
Conference Program
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
9:00am
Welcoming remarks
Kurt Fischer, Technical Conference Management
Speaker's Bio: Kurt Fischer
Studied technical chemistry at the University of Technology Vienna. Diploma work and doctoral theses: “Biotechnological Processes for Pulp and Paper Manufacture”.
1992- 1993:
University of Wisconsin and Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, as Research Scientist.
1993 – 2000:
Krems Chemie AG in Krems, Austria, manager of research and development for paper chemicals and natural resins.
1998 – 1999:
Deputy chairman of the technical committee of the hydrocarbon and rosin resin producers association at CEFIC in Brussels.
Since January 2000:
Founder and managing director of Technical Conference Management KG in Langenzersdorf, Austria.
Numerous publications, several of which are original papers in peer reviewed journals.
Co-author of 2 books and 3 technical manuscripts.
Presentations at conferences in Europe, USA and Asia.
Several patents and patent applications.
9:05am
Michael Riffel, Afry
Speaker's Bio: Michael Riffel
Michael’s product focus is on wood-based panels and decorative surfacing materials, especially paper-based surfaces in Europe and China, having spent 12 months in the country. His work focus is on economic and demand analysis, scenario planning, cost competitiveness and modelling as well as due diligence projects. Michael has a M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management, Hochschule Mannheim Germany and Tongji University in Shanghai, China and a B.Eng. in wood technology, Rosenheim Germany.
10:30am
11:00am
11:30am
noon
Five Years of Mass Digital Printing for LVT Flooring: Learnings and New Opportunities
12:30pm
1:30pm
Paul Clegg, Honext
Speaker's Bio: Paul Clegg
Paul is driving the company’s growth and industrial expansion based on circular economy principles, aiming for Honext to accelerate the access and use of circular solutions in the panel and construction industry.
Since 2008, Paul has been dedicated to environmentally and sustainably sound manufacturing and is fully committed to making sustainable innovation in the built environment commercially viable.
With over 25 years of leadership experience in investment banking and multiple board positions in healthcare, financial, and industrial organizations, Paul brings a wealth of executive and strategic expertise of commercialization of sustainable wood-based products.
Prior to this role, as CEO for 12 years, he successfully restructured and led Accsys Technologies PLC.
2:00pm
Speaker's Bio: Moritz Menier
After his Bachelor and Master in addition to his DBA studies Moritz Menier, is working since over 10 years in the woodworking industry. As a start of his career he was working as a VP of Sales and later CEO of the BMK Group, the largest independent paper impregnation company worldwide. The responsibilities included global sales and purchasing as well as lead responsibility of North America plant.
Mr. Menier served under his previous employment globally. Involved in nearly all laminate and furniture production facilities with melamine papers, especially focused on North and South American market.
As of January 1st he joined the Classen Group, one of the leading manufacturers of laminate flooring, Ceramin (Non-PVC Floor) and doors with over 2.000 employees worldwide and manufacturing sites in Germany and Poland. As a Vice President Strategic Business Development Mr. Menier is responsible to extend the footprint of the Classen Group in North America and develop new concepts in the market.
2:30pm
Speaker's Bio: Naci Güngör
Mr. Naci Güngör holds a mechanical engineering degree from Middle East Technical University and an M.B.A. degree from Bilkent University. He has an experience of over 30 years in the wood based panel industry and worked for 12 years as marketing and corporate communications manager at Kastamonu Entegre, which is among the top 5 producers globally. He then joined in 2018 Boyut Edgeband company, a member of Alim Group, as director of marketing and corporate communications.
He acted between 2015-2021 as a member of the Forestry Products Consultative Committee in FAO of United Nations, between 2012-2014 as Board Member of Wood Products Exporters Association in Istanbul and still a member of Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) Business Council Executive Committee.
3:00pm
3:30pm
MFoil Range – The Impact of Pre-impregnated Papers on Surface Materials
Speaker's Bio: Andrea Mühlbauer
After her Master’s Degree in Chemistry, Andrea made her PhD thesis as a co-tutelle project at the University of Regensburg (Germany) and the University of Lille (France) in the field of cellulose solubilization with environmentally friendly solvents.
In 2015, she started as R&D Engineer at the Munksjö R&D Center in Apprieu (France) leading product development projects for decor and pre-impregnated papers.
Since 2021, Andrea has taken the position of Product Manager for pre-impregnated paper.
4:00pm
4:30pm
Speaker's Bio: Frank Vanhecke
Education: | PhD. Physical Chemistry, 1991, University Leuven (KUL), Belgium Post Doctoral position, 1992, Max Planck Institut für Strahlenchemie, Mühlheim a/d Ruhr, Germany – Adsorption of biopolymers on colloidal silver particle. | |
Experience: | 1993 – 1997 1997 – 1999 | BetzDearborn/Hercules: R/D project leader: Surface sizing, Wire/Felt/Roll spray cleaning, Defoaming – Application technologist D/R Dow Corning: Technical Service: silicone paper&pulp |
1999 – Present | Chemours Titanium Technologies. Technical consult, décor paper application of TiO2 | |
Present position: | Global Laminate Technical consultant in the Chemours Titanium Technologies business, based in Kallo, Belgium. | |
Work focus: | Application of TiO2 in décor paper | |
Memberships: | Technical Association of the Pulp & Paper Industry (TAPPI). | |
Publications: | Prepared and presented at Paper industry seminars organized by PTS and PIRA paper organizations. |
Dr. Frank Vanhecke is a member of Chemours’s technical team supporting the Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) business – he is based in Kallo, Belgium. Frank has been with Chemours (and DuPont) for 20 years, and prior to joining the TiO2 for Paper Technical Team, he worked for BetzDearborn/Hercules. For the past 27 years, Frank was active in the paper industry.
Frank and Chemours’s Paper Technical Team specialize in using the latest technologies to ensure that TiO2 and other pigments used in the paper manufacturing process are optimized for maximum performance.
Frank is a member of the Technical Association of the Pulp & Paper Industry (TAPPI). Frank prepared and presented at Paper industry seminars organized by PTS and PIRA paper organizations.
5:00pm
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
9:00am
Speaker's Bio: Mike Horsten
Mike Horsten is the Global Business Manager InterioJet and Head of Textiles at Agfa NV. He and his team support the Business Development and Channel Marketing for interior decoration projects like flooring and surfaces and the development of textiles for the sign and fashion industries
Mike has over 35 years of profound business management experience in the digital print (sign and textiles), finishing, workflow and rip software, travel (aviation) and industrial/commercial industries.
Prior to this role, Mike worked as the Business Manager for HP’s Large Format Graphics Production Division responsible for the HP Latex and HP Stitch product lines in EMEA. Mike joined HP from Mimaki Europe B.V. in 2017, where he held various executive positions including General Manager Marketing EMEA.
Mike was at the forefront of creating a better and greener world for the production of Sign and Graphics and Textiles, helping in the development of greener technologies for digital printing of textile and wining Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility awards in 2002-03.
Mike studied Mass Communications at Emerson College in Boston.
10:30am
11:00am
Frank de Jonge, Neos
Speaker's Bio: Frank de Jonge
My career is dedicated to human and environmental well-being. Circular economy, CO2-reduction, renewable energy, energy efficiency are as important as resource-optimization and selecting the least harmful processes and material for health, life and well-being. Inkjet printing in industrial scale is my passion. Driving new applications in co-operation between end-user, substrate-manufacturer and printer integrator is the future of the printing market. Guiding and supporting the innovators in the printing industry is my speciality.
My career started at Olympia with buying and selling typewriter, copier and printer consumables I have collected a vast number of contacts and knowledge in the imaging industry. Since 1996 I sold new, recycled and compatible ink- and tonercartridges, typewriter- and thermal-transfer-ribbons to retailers, office supplies dealers, VARs and distributors. Winning a big German car-manufacturer for sustainably produced toner-cartridges as a reference customer for circular economy and a major German discounter to sell ink-cartridges under their own brand were two highlights in my young commercial career. At Sensient I had the opportunity to sell inks from a global leader to a broad number of challenging and exiting inkjet applications from desktop to industrial scale. With Armor Industrial inks my role was to manage development and production of inks for industrial printing applications ie. high speed single pass with water-based inks. The highly efficient dryers from adphos ensure reliable evaporation of water and solvents from any printing and coating application. There are no limits with regards to the application – I take the challenge to find the solution.
noon
Speaker's Bio: Duncan Ross
Duncan graduated from the Universities of Wolverhampton and Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences in 1994, with BA Honors in European Business Administration and German. After working in the gravure and decorative printing industry for three years, Duncan joined the growing software company AVA CAD CAM in 1998. Initially providing technical support to the Northern European market, he was promoted to Global Sales Manager in 2004 and then to Commercial Director in 2012. AVA CAD CAM provides design and colour solutions, support and workflow consultancy to the décor, flooring, wallcovering and textile industries.
12:30pm
2:00pm
2:30pm
Speaker's Bio: Nadina Using
As part the Sales Team of IIJ for the last 9 years Nadina Using has been at the forefront of highly technical projects across market sectors including everything from narrow web Labels to Industrial scale projects. A recent move into Marketing with years of Sales background enables her to understand the needs of both her team and the customer.
3:00pm