Production Technical Seminar
The Production-Technical (P-T) Seminar is RPTA's annual premier educational program for members. The Seminar focuses on issues that affect the ability of the recycled paperboard manufacturers to meet the growing demands of the marketplace, including fiber supply and reliability, energy efficiency, production efficiency, maintenance and reliability, and emerging issues.
Information members learn through the P-T Seminars will help companies make the highest quality recycled paperboard while reducing costs and environmental impacts.
RPTA's Production Technical Seminar is held annually at TAPPICon - TAPPI's annual paper convention - and is open to both RPTA members and non-members who attend TAPPICon.
2025 Production-Technical Seminar
Held on May 5 and 6 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. This is the first year that RPTA’s recruited presentations were embedded in TAPPICon. Use the links below to access our recruited presentations.
Wet End Chemistry Mini-Course
Wet End Chemistry Fundamentals - Pruszynski
Session 1: Safety
How to Manage Safety in Today's Changed Work Environment - Zawodzinski
Shaping Your Safety Culture - Galloway
360 Pre-Job Risk Analysis - Barnette
Can We Transform Safety From an Expense to a Revenue Stream - Leblanc
Session 2: Strength
Surface Starch for Strength Development Application Fundamentals & Best Practices - Finklestein
Achieving the Right Amount of Strength - Burton
(We do not have permission to share Nalco’s chemical additive presentation.)
Session 3: Reducing Paper Mill Waste
Thermal Drying Paper Mill Waste to Fuel - Warbis
Energy & Waste Circular Economy - Burke
(We do not have permission to share the University of Minnesota presentation.)
2024 Production-Technical Seminar
Held on April 29 and 30, at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. Use the links below to access the Power Point presentations.
Session 1: Safer Operations
Narrow Roll Safety Guidelines - Banning, Greif
Microsoft-Based Safety Training - Soucy & Saberian, Kruger
Session 2: Process Monitoring
Getting Started with Process Monitoring Process Center-lining - Journeaux, Envoy Development
Online Furnish Quality Measurement - VanPembrook, Valmet
Troubleshooting Stock Preparation Systems - Fetterly, Kadant
Session 3: Multiply (Cylinder) Machine Operations (a mini-course)
Multi-Ply Cylinder Machine Operations - Bennett, Peck & Young, Multipli Machinery Inc (with speaker notes)
Session 4: New Recyclable Packaging Developments
Advances in Coated Recycled Board Compostability - Bradley, Ten Springs & Welsch, Trinseo
Trends in Circularity - Pasad, Kemira
Molded Fiber Packaging _ Market Outlook and Product Trends - Gonzalaz, AFRY Management Consulting
2023 Production-Technical Seminar
Held April 24 and 25 at the Cobb Galleria Center in Atlanta, co-located with TAPPICon 2023.
Use the links below to access the Session Recordings and Power Point presentations.
Session 1 - Safer Operations Recording
Job Risk Reduction – PRO Card Program- Jennifer Jackson
Safer Operations with Automated Threading - David Liem and Daryll Benn
Plus a panel discussion on Keeping Employees Safe in Times of High Employee Turnover
Session 2 - Fiber Recovery Optimization Recording
Aphron Technology for Fiber Recovery - Knollenberg
Fiber Recovery Optimization Using Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) - Wolkow
Fiber Savings Through System and Screening Optimization - Fetterly
Session 3 - Process Data Best Practices Recording
Paper machine wet-end vision technology - Papertech-IBS - Hilden and Wratschko
Process Data Best Practices - Donald Stanley
Time-Series Data Best Practices - Gavigan
Session 4 - Wet End Operations Recording
Fundamentals of Wet End Chemistry - Larry Anker
Managing and Optimizing the Vacuum-Dewatering System for Papermakers - Doug Sweet
Multivariant Solutions for Wet End Process Control Issues – Elliott Bell
2022 Production-Technical Seminar
May 2nd & 3rd at the Charlotte Convention Center, co-located with TAPPICon 2022. Use the links below to access the 13 Power Point presentations.
Session 1: Contaminant Removal
Identification and Characterization of Organic Contaminants - Jason Wang
Performance and Effectiveness of Contemporary Cleaning Systems - Steven Johnson
Mechanical, Operational and Chemical Strategies for Managing Stickies - Garnet Bremner
Session 2: Refining
Refining Strategy Development for Recycled Based Paper Mills - Arvind Singhai
How to Fibrillate Recycled Fibers to Achieve up to 25% Additional Strength - David Zerr
The Future of Refining - Pat Dixon
Session 3: Paper Machine Drying
Optimizing Paper Machine Dryer Sections - Robin Thon
Voith Cleanline Extract 4D - EJ Labranche
Drying Best Practices_Optimization - Christian Coffman
Extra presentation:
25 Cost Reduction Projects to Improve Your Mills Profitability - David Zerr
Session 4: Safety: Threading & Guarding
To the Point without a Pinch Safety Guarding Presentation - Chris Allen
Threading Safety and Efficiency - Rob Parkinson
Advances in Tail Threading Safety in 2022 - Jim Werner
Links to past Seminar Programs are below:
- P-T Seminar Programs:
- 2021 Virtual Agenda & Presentation Slides
- 2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19
- 2019 Agenda
- 2018 Agenda
- 2017 Agenda
- 2016 Agenda
- 2015 Agenda
- 2014 Agenda
- 2013 Agenda

LATEST NEWS
Industry Benchmarking Survey
Sampling and sample preparation are complete for the 2025 Profile Study. Samples from 51 paper machines, collected during the first quarter, were blind-coded before shipping to test labs. Report will be issued in early September. All past Survey reports can be accessed at this member-only page.
2025 Production-Technical Seminar
On May 5 and 6, 2025, we held our annual production-technical seminar. For the first time, our seminar content was embedded into TAPPICon, instead of being co-located with it. RPTA members attending provided positive feedback regarding the new format.
In addition to technical presentations, RPTA members had the opportunity to network with other members at our RPTA Lunch, Roundtable Breakfast, and Networking Room.
RPTA members can access the RPTA presentations at this member-only site.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Summer Webinar
On July 16th, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm Eastern time, join us to hear from a diverse and experienced panel who will share their career paths, insights, lessons learned, and inspiration. This event is exclusive for employees of RPTA member companies and was recommended by the RPTA Young Professionals Task Team.
Based on input from our membership, the RPTA Operating Board selected these technical topics for Educational Events over the next year: Refiners; Waste Reduction; Coating Formulation and Application; Environmental; and Stickies Mitigation. Stay tuned for dates, times and locations.