Afera, the European Adhesive Tape Association, recently held the eleventh edition of its biennial Tape College, which boasted a sold-out programme of 21 technical, sustainability and legislative lectures, as well as important biannual Afera committee and working group meetings, at Le Méridien in Munich, Germany. With a 3-day working programme aimed at “deconstructing the complexity of adhesive tapes”—i.e. teaching the fundamentals and current technical essentials of adhesive tape technology—the biennial event was hosted and taught by the best and brightest of the field of adhesive tape to professionals relatively new to the market. It also proved to be a coveted networking event for the global tape business, new and veteran members alike.
The resoundingly successful event saw the attendance of more than 120 tape-related company delegates, including a significant number of professionals in R&D, customer and technical service, sales, marketing, engineering, production, processing and quality assurance—even general management. They represented 69 companies from 15 European countries plus U.A.E. Afera members made up about 71% of the participants, 44 from Afera member tape manufacturers and 38 from member suppliers of raw materials, machines and packaging.
Getting to know new faces
“Not only did you all come here to benefit from a solid overview of the current technologies of the tape business, but you got to know many new faces—which is just as important,” Afera President Evert Smit, who is also director scouting for sustainability, technology and innovation at Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG, told the audience at the end of the last session. “I have seen many returning participants here this week, and I am pretty sure that many of you sitting here now in several years will be standing up here on stage instructing the next generation.”
Both Mr. Smit and Afera Technical Committee Chairman Reinhard Storbeck, who is also director of R&D at tesa SE, emphasised in their concluding remarks that the most important themes for the future of the tape business now are co-operation and collaboration. Coming together for Afera’s technical events and conference was likened to a family reunion—“and family tends to stick with you!” Evert joked.
Lectures on the selection, manufacture, conversion, application, testing, sustainability and EU regulation of tapes
Held this year in the accessible city of Munich, the well-established, premier technical learning event provided a back-to-school experience in which field experts lectured over four sessions entitled “Why tapes?”, “Tapes deconstructed”, “Tape production” and “Tape use & testing”. A panel discussion rounded off each session.
In a survey of participants conducted by the Tape College organisers and hosts who hail from tesa, Lohmann, Nitto, Organik Kimya, Coroplast Fritz Müller, DRT and artimelt, “the overall event” and its “meeting of attendee expectations” received the most positive feedback ratings of all the categories. Every speaker received high marks, but 4 presentations of the 21-lecture programme stood out:
- Why tapes? A key to making an idea sticky is to tell it as a story. Mr. Smit did just this in his general introduction to adhesive tapes “Made to Stick” at the start of the first session. “We don’t need more solutions for tapes, we need better solutions for solving future needs,” he emphasised. “Tapes, because of their versatility, help enable the (sustainable) future more than any other bonding technology.”
- Caroline Sperling, manager of tesa SE’s customer solution centre in Europe, introduced Tape College attendees to pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) technology, providing a survey of the most important relationships between physical performance and application properties. She aligned adhesive tape technology available with the demands of today and tomorrow´s industrial processes.
- Dr. Hans Peter Dette, senior product development engineer at 3M, taught attendees all about the viscoelasticity of high-performance PSAs, including structure, properties and external influences. All adhesive tapes have at least one viscoelastic component: wet-out versus peel.
- Michel Sabo, application development manager at Nitto EMEA, took attendees on a trip through “The Versatile World of Adhesive Tapes” during the last session of the Tape College. Most importantly, he emphasised that a tape should be seen as a functional sheet enabling a job to be done, whether that is adhering, protecting, blocking or transferring, or a combination of these.
Afera Committee and Working Group Meetings
Directly preceding the 11th Tape College, Afera held its twice-yearly Technical, Marketing and Steering Committee, as well as the Regulatory Affairs Working Group, meetings. Over 50 Afera member company delegates came together to discuss developing Afera’s product carbon footprint (PCF) calculation tool for adhesive tapes, creating a tape release liner recycling programme, launching the 2024 edition of the Afera Test Methods Manual, revising the ISO-certified Peel Adhesion Test Method, modifying the CEPI Lab TM on recyclability of fibre-based packaging, developing a time-to-failure TM, organising the 67th Afera Annual Conference working programme, monitoring and acting on E.U. regulatory legislation such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and Deforestation Regulation, attending the 7th Global Tape Forum and Global Test Methods Committee Meetings in Shanghai, engaging the packaging and commodity tapes member segments, and much more.
Attendees from American Biltrite, Atlas, BiesSse, Coroplast, Dow, Dylco, Loparex, Mativ, Mondi, Nichiban, Nitto, Scapa, Synthomer and tesa react to Tape College
Afera’s Tape College was an important event for the Scapa and Mativ teams, because it provided a platform on which to learn, work and discuss the future of adhesive tapes. The event is also proof that suppliers, customers and tape manufacturers can work together to innovate faster.
Alexandre Despesse
R&D Project Leader Outsourcing
Scapa (France)
In addition to the engaging presentations, I really liked the welcoming atmosphere of the event, allowing for networking with interesting, experienced attendees and speakers from our industry. Especially the conference dinner enabled contact with people in a more informal setting. As a process engineer in the R&D department of tesa, I found the presentations about converting, coating and extrusion particularly stimulating. I also took away many learnings from the lectures about the chemistry behind adhesive tapes, because ultimately this influences the processing of the different materials involved. Especially to people who are relatively new to the tape industry, I would recommend this event for extending your personal knowledge and network.
Carsten Ott
Process Engineer, Pilot Centre & New Processing
tesa (Germany)
What was key for me at the Tape College was the opportunity to network: learning from experienced people in the tapes sector, growing your contact base and making your own mark step-by-step in the Industry. I also thought the presentations covering the basics of tape construction offered an excellent introduction to the functionalities of tapes and their importance in the world nowadays, helping me to understand the bigger picture.
Brent Borremans
Sales Manager Automotive
American Biltrite Inc. – Tape Division EMEA (Belgium)
The experience the Tape College offers is unique: Meeting people from the same industry but different cultures and mindsets was not only a pleasure but a lesson in itself. I felt part of a big family. Every single topic, explained simply, offered something new and additional, presented by experts who impressed me with their incredibly deep knowledge. Old and new technologies were covered, showing that the tapes sector is evolving. It gave me the opportunity to think out-of-the-box.
Chara Moka
Chemical Engineer, Purchasing Dept.
Atlas Tapes (Greece)
My favourite aspect of the Tape College was meeting raw materials, equipment and other tapes suppliers and associated partners face-to-face to discuss topics such as actual market status, challenges and demands. I gained a better understanding of various common challenges, especially those related to regulatory and European market developments. I feel as a polyolefin PSA and film supplier that I can use what I’ve learned about market dynamics and technical challenges to work on the development of the next generation of raw materials.
Sergio Solari
Technical Service & Development, Packaging and Specialty Plastics, EMEA
Dow Chemical Iberica (Spain)
Brushing up on the basics in a unique way
I have been working in the field of pressure-sensitive materials for over 25 years, and the Tape College allowed me to brush up on my knowledge of the business and to network with other tech players along the entire supply chain. I expect to send one or two younger colleagues from my team to the next event.
Christian Hermann
Global Director Innovation, Engineered Films
Loparex (Germany)
After a year off, attending the Tape College was a good way to refresh my knowledge of adhesive formulation and rheology. It especially offered a great opportunity to meet and network with people outside the conference room. Additionally, the presenters were open to discussion and eager to share their experience and knowledge. Questions were submitted on paper, so even the shy participants could ask questions.
Anna Piatek
R&D Developer
Coroplast Group
Although I have been working in tapes for 25 years, attending Afera’s Tape College was valuable to me. It was a comprehensive refresher training course on all aspects of PSA tape technology, rounding off my knowledge especially in areas not part of my own work and helping me to consolidate my role as expert at Synthomer. The individual presentations were of a particularly high standard, and these were further enhanced by the panel discussions which allowed a limitless number of questions.
Nicolai Böhm
Product Synthesis Manager, Adhesive Solutions
Synthomer (Germany)
Learning as a newcomer to tape technology
As a newcomer to the tapes industry, I was a little hesitant in facing the many renowned companies and experts present at Afera’s Tape College. The programme and lectures were structured, however, in a way that as a beginner I was able to follow easily and engage with the material and speakers during both the sessions and breaks. At the end of the three days, I can safely say I felt very comfortable and part of a group of people who had been strangers to me just a few days before. The event proved not only to be productive for finding new business leads, but for developing myself technically and professionally.
Katharina Burak
Sales Representative
Nichiban Europe (Germany)
Excited to be representing Nitto Bento for the first time at this meeting of leading tapes manufacturers, I received information from notable experts on many different topics ranging from PSA technology to market information, various chemicals for formulations to product performance. I also built some important links in our network. I am sure that my experience at the Tape College will benefit our R&D activities.
Dilber Uludağ
R&D Director
Nitto Bento (Turkey)
This is my first time participating in an Afera event, and my impression of the organisation is very positive. Both the presentations covering the technical aspects of the tapes industry and the commercial side of the business were quite satisfactory and instructive.
Kadir Dağlioğlu
Export Manager
AVX Tapes (Turkey)
Most importantly, the Tape College was a great place for newcomers like me to network with experts about various companies, their products and their expertise in the field. I now know who to contact if there is a certain requirement at tesa. With a lot of interesting chemistry, I also learned about how the idea of a tape begins and how it is formulated, processed and then converted into the final product. As a process engineer in hotmelt technology, I have a good idea of all things involved in processing, but I learned a lot about the previous and post stages, like polymerisation, water- and solvent-based adhesives, converting and testing—basically the entire process.
Hema Nikhitha Uddaraju
Process Engineer, Extrusion, Pilot Centre & New Processing
tesa (Germany)
My experience with tapes had been limited. At the Tape College, I was able to learn about all the types of adhesives, as well as various scientific topics about tapes reminding me of some of my courses at engineering school. At Dylco, all this information will increase our understanding of the concept of the tape backing.
Mihanta Andriantsoa
Product Quality Engineer
Dylco Technical Textiles (France)
This was a great, well-organised event at which to learn more about tapes and the Industry, especially if you are new to the business or looking to network within the tapes family. As a strategic buyer at Coroplast without deep knowledge of tapes, the Tape College provided the educational input I needed on chemistries, backing materials, test methods, production and regulatory issues.
Mona Kembügler
Purchasing Direct Material
Coroplast Group (Germany)
Helping businesses move forward
The event was a great success, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mr. Smit’s presentation, with its intriguing market data, was a highlight. Such information is crucial in understanding industry trends and will surely aid AVX’s future position.
Atakan Özel
Chief Operating Officer
AVX Tapes (Turkey)
As I work for a release liner and backing supplier, I found it helpful to view the complete supply chain of products involved in making up a tape. It was clearly shown over several lectures that tapes are made up of complicated materials, and it was interesting to see both the end uses and challenges tapes must overcome. I will recommend Afera’s next Tape College to my colleagues.
Jürgen Panhans
Senior Field Technical Service Manager
Loparex (Germany)
As I work with release liners at Mondi, it was important to learn in more detail about PSA tapes, specifically the chemistry of adhesives, the properties of tapes and how and where they can be used. I have improved my understanding of the requirements of tapes and will be able to help better my customers determine the most suitable release liners for their applications. In addition to this, I really enjoyed connecting with many new people working in the tapes industry!
Minna Reisinger
Product Development Specialist
Mondi Release Liner (Austria)
Participating in Afera’s Tape College was a very interesting experience, providing insight into the tapes business segment as a whole with a wide range of attendees and lecturers from tape manufacturers to raw materials producers. It was a great chance not only for newcomers to learn about the Industry, but for those more experienced in the field to update themselves on the latest innovations and network.
Laura Campos
Application Engineer
Mondi Release Liner (Austria)
Afera’s Tape College was really enjoyable, enabling me to learn more about what is important about tape manufacturing and usage. As a release liner supplier, we liked learning about other aspects of the technology, such as types of PSAs, machinery used, test methods and end applications. I especially valued getting in touch with others from the Industry and even meeting some of my customers face-to-face, as well as seeing what tapes can be used for and their advantages over other technologies available on the market.
Alois Kunschert
Application Engineer for Release Liners
Mondi Inncoat (Germany)
I thought it was an interesting technical event about reviewing the principles of coating adhesive tapes. The speaker’s presentations were clear, precise and on-topic.
Barbara Restelli
Research & Development Supervisor
BiesSse Tape Solutions (Italy)
Afera to hold 67th Annual Conference 25-27 September in Thessaloniki
Afera has additionally announced that it will launch registration for the adhesive tape industry collective’s next event, the 67th Afera Annual Conference, in a few weeks’ time. The premier event for the European tape business will take place in less than 6 months in Thessaloniki, Greece, at the Hyatt Regency from 25 to 27 September 2024.