use strict;
my $str = '2 x 3 kg PPG etc
bob 2 x 3 kg PPG etc
1.5x1.5kgPPGetcFred
BobFred1.5x1.5kgPPGetcFred
1.5 x 2.3 kg PPG Fred Bob
bob Fred 1.5 x 2.3 kg PPG Fred Bob
';
my $regex = qr/.*?(?<=x)\s*?(\d*\.?\d+).*/mp;
my $subst = '\\1';
my $result = $str =~ s/$regex/$subst/rg;
print "The result of the substitution is' $result\n";
Please keep in mind that these code samples are automatically generated and are not guaranteed to work. If you find any syntax errors, feel free to submit a bug report. For a full regex reference for Perl, please visit: http://perldoc.perl.org/perlre.html