Visy has invested $30 million in a new 2.8-metre-wide corrugator at its Smithfield board factory in Western Sydney, increasing board output by 33 per cent.
The upgrade includes real-time monitoring and digital process optimisation to improve production speeds and reduce changeover times. The corrugator also produces board with more consistent strength and flatness for high-speed packing lines and shelf-ready packaging applications.
Visy chief executive officer Mark De Wit said the investment would support packaging supply to the agricultural and food and beverage sectors.
“We’ve been making cardboard boxes for farmers, and food and beverage brands at Smithfield for over 40 years. This investment secures a reliable supply of high-quality cardboard packaging that meets demand across the state,” he said.
The corrugator heats, shapes and bonds layers of paper to produce corrugated board, which is then cut to size for box manufacturing.
Visy's Smithfield site includes a material recovery facility, two paper mills producing 100% recycled paper, a cardboard box manufacturing facility and a recycled plastics facility. The company describes the site as the largest recycling precinct in New South Wales, with more than 400 full-time jobs.
Smithfield is one of 18 cardboard box manufacturing facilities in Visy's network across Australia and New Zealand, supported by locally manufactured kraft and 100% recycled paper.
