Interplas 2026 provided a valuable opportunity for the Summit Systems team to reconnect with customers, meet new contacts and discuss the challenges and opportunities currently shaping plastics manufacturing across the UK and Ireland. It was great to return to the NEC Birmingham alongside several of our technology partners, showcasing solutions for material handling, drying, dosing, conveying, process cooling and recycling.
The quality of conversations remained exceptionally high throughout the three-day event, with visitors arriving at the Summit stand with clearly defined projects, operational challenges and investment plans. Tuesday proved to be the busiest day, closely followed by Wednesday, resulting in a steady flow of valuable discussions throughout the exhibition.
The discussions held throughout the event reflected many of the priorities currently facing plastics processors. Energy reduction and sustainability remained key focus areas, with manufacturers looking for practical ways to reduce operating costs and improve efficiency. Automation also featured heavily in conversations, particularly around reducing labour requirements, improving consistency and increasing productivity. Material handling, cooling efficiency, regrind management and recycling solutions were also common discussion points.
Injection moulders represented the largest proportion of visitors to the stand, demonstrating continued demand for technologies that improve productivity, process control and energy efficiency. Interest also came from companies involved in extrusion, process cooling, blow moulding and recycling applications, while the industrial, packaging and automotive sectors generated the strongest levels of interest. Construction and medical manufacturers were also well represented throughout the exhibition.
Visitors showed particular interest in technologies capable of delivering energy savings, sustainability improvements and clear returns on investment. Maguire’s blending and drying solutions attracted significant attention, alongside Frigel temperature control technologies, Vismec material handling and drying equipment, Zerma granulators, Movacolor dosing systems and MB Conveyors.
A standout feature on the stand was the live demonstration of the Vismec VIPER bag emptying system, which generated strong interest from visitors looking to improve material handling efficiency and reduce manual handling requirements.
Interplas 2026 also provided an excellent opportunity for visitors to meet directly with several of our supplier partners. Joining the Summit team throughout the exhibition were Chris Crittenden from Maguire, Davide Zulian from Plastic Systems, Marco Baldi from Frigel, Pietro Tomelleri from MB Conveyors and Roelfjan Hulsman from Movacolor. Their support enabled visitors to discuss applications in greater detail and explore potential solutions with product specialists.
The exhibition also marked the launch of Summit360 Issue 3, featuring a range of customer case studies, technical articles, industry insights and team contributions from across the business.
Feedback on the stand was extremely positive, with visitors commenting on the welcoming atmosphere and the broad range of technologies on display, from material handling and drying through to process cooling and size reduction.
Importantly, many of the conversations held during the exhibition are already progressing into active projects. Recent opportunities include the supply of multiple Frigel DYNAMICO units to an automotive manufacturer and a 30kW air-cooled chiller for an educational facility, highlighting the continued demand for solutions that improve process efficiency, energy performance and production reliability.
“Events like Interplas are about much more than exhibiting products. They’re an opportunity to strengthen relationships, exchange ideas and understand the challenges our customers are facing. The enthusiasm and quality of conversations throughout the three days made this year’s exhibition a real success, and we’re looking forward to building on those discussions in the months ahead.”, Kelsey Light, Marketing Manager for Summit Systems. “We would like to thank everyone who visited the Summit Systems stand during Interplas 2026, as well as our supplier partners for their continued support throughout the exhibition.”
Although the market remains challenging in some sectors, the quality of conversations and opportunities generated during Interplas 2026 gives us plenty of confidence for the months ahead. We look forward to continuing those discussions and helping manufacturers identify practical ways to improve productivity, efficiency and sustainability across their operations.
