PPMA Show 2026 was a showcase of ingenuity, with over 350 exhibitors coming together to showcase innovations tackling the most pressing of issues – from rising energy costs and labour shortages to manufacturing real estate, wastage, and impending regulations.
The three-day event attracted over 7,500 visitors and 1,500 brands to Birmingham’s NEC. Keynote speakers included former Dyson CEO Martin McCourt and Coke Zero co-founder Jeremy Schwartz, with key insights provided on how businesses can evolve and overcome challenges.
As always, PPMA provided the platform for a number of major launches, including Autopack’s new Autoweigh division, which was debuted at the show alongside a new 12-head multihead weigher, which is manufactured in Britain and is believed to be the world’s smallest.
The bespoke low-level machine is designed for ready meal applications and suited to products such as herbs, breadcrumbs, and general toppings, as well as vegetables and potentially small proteins. The belts feed into six top boxes before the product is transferred into 12 weigh pans – with the machine deciding on the quickest combination for the right weight of product to move onto the ready meals.
The weigher was one of 25 machines on the Autopack stand, topping the firm’s previous PPMA record of 15. Other solutions on show included filling and capping machines, as well as fully-integrated lines.
“Our philosophy is always not overcomplicating things,” Andy Brooks of Autopack told Packaging Scotland, before revealing that the company was able to create such a small solution by utilising a belt feed system, rather than vibrators – allowing for a ‘very fast and accurate’ feeding system.
“This system is scalable, so we can make it into a bigger solution,” he added. “We’ve got an inquiry at the moment for different types of vegetables. There’s lots of different types at relatively short runs… and this really lends itself well to that, because the clean downs are really quick and you don’t have lots of products in flight like you would with the traditional rotary multiheads.”
The machine’s compact size also lends itself to being integrated into existing manufacturing spaces – with real estate being a major talking point across the event.
On the Sidel stand, the company demonstrated its ability to combine precision engineering, advanced packaging technologies, and local expertise to create one complete line – enabling high performance, optimised manufacturing space, and affording the customer flexibility in choosing which machines they wish to utilise.
“The Sidel roadmap is that we need to move towards a complete line so that the customer, when they are buying a new line, can actually create a completely integrated (solution),” Abhinav Sharma, account manager for FHCP (food, home, personal care) at Sidel UK, explained.
“It’s not necessary to buy all the equipment from Sidel; they can buy from different suppliers. Sidel can be the partner to integrate a line; we can automate it, do the controls, and take the responsibility of the efficiency of one complete line – even though the customer has bought individual equipment from different suppliers.”
Sidel was also showcasing its EvoBLOW Laser, which utilises diode-based laser technology rather than traditional halogen lamps to heat PET preforms. Abhinav explained the laser tech can direct heat exactly where required, which saves on energy and improves control over how the plastic stretches during bottle formation. The heating method also allows the bottle to retain the required strength whilst using less plastic.
Demonstrating the benefits to Packaging Scotland, a bottle expanded with a halogen lamp and another from the laser technology was placed on a scale – with the latter proving to be four grams lighter.
“For the consumer, in the end, it’s the same bottle,” Abhinav revealed. “Imagine four grams of saving per bottle, but for the consumer it’s still the same bottle – it doesn’t feel different, but the difference for the supplier is they save four grams.” Once those bottles are produced in the millions, it results in significant weight savings.
Another innovation making its UK debut was Fortress Technology’s Raptor Tritek. The 3-in-1 combination system features metal detection, checkweighing, and label inspection vision technologies in one single frame.
Sales director Phil Brown said, “What a lot of manufacturers struggle with is the real estate – how do you fit new inspection technology into a process that already has multiple systems taking up space?”
The configuration of the Tritek has been around for the last decade, with Fortress having the foresight to predict what technology was likely to be released in the future – with void areas added where the latest system’s cameras are fitted. The next evolution into seal inspection is expected to arrive within the next six months. “It’s all about reducing product waste,” Phil added. “Making sure that seals are good because usually the first place you find out about it is on the supermarket shelves – and it’s too late when it’s at that point.
“It’s a very powerful tool to help manage waste. That’s what’s driving this: manufacturers are under significant pressure to reduce waste, there’s a cost and environmental implication, and all of these things are really, really becoming quite critical.”
Mettler-Toledo’s M50 R-Series AdvancedLine metal detection platform was also showcased for the first time at PPMA Show. Described as the firm’s ‘most advanced’ solution yet, the innovation has been developed for food manufacturers of unpackaged and packaged, wet, dry, or bulk products looking to balance high sensitivity detection with productivity, traceability, and audit readiness.
“The M50 R-Series offers higher sensitivity and a fully automated electronic test system – removing user interference and allowing the production line to keep running,” Sam Jackson, sales account manager at Mettler-Toledo, said. “It’s got a higher sensitivity, an electronic test system which is all automated, so what it does is take away any user interference and your production line won’t stop.”
Naturally attracting a lot of attention at the event, the machine is expected to be in strong demand – including in Scotland. “The Scottish market is huge (for Mettler-Toledo),” Sam continued. “Our main target markets are typically food industries – there’s a lot of food manufacturers in Scotland. We (work with) some pharmaceutical companies as well but the Scottish market we have one of our reps, we’ve got engineers based in Scotland, so we have a really wide range of coverage.”
Automate UK, the organiser of PPMA Show, described visitor feedback to the 2026 edition as ‘superb’.
Scott McKenna, chief operating officer at Automate UK, said, “Once again, we are thrilled with the feedback we’ve received from exhibitors and visitors alike, and proud of the environment we created to inspire a new generation entering the industry, engage with those already operating with it and showcase the next phase of innovation to look forward to.”
Scott added that the show also acted as an official platform to launch Automate UK Week, which will be the organisation’s first combined exhibition, taking place in 2027. The event, which will run from September 28-30, will combine the PPMA and UK Automation Shows under one roof for the first time in an attempt to create an ‘integrated, future-focused event’ that reflects the evolving needs of the industry.
Scott explained, “Automate UK Week has been a long time in development, and we felt that the 40th anniversary of hosting the UK’s leading events for the industrial automation sector was an opportune time to bring it to fruition.
“Taking place across two halls at the NEC, it will focus on every aspect influencing the industry, from traditional manufacturing, processing and packaging applications, right through to AMRs, warehouse automation, logistics systems and the enabling technologies that sit around them.
“Our team has discussed the new event at length with exhibitors and visitors over the past week, and we are thrilled with the response to our continued commitment to showcasing the latest innovations, developing connections and supporting growth across the sector, with a significant number of exhibitors taking advantage of early-bird booking rates to secure prime spots at the show.”
