shear Test Method and improving the GTF Peel Adhesion TM among GTF Members and within the ISO. Lastly, CATIA Info. Dept. Manager Hu Yang introduced the 7th GTF & GTF Meetings in June 2024 in Shanghai along with CATIA’s technical tape forum, including planning details and possible agenda points. The energy produced by this preliminary get-together, held face-to-face for the first time in 5 years, was felt by all!
Slide presentations and event content
The event proceedings have been provided to all registered participants. For descriptions of each day’s programme content and photos, follow the links at the top of the page. Contact us with any additional questions you may have about the content of the event.
Next year’s technical event
Afera’s 11th Tape College will take place from 12 to 14 March 2024 in Le Méridien Munich in Germany.
Afera Aftermovie Global Adhesive Tape Summit 2018
A recap of the first Afera Global Adhesive Tape Summit 2018. The Global Adhesive Tape Summit boasted a sold-out programme of market and technical lectures, a company visit of Neenah Gessner GmbH, and biennial test method and standards committee meetings. View
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We bring together tape industry professionals for updates on the cutting-edge technical issues driving the adhesive tape industry
Open to all tape industry professionals, the unique Technical Seminar is a biennial 2-day event aimed at updating technical and operational managers and directors on the cutting-edge technical issues and innovations driving the adhesive tape market. It is developed as a return event. In alternate years of the Tape College, the TechSem is held in Europe’s accessible capital and has been a success since its launch in 2002.
Our attendees, both Afera and non-members
Particular recruitment emphasis is placed on adhesive tape manufacturers and R&D personnel across the adhesive value chain. “We developed the event as a technical forum for the European adhesive tape industry, motivated by the belief that better communication among tape manufacturers (including SMEs), raw materials and machine suppliers, converters, end users and international counterparts, in the form of sharing and learning the latest information about technical advancements from experts, is key to growing the market for individual players and as a whole,” Afera Technical Committee Chairman Reinhard Storbeck.
Our 20+ lecture programme designed and presented by experts
Based on positive feedback, the seminar programme is built around 4 half-day sessions and at least 20 presentations of papers, with panel discussions following each of the sessions. Presentations are made by technical experts from distinguished adhesive-tape-related companies, suppliers, converters, and research and trade organisations, and cover the latest in scientific innovation or hot technical topics and trends, usually including: product and technology developments; substrates, adhesives and materials science; processing advances; cost efficiency and effectiveness; quality assurance and control; market data processing; end users/market segments; visionary planning; trends; case study results; and legislation.
In addition to providing a unique educational opportunity to participants, theTechSem serves to create and maintain lines of communication within the adhesive tape industry. Ample opportunity for networking outside of the lectures is scheduled into the event. Mr. Storbeck emphasises that in a European industry “driven through technical innovation and speed of development,” TechSem attendees are provided with the knowledge and interaction they need to cope better with the rapidly changing demands of customers.
Afera’s past Technical Seminars, all held in Brussels, Belgium:
2021
2018 - Global Adhesive Tape Summit
2015
2013
2011
2008
2006
2004
2002