Stephen Hayes, managing director of automation and control specialist, Beckhoff UK, explains how automation can help food and beverage manufacturers cater to the low- and no-alcohol market.

2025 is the year humanity is expected to start transitioning into a new era called the 'Autonomous Society.' This evolution, rooted in the predictions of the SINIC Theory, marks the next phase in how society, science and technology interact. Here Tom Cash, director at automation parts supplier Foxmere, explains the technologies of 2025 that will help to move humanity from 'Optimisation Society' to 'Autonomous Society.'

Miriam Krechlok, segment marketing manager at Mettler-Toledo, explores product inspection solutions tailored for different ready meal categories, addressing the Critical Control Points (CCPs) in the production of dry, wet and frozen applications, as well as those areas on production lines that are not typically considered CCPs.

HRS Heat Exchangers is well known for producing compact, reliable heat exchanger solutions which offer excellent levels of heat transfer and energy efficiency. The key to this is the use of corrugated tubes, the profiles of which are tailored to individual applications, as Matt Hale, Global Key Account Director, explains.

The Health and Safety Executive estimates that over two million people in Great Britain are exposed to unacceptable levels of noise at work, with food and drink production being amongst the biggest culprits. Many of the processes that emit the most noise happen during manufacturing, but there are ways that plant managers can reduce it, as Tom Cash, director at automation parts supplier Foxmere, explains.

Stephen Harding, managing director at Gough Engineering, explores how advanced material handling equipment can help producers in these sectors improve operational performance.

Automation can enhance jobs, making them safer and quicker for humans. Nevertheless, reaping these benefits means closing a wide automation skills gap, explains Stephen Hayes, managing director at automation specialist Beckhoff UK.

With reports that unplanned downtime is costing manufacturers as much as £40 billion per year, Tom Cash, director at automation parts supplier Foxmere, explains the maintenance strategies in food production lines that prevent costly overhauls.

Alongside motors and gears, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS points to the importance of its NORDAC frequency inverters for applications where movements must be intelligently controlled.

Fernando Colas, CEO of OMRON Industrial Automation Europe, discusses the top five manufacturing automation trends for 2025.