Amcor Paper

About the “B9” Paper Machine

The next phase in Amcor’s Australian paper making journey, the “B9” paper machine is the largest single capital investment in the company’s over 140 year history. So named as it is the ninth paper machine to operate at Amcor’s Paper Mill located in Botany, New South Wales, this state-of-the-art paper machine will deliver the next generation of paper manufacturing to the Australian and New Zealand market. The B9 project was announced in 2008 and construction commenced early in 2011. Construction at the Mill is now complete and the B9 machine is producing world-class recycled paper for the Australasian market – a defining achievement in Amcor’s history and a proud milestone for manufacturing in Australia.
The Next Generation of Amcor Paper Amcor has owned and operated dozens of paper mills throughout Australia for over 140 years. In order to continue to deliver truly world-class paper to our local customers, Amcor has significantly invested in local manufacturing to continue this tradition of paper making long into the future. The ninth paper machine at Amcor’s Botany site (hence ‘B9’), the new mill will replace two existing paper machines at the site (B7 and B8), as well as one mill located in Fairfield, Victoria (F6). The Botany site will now be the face of Amcor’s Paper & Recycling business, and service all of Amcor’s Australian and New Zealand paper requirements. B9 will produce 100% recycled paper, which is then converted into corrugated board through Amcor’s Fibre Packaging business. Amcor’s Recycling business will continue to collect pre and post-consumer waste paper material for use in the recycled paper production at B9.
Sustainable Benefits B9 will deliver a range of environmental benefits to both Amcor and our customers, including: Production of 100% recycled paper Substantial reduction of Amcor’s carbon footprint Assistance to our customers in fulfilling their sustainability objectives through responsible packaging Resource reduction in line with Amcor’s sustainability targets, including: - Reduction of water usage by 26% - Reduction of energy use by 34% - Reduction of waste to landfill by 75% This demonstrates Amcor’s relentless pursuit of responsible packaging – for today + tomorrow.
Innovation Amcor is committed to delivering the best in packaging materials, design and function. B9 will deliver a range of paper innovations to our Australian and New Zealand customers, including: Paper production speeds never before seen in Australia Greater range of paper weights and grades developed over time Efficient paper performance, colour, printability and consistency
World-class Team The state-of-the-art B9 paper mill is supported by a team of highly-skilled Operators and Process Experts who are specifically trained in the paper production process. Given the complex technology and production processes of B9, this team has completed rigorous training and testing to ensure that Amcor fully leverages the new mill and its production capabilities.

 

To find out more about Amcor Paper, contact us.

Amcor’s Paper Making History

Now a global leader in packaging across a wide range of markets, Amcor has a rich history in Australian paper-making.

Amcor’s history dates back to the 1860’s when Samuel Ramsden, a young stone mason from Yorkshire, arrived in Australia to seek his fortune in a new land. He established Victoria’s first paper mill. Standing tall on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne, the Mill employed more than 50 people at a time when the Australian population was a mere 1.5 million.

For most of its life the Company was known as APM - Australian Paper Manufacturers. Even during this time APM products touched the daily lives of all Australians. After establishing a further two mills in Victoria before the turn of the century, APM acquired mills in Sydney, including the Botany Mill in the early 1900’s and began the search for Amcor’s existing site in Fairfield in 1916.

On May 1, 1986 APM became Amcor Limited, a name that has become increasingly well knownthroughout the world for its packaging innovation and global reach.

True to our history, Amcor’s investment in B9 is an investment in the future of Australian manufacturing.

History of the Botany Mill

1901	Federal Paper Mills Company Limited buys land at Botany from The City Bank of Sydney on 1 October for 3243 pounds two shillings and sixpence.
1902	Federal Paper Mills officially opens new paper mill at Botany on 10 February. No. 1 Machine (B1) produced paper measuring 92in wide and ran at speeds from 35ft to 300ft per minute. Initially, the mill was anticipated to produce 90 to 100 tonnes of unglazed wrapping paper per week made from bagging, rope, straw and waste paper.
1905	Sydney Paper Mills Ltd, a new company formed in 1905, takes over all assets from Federal Paper Mills following financial and structural difficulties.
1908	No. 2 Machine (B2) commences production of machine glazed lightweight paper measuring 120 inches in width, and was one of the largest paper machines in the world at the time.
1920	Sydney Paper Mills Ltd and Australian Paper Mills Ltd amalgamated in August to form the Australasian Paper & Pulp Company Limited (AP & P).  No. 3 Machine (B3) commences production of lighter weight papers.
1929	No. 4 Machine (B4) commences production of cartonboard. The machine was built mainly from salvage equipment from the Lane Cove mill, New South Wales, of which some components were destroyed by fire.
1934	No 1. (B1) Machine was modified with the addition of a 3.66 metre wide Machine Glazed (M.G.) cylinder for the satisfactory production of M.G. papers.
1936	Paper Research Division established in June.
1938	No 5. (B5) Machine commences production. Officially opened by Prime Minister Hon. J.A. Lyons in May, it was one of the largest paper mills in the world at the time, with A.P.M. News considering it “the biggest single development in Botany’s history.” Paper width measured 132in and it produced 500 tonnes per week upon start-up, and soon increased to 800 tonnes per week, totalling 40,000 tons of cartonboard per annum.
1940	Australasian Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd. Head Office moved from York Street, Sydney, to the Botany mill, on McCauley Street, Matraville.
1942-43	Botany mill produces paper for war time products, such as ration books, coupons and security papers.
1947	No 6. (B6) Machine commences production of XXX. This machine was originally erected at the Broadford mill (Victoria) as Broadford No. 1 Machine around 1890, before being reinstated at Botany.
1950’s	First forklift trucks introduced to replace significant manual handling and the use of wheelbarrows and other outdated equipment.
1952	Botany mill produces pink butcher’s paper to combat the recession. This replaced the use of newspaper for fish and chips and within butchers shops across Australia.
1954	Australian Paper Manufacturers Ltd. (APM) absorbs and liquidates Australasian Paper & Pulp Co. Ltd. This marks the beginning of APM’s commanding position within the Australian paper industry.
1955	No. 2 (B2) Machine begins production of “Sorbent” toilet rolls. The company held a competition to name the tissue roll brand - they were looking for a good name, one that would allow the brand to grow and compete strongly in the market. Ernie Clay, Chief Engineer won the competition with the name “Sorbent”.
1960	No. 7 (B7) Machine commences production in September. This was APM’s 18th mill, capable of making 842 acres of Machine Finished (M.F.) Kraft paper per day at a speed of nearly 18 miles an hour. Initial production was 40,000 tonnes per year, with an eventual output of 100,000 tonnes per year.
1966	No. 2 (B2) Machine modified to make flat facial tissues.
1967	No. 4 (B4) Machine closed.
1969	No 8 Machine begins operations. Initial capacity of 80,000 tons per annum, which soon expanded to 150,000 tonnes. This project was relatively simple, as this machine was very similar to the company’s recent installation of the No 6 Machine at Fairfield, Victoria.
1971	Botany Bay reclamation dredging begins. This changed the face of the Botany mill, which had stood on the shores of Botany Bay for over 70 years. This project meant the mill was now located a significant distance from the coastline. No. 3 (B3) Machine (paper) closed in May after 48 years of operation. No. 2 (B2) Machine (paper) closed in December after 56 years of operation.
1972	No. 1 (B1) Machine (paper) closed after 70 years of operation
1976	No. 6 (B6) Machine closed in March. It was reinstated in September in response to increased demand, however it was finally closed in March 1977 after 28 years of operation at Botany. First computer installed at Botany Mill in November on the No. 8 Machine.
1978	No. 5 (B5) Machine (cartonboard) closed after 40 years of operation.
1986	Company name changed from APM Limited to Amcor Limited.
1993	Amcor commences production of 100 per cent recycled paper.
2008	No. 9 (B9) Machine project announced.
2012	No. 7 (B7) and No. 8 (B8) Machines closed in May, after 52 and 43 years of operation respectively. No. 9 Machine (B9) officially opened. This state-of-the-art paper-making technology produces 100% recycled paper at a maximum speed of 1.6km per minute. This equates to 400,000 tonnes of paper per annum. This is the largest paper machine of its kind in Australasia, and will deliver a new era of paper making for Amcor.

 

To find out more about Amcor’s history in paper making, contact us.

Source: ‘Botany Mill – A Century of Paper from Botany Bay’ J. Peter Thoeming 2004

Images above (left to right):
• Samuel Ramsden, Founder of the company
• Botany Paper Mill, Circa 1900
• First APM Recycling collection by horse drawn cart
• Early reels of recycled paper
• The Australian Paper Manufacturers logo and letterhead

Paper Making Process

The paper making process has remained largely unchanged for centuries, however the modern technology of the B9 Machine allows Amcor to create high quality recycled paper grades like never before.

The industrial paper-making process follows seven key stages:

1. Forming the paper sheet
   Recycled fibre is blended with water and then pumped through a narrow opening onto a wire mat. This produces a layer (or ply) of paper. This process is repeated to create a number of layers, which determines the weight/grammage of the finished paper product.
    
2. Pressing the paper sheet
   The wet paper sheet is pressed under high pressure and vacuum to remove water from the sheet. The pressing also helps to increase the strength of the final paper sheer.
    
3. Drying the paper sheet
   The pressing process removes most of the water from the sheet. To ensure that the remaining water is removed, the paper is dried over steam heated drying cylinders.
    
4. Size Press
   During the drying process the paper sheet passes between two rolls which apply a thin film of starch to each side of the sheet. The starch is absorbed into the paper to provide extra strength.
    
5. Reeling
   The paper is wound into a large reel before being transferred to the Winder. Samples are taken from the large reel and tested to ensure the paper meets stringent quality standards and customer specifications.
    
6. Winding
   In order to supply appropriately sized rolls of paper which conform to our customers’ requirements, the large reel of paper is unwound, cut into smaller widths, and rewound into rolls which can be more easily handled by our customers.

To find out more about Amcor’s paper making process at B9, contact us.

Amcor officially opens $500million ‘B9’ paper machine