PACK EXPO Southeast 2025: a closer look at end-of-line automation
The inaugural Atlanta show gave regional production teams a place to compare conveyors, robotics and palletizing approaches.
End-of-line automation sits at the meeting point of the product, its packaging and the next handling step. PACK EXPO Southeast offered an opportunity to examine those interfaces through supplier discussions and working demonstrations.
A new regional meeting point
PMMI’s closing report records more than 6,700 attendees plus 2,800 exhibitor personnel, making 9,500 professionals in total. The March 10–12 event at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center featured 504 exhibitors across 115,000 net square feet.
What buyers came to compare
Kimberly-Clark mechanical engineer Cole Shafer described an interest in robotics, conveyor types and palletizing, and responded positively to the live demonstrations. Coca-Cola’s Jin Song highlighted the convenience of having the event nearby.
Regional access can make it easier to bring colleagues with different responsibilities. Watching the same demonstration gives engineering and operations teams a concrete starting point for their follow-up discussion.
An exhibitor’s view of the audience
Multi-Conveyor’s Cheryl Miller reported stronger-than-expected first-day traffic and an opportunity to reach companies with constrained travel budgets. Her comment is a supplier perspective, rather than a measurement of results across all exhibitors.
The next useful step is to connect those conversations to specific requirements, drawings and product samples that allow a supplier to develop an appropriate proposal.
Palletizing beyond uniform boxes
Vention’s event recap describes demonstrations handling bags and pails, alongside its Rapid Series Palletizer using a FANUC CRX-25iA. Its MachineApps update included pallet-layout tools, user access levels and connections to external devices.
Different pack shapes raise different handling questions. Buyers should ask how tooling, presentation and recipe changes will be managed for their actual product mix, including less common formats.
Making a demonstration measurable
Define the products, changeover sequence and operating constraints before arranging a follow-up trial. Record what the team needs to learn about handling, intervention and support. A system that suits one demonstration product still needs to be assessed against the range of work expected in the factory.
Source: PMMI closing report and Vention exhibitor recap; photo: Vention, PACK EXPO Southeast 2025