Can we get to know you?
Hello, I'm Ahmet Çakan. I graduated from Istanbul University, Department of Business Administration. I am currently in the Executive MBA program at Koç University. I have assumed sales manager roles in many companies that have shaped the sector in adhesive and dye technologies. I am currently working for Lohmann as Country Sales Director responsible for Turkey, Middle East and Africa Regions.

Could you give some information about your company and its works?
As Lohmann, we have been producing high-tech technical adhesive products such as double and single-sided adhesive tapes, special and precise tape cuts, reactive adhesives, as the pioneers of adhesive technology since 1851. We develop innovative adhesive solutions for many global industries. We act together with our customers from the first idea to process integration.              

Can you tell us about your company's journey in Turkey?
As Lohmann Turkey, we make significant contributions to the developing Turkish and regional economy with our factory investment in Gebze in October 2018 and with our dynamic and innovative team. Turkey is a development base for Lohmann in the field of white goods. At the same time, Lohmann Turkey is a critical production and management center for the Middle East and Africa.

Which sectors do you serve?
Adhesives and especially adhesive tapes are now preferred in almost every field, thanks to their practical and permanent application possibilities. We, as "gluing engineers", share our experiences in the White Goods, Electronics, Automotive, Construction, Renewable Energy, Medical, Packaging and similar sectors and offer creative solutions to our customers. We cater to a wide range of subjects, from bonding sensitive layers in Covid-19 rapid test kits to permanent bonding of components on the front control panel of any white goods.

What are the features that set you apart from your competitors?
In these days when we celebrate our 170th anniversary, we are aware of the experience coming from our roots in the face of increasing competitive conditions, as well as the continuous development, inevitable change and always forward-looking investment requirements. Under the same roof, we can produce products that belong to our own formulation, as well as perform special cuts of these products. We are aware that our customers have completely unique processes and we value this. The most important indicator of this is that the products we develop specifically for our customers account for two-thirds of our global sales.

Can we get information about your new investment and R&D efforts?
We chose Lohmann Turkey, which is the most developed in Lohmann Germany, as a competence center for White Goods in the world this year. In this direction, we have decided to increase a comprehensive investment both in terms of human resources and production technologies. In an atmosphere of pandemic and uncertainties, investment decisions are not easy, but we have full faith in our country's development potential and in ourselves to contribute to it.

Hello, I'm Sezer Yazici. I graduated from Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. I undertook application engineering and technical sales tasks in the field of advanced materials and chemistry in different companies. I am currently working as Technical Sales Manager at Lohmann Turkey. I am also an IFAM Fraunhofer certified European Adhesive Specialist.

Could you tell us about your main white goods applications?
One of our most important applications is the bonding of the front panel or control panel layers of white goods that contain buttons, screens and a control unit, such as ovens, dishwashers, refrigerators or washing machines and dryers. In this application, the main purpose is to compensate for the different expansion tolerances of different materials, sealing against liquids, anti-vibration and bonding many different materials strongly. In order to achieve these, we work together with the relevant teams of our customers from the concept stage of the project, together we select or develop our double-sided adhesive tapes specially developed according to the requirements of the design. Moreover, apart from strong adhesion, our tapes can have additional functions such as heat or electricity conductor or insulator, opaque or completely transparent, antistatic and similar if desired.

You stated that you work with your customers from the idea stage of the project. What kind of requirements do you encounter in this process?
Although the dimensions of white goods remain the same, the features and our expectations from white goods are constantly changing due to constantly developing technology and trends. Now the oven we use consumes less energy or our refrigerator can connect to the internet and contain smart touch screens. For this reason, the layers to be adhered can be parts with complex geometry, circuits, energy-efficient materials or surfaces that do not leave fingerprints. In such cases, we do not give our customers a roll of tape and leave them alone. First, we determine whether the surfaces are suitable for bonding and, if necessary, provide support in preparing the surface for adhesion. Then we determine the appropriate adhesive tapes according to the requirements and together determine the most efficient and fastest application method for mass production. We can prepare our products as custom molded or laser cut parts ready for automation or manual application, or as long-length spools for continuous production.

What are your views on BEYSAD and what are your expectations of BEYSAD?
We think that BEYSAD makes great contributions to the communication and development of both the sector and all stakeholders in the sector. We are happy to be a member of BEYSAD. Thank you for your professional approach, we wish you success in your future endeavors.