WM to showcase innovation and open its doors at Plast 2026

As the plastics and thermoforming industry prepares for the 20th edition of PLAST this June, WM Thermoforming Machines (Stand 13 E26) will once again take part in the event, marking its 14th participation since first exhibiting in 1988. For WM, PLAST is not only a key international exhibition, but also a uniquely strategic opportunity thanks to its geographical proximity.
At this year’s edition, WM will welcome visitors at a 138 m² stand, designed to showcase both its core technologies and its latest developments in digitalisation.
“PLAST is a very important exhibition for us,” says Luca Oliverio, General Director of WM Thermoforming Machines. “Being close to Fiera Milano allows us to go beyond the traditional trade show format. We can invite customers to visit our factory, experience our production environment first-hand, and see our technology where it is actually designed and built.”
For this reason, WM will host an Open House at its production facility in Stabio, Switzerland, on 8 June (the day before the fair opens) and on the morning of 10 June. Customers and partners will be able to visit the plant, meet the team, and attend live demonstrations of machines operating under real production conditions.

Three machines in live demonstration
At the core of the Open House will be three machines representing WM’s key technologies and latest developments.
The FX780 IM2 (mold by Vulcan, PET tamper-evident container) will showcase the company’s steel rule die technology (form, cut and stack), one of WM’s most widely adopted systems, appreciated for its flexibility and consistent performance.
The FT900 with MSv9 stacker (mold by Kiefer, PP Aquacup) will demonstrate punch-and-die tilting platen technology, designed for precision in-mould trimming and fast, stable output over medium to long production runs. 
Both machines reflect decades of refinement and a large installed base worldwide.
A key highlight will be the FXL1000 (mold by Gravolab, PET tray), the largest steel rule machine on the market, presented live for the first time. Built for high-demand production environments, it offers a forming area of 1,060 × 940 mm, a forming force of 60 tons, and a cutting force of 105 tons, with cycle speeds up to 22% faster than comparable machines in its class. A key design feature is its compatibility with tooling from other leading manufacturers, allowing producers to adopt WM’s technology without replacing their existing molds.

WM Empower: integrated smart tools
First presented at K 2025, WM Empower is already operational with the first customer installations already in place. Plast will be an opportunity to demonstrate its capabilities to all visitors. 
WM Empower integrates four components and is currently being expanded with a fifth. FlowView is a redesigned human-machine interface focused on simplifying operation, reducing setup times and facilitating operator onboarding. WMind is a cloud-based suite for machine data collection, offering real-time monitoring, OEE analytics accessible from any device, as well as configurable software agents for advanced analysis and automated actions. Form.AI is a 24/7 AI assistant providing multilingual support, from setup to troubleshooting. WM Vision is the integrated vision system for 100% product inspection, ensuring high product quality, reliable data collection, a fully automated process, and reduced labour requirements.
The fifth component, WM Explora, further expands the WM Empower suite by transforming machine information into an accessible digital experience. It features interactive 3D exploded views, an automatic spare parts catalogue, and direct access to manuals, troubleshooting and technical documentation. Users can explore their machine in 3D and instantly access parts, manuals and support knowledge.
The aim is to to make the work of machine operators faster and simpler, and to give production managers the tools to make more informed, data-driven decision-making.

A forward-looking approach
Beyond the technologies on display, WM will also present a preview of a new project currently under development, focused on adanced automation in thermoforming. Full details will be unveiled during the exhibition and Open House.
“WM has been growing steadily, with continuous investments in R&D, software, and partnerships,” adds Luca Oliverio. “The thermoforming sector is evolving rapidly in terms of automation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, and we intend to be at the forefront of this transformation. What we are presenting at PLAST reflects both our current position and the direction we are taking.”
Further updates will be shared through WM’s communication channels in the coming weeks.
This year’s edition of PLAST also coincides with another important milestone for the company, marking 45 years of activity.

Open House: visiting WM in Stabio
The Open House on 8 and 10 June is open to customers and partners upon reservation. WM’s facility in Stabio is located within easy reach of Fiera Milano, offering visitors the opportunity to combine the exhibition with a direct experience of the company’s production environment.

WM Thermoforming Machines will be exhibiting at Stand 13 E26, Hall 13, Fiera Milano, from 9 to 12 June 2026.

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At WM, we explore and create new technologies that respond the requirements of the continuous evolving packaging industry. Our product portfolio comprises the steel-rule cutting and punch-and-die technology. With our high performance, state-of-the-art thermoformers, we continuously seek to contribute to the success of our customers.