3M Senior Research Specialist Wins Pressure Sensitive Tape Council’s 2023 Carl Dahlquist Award
3M Senior Research Specialist Wins Pressure Sensitive Tape Council’s 2023 Carl Dahlquist Award
The Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC), the leading North American trade association for pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape manufacturers and affiliate suppliers, has given its 2023 Carl Dahlquist Award to 3M Senior Research Specialist Ross Behling, Ph.D. The award recognizes Dr. Behling’s Tape Week 2023 paper presentation, “Novel PSA Form Factor for Automated Bonding,” and PSTC will honor his achievement at Tape Week 2024, taking place April 29 – May 2, 2024.
PSTC presents the Dahlquist Award annually to a researcher who is advancing PSA tape technology. A panel of judges evaluates a range of criteria including originality, scientific contribution, quality of visuals and presentation quality. The award is named after the developer of the Dahlquist criterion of tack, which determines if the modulus value of a material is low enough to be considered a pressure sensitive adhesive.
In his award-winning paper presentation, Dr. Behling introduces a new PSA form factor as a core-sheath filament designed for automated dispensing. He compares this robotically dispensable PSA with existing foam tapes, emphasizing the advantages of closing the bond-line while hot. Advantages of direct PSA dispensing include width and caliper control, stitching patterns, and adaptability to rough or ribbed surfaces.
“Congratulations to Dr. Behling on winning this prestigious award,” said PSTC President Joe Tocci. “His contribution of a new PSA form factor reflects the innovative spirit of the award and its namesake. Dr. Behling’s research is truly pushing the PSA industry forward, and PSTC looks forward to continued contributions to the organization and to the industry.”
A senior research specialist in the Corporate Research Material Laboratory at 3M, Dr. Behling has dedicated his career to polymerizing, characterizing, and commercializing novel PSAs. A well-regarded subject matter expert in the field of rheology who is often called upon to consult on projects across the company, Dr. Behling has worked with numerous divisions across 3M to develop new-to-the-world products from optically clear adhesives to robotically applied industrial assembly adhesives to thermal management adhesives for battery bonding. This work has led to a significant patent portfolio around these new technologies and the associated product platforms. He holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Iowa State University and a B.S. in chemical engineering from Northwestern University.
“Thank you to PSTC for this great honor,” Dr. Behling said. “My team and I are very excited about this new PSA form factor. Many thanks to my numerous collaborators at 3M and Nordson that have made this novel technology a reality with special thanks to my coauthors Thomas Chastek, Mark Napierala, and Ludovico Davila who deserve a great deal of the credit for this technology’s success as well.”
