$70m facility to strengthen local packaging production

Packaging company Opal has officially opened a $70 million carton manufacturing facility in Moorebank, south-west Sydney.

Launched during National Recycling Week, the 27,233m² facility is set to bring top-of-the-range printing technology to Australia while strengthening local packaging production. Opal said the facility houses Australia’s only Heidelberg Boardmaster, an advanced high-speed, high-volume inline flexographic web printing system specifically designed for folding carton production.

Brad Hinds, Chief Executive Packaging at Opal, said the facility was an important investment in the future of Australian manufacturing.

“We’re bringing world-leading technology into our operations, giving us greater capacity to produce high-quality carton packaging locally while improving efficiency and waste,” Hinds said. “For our customers, it means greater flexibility, reliable supply and the ability to develop new packaging solutions as their needs evolve.”

Designed for sustainability, the facility‘s advanced manufacturing and operational features include technology that can reduce changeover waste to less than 10 metres of board, representing a material waste reduction of up to 90%.

The Moorebank Cartons site is certified food-safe, for food-grade manufacturing, and uses water-based inks (improving recyclability) and energy-efficient drying with heat recovery. The facility also uses less electricity than its predecessor and no natural gas, according to Opal.

The Heidelberg Boardmaster in action.

The Heidelberg Boardmaster is capable of running at up to 600 metres per minute, with AI-powered plate scanning and automated press settings that improve speed and eliminate manual adjustments.

Freight efficiency has also been improved at the site. With access to rail infrastructure connecting the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct with Port Botany, Opal expects to receive approximately 1557 20-foot containers of board via rail in 2027, reducing reliance on road freight.

“Combined with our Centre of Excellence at our Orchard Hills site in NSW, which produces our innovative, recyclable punnet featuring a unique wood-based cellulose window, Moorebank Cartons gives us the capability to take new packaging ideas from design through to manufacturing competitively, right here in Australia,” Hinds said.

Top image caption: Opal’s Moorebank Cartons facility. All images supplied.