Industrial Transformation Australia and CeMAT Australia 2026 showcased far more innovation than could be captured in a single article. Among the hundreds of technologies on display, we chose five examples highlight a common thread: suppliers are increasingly focused on practical solutions that improve productivity, automation and sustainability, rather than technology for technology's sake.
While artificial intelligence, digitalisation and sovereign manufacturing capability were recurring themes throughout the conference program, conversations with exhibitors revealed a common priority – delivering practical technologies that improve efficiency, reduce waste and help manufacturers get more from existing operations.
Across the Processing & Packaging Pavilion (organised by APPMA) and the wider exhibition floor, suppliers showcased solutions designed to eliminate bottlenecks, improve traceability, simplify automation and prepare manufacturers for increasingly demanding sustainability and regulatory requirements.
Removing bottlenecks
Warehouse packing operations came under the spotlight at the Abbe stand, where the company used the show to promote its new automation partnership with Ranpak. Together, the companies are offering integrated automation and corrugated packaging solutions designed to optimise warehouse packing operations and remove one of the most common fulfilment bottlenecks.
Saar Davidi of Ranpak said the focus extends beyond supplying equipment.
"The problem that we're solving is we're coming to the customer... where's the bottleneck? The bottleneck is on the packing benches. We eliminate this bottleneck and increase throughput by roughly 30 per cent while optimising everything related to it."
Abbe's Daniel O'Sullivan says the partnership also gives customers a single point of responsibility for both automation and packaging, with the Ranpak systems can help reduce carton and void space while lowering freight volumes and associated environmental impacts.
The automation offering is aimed at sectors including eCommerce, retail fulfilment and third-party logistics, where operational efficiency, freight optimisation and sustainability outcomes are increasingly linked.
Printing without labels
On the Matthews Australia stand, the company was demonstrating coding and marking specialist GSI's 'No Label' printing technology, which produces high-contrast GS1-compliant barcodes directly onto corrugated cases.
The system applies a white underlay beneath the black barcode, improving readability on recycled corrugated board while removing the need for pre-printed cases or separate labels. It also uses UV-curable technology that allows printing on both porous and non-porous substrates.
Matt Nichol said the technology has already begun rolling out locally.
"It's new technology we've brought into Australia and New Zealand... We're now implementing this across a number of food manufacturers and beverage companies as an alternative to other pre-printed technology, and also looking at label replacement."
Flexible fulfilment
Sealed Air used the exhibition to showcase the latest developments in its AutoBag range, including paper bags running on hybrid systems capable of switching between paper and plastic formats.
Designed primarily for high-speed e-commerce fulfilment, the systems allow users to choose packaging materials according to product requirements while maintaining automated packing speeds. The company also highlighted kerbside recyclable plastic options for smaller industrial and medical components.
Sealed Air's Simon Fenton said the addition of paper significantly expands customer choice.
"It is great to be able to have AutoBag now for the first time with paper. It's FSC-certified... and it's available on the AB850 Hybrid, which also does plastic."
Smarter logistics
Efficient loading and unloading formed the focus of Foodmach's stand, where Australian partner Joloda Hydraroll demonstrated automated trailer and container loading systems, designed to speed dock operations while reducing manual handling and forklift movements. The systems can be deployed with either modified or non-modified trailers, depending on the application..
Barton Jory of Joloda Hydraroll said, "We can load [trailers and containers] direct from the dock. Turnaround time for the trailers is much faster, there's a reduction in forklifts, improvements in safety, and less general chaos in the dock."
He said awareness of the technology is growing among Australian manufacturers: "There's good potential in this market to improve things on the dock, for sure."
Beyond the pallet
Viscount launched its new Genesis plastic pallet at the show, targeting businesses looking for an alternative to timber pallets in automated warehouse environments.
Reinforced with fibreglass rods to minimise flexing, the pallet incorporates RFID capability and has been designed to accommodate future monitoring of temperature, shock and movement through the supply chain. The Australian-standard pallet has been adapted from designs already proven in overseas markets.
Beyond improving durability for automated warehouses, Viscount's new Genesis pallet introduces digital tracking capabilities that extend its role within the supply chain.
According to Remi Saget, the pallet addresses one of the biggest issues facing automated distribution centres.
"It's also going to be able to record temperature data, shocks and movement. If you've got something that's sensitive to temperature and you want to track it throughout your supply chain, you'll be able to do it."
These five examples represent only a small snapshot of the technologies on display across Industrial Transformation Australia and CeMAT Australia 2026, but together they point to a clear direction for the industry. Rather than pursuing technology for its own sake, suppliers are focused on practical solutions that improve productivity, support sustainability, strengthen traceability and help manufacturers build more resilient operations.
