Pipe-Weld delivers for Snackbrands Australia’s Project Horizon
The $222 million Project Horizon expansion has reshaped Snackbrands Australia’s Orchard Hills facility into a 22,225m2 advanced manufacturing and distribution hub. Delivering this transformation relied on disciplined application of stainless steel throughout the plant, expertly fabricated and installed by ASSDA Member and Accredited Fabricator Pipe-Weld, supported by a network of ASSDA Member suppliers to ensure performance, hygiene, and long-term durability at every level.
The development includes a 3,500m2 food manufacturing hall integrated with existing warehousing and distribution infrastructure, forming a consolidated national hub for some of Australia’s most recognised potato chip snack brands. Within this environment, stainless steel was not simply a material choice – it was a performance-critical engineering solution underpinning cleanability, corrosion resistance, structural integrity and lifecycle value.
Stainless steel at scale
Pipe-Weld delivered the full stainless steel mechanical works package, including process pipework, structural platforms and gantries, pollution and stack ducting, flumes, heat exchanger connections, fryer integration and electrical conduits. The project required more than 180,000 man-hours, coordinated through two fabrication workshops located within 20 minutes of site to enable rapid manufacture, finishing and delivery in tightly sequenced installation windows.
Stainless steel grade selection was carefully matched to operational duty:
- Grade 304 for platforms, stairs, handrails and dry-area frames where formability, structural efficiency and hygienic finishing were key.
- Grade 316 for process tubing, Clean-In-Place (CIP) headers, utilities and conduits in wet zones exposed to chlorides and cleaning chemicals.
- Grade 316L in weld-intensive applications to minimise sensitisation and protect heat-affected zones from intergranular corrosion.
- Grade 2205 for elevated chloride dosing lines, selected for its high strength and superior corrosion resistance for both chloride pitting and stress corrosion cracking, allowing reduced section sizes and longer unsupported spans.
In total, the works incorporated:
- 26km of 316 stainless steel tube for process liquids, CIP, compressed air and utilities
- 4,500m2 of stainless steel platforms and access structures
- 8km of fully purged 316 stainless steel conduits forming a sealed services network
- Approximately 22,000m of full sealed platform joints.
More than $2.3 million in stainless materials were sourced exclusively from ASSDA Member suppliers, including Atlas Steels, A&G Stainless Steel, Midway Metals, Dalsteel Metals, Prochem Pipeline Products, Stirlings Performance Steels, and Allmach Piping Systems, ensuring full traceability from mill certification through to installed works.
Welding excellence and fabrication precision
Workmanship followed stringent preparation and execution standards. Tube ends were saw- or laser-cut to achieve square, burr-free profiles before solvent cleaning. Welding was undertaken using orbital GTAW or qualified GTAW/Pulse MIG procedures under controlled argon purging to minimise oxygen ingress and limit heat tint to a pale straw finish.
All welding procedures were supported by qualified Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and Procedure Qualification Records (PQR) documentation. Structural and pipe welds complied with AS/NZS 1554.6 Structural steel welding: Welding stainless steels for structural purposes, while high-risk thermal oil services met AS 4041 Pressure piping Class 1 acceptance criteria. Welder competency was maintained through ongoing qualification testing aligned with AS/NZS ISO 3834 quality requirements.
Distortion control was achieved through engineered jigs, copper backing bars and controlled heat input, particularly on long seam welds. The introduction of Fronius Pulse MIG and FlexTrack 45 Pro systems ensured repeatable seam accuracy, while two Orbitalum 180 Smart welders delivered thousands of consistent tube welds across the facility.
Following fabrication, components were bead-blasted as matched to 2B finishes where appropriate, then pickled and passivated in accordance with ASTM A380 Standard Practice for Cleaning, Descaling, and Passivation of Stainless Steel Parts, Equipment, and Systems or ASTM A967 Standard Specification for Chemical Passivation Treatments for Stainless Steel Parts. These processes restored and stabilised the passive chromium oxide layer, enhancing corrosion resistance and reducing both long-term chemical and water consumption under frequent CIP regimes.
Every weld and component was captured within weld maps, Inspection and Test Pans (ITPs) and Manufacturer’s Data Reports (MDRs), providing end-to-end traceability. All welds underwent visual inspection to AS 3978 Non-destructive testing – Visual inspection of metal products and components acceptance criteria, with non-destructive testing applied to risk-critical joints and verified by third-party inspection.
Hygienic design in a live environment
Works progressed within a tightly sequenced, live construction environment under strict Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) controls. Platforms were detailed to eliminate soil traps, with square hollow section members rotated on the diamond to shed debris. Fully sealed welds were executed at interfaces, and process lines were installed self-draining with hygienic spacing and movement allowances.
Pipe-Weld’s fabricated and installed platforms were designed and certified in accordance with AS 1170.0 Structural design actions; General principles, AS 1170.1 Structural design actions; Permanent, imposed and other actions and AS 4100 Steel structures for structural performance. High-pressure and high-temperature services were engineered to Australian pressure standards, including thermal oil circuits operating at approximately 250 degrees Celsius.
A notable innovation was the adoption of 316 stainless steel tube conduits in preference to conventional tray and PVC systems. The result is a closed, cleanable and durable services spine capable of withstanding wet washdown environments while maintaining hygienic integrity.
An in-house 5-tonne fully electric spider crane enabled more than 200 precision indoor lifts in constrained packaging halls, supporting the assembly of complex platform grids with over 700 legs welded in situ. This approach improved safety, reduced third-party reliance and enhanced schedule certainty.
Lifecycle durability and environmental performance
Stainless steel was selected not only for immediate operational performance but for its lifecycle durability and recyclability. Its corrosion resistance and structural longevity minimise replacement cycles and whole-of-life emissions.
Environmental controls were integrated into the stainless scope. Exhaust and duct systems recover fryer oils for reuse as burner fuel, reducing environmental discharge and reclaiming energy. Engineered stacks manage emissions and noise, while relocation of roof tanks indoors eliminated spill-to-stormwater risk and extended asset life.
Bead-blasted finishes provide a uniform, non-directional surface that supports effective cleaning while reducing chemical and water demand over decades of operation. The electric spider crane further reduced on-site emissions during installation, aligning construction methodology with the project’s environmental objectives.
Setting a new benchmark
Project Horizon demonstrates how petrochemical-grade rigour can elevate stainless steel performance within a food manufacturing environment. Through disciplined material selection, advanced fabrication technology, standards-based QA systems and meticulous hygienic detailing, Pipe-Weld has delivered infrastructure engineered not only for compliance, but for confidence.
From 26km of process tube to thousands of documented welds, Project Horizon reflects stainless steel craftsmanship at industrial scale. In recognition of this achievement, Pipe-Weld was awarded the 2025 ASSDA Fabricator Project of the Year Award in the Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical category, a fitting acknowledgement of a project that has set a benchmark for stainless steel performance in Australia’s food sector.
This article was featured in Australian Stainless Magazine Issue 84.
Photo credit: Pipe-Weld.
