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 PaperCon - TAPPI's annual paper convention - and is open to both RPTA members and non-members who attend PaperCon.
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
Copies of the PowerPoint presentations are available to members. Please contact the RPTA office for copies.

LATEST NEWS
RPTA Scholarship
The Recycled Paperboard Technical Association has established (2) $5,000 scholarship to recognize outstanding students who are interested in the recycled paperboard industry.
To qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
- Earn a 3.25 GPA
- Declare a Paper Engineering or Science major
- Served (or intend to serve) as a cooperative student or intern at a recycled paperboard mill
- Comply with applicable requirements for maintaining paper foundation scholarships of your school
- Comply with applicable scholarship policies of your school
Click here to access the 2023 Scholarship Application form.
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY March 15, 2023.
For further information please contact: Jackie Howe at (202) 347-9069 or jhowe@rpta.org.
2022 Industry Profile Study
Registration is complete, with 69 paper machines at 48 mills registered. Samples must be received by April 7, 2023, to be included in study.
Members can access reports from prior years at this member-only page.
2022 RPTA Fall Roundtable
On October 19th, we held an in-person seminar on Paper Machine Clothing Design, covering the impact of forming, press and dryer fabrics on paper machine operations. Roundtable presentation slides are available at this member-only page.
Winter Webinar
On January 25, 2023, we held a virtual webinar on Felt Cleaning and Conditioning, covering the mechanical and chemical processes to keep felts operating effectively with optimum felt life. The webinar recording and presentation slides are available at this member-only page.
UPCOMING EVENTS
2023 P-T Seminar (April)
The 2023 Production-Technical Seminar will be held in Atlanta on April 24 and 25, co-located with TAPPICon.
- Safer Operations
- Fiber Recovery Optimization
- Process Data Best Practices
- Wet End Operations
Click here for full RPTA Seminar agenda.
Register @ www.TAPPICon.org
- Register for the P-T Seminar alone or TAPPICon which includes the Seminar.
- Early bird rate ends March 24.
- There are significant mill/company group registration discounts.
- See "Hotel/Travel" on TAPPI page to plan your trip.
YOU ARE INVITED to two free, RPTA member-only special events, not included with registration.
- Member Lunch on April 24
- Roundtable Breakfast on April 25
Click here to attend one or both special events. Deadline to sign up is April 17th.