September 2019

54 n PPMA PREVIEW September 2019 www.drivesncontrols.com T he PPMA Total Show 2019 exhibition will open its doors at the NEC, Birmingham, from 1–3 October for what the organisers claim will be the UK’s most comprehensive production line event. During the three days of the show, visitors will have access to 450 exhibitors and approximately 2,500 brands, showcasing the latest innovations in smart manufacturing, processing equipment and packaging systems aimed, in particular, at the following sectors: food and beverage; pharmaceuticals; household products and toiletries; building materials and supplies; pet care; micro- breweries and distilleries; FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods); and contract packing. The show is organised by the PPMA Group of Associations – a non-profit trade association comprising the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA), the British Automation & Robot Association (Bara) and the UK Industrial Vision Association (Ukiva). The group has more than 500 member companies. Leading players already confirmed to be exhibiting at the PPMA Total Show 2019 include ABB, Acorn Industrial Services, Acrovision, Active8 Robots, Alrad Imaging, AMP Automation, Apex Dynamics, Apex Transmissions, ATG-Wood, Automation Experts, Balluff, Baumer, Beckhoff Automation, Binder, Bosch Packaging Technology, B&R Automation, Brillopak, Carlo Gavazzi, Centreline Machine Guards, Cognex, Cross & Morse, Elesa (UK), Emerson, Endoline Automation, Epson, Euchner, Fluke, Gainsborough Industrial Controls, HBM, HepcoMotion, HiWin Technologies, HMK Robotics, HP, ifm electronics, igus, Industrial Vision Systems, Interroll, JVL UK, Kluber Lubrication, Keyence, Kluber Lubrication, Kuka Robotics, Lafert Electric Motors, Lamonde Automation, Leuze Electronic, Mayr Transmissions, Mechan Controls, Micro- Epsilon UK, Minebea Intec, Multipix Imaging Components, Nadella, Nidec Industrial Automation, OEM Automatic, Omron Electronics UK, Panasonic Electric Works UK, RARUK Automation, Rotech, RS Components, Rulmeca, Schneider Electric, Schunk Intec, Servo Components & Systems, Sick UK, Stemmer Imaging, TR-Electronic, TUV Product Service, Unitronics, Wittenstein and Yilmaz. The exhibitors will be showcasing the latest in processing equipment and packaging machinery, with real-time demonstrations of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and the integration of vision equipment and robotics into production lines. Many plan to unveil new products and technologies at the show. For example: n Interroll is introducing a pallet-handling system based on its modular conveyor platform; The PPMA Total Show 2019 returns to the Birmingham NEC next month. The exhibition’s organisers promise that it will be the UK’s most comprehensive packaging and production line event to date. The complete package Brillopack will be demonstrating its new P180 spider arm robot cell, designed to pick-and-place almost any prepacked fruit, salad or vegetables automatically into trays, ready for retail display. The supermarket chain Morrisons is already using the cells – based on four-axis delta robots with glove- like end-effectors – at three of its sites. The cells, which can operated by one multi-skilled person, are said to increase packing speeds and reduce rejects. Once the packs have been lowered into the trays, a vibration panel settles the packs so that they don’t get caught when the bale arms close.