AUTOMATION and control technology specialist Beckhoff UK has revealed the MX-System – the firm’s modular automation platform – will be a central focus on its stand at PPMA Total Show 2025.
Beckhoff will demonstrate how machine builders and control engineers can harness cabinet-free automation and flexible motion systems to prepare for the future of packaging production at the event, which takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from September 23-25.
By integrating all automation functions into a compact, IP67-rated design that mounts directly onto machines, the MX-System is designed to eliminate the need for traditional control cabinets. This, Beckhoff added, reduces installation time and cost while giving manufacturers the agility to adapt production layouts more quickly.
The business will also showcase the next generation of motion and transport technology, including the XTS linear transport system and the XPlanar planar motor platform. Together, these solutions are said to provide ‘unprecedented flexibility’ for moving and processing products, with the ability to adapt to different formats and production runs without major mechanical redesign.
The stand will also highlight TwinCAT PLC+++, Beckhoff’s latest software environment that extends the functionality of PLC programming, enabling engineers to combine traditional automation logic with advanced data handling, motion and robotics in one platform.
“PPMA is not just about today’s challenges but also about anticipating the needs of tomorrow,” said Bradley McEwan, business development manager at Beckhoff UK. “In the future, packaging lines will look dramatically different — more modular, more digital and geared towards growing demands for sustainable production methods.
“The technologies we are presenting at PPMA 2025 give machine builders and production managers the tools to start that transformation now, whether it is through cabinet-free automation with the MX-System or software-driven innovation with TwinCAT PLC+++.”
