Contract bottling company Best Bottlers, a division of San Miguel Yamamura Australasia (SMYA) Group, has invested in a high-speed canning line for its Mildura, VIC facility, installed and commissioned in December 2020. RecoPak and Splatt Engineering executed the installation and commissioning.
This step has expanded the company’s capabilities beyond the existing 47,000 bottles per hour capacity across a total of six bottling lines at its three sites in Mildura, Griffith and Sydney.
The company has positioned itself as a one-stop-shop for the filling of table wine, sparkling wine – both carbonated and Charmat from 187ml up to 1.5 litres – ciders, RTDs and non-alcoholic beverages.
Across its three sites it has more than four million litres of bulk wine storage available, full laboratory certification, accredited quality management and food safety systems, with wine makers overseeing product care in storage, and its packaging.
Ross Sinclair, COO at SMYA, told PKN investing in the high-speed canning line was the next obvious step for the Mildura facility.
“We had the infrastructure already in place with regards to the qualified staff, wine tanks, laboratory, and more importantly our customers were looking for canning options.
“The canning line will give our customers the advantage to explore new markets in whatever market they operate in – wine, cider, RTD, ginger beer, or non-alcoholic beverages.
Sinclair added that the Mildura site is uniquely placed to tap into the NSW, SA and Victorian markets with truck and train routes moving products daily between these states.
The new canning line consists of an automated high-rise de-palletiser and two CanPro fillers and seamers running up to 250 cans per minute in each line. In-line installations include a Filtec volume checker, and high-speed labeller for small runs. Secondary packaging equipment includes a wrap packer for four- and six-pack cardboard wraps for both the slim and classic can range. Other packaging formats also available are cartonised and top-mounted plastic can holders.
At end-of-line, the product is packed by a RecoPak case-over packer, then cartonised, palletised and stretch wrapped through the automated robot packing system.
Sinclair said the installation and commissioning have been completed by both RecoPak and Splatt Engineering, and that Best Bottlers had been “delighted with their commitment and work throughout Covid with no commissioning dates pushed out”.
“The canning line investment will allow Best Bottlers Mildura to continue to grow and offer its customers a one stop shop. It shows our staff we are serious about growth and investing in the future in our business and our people,” Sinclair said.
“The site will be the only site in Australia offering the full range of packaging solutions with dedicated trained staff in a purpose-built facility.
“For the Mildura region, it not only gives local customers a big competitive advantage but also means technology and employment opportunities in the region,” Sinclair said.
