Building on Industry 4.0, the new Industry 5.0 phase encourages deeper human-machine collaboration and promises to improve responsiveness and sustainability. A key milestone will be fully autonomous production - or lights-out manufacturing - explains Beth Ragdale, product manager at Beckhoff Automation UK.

The experts from Titan Enterprises discuss the advantages and disadvantages of clamp-on and in-line ultrasonic flowmeters and the process applications most suited for these types of measuring devices.

Food safety specialist Fortress Technology examines why working smarter not harder is critical to safeguarding the future of global food security, naming performance, product, people, process and profit as the top 5 productivity priorities in UK food manufacturing.

Safety regulations play a crucial role in equipment selection in industries where explosive atmospheres are a risk. The ATEX directive, established by the European Union, ensures that components used in such environments meet strict safety standards. Elesa offers a range of ATEX-compliant solutions designed for industries like oil and gas, chemical processing, and manufacturing, where explosive risks are present.

Clever, intelligent, but more commonly recognised as 'smart' – a simple definition of an essential component increasingly used in today's food and beverage manufacturing applications and acknowledged as a bridge to the digital future from analogue to IO-Link. The experts at Baumer consider the technical definition of a smart sensor.

Kati Hope, global account manager at Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection, argues that a holistic approach to contamination prevention is needed to secure plant-based food production.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly made its way into people's personal and professional lives; in the constantly evolving landscape of manufacturing, it's a game-changer. Manufacturers like igus are navigating the complexities of the Fifth Industrial Revolution where AI stands at the forefront, driving unprecedented advancements in efficiency, precision, and innovation but emphasising the importance of maintaining human creativity within this.

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.