The Macadamias Australia project in Bundaberg, Queensland, is a state-of-the-art nut processing plant and tourist outlet facility. It was completed in late 2020 at a cost of $25 million. The facility houses 18 silos, each with a capacity of 55 tonnes, allowing it to hold a total of 990 tonnes of uncracked macadamia nuts, with an approximate retail value of $14 million. Macadamias are indigenous to Australia, originating from northern New South Wales and central and southeastern Queensland. Macadamia Australia is the world’s largest macadamia processor.

Surepress 316L stainless steel pressfit pipe and fittings were installed throughout the macadamia processing plant, including piping for hot and cold water, chilled water, and compressed air. The piping and fittings were installed in the storage, cracking, seasoning and packaging processes. Allmach supplied nearly 3 kilometres of pipe and associated fittings for the project completion.

The contractors faced several challenges on site, including geographic location, a tight budget and stringent hygiene regulations. As a regional centre, Bundaberg has limited access to warehoused stock; however, Allmach has a same- day despatch service before 2pm which assisted the installers’ access to the stock on time. To address the issue of long drops from the roof to the processing equipment, fabricated conduits for electrical droppers were manufactured, eliminating the need for onsite fabrication and welding (which would require a hot works permit) and reducing costly onsite labour. This solution saved the installer both time and money. Additionally, as a food processing facility, the macadamia plant required strict hygiene levels and non-corrosive equipment—two key features of Surepress 316L stainless steel press-fit pipe and fittings.