Automate UK Awards 2024 Multiple new categories reflect a dynamic and creative sector

With a new name, new venue at Birmingham’s Vox and greater number of more tightly-defined categories, this year’s Automate UK Awards celebrated members’ achievements across a broad range of technologies, and were presented as part of a dazzling awards night at the PPMA Show

Innovative Packaging Machinery

Multi-PurposeMachinery

Winner: Secomak

Secomak’s pioneering drying machine

DryGuide Essential, a complete redesign and collaboration with a local university, has resulted in an improved machine with lower lifecycle costs and a smaller footprint.

Innovative Packaging Machinery

Carton/CaseHandling

Winner: Endoline Automation

Endoline Automation’s Fully Automatic Top and Bottom Random Case Gluer was praised for being a unique solution devised to double the throughput of the line while using the same amount of space.

Outstanding Customer Service

Winner: Yorkshire Packaging Systems

Yorkshire Packaging Systems puts customer service at the top of its list with not only its service packages and unlimited training on its equipment but also constant, systematic monitoring to ensure standards of customer care remain very high.

Innovative Packaging Machinery

Bagging/WrappingTechnology

Winner: Votech

Votech’s VLR-B fully-automated bagging system was judged to be an innovative redesign of important areas of powder dosing and packing to improve accuracy and yield and to reduce waste.

Innovative Processing System FoodTechnology

Winner: DC Norris & Company

DC Norris & Company’s Cook, Quench, Chill, Adapt – Advanced High-Speed Cooking Technology impressed our judges with its adaptability and versatility, combining several different processes into a continuous flow.

Innovative Robotics/Automation Solution

Primary/SecondaryPackagingTechnology

Winner: Smurfit Westrock

Smurfit Westrock Packaging Machinery & Automation Group Gorleston’s fully automated right-size packaging system, Opera, is versatile with excellent monitoring, reducing waste through dedicated box sizes.

Innovative Processing System Non-FoodTechnology

Winner: Ystral

Ystral’s Anti-Fouling System for Fish Farm Nets stood out as a genuine innovation using multiple solutions to dramatically reduce process time and energy consumption.

Innovative Robotics/Automation Solution Multi-PurposeTechnology

Winner: Schubert UK

Schubert UK’s automated pick & place infeed solution, the tog.519 cobot, is very useful for all industries, and for many applications where products are not sorted or in simple lines or cells on conveyors.

Innovative Processing System Multi-PurposeTechnology

Winner: Fortress Technology

Fortress Technology’s Multi-Machine Performance Validation Reporting Package demonstrated clear improvements in automated checking for metal detection.