The new $8 million Melbourne facility for Zipform, manufacturer of linear formed composite packaging, is on track to be in production by the end of August this year, with the site now completed and installation of back-end equipment underway.
The company has a facility in Perth, and Zipform Packaging CEO John Bigley told PKN the Melbourne plant will more than double the production capacity.
Bigley said, “This second line is a very important investment to support our growth trajectory, as not only does it give us additional capacity but also contingency, which is important for the market.”
He said demand for Zipform’s kerbside recyclable packaging is high, driven by retailers and brand owners looking to adopt more sustainable packaging solutions.
“We are entering a very exciting growth period for our business as more and more brand owners seek out packaging that addresses the 2025 National Packaging Targets. Our ambition is to develop our manufacturing footprint still further and we are confident that our investments in fibre-based packaging are good for us and good for the Australian packaging supply chain,” Bigley said
According to Bigley the new facility will be world-class, with robotic end-of-line palletising and high end in-line technology such as laser etching and print quality inspection.
The key process equipment is being sourced from France and the line will be able to cater for multiple changeovers, with potential sizing ranging from 52mm diameter through to a large non-round pack with a brimful capacity of >2.4 litres.
Not limited to the linear-formed technology, Zipform also offers fibre-based packaging solutions across a whole range of products and is soon to release a range of one-piece fibre overcap options that will be available for multiple market applications.
Bigley says the company has further innovation in the pipeline and expects to announce more technical developments in the near future.
