ATHENS, GEORGIA — The host of the Application Fundamentals of Aluminum Closures (AFAC) Conference, Fowler Products, powered by ProMach, announced that online registration for the August 26-27 event in Athens, Georgia is now open.
Aluminum closures, often called Roll-On-Pilfer-Proof (ROPP) caps or screw caps in wines, have gained widespread acceptance in recent years in the wine, spirits, beer, soft drink, specialty beverage, and food industries, and most recently for aluminum bottle applications.
The AFAC Conference offers information about how to successfully execute projects associated with ROPP caps. The 1 1/2 day conference will provide classroom as well as hands-on training on closure systems and capping machinery. The inaugural conference in 2012 earned overwhelmingly positive reviews from attendees. The program is aimed at brand owners, packaging engineers, and quality assurance, maintenance, and changeover and set up personnel.
Key areas of discussion during the program:
- Basic functionality and principles of roll-on aluminum caps as a closure system
- Advantages of aluminum caps as a decorative closure for packages
- Unique functionality advantages of specialized aluminum closures with pouring fitments, non-refill fitments, flame arresting fitments, and more
- Characteristics of glass, PET, and aluminum bottles and their performance interactions with ROPP closures
- Operating principles of roll-on sealing heads and understanding their adjustment and set-up
- Repair / Maintenance of sealing heads – Hands-on sessions with Fowler and Zalkin service experts
- Quality control measurements, definition of terms and the instrumentation and procedures used to perform tests
- How to recognize quality defects and troubleshooting procedures to provide corrective action
A distinguished panel of speakers, including industry experts from major closure manufacturers and experts from glass, PET, and aluminum bottle manufacturers, will join subject matter experts from both Fowler and Zalkin for informative and technically focused presentations of the technology of aluminum closure applications. Packaging engineers will relate their own experiences with important ROPP projects. There will also be a plant tour of Fowler Products and a demonstration of a fully operational Fowler/Zalkin capper as part of the tour. The event will be held at the Athens Classic Center located in historic downtown Athens.
Demand outstripping application knowledge
“As a capping equipment company, we see an enormous resurgence in the demand for ROPP closures,” said Randy Uebler, Vice President and General Manager of Fowler Products. “Successful implementation of ROPP closure technology requires application expertise on the part of the brand owner and close cooperation from the bottle manufacturer, closure supplier, and capping machine supplier. Our goal is to host an informative, non-commercial conference that builds vital foundational knowledge.”
The first AFAC conference warmly received
In a post conference survey of the more than 60 attendees of the 2012 conference, 97 percent responded that they would attend the conference again and 100 percent replied that they would recommend the conference to a colleague. One attendee said in the survey, “The conference exceeded my expectations in terms of content and participation. Another wrote, “The information presented at the conference matched up perfectly with my expectation based upon preconference promotional material. The bullet points outlined in the key areas of discussion were all thoroughly explored.”
Yet another commented, “For me the conference was my first educational experience in regards to closures. The amount of information was impressive and the background and future of the industry were my takeaways.”
The conference registration fee is $150 per person and covers lunch, dinner, and refreshments during the conference. For more information on the AFAC conference and to register online, visit the Fowler Products website, www.FowlerProducts.com or call Natalie Hoerl at 706-549-3300, ext. 144.
About ProMach
ProMach is a family of best-in-class packaging and processing solution brands serving manufacturers of all sizes and geographies in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, and household and industrial goods industries. ProMach brands operate across the entire production line: processing, filling, bottling and capping, decorative labeling, flexibles and trays, pharma, handling and sterilizing, labeling and coding, and robotics and end of line. ProMach also provides systems and integration including turnkey solutions, design/build, engineering services, and productivity software to optimize production line design and deliver maximum uptime.
ProMach designs, manufactures, integrates, and supports the most sophisticated and advanced packaging and processing solutions in the global marketplace. Its diverse customer base, from Fortune 500 companies to smaller, privately-held businesses worldwide, depends on reliable, flexible, technologically advanced equipment and integrated solutions. ProMach is headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio, with manufacturing facilities and offices throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. For more information about ProMach, visit www.ProMachBuilt.com and for more information on ProMach Careers, visit www.ProMachCareers.com.