Afera, the European Adhesive Tape Association, is about to hold its first face-to-face technical seminar since the advent of the pandemic. The event will take place April 17-19 in Brussels and will feature 24 tape field experts.  

Organized in Europe’s accessible capital at the Brussels Marriott Hotel, the popular biennial event, now in its 10th edition, 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 TechSem offers Afera’s growing audience of technical and operational professionals the chance to acquire new information and concepts with which to expand their specialized knowledge of adhesive tape products and processes.

Program Includes 24 Lectures Plus Networking Opportunity

The Technical Seminar’s program allows for two full days of lectures, structured discussion, and networking spread over three days. The event’s program has been formulated through years of experience and industry feedback. This year’s lineup in particular offers valuable content to participants, with 24 lectures given by technical and tape field experts from distinguished adhesive-tape-related companies, universities and organizations. A panel discussion forum will follow each of four themed, half-day sessions: 

New Perspectives

• Identification of technical development partners for demanding technical problems: network of 20,000 universities
• Water-based pressure-sensitive adhesives for biomedical applications
• Potential of thermoplastic polyurethanes as PSAs
• Ultra-high-cohesion SB PSAs for high-performance tape applications
• Predicting performance loss of adhesives in extreme environments using informed machine-learned tools
• Odor profile of some samples of hot melt adhesives

Tape Chemistry & Simulation

• Debonding on demand: technology survey about PSA-tape-related technologies and latest insights of IFAM research results
• Debonding mechanisms of PSA foam tapes
• Testing of foam for flexographic printing tape applications
• Bio-based tackifier resins for boosting acrylic PSA performance
• Low VOC, water-based PSAs for high-performance automotive tapes
• Towards environmentally friendly silicone PSAs
• New polymer design for pushing the boundaries for tapes

Tapes & Sustainability

• Sustainability in the adhesive tape industry: regulatory developments and Afera’s Flagship Sustainability Project
• Material traceability: how digital technologies can help verify sustainability data
• Sustainable natural rubber: transparency in the supply chain
• Waste reduction versus recycled waste
• Setting standards to decarbonize the chemicals industry
• Towards carbon neutrality: bio-based PSAs combining performance and sustainability

Production Technologies & Regulations

• Additive manufacturing in plant and machine construction
• Maximizing QA and testing productivity utilizing the latest real-time absolute coating thickness measurement technology
• Microparticle restriction and polymer registration
• Tapes and sustainable building blocks
• How to quantify the first contact? PSA interaction with surfaces

In addition to providing a unique educational opportunity to participants, the TechSem serves to create and maintain lines of communication within the adhesive tape business. Attendees will find that ample opportunity for networking outside of the lectures has been scheduled into the event.

Who Attends?

Open to all tape industry professionals, Afera’s Technical Seminar is aimed at those in the adhesive tape value chain, including manufacturers, raw materials, machine and packaging suppliers, converters, distributors, end users and research institutions. R&D, sales, marketing, customer/technical service, engineering, production, processing, and quality assurance personnel in particular will benefit greatly from this event, as well as general management and anyone involved in strategic planning. Whether attendees come from the technical community or other disciplines, participating in the Technical Seminar will provide them with the knowledge and interaction they need to better cope with the rapidly changing demands of customers. 

Field Expert Organizers

Afera’s event is organized and hosted by a focused 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 Meeting

Directly preceding the TechSem, Afera will host the 7th GTF and GTMC Meeting. Chaired by Reinhard Storbeck, Afera Technical Committee chairman and director of R&D at tesa SE, the meeting will include delegates from the five Charter Member Associations of Afera, PSTC (The Pressure Sensitive Tape Council, North America), CATIA (The China Adhesives and Tape Industry Association), JATMA (The Japanese Adhesive Tapes Manufacturers Association), and TAAT (The Taiwan Regional Association of Adhesive Tape Manufacturers), representing the world adhesive tape industry. The body is set to discuss Afera’s new release of the Afera Test Methods Manual, Afera’s new Dynamic Shear Test Method, other GTF Test Methods, and lastly, possible agenda items for the 2024 GTF and GTMC Meetings in China. The delegates will also attend the Technical Seminar and look forward to interacting with all its attendees there.

For more details, or to register for the 10th Afera Technical Seminar, visit www.aferatechnicalseminar.com.