APPEX 2027 to spotlight packaging trends

Changing consumer habits and preferences continue to influence how packaging machinery is designed, with growing demand for convenience, sustainability and greater product choice prompting machinery manufacturers to rethink and adapt solutions to ever-evolving requirements.

In the lead-up to APPEX 2027, exhibitors and prominent Australian-based machine builders MULTIVAC, Packline, PerForm Packaging Solutions, TNA Solutions, Perfect Automation and Foodmach are identifying the key trends shaping packaging machinery design and what is needed to remain competitive in today’s rapidly changing market.

Waste reduction

Sustainability continues to influence packaging machinery design, with more manufacturers looking for solutions to accommodate recyclable materials, reduce waste and improve efficiency without adding unnecessary costs.

MULTIVAC says it continues to see strong demand for recyclable and APCO-compliant packaging materials, while Packline has noted that sustainability and productivity go hand in hand.

“Leading manufacturers, retailers and logistics providers are increasingly seeking solutions that deliver both operational and environmental benefits,” said Troy Pudney, Business Development Manager at Packline. “The most successful projects are no longer driven by a single objective — they’re focused on reducing waste, improving productivity and enhancing customer experience simultaneously.”

Smaller packs and convenience

While the uptick was already evident during APPEX 2024, exhibitors have reported growing demand for convenient, portion-controlled products, influencing packaging formats across food and beverage categories.

From busy, on-the-go lifestyles and smaller households to a greater focus on health and wellbeing, and even the growing use of GLP-1 medications, a range of factors is driving interest in smaller portion sizes. Affordability is also playing a role, with smaller packs offering a lower upfront price point, while giving consumers greater choice to try different products and flavours without committing to larger quantities or bigger price tags.

This shift is being felt across the food packaging sector, with MULTIVAC National Sales Manager Tony Anevski reporting increased demand for packaging solutions suited to ready-to-eat meals, dairy snacks and grab-and-go products.

“Consumers are looking for convenience without compromising quality, which is driving demand for packaging solutions that extend shelf life, maintain product integrity and deliver strong on-shelf presentation,” he explained.

He added that growing interest in cookable films for ready meals, sous vide products and marinated proteins is another example of how convenience is influencing packaging requirements.

The beverage sector is experiencing similar changes with Jason Valente, Technical Sales Manager at PerForm Packaging Solutions noting increased demand for machinery capable of producing smaller multipacks.

“Beverage manufacturers request smaller pack sizes because their consumers want convenient, portable and single-occasion options,” he said. “Smaller packs also let them reach new price points and increase sales volume.”

More formats, fewer limitations

With consumers increasingly seeking a greater variety of products, pack sizes and presentation, manufacturers are on the hunt for machinery to accommodate different formats without making production more complicated.

“Consumers are looking for greater choice across pack sizes, formats and configurations, so manufacturers need the flexibility to respond while continuing to protect productivity, factory space and labour,” said Tony Elliott, Divisional Sales Manager – Australia at TNA Solutions.

Perfect Automation’s ANZ Sales Manager, Rhoardi Borbajo, also pointed to the importance of machinery that can handle changes in packaging materials and finishes.

“Our technology partner, Leepack, recently developed an improved pouch magazine conveyor to handle different pouch substrates more reliably,” he said. “During trials, the updated design achieved zero pouch pick-up failures, demonstrating how relatively small engineering changes can make a significant difference to machinery performance.”

AI, connectivity and digital technologies

As production requirements become more complex, manufacturers are increasingly looking to connected equipment, digital modelling and automation to improve performance and reduce downtime. Phil Biggs, Director, Sales Strategy and Market Development at Foodmach, said that customers want to understand how changes to packaging will affect their production lines before making an investment.

“We can digitally model the line and test the controls before equipment arrives onsite,” he said. “That lets us find bottlenecks and resolve problems while changes are still relatively easy to make.”

While AI and autonomous manufacturing continue to attract attention, Biggs believes the starting point for many manufacturers is getting existing equipment connected and collecting reliable data to understand where improvements can be made.

End-to-end efficiency

Perhaps one of the most important trends — and one that sits at the heart of APPEX — is the growing recognition that packaging performance depends on how well the entire production process works together. Rather than looking at individual machines and solutions in isolation, manufacturers are increasingly factoring in how different equipment, technologies and suppliers can all work together to improve overall performance. Tony Elliott from TNA Solutions affirmed this, adding that the industry is shifting towards a more integrated approach.

“Packaging does not operate in isolation: distribution, seasoning and packaging all influence one another, and inefficiency at one stage can affect waste, yield and performance elsewhere,” he said.

The same thinking is extending into warehouses, where Packline is seeing packaging and carton sealing become an increasingly significant bottleneck.

“When we visit warehouses around Australia, we often see significant investment in storage systems, picking technology and warehouse software. But increasingly, the bottleneck we’re helping customers address is the packaging process itself,” Pudney said.

See the latest developments at APPEX 2027

While these trends are only part of the picture, they highlight just how quickly the demands on packaging machinery are changing and why it is important for manufacturers to keep up with the latest developments.

APPEX 2027 will bring the processing and packaging industry together at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) from 16–19 March 2027.

More information and registration details are available at https://www.appex.com.au/.

Image: Supplied