The firm told BeverageDaily.com that the new line would produce 250ml slim size cans for the energy drinks giant, whose contract filling partner Rauch is based at the wall-to-wall site.
Guido Klinkhammer, Rexam key account director, said: “We have a great working relationship with Red Bull and recognise their growing needs as a leading global brand.”
Opened in 2007, the Austrian plant now produces just over 2bn cans per year, but the new line (on stream from late 2013) will add an extra 700,000 cans to site capacity.
Rexam produces a range of can shapes and sizes for Red Bull at Ludesch plant, as well as computer to plate (CTP) and High Definition Illustration Impact printing technologies on site.
Asked how common wall-to-wall production was for Rexam and its peer group, and whether it was only really a process that occurred with large clients, a company spokeswoman said:
Wall-to-wall production efficiencies
“Wall-to-wall production means that the can production and filling are completed at the same site, with the cans transported from the manufacturing plant along a conveyor belt into the customer’s filling plant.”
She added that Rexam had wall-to-wall facilities at three of its European plants, with two located in the UK, and one in Austria.
“Such facilities are an excellent way of reducing the amount of CO2 emissions produced in transportation, as well as making the process efficient and time saving,” she said.
Quizzed as to whether Rexam had scope to expand the Ludesch site further, beyond the fourth line, the spokeswoman said that it would add “the capacity we need for now and for the foreseeable future”.
“As one of the leading global beverage can makers we regularly review the capacity of our plants,” she added.
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