Melbourne-based Wallaby Water has unveiled a next-generation automated line dedicated to filling and capping aluminium bottles and cans – a facility purpose-built to process local spring waters, including sparkling mineral formats, with high precision and throughput.
The new line is engineered as a dedicated spring water packaging system for both still and carbonated products, with a focus on maintaining purity and flavour integrity. Counter-pressure filling technology stabilises CO₂ levels during the process, providing consistency for sparkling and mineral waters.
Designed for scalability, the line initially has capacity to deliver approximately 50,000 containers per day, with an upgrade planned for 2027 that will lift output to around 120,000 containers daily through enhancements to the filling block.
Rapid changeover capability allows multiple SKUs to run efficiently on the same line with no compromise to product quality. Transitions between still and carbonated products can be completed at pace, supporting brand, retail, and private-label requirements for flexible production windows.
A defining feature of the installation is its exclusive focus on resealable aluminium bottles – a format gaining traction as retailers, events, and hospitality venues push toward non-plastic hydration options.
At the front of the line, the depalletisation equipment, can conveyance to the filler, and the filler, was supplied by US equipment manufacturer CODI and installed and commissioned by East Coast Canning.
The line also incorporates Australia’s only double-cam ROPP (roll-on pilfer-proof) capping technology for lightweight aluminium ‘bottle-cans’. Designed and built in Japan, the system delivers a precise seal across multiple heights and formats, ensuring closure integrity for both bottles and cans. Fast-changeover capability allows operators to switch between bottles and cans in under an hour, maximising production flexibility.
Equipment from Australian OEM Automaint Solutions is integrated from the capper outfeed to the end-of-line packaging, including the conveyance, line control, case packing and the robotic palletising systems.
Automaint Solutions’ system-level integration delivers a fully synchronised operation from filling through to palletising. The automatic case packer integration enables consistent, accurate loading with minimal manual handling while the centralised conveyance line control synchronises fillers, case packers, and palletisers for uninterrupted flow. High-speed robotic palletising (using Omron technology) improves load stability, safety, and throughput, and vision and inline quality inspection, validates every bottle and cap before palletising.
This unified control architecture provides Wallaby Water with reliability and efficiency across the entire packaging workflow, strengthening its capacity to support national-scale supply.
Low-MOQ custom-printed bottles and cans
In parallel with high-volume production, the new line has been configured to support low-MOQ custom packaging – a capability made possible through close partnerships with direct-to-can printing specialists East Coast Canning and OnPack.
Brands and event organisers can now tap into a highly flexible custom-packaging service, with access to digitally printed aluminium bottles and cans produced in low volumes. Minimum order quantities start at approximately 400 containers per design, enabling cost-effective short-run campaigns. Turnaround times of just two to four weeks make the offer well suited to fast-moving projects, while the format’s flexibility supports everything from product launches and seasonal activations to festivals and premium hospitality applications.
By combining Wallaby’s aluminium-focused bottling infrastructure with East Coast Canning’s print expertise and OnPack’s short-run innovation, the facility introduces a new level of agility for customers wanting to test market-ready formats without committing to high-volume runs.
Scaling local manufacturing
The expanded facility significantly enhances Wallaby Water’s ability to meet fast-growing demand across multiple channels. National retailers are increasingly seeking scalable aluminium alternatives to plastic, while hospitality venues and event partners are accelerating their transition to circular, non-plastic hydration models. The upgraded line also positions Wallaby as a strong partner for contract manufacturing clients requiring high-quality aluminium bottling capability within Australia. Beyond domestic supply, the added capacity supports rising interest from export markets in the USA and Asia, where sustainable, premium water formats continue to gain momentum.
“This investment anchors Wallaby Water as the country’s first fully dedicated and automated aluminium-bottle bottling facility for spring water,” said Dominic Goldsworthy, founder of Wallaby Water. “Our collaboration with our partners and suppliers, East Coast Canning and Automaint Solutions has delivered exceptional automation, efficiency, and reliability. Together, we’ve built a future-proof system capable of supporting Australia’s move away from plastic at real scale.”
In upgrading its production line, Wallaby Water reinforces its commitment to Australian manufacturing, infinitely recyclable packaging formats, closed-loop systems, and the continued reduction of single-use plastic across retail, events, and foodservice channels.
