From AI-enabled systems and integrated vision technology to hygienic design, flexible pouch handling and mono-material readiness, interpack 2026 is revealing a packaging machinery sector focused less on futuristic hype and more on solving practical production challenges.
Walking the halls of interpack 2026 after two full days of machinery-based interviews, one thing quickly became clear: packaging equipment suppliers are no longer talking only about speed.
Certainly, throughput still matters. But across conversations with global machinery manufacturers exhibiting in Düsseldorf, the dominant themes were flexibility, operational simplicity, hygiene, uptime, traceability and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing packaging formats and regulatory pressures.
The packaging machinery sector appears to be entering a new phase – one where smarter engineering is being applied less as a futuristic talking point and more as a practical response to real production pain points.
Flexible packaging drives machinery evolution
Flexible packaging continues to exert enormous influence on machinery development.
Multiple suppliers pointed to the growing complexity of handling pouches, sachets and doy packs at higher speeds without compromising product integrity or line efficiency.
At Meypack, this challenge was central to the launch of the new VP 512 tray-lid case packer. The machine combines intermittent and continuous motion concepts, alongside dynamic buffering technology, to maintain continuous product flow while reducing mechanical stress on delicate flexible packs.
The message was consistent across the show floor: manufacturers want higher output, but not at the expense of gentler handling.
That same balance between speed and care was also evident in seasoning, filling and conveying technologies.
Heat and Control demonstrated its FastBack Symphony On-Machine Seasoning system, designed to keep seasoning contained within the machine rather than dispersed into the packaging environment – addressing both product loss and operator exposure concerns.
Meanwhile, Grunwald highlighted the growing importance of mono-material packaging compatibility, with its FOODLINER filling platform able to process both conventional aluminium lids and PP mono-material lids on the same high-speed machine.
Flexible packaging line efficiency was also central to the launch of the new tna robag Quantum vertical form fill seal system. TNA describes the machine as a next-generation platform engineered to improve throughput, reduce film waste and simplify operation, while supporting increasingly demanding snack and flexible packaging applications.
AI becomes operational, not conceptual
Artificial intelligence was everywhere at interpack – but notably, the discussion has matured.
Rather than grand claims about “smart factories”, machinery suppliers were increasingly focused on targeted applications that improve operational performance.
According to Thomas Dohse, director of interpack at Messe Düsseldorf, AI and automation integration emerged as one of the three dominant themes of the show, alongside materials innovation and regulatory change driven by Europe’s PPWR legislation.
AI was also a major talking point at industry level. Italian machinery association UCIMA presented EVA, a large language model developed specifically for packaging machine manufacturers, highlighting how sector-specific AI tools are beginning to emerge across industrial manufacturing.
At machine level, suppliers are embedding intelligence directly into equipment architecture.
Linx Printing Technologies introduced its 9000 Series CIJ printers with integrated Linx Iris code verification – a system that communicates directly with the printer rather than functioning as a standalone camera system.
Similarly, CAMA Group showcased new HMI architecture using edge computing technology, allowing data processing and analytics to occur directly on the machine itself in real time.
The language around AI has clearly shifted from aspiration to application.
Simplicity emerges as a competitive advantage
One of the more interesting undercurrents across the machinery halls was the growing emphasis on simplification.
In many cases, the innovation story was less about adding complexity and more about removing operational friction.
FlexLink presented hygienic conveyor systems designed specifically for easy disassembly, cleaning and reassembly in food processing environments.
Evolabel tackled another practical challenge with its QuickTamp Airless print-and-apply labeller, eliminating the need for compressed air infrastructure at the point of application.
For Australian distributors on the ground at interpack, these features resonated strongly with local manufacturing realities – particularly labour constraints, line consolidation pressures and the need for easier maintenance and servicing.
Operational simplicity is increasingly being treated as a performance metric in its own right.
Reliability and uptime remain king
Another recurring theme was the emphasis on uptime protection and process reliability.
Across interviews, suppliers repeatedly referenced buffering systems, reserve capacity, quality monitoring and redundancy features designed to keep production lines running.
This was particularly evident in high-speed handling applications, where unplanned stoppages become increasingly costly.
Meypack highlighted integrated buffering and reserve-capacity lid processing. Linx focused on battery backup systems that allow printers to continue operating during short power interruptions or line transfers. Evolabel promoted coldstore labelling systems capable of operating at -30°C without external heated cabinets.
Even in powder handling, contamination prevention and process integration were central themes.
Japanese supplier Tsukasa Industry demonstrated systems combining weighing, sifting, dust collection and foreign material removal into single integrated platforms designed to reduce handling steps and improve process control.
Compact footprints and modularity matter
Another notable shift is the growing focus on space efficiency.
As manufacturers seek greater output from existing facilities, machine builders are responding with more compact, modular systems.
FlexLink’s compact spiral conveyors, Meypack’s hybrid case packing architecture and CAMA’s cobot-assisted loading systems all reflected a broader push toward footprint optimisation and line flexibility.
The rise of modular automation was also unmistakable.
Rather than fully fixed production architectures, many suppliers are increasingly designing systems that can be adapted, extended or redeployed as production requirements evolve.
That emphasis on flexibility also extends to machine architecture and scalability. TNA’s new robag Quantum platform reflects growing demand for systems that can support faster product changeovers, higher production efficiency and more adaptable line configurations as manufacturers consolidate operations and manage increasingly diverse SKU portfolios.
Tecma Aries’ new-generation FMA die-cut tray former also speaks to this trend, with its ability to be integrated into combi case packing lines as part of a complete turnkey end-of-line solution.
Sustainability moves into machinery design
Sustainability-related machinery innovation is moving firmly into commercial implementation.
The industry appears to be shifting beyond pilot-stage sustainability concepts toward scalable production technologies designed for real industrial deployment.
Mono-material compatibility, fibre-based packaging handling, lighter-weight materials, hygienic processing and energy-efficient machine operation are no longer niche talking points – they are becoming standard machine design considerations.
This was evident not only in materials-led conversations, but also in the machinery itself. Grunwald’s ability to run PP mono-material lids at high speed, FlexLink’s hygienic range for food processing, and Tecma Aries’ integrated tray forming technology all point to machinery being designed around changing packaging formats and regulatory expectations.
Importantly, exhibitors repeatedly stressed that the technologies on show are commercially available now.
As Dohse observed, interpack is increasingly positioned as a place where customers come to make purchasing decisions, not simply to observe future concepts.
Global capability, local relevance
For the Australian and New Zealand market, another clear theme was the importance of local representation and service support.
Several interviews involved global equipment manufacturers appearing alongside their ANZ distributors, including Matthews Australasia, Perform Packaging Solutions and FlexCAM.
That local layer matters. In each case, distributors pointed to installed bases, service technicians, spare parts capability and in-market technical knowledge as critical to converting global technology into practical local adoption.
Matthews’ long-standing relationships with Linx and Evolabel, Perform’s representation of Meypack and Grunwald, and FlexCAM’s work with FlexLink and Tecma Aries all highlight the role of specialist distributors in helping Australian manufacturers access and implement advanced machinery.
Beyond speed
The strongest takeaway from the machinery halls is that the next phase of packaging machinery innovation is not simply about going faster.
Speed remains important, but it is now being balanced against a wider set of production priorities: flexibility, traceability, hygiene, uptime, workforce constraints, energy use, footprint and future packaging formats.
Across 13 first-hand interviews, the same message kept surfacing in different forms: the machinery sector is becoming more adaptive, more integrated and more operationally intelligent.
And judging by the conversations taking place across Düsseldorf this week, the next competitive edge may not come from building simply faster machines – but from building smarter, more flexible and more resilient ones.
