As the food and beverage sector faces rapidly evolving supply chain, sustainability, and automation demands, staying ahead of industry trends is more critical than ever. Whether you are looking to optimise your production lines or explore the latest compliance standards, MachineBuilding.South provides an opportunity to discover actionable insights.

Join TUV SUD's webinar on 9 July 2026, to gain practical guidance on integrating functional safety into modern robot systems, including industrial, collaborative and mobile robots.

OMRON has announced the expansion of the next evolution of i-BELT, its end-to-end digital lean transformation service for manufacturers in Europe.

The industrial robot industry saw 5.1% growth in 2025, following a contraction of -2% in 2024, Interact Analysis reports. The market is now forecast to record steady growth out to 2030, at an average annual rate of 6.7%, rising from 549,555 units in 2025 to 761,303 units in 2030.

An increased focus on automation brings with it a need to deliver control signals and transfer data, so the role of cables and connectors, not to mention associated cable management systems is vital. And you'll find plenty to see and discuss at MachineBuilding.South on 8 July at Sandown Park.

Rubix has announced that LOCTITE, the trusted adhesives, sealants and functional coatings brand from Henkel, is joining Parker Hannifin and SKF as an official partner of the Uptime Index, supporting the initiative that tracks the health of European manufacturing.

In less than a year, the new EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 (MR) supersedes the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC (MD) on 20th January 2027. Machine builders must be prepared, including manufacturers of series machines already in production. There is no transition period - the change will, in effect, be overnight. While some machine builders will only need to revise their paperwork, others may have to go much further, as Derek Coulson, compliance specialist at Hold Tech Files, explains.

Inovance has established a new UK business, with an office in Manchester and the appointment of Dominic Bowker as General Manager - UK & Ireland. The global industrial automation specialist's new office in the North-West of England provides technical sales and support services to industry across the UK and Ireland.

IMI's Industrial Automation sector has developed a customised PET (polyethylene terephthalate) blowing block solution for Tech-Long, delivering a 10% increase in production capacity while reducing compressed air consumption in PET bottle manufacturing.

Rockwell Automation has announced that Cranswick, one of Britain's leading manufacturers of premium gourmet foods, has commissioned a new robotic end-of-line pick-and-place system using autonox Robotics.