OPAL'S 4OO TONNES A DAY FLEXO PRINTING BOX PLANT ON TRACK FOR OCTOBER

Opal’s new $140m, high-tech, corrugated cardboard packaging facility is on track to be completed and operational by October, when it will have the capacity to produce 400 tonnes of finished corrugated boxes every day.

The plant will run flexo printing, and use kraft and recycled packaging paper, which it will source from its Maryvale Mill in the Latrobe Valley and its Botany Mill in Sydney. The new factory will produce corrugated cardboard packaging to supply a range of fresh produce, food processing, FMCG and manufacturing industries across the country.

The facility is being developed in two stages. Stage One has included the construction of the automated manufacturing site, with a footprint of 55,000 square metres, with the installation phase due to commence next month. Stage Two will extend the facility’s supply capacity to meet growth in demand.

For the installation phase, the site will receive 260 containers of equipment, most sourced from Germany, with some from France, Denmark and China.

Opal says the new facility will feature ‘enhanced’ supply chain capabilities and ‘advanced’ manufacturing, through the latest technology. This includes a BHS corrugator; Göpfert rotary die cutters; Bobst flexo folder gluers; Dücker/BDS automated work in progress store; a BCM tooling storage system; and a Mosca strapping line.

The company says sustainability is a core component of the site’s design. It will include water harvesting capability, and solar power to leverage the facility’s 41,000sqm roof area.

Opal says it chose Wodonga as the site of the new facility due to its central location to eastern Australia, and a growing customer demand for recyclable packaging.

Chris Daly, executive general manager, Opal Packaging, said Opal’s strategic investment in Wodonga was driven by market demand for superior, Australian-made recyclable packaging. He said, “Opal’s Wodonga corrugated cardboard facility will enable us to increase our production, create new regional jobs and grow our customer base.

"Once running at capacity, the facility will be able to produce up to 720,000 square metres of packaging board per day, which is equivalent to almost 400 tonnes of finished corrugated boxes."

Opal says it is committed to supporting regional jobs and once it is operating, and that the facility is expected to support more than 400 Victorian jobs including direct and flow-on.

Opal is currently recruiting for roles across production, safety, quality and maintenance and interested candidates can visit jobs.opalanz.com to review current opportunities at the Wodonga site, and roles that are open at other Opal sites.