Orora hosted around 30 customers at its Dandenong site on 22 October to introduce beverage brand owners to the new Helio digital printing system.
Brands in attendance included Coca-Cola, Remedy, Garage Beverages, Suntory, Mountain Culture, Brick Lane and Hop Nation, who were joined by design agencies and industry specialists. The technology deep-dive highlighted how the constraints of traditional printing no longer exist with Orora’s Helio digital can printing platform.
Developed by Velox, the Helio system is the first direct-to-can digital printing line of its kind in the southern hemisphere. It allows photorealistic, high-definition graphics to be printed directly onto aluminium cans at speeds of up to 500 cans per minute, with no need for printing plates or sleeves.
Designs can be switched instantly between runs – even from can to can – opening the door for versioned campaigns, limited editions, and personalised designs that were once cost-prohibitive.
Beyond its creative potential, Helio also offers sustainability and operational advantages. By removing the need for plates, inks and long lead times, the process cuts material waste and energy use while enabling localised, on-demand production. For brand owners, that means shorter time-to-market, reduced stockholding, and less packaging obsolescence.
Commenting on what the new technology could mean for designers, Peter Bradley, global director of artwork at Denomination, said, “With this cutting-edge facility now at our doorstep, we’re entering a new era of can design in Australia. For our clients and Denomination’s design team, it’s a total game changer, unlocking a creative freedom with gradients, varnishes, tactile finishes, full tonal imagery and variable data that traditional can decorating can’t match or even imagine. The Helio Press looks like a spaceship and we are very excited to be part of this next era in can design.”
Jarrod Stival, head of operations at craft brewer CBCo, was similarly impressed: “At CBCo, we believe the flexibility of the Helio system is very exciting for the future of craft beer. We have just two seconds to capture the attention of consumers in-store. The ability to quickly turn around new, exciting, and engaging cans – filled with great beer – means that independent breweries like CBCo can bring eye-catching products to market with the Helio system, helping us win hearts and minds in this challenging category.”
For Bill Webb, managing director of Brick Lane Brewing, Helio opens up exciting new creative possibilities for the brewer’s promotional campaigns. With the freedom to push design boundaries, we can craft bold, bespoke executions that make the can the hero. Lower set-up costs, faster turnaround, and exceptional design agility will deliver real advantages to our business in unlocking these opportunities. This technology has the potential to reshape how we bring future promotions and special releases to life.”
The Dandenong installation reflects Orora’s ongoing investment in advanced technology to support Australian beverage brands with flexible, high-quality and sustainable packaging solutions. It forms part of a broader innovation journey that strengthens local manufacturing capability and enhances Orora’s ability to deliver agile, design-led solutions for an evolving market.
