The state of the art Ozpack plant to use the tough Pro-Pipe II polymer piping to carry compressed air, gas, cold water and hot water.

Pro-Pipe II® Pipe System been incorporated into one of the country's most modern wine export bottling plants to simplify production and cleanliness procedures while facilitating maintenance and future plant reconfigurations.

Ozpak Pty Ltd is a contract bottling facility in Victoria with wine storage capacity of greater than a million litres, a filling line rated at 6,000 bottles an hour packaging McPherson Wines for distribution in the US by the Brown Foreman group, makers of Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort.

The spotless, state-of-the-art Ozpak plant is the latest of more than 3500 industrial plants throughout the Asia-Pacific to use the tough CalAir polymer piping. Ozpak, however, is innovative in that it is a multipurpose colour-coded application of CalAir product, using different types to carry compressed air, gas, cold water, hot water (up to 75 deg C) and fresh water for various production and cleaning processes, where the colour coding assists staff to quickly identify the correct source of particular gas and liquids.

CalAir piping is used both inside and out at the Ozpak plant, in diameters of 25 mm and 50 mm (one and two inch inside diameter) for water and 25 mm for air and nitrogen gas. Diameters of up to 100mm are available.
A feature of interior areas of the Ozpak plant is the extensive triple ring reticulation system, which is more than 200 metres in circumference. The ring system carries air, hot water and cold water throughout the plant for vital functions such as packaging and processing machinery and cleaning. Compressed air powers process machinery, fresh water is used for washing and bottling, while cold water is used for hosing the floor and tanks.

Outside applications of the polymer pipe, which is U.V. stable, include feeds to the giant storage tanks, where CalAir Gas-Pro is used as a flexible, easily erected alternative to more expensive stainless steel piping.
"A first priority of the piping system was that it had to be neat and accessible, and the colour coding made it attractive for us," said Ozpak's Packaging Manager Mr Ian Wilson. "While colour coding was the deciding factor, the overall functionality had to be excellent, of course - and we were impressed with the price against stainless steel or copper. The price and non-corrosive performance made polymer very attractive. "Another plus is that the CalAir polymer piping is easy to install without specialist skills needing to be called in, which can be very expensive. This same flexibility and cost-efficiency also applies later in the life of the plant, when it may need to be reconfigured to accommodate changing production needs. When we install a second bottling line, for example, it is simple to cut it into the existing reticulation systems quickly and inexpensively."

CalAir Pipe Systems (NWM) Mr John Hilditch says a feature of the Ozpak installation is the use of polymer as an alternative to more expensive copper for carrying hot water.
"Given the demonstrated ability of the polymer pipe to carry hot water continuously over considerable distances, it becomes a very cost-efficient and non-corrosive alternative to specialised and expensive metal piping. It is very important that the hot water be delivered in as high a state of purity as possible, given product purity concerns within the food and beverage industry. With the compressed air circuits also, it is important also that the air they carry delivered to tools and machines without the risk of scale and corrosion from piping, which could impair their function" he said.