After two years of postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 437 people gathered May 2-5, 2022, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., for the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council’s (PSTC) inaugural Tape Week. With 21 technical speakers presenting advances in our understanding of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape’s scientific properties, as well as 46 exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations in the PSA tape industry, Tape Week 2022 provided the cutting-edge research developments that PSA tape professionals have come to expect from PSTC’s conferences.

For example, PSTC’s annual Carl Dahlquist Award went to Joseph Binder, Ph.D., polymer synthesis chemist with Dow Adhesives. His paper ‎identified opportunities to improve the adhesion/cohesion balance of waterborne PSAs.

Markets and Applications

Tape Week isn’t just for tape experts, though. After the success of PSTC’s first Markets and Applications track in 2019, which covered PSA tape solutions for building and construction professionals, we decided to add new educational opportunities for a wider variety of end users. Tape Week 2022’s expanded Markets and Applications track featured 14 speakers exploring PSA tape’s uses not only in building and construction but also transportation, automotive, and other emerging markets.

The expanded Markets and Applications track featured 14 speakers exploring PSA tape’s uses in building and construction, transportation, automotive, and other emerging markets.

Bob Galyen, owner of Galyen Energy LLC and one of the top executives in battery energy storage, discussed ‎the importance of PSA tape to the manufacturing of batteries used in electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are just one example of how digitalization trends are driving new tape applications, according to Tom Sicilian, who works in business development for Henkel’s Printed Electronics group.

Experts across industries emphasized the role that PSA tape can play in sustainability efforts. Jay Bolus, vice president of Sustainability for Intertape Polymer Group Inc. and the creator of the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Products Program, explained how manufacturers can develop and implement responsible corporate sustainability strategies. Kyle Rhodes, North America president of Circular Economy for Labels (CELAB), shared how the ‎global consortium ‎is promoting the recycling of paper and filmic ‎liners and working to reduce matrix waste during converting and slitting operations.

Companies throughout the supply chain came to Tape Week to better understand the complex interconnections in our industry and work together to address common challenges. To facilitate this important conversation, PSTC organized a Supply Chain Panel with: Elodie Picard, Henkel global market strategy head for tapes and labels; Dan Jeffery, Momentive Performance Products global PSA marketing manager; and Todd Schweigert, Channeled Resources Group Release Liner Division general manager.

The Markets and Applications Track also highlighted the unique role of converters with “Converting Concepts into Reality.” Here, Todd Wright, JBC Technologies CEO, and Kate Gluck, JBC’s vice president of Business Development, provided a look at ‎PSAs through the eyes of the converter and shared what their team needs from PSA tape manufacturers.

Tape Week 2022’s Markets and Applications track also included a variety of professional perspectives, from Sam Richter, SBR Worldwide/Know More founder and CEO and a prominent speaker and bestselling author, to Robert Dietz, Ph.D., who worked for the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation before becoming the chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Richter shared insights for sales professionals in the tape industry with “The Sales YES Begins With a Know,” while Dietz analyzed the potential impact of the current housing market on building and construction trends.

PSTC’s Fall Member Business Meeting will be held November 7-9, 2022, at the La Playa Beach & Golf Resort in Naples, Fla. For more information regarding PSTC’s events and other activities, visit www.pstc.org.

Photos courtesy of PSTC.