IBIE 2025: bakery automation needs a whole-line view
Robotic cartoning, sanitation and production efficiency offered distinct paths for improving bakery operations.
Bakery automation is rarely a single-machine decision. Product handling, cleaning, changeovers and packaging all influence the performance of a line. IBIE’s equipment and education program made those connections a useful way to read the show.
A record floor, with a qualified attendance story
The September 13–17 Las Vegas event reported 1,005 exhibitors across 451,100 square feet, a record exhibit footprint for IBIE. The organizer also reported overall registrations down 4% and baker attendance down 8% from 2022.
A larger exhibit floor and a smaller visiting audience can coexist. Both figures matter when assessing an event’s performance.
Education for the operating team
More than 250 education sessions and demonstrations were included for registrants. Topics ranged from automation and AI to formulation and business growth.
For a production team, a useful outcome is a shared vocabulary for evaluating proposals. Maintenance, sanitation and operations staff need to understand how an equipment change affects their own responsibilities before a project moves ahead.
Automation and efficiency recognized
The BEST in Baking program gave supplier top honors in automation and robotics to JLS Automation’s Peregrine IS Robotic Cartoning System. Intralox’s ZeroSplice Technology received supplier top honors for plant efficiency.
These are different improvement routes. A buyer should identify whether the priority is reducing manual handling, addressing interruptions or improving consistency, then request evidence relevant to that goal.
Sanitation belongs in the comparison
Goodway Technologies’ PureBelt Modular Cleaning System received supplier top honors in sanitation. The award list places cleaning alongside production technology as an area of innovation.
A purchase review should account for access, cleaning procedures and the time required to return equipment to service. The goal is to understand the full operating cycle, not just an attractive throughput figure during steady production.
From display to factory trial
After the show, choose a representative product and define the operating conditions for a supplier trial. Record what will be measured, who will observe it and which assumptions remain unresolved. That approach keeps the discussion centered on the bakery’s requirements while giving competing proposals a fair basis for comparison.
Source: IBIE closing report and BEST in Baking awards; photos: IBIE