The pressure to produce more, improve efficiencies and remain competitive continues to shape key decisions made by manufacturers in the processing and packaging industry. Today, AI, machine vision, robotics and automation are increasingly central to this response.
Rather than sitting at the edge of production, these technologies are being applied directly on the factory floor to tackle real-world manufacturing challenges including labour and skills shortages, downtime, product quality and productivity, while delivering production data in real time.
APPEX 2027 will place these technologies firmly in the spotlight, bringing together leading technology developers, machinery suppliers, integrators and manufacturers to demonstrate how AI, robotics and intelligent automation are being applied across processing and packaging.
From AI-enabled robotics and machine vision to intelligent automation, APPEX 2027 will give visitors the opportunity to see the technology in action, speak directly with suppliers and explore how the latest advances could be applied within their own operations.
Presented by the Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA), APPEX 2027 comes at a time of rapid technological change across the industry. APPMA CEO Michael Moran says the pace of development means the solutions available to manufacturers in 2027 will be markedly different from those seen at APPEX 2024.
"Three years is a long time in the world of technology. The experience for visitors walking into APPEX in 2027 will be very different from the one they left in 2024," Moran says. "The conversation around AI and robotics is moving very quickly from what might be possible in the future to what manufacturers can implement today."
AI and Robotics in Action at APPEX
Among the technology leaders exhibiting at APPEX 2027 will be global robotics specialist ABB Robotics (Stand B075).
ABB Robotics enters APPEX 2027 at an exciting point in its growth trajectory following its recent acquisition by Japanese technology giant, SoftBank Group. The acquisition brings ABB Robotics into a global technology group with significant interests in AI, automation and next-generation technologies, opening new opportunities at the intersection of robotics and AI.
At APPEX 2027, exhibitor ABB Robotics will showcase its latest robotic technologies, with the anticipated line-up including the IRB 460 palletising robot, PoWa CRB 1920 collaborative palletiser, IRB 360 FlexPicker, IRB 1100 and ABB Autonomous Mobile Robots, alongside its SafeMove safety technology.
Peter Bradbury, Channel Manager Australia and New Zealand at ABB Robotics, says advances in AI-enabled vision are already expanding opportunities for manufacturers to improve productivity and quality. "We are seeing AI-enabled vision systems connected to mobile and stationary robots deliver improved recognition and higher levels of inspection, supporting both safer operations and better quality assurance," he says.
The potential productivity gains are significant. "ABB's hardware-agnostic OmniCore EyeMotion vision system, when combined with automatic collision-free path planning, can reduce commissioning time by up to 90% and cycle time by 50%," Bradbury says.
Another APPEX 2027 exhibitor Beckhoff Automation, a leader in open, PC-based control technology and TwinCAT software, will demonstrate how AI, machine learning and robotics can be integrated directly into the real-time control environment through its TwinCAT platform.
Yousuf Saleem, National Sales Manager at Beckhoff Automation, says manufacturers are increasingly looking to intelligent and connected technologies to improve production.
"We are seeing a shift towards more intelligent, connected and software-defined machines, with robotics, machine vision and AI increasingly integrated directly into the automation platform," Saleem says.
"Manufacturers are increasingly looking for open automation platforms that can integrate new technologies while maintaining secure, reliable and deterministic control of the production process."
The impact can already be measured in production output. Saleem points to one pharmaceutical packaging system using Beckhoff's XTS intelligent transport system that achieved output of 450 vials per minute, while another XTS-based packaging application increased machine speed from 120 to 150 bottles per minute - a 25% increase in cycle rate.
The Robotic Automation (RA) Group will also use APPEX 2027 as a platform to showcase Motoman NEXT - a robot platform from Yaskawa. The physical AI-enabled robotic platform is designed to support applications that require robots to respond more effectively to changing production conditions, helping manufacturers improve flexibility, productivity and operational efficiency.
"Throughout the show, visitors will see live demonstrations of several autonomous mobile solutions, including MiR autonomous mobile robots, Robotize autonomous mobile robots and the MAXAGV FX08 automated guided vehicle. These technologies are used to automate the movement of raw materials, work-in-progress and finished goods between production, storage and dispatch areas," says Peter Martin, Marketing Manager for RA Group.
Building Australia's Manufacturing Capability
The opportunity presented by automation also feeds into a broader discussion around Australia's manufacturing capability and the role technology can play in making local production more productive and internationally competitive.
The scale of Australia's investment in imported technology provides one indication of the opportunity. The Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) data shows machinery and industrial equipment imports reached approximately $9.4 billion in Q4 2025 alone, an increase of 4.6% on the previous quarter.
At the same time, Australia has considerable scope to increase its adoption of automation. Australia's National Robotics Strategy notes that the country ranks 32nd globally for the adoption of industrial robots, despite its strengths in robotics research and development.
Furthermore, the Strategy suggests that a mere 1% increase in robotics adoption could contribute to a 0.8% increase in economy-wide productivity. It also estimates that automation and robotics could increase Australia's annual productivity growth by between 50% and 150%, with the potential to add between $170 billion and $600 billion a year to GDP by 2030.
For Moran, these figures reinforce the importance of connecting manufacturers with the technology developers, machinery suppliers and integrators capable of helping them turn that opportunity into practical outcomes.
"There is so much scope for collaboration among both exhibitors at the show and visitors to the show, and that's what makes APPEX so exciting," Moran says. "Anyone attending has the opportunity to see applications in action first-hand, speak directly to suppliers and producers, and explore how the latest advances can be applied to their own production lines."
With working machinery and live demonstrations across the exhibition floor, APPEX provides manufacturers with the opportunity to look beyond specification sheets and understand how these technologies can translate into measurable improvements on the factory floor.
More Than AI and Robotics
APPEX 2027 will bring the processing and packaging industry together at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 16 to 19 March 2027.
Across all 20 bays of the MCEC, the 30,000m² exhibition will be a showcase of the latest processing and packaging technology across hundreds of exhibitors, including the largest display of working machinery, end-to-end applications and solutions designed to tackle real-world business challenges.
Alongside AI, robotics and automation, APPEX 2027 will feature thousands of solutions across four dedicated zones: Materials & Packaging, Packaging Machinery, IT and Services, as well as Processing and Packaging Machinery, giving visitors the opportunity to explore technologies and solutions relevant to their operations.
In addition to what's available on the exhibitor floor, APPEX 2027 will feature a program of expert-led sessions and industry events offering practical insights into the issues, technologies and opportunities shaping the future of processing and packaging. These include:
- The Food Industry Solution Series which is back by popular demand and features expert-led sessions focused on the challenges and opportunities facing food manufacturers.
- Meat Industry Day returns and is led by the Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC), bringing the sector together to share insights, explore the latest technology and equipment, and network.
Looking ahead, Moran says the pace of development since APPEX 2024 creates an opportunity for manufacturers to assess what has changed and what the latest technologies could mean for their operations.
"It's an exciting time to operate in the industry and real-world examples such as those provided by Beckhoff Automation and ABB present exciting possibilities for visitors to the show," Moran says.
"With three years of development since the industry last came together at APPEX 2024, our 2027 exhibition provides an opportunity to see what has changed, what is available now and where AI, robotics and automation could take manufacturing next."
