Here’s what we got up to at the PPMA Show 2026!
A pump, a pig, some piggy banks, lots of sweets, three busy days and lots of great conversations at the UK’s NEC – that was PPMA 2026 for HPS.
HPS specialises in liquid product recovery using pigging technology. A specially designed projectile (the ‘pig’) travels through a pipeline after a product transfer, pushing the liquid left in the line towards its destination. This helps manufacturers recover more product and massively reduce what is lost during production.
From 22–24 September, we welcomed visitors to stand A51 at the PPMA event in Birmingham, to meet the team, find out about HPS technology and try Pump the Pig, our interactive game.
A show full of technology
PPMA brought together businesses and technologies from across processing and packaging.
There was a lot to see, with equipment and expertise covering different stages of production. It was great to be part of the show, meet people working in the industry and see how many different technologies come together in a modern production environment.
For HPS, it was also a chance to explain where liquid product recovery fits into that bigger picture. Pigging can be part of a production line alongside other equipment and controls, helping manufacturers recover product that would otherwise remain in the pipework.
Importantly, HPS technology helps companies that manufacture liquid products save tens of thousands, often hundreds of thousands, occasionally even millions of £ pounds worth of product every year. This is product they would literally send down the drain as effluent.
HPS technology increases yields and capacity, reduces waste, cuts contamination and cross-contamination risks, speeds up changeovers, and helps environmental sustainability.
So there was plenty to talk about with visitors to the HPS stand.
For these reasons, pigging technology is a non-negotiable part of many new liquid transfer lines.
However, in some sectors the technology is not as well known as you might expect. So there were some very interesting discussions on stand A51 – with many visitors leaving with a smile and a whole new technology to think about!
Pump the Pig at stand A51
Pump the Pig was the light-hearted centrepiece of our stand. Visitors stopped to have a go, watch others play and chat with the HPS team. It brought a bit of fun to the stand and gave people a hands-on introduction to the basic idea of pigging.
The conversations often turned to practical questions: what happens to the product left in a pipeline at the end of a transfer? Can the pig travel around bends? How does the pig get into the pipeline? How does it move? Does it et stuck?
As well as “When can you visit my factory and get me a quote for your pigging technology!”
Some manufacturers deal with frequent product changes; others are looking at the amount of flushing a line needs or the value of product that could be recovered.
Even a small amount left in the pipe will add up over repeated production runs. Recovering more product may help reduce waste and flushing, but the right approach depends on the product and how the line operates.
What does it take to pig a line?
There’s more to a pigging system than putting a pig into a pipe. It has to suit the product and the pipeline it will travel through. Pipe diameter and route, the number of destinations, how the product behaves and how the line is cleaned all affect the design.
The system also needs to fit the production process. The pig has to be launched and received, while valves, detectors and controls need to work with the rest of the line. These details help determine whether pigging is suitable and what the system needs to do.
That’s why HPS works with manufacturers to understand their product, pipework and requirements before developing a system. The aim is to recover product effectively while making sure the equipment fits the way the existing process runs.
Thanks for visiting us
Thank you to everyone who came to stand A51, met the team or had a go at Pump the Pig. We enjoyed being part of PPMA, seeing the range of technologies across the show and hearing about the processes manufacturers are working with.
Here’s some photos from the event.
If you spoke with us at PPMA and would like to continue the conversation, get in touch with HPS. If you’re looking at ways to recover product from a pipeline, tell us about your product and process and we can discuss whether pigging will work for your process.