NZ Manufacturer September 2019

September 2019

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

12-15 FACILITIES INTEGRATE

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VIEW 31 REAR Is technology

PRODUCTIVITY Are you leaving productivity on the factory floor?

making us less productive?

Worried about artificial intelligence?

Productivity Commission Chair, Murray Sherwin, CNZM

Professional 3D CAD New Version 2019 released

We’ve been asked at the Productivity Commission to explore the impact of technological change on the future of work. This month we released New Zealand, technology and productivity – the first of four reports on the topic.

New file import/Export engine New Graphics engine More producve with large assemblies More drawing image opons Powerful dynamic seconing

We’ve been assigned the task because Ministers are genuinely troubled about the potential for emerging technology, especially robotics and artificial intelligence, to replace workers, undermine the security of work and working conditions, and in doing so, disrupt the labour market and the social order, and undermine wider community wellbeing.

There is certainly no shortage of pundits telling us that most jobs will disappear or change fundamentally and that we should prepare for a very different future of work.

Our approach is to try to understand what is going on so that we can respond to developments that are real, rather than imagined or assumed.

What are the channels by which new technologies enter and diffuse through the New Zealand economy?

Adoption of new technology happens as the result of decisions made by individual firms – large and small – across an economy. The ambition for improved profitability and growth are key drivers.

We know that adoption of new technologies requires access to capital and may require other complementary investments as well. It’s not usually just a simple case of buying a new machine or computer programme; firms may need to reorganise their business or change their business model.

That’s quite an investment and most firms don’t take those decisions lightly.

Firms will make decisions in the context of how well their industry and the overall economy is performing, and their owners’ appetite for risk.

But we know that when firms adopt tech and improve their bottom line, the country’s productivity also improves, giving us higher income growth and increased resources to pay for the things New Zealanders’ value.

Adopting new technology is not necessarily labour-replacing. It might lead to different types of jobs/tasks being required and more jobs if the firm expands. A lot of the newer research talks about artificial intelligence being better at some human tasks, freeing up humans for the work tasks they are better at. And there are certainly jobs for artificial intelligence that humans could never do.

One example I came across the other day is from Norway, which has a large fish-farming industry.

One threat to the industry is sea lice, which infect hundreds of millions of fish a year, feeding on their mucus, skin and blood. Infected fish are

continued on Page 8

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CONTENTS 1

DEPARTMENTS ANALYSIS

ADVISORS

Worried about artificial intelligence?

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BUSINESS NEWS Kirk Hope

Methven changes ownership.

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Is Chief Executive of BusinessNZ, New Zealand’s largest business advocacy body. He has held a range of senior positions at Westpac and is a barrister and solicitor.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Xcelerator speeds digital future of industry.

Team NZ gets a lift in lead up to Cup. Cobot companies in industrial applications.

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Robotics Plus wins ANZLF Trans-Tasman Innovation and Growth Award.

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FACILITIES INTEGRATE Seminar Series and Exhibitor listings.

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Dr. Dieter Adam

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Is the executive director of The Manufacturers’ Networ. He has a Ph.D. in plant biotechnology, consulting and senior management roles in R&D, innovation and international business development.

PRODUCTIVITY Are you leaving productivity on the factory floor?

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Leeann Watson

SMART MANUFACTURING The fourth Industrial revolution emerges from AI and the Internet of Things.

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Is the Chief Executive of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber).and is a strong voice for Canterbury business.

Electric motorbike launched.

High-quality film production for next generation drives.

The challenge of unmanned automation in the oil and gas industry.

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FOOD MANUFACTURING

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NEW PRODUCTS

Launch of the New Zealand Agritech Story.

Lewis Woodward

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Is Managing Director of Connection Technologies Ltd, Wellington and is passionate about industry supporting NZ based companies, which in turn builds local expertise and knowledge, and provides education and employment for future generations.

SpindleSense reduces machine downtime.

Making business continuity easy and affordable.

Dr Troy Coyle

PowerScan range extends durability of handheld industrial scanners.

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DEVELOPMENTS Changing our attitude to plastics.

New Plymouth company certified ISO 45001.

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Is HERA Director, she has extensive experience in innovation, research management and product development, most recently as Head of Innovation and Product Development & Pacific Islands Export Manager at New Zealand Steel.

Nelson manufacturer award winner.

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Brett O’Riley

BUSINESS NEWS What it takes to navigate cultural differences in a global business world.

REAR VIEW Is technology making us less productive?

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EMA chief executive Brett O’Riley has a background in technology and economic development.

Brett actually grew up with manufacturing, in the family business, Biggins & Co. He currently holds board roles with Wine Grenade and Dotterel Technologies and is also on the NZ Film Commission board.

PUBLISHER Media Hawke’s Bay Ltd,1/121 Russell Street North, Hastings, New Zealand 4122.

Lifting our capacity to apply new technology

MANAGING EDITOR Doug Green T: +64 6 870 9029 E: publisher@xtra.co.nz

The Productivity Commission has

CONTRIBUTORS

and productivity – the first of four

released New Zealand, technology

Holly Green, Murray Sherwin, Gemma Stanbridge, Natalie Martin, Revti Raman Sharma

reports on the topic.

ADVERTISING

Kim Alves, KA Design T: + 64 6 870 8133 E: kim.alves@xtra.co.nz

The Productivity Commission has done this because Ministers are genuinely troubled about the potential for emerging technology, especially robotics and artificial intelligence, to replace workers, undermine the security of work and working conditions, and in doing so, disrupt the labour market and the social order, and undermine wider community wellbeing.

WEB MASTER

Key Points:

Doug Green T: + 64 6 870 9029 E: publisher@xtra.co.nz

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Julian Goodbehere E: julian@isystems.co.nz

* Adapting new technology is not necessarily labour replacing. It might lead to different types of jobs being required and more jobs if the firm expands.

PUBLISHING SERVICES On-Line Publisher Media Hawke’s Bay Ltd

However, there are jobs for artificial intelligence that humans can never do.

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS E: publisher@xtra.co.nz Free of Charge.

* Our best firms have productivity performance that is well short of the levels of firms at the global frontier.

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* Our laggard firms are well behind our best. More particularly, our laggards hold a surprisingly large share of our labour and capital resources, and don’t give them up quickly.

T: +64 6 870 4506 F: +64 6 878 8150 E: publisher@xtra.co.nz 1/121 Russell Street North, Hastings PO Box 1109, Hastings, NZ NZ Manufacturer ISSN 1179-4992

* In small and quite isolated markets, our low productivity firms remain in business for a long time.

Vol.10 No. 8 SEPTEMBER 2019

Copyright: NZ Manufacturer is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Neither editorial opinions expressed, nor facts stated in the advertisements, are necessarily agreed to by the editor or publisher of NZ Manufacturer and, whilst all efforts are made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility will be taken by the publishers for inaccurate information, or for any consequences of reliance on this information. NZ Manufacturer welcomes your contributions which may not necessarily be used because of the philosophy of the publication.

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Doug Green

Success Through Innovation

EDITORIAL

BUSINESS NEWS Methven changes ownership,

still the same quality product Being acquired in April by Australia’s GWA Group will only create more opportunities for shower and tapware company Methven, one of New Zealand’s oldest and most innovative.

Founded in 1886 in Dunedin as an iron and brass foundry, Methven still has its customer service function in that city today, with its head office and a factory in Auckland.

In 2018 Methven generated 31 per cent of its revenue domestically, 42 per cent from Australia, 25 per cent from the United Kingdom and the remainder from China and other Asian countries.

Methven brand director, Matt Jones, says the company hasn’t always been about showers and taps either, with it even making ammunitions for the New Zealand Army during the war years.

Following the acquisition, GWA Group now has 143 staff in NZ, with the new parent company committing to keeping New Zealand as a design and innovation base. GWA Group also compete in sanitary ware, showers, tapware, sinks and tubs with the Caroma, Dorf and Clark brands.

It wasn’t until 1896 that the company started making taps, as well as copper laundry vessels, and while it’s stuck with tapware, it’s expanded into valves and also shower products that are known for their innovation and design.

As for what being acquired by GWA Group will mean, Mr Jones says simply a bigger offering for customers.

Mr Jones says that since 1995 when Methven launched FastFlow®, its technology to address flow and solve water pressure issues in homes, it has cultivated a culture of innovation based on what its customers want.

“Methven becoming a subsidiary of GWA Group just makes sense. It brings a collection of strong, complementary kitchen, bathroom and laundry brands together that cover the commercial and residential markets, and clearly there are benefits in increasing our product portfolio overseas.”

“Innovation must be driven by customer demand.

Focus on your customers’ needs and delivering against those. You need to be really clear about what your point of difference is over your competitor, and have a ruthless dedication to innovation, even at the expense of immediate profit sometimes.”

Giving things a go seems to go hand-in-hand with innovation and the Kiwi mindset, says Mr Jones, and the openness and willingness of people to share their knowledge creates opportunities that benefit everyone.

“One of the challenges of New Zealand is that while it’s a developed market it is pretty small, so it lacks the economies of scale. That just means we have to be nimbler and more flexible, and doing this and other things differently is essential to the success of any Kiwi business.”

Innovation must be driven by customer demand.

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Completed prototype with 3D printed and painted engine model

Paving the Way

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Customer Spotlight: Ford Motor Company From its earliest roots in developing the moving assembly line, Ford has been at the forefront of manufacturing innovation. In this video, Ford’s CTO, Ken Washington, discusses how the company is using advanced 3D printing technologies like the Studio System to help drive the automotive factory of the future.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY continued from Page 1

Worried about artificial intelligence?

unsaleable and the available ways of treating sea lice (pesticides or dunking infected fish in warm water) create chemical resistance or don’t adequately protect healthy fish.

A Norwegian aquaculture firm is trialling facial recognition software that identifies abnormalities on fish, such as lice and skin ulcers, and allows the affected fish to be quarantined.

One estimate suggests that early detection through these technologies could cut fish mortality rates by between 50 to 75%.

This is a job that no human (or group of humans) could feasibly do, so the technology adds value without subtracting labour.

What this example also shows is that technology can create new opportunities to leverage off a country’s existing strengths and create new goods and services (such as specialised AI programs), which can be commercialised and exported.

However, we know that most new technology (not all, but most) will come from other countries.

So, the pace of technological change here will largely be determined by the pace and depth of global technological progress. We will get some chance to see it coming.

How fast is the global technological frontier moving? Some argue that it is moving very fast and accelerating. Certainly, in some fields, like artificial intelligence, the evidence points in that

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direction.

But to what effect? We might expect to see this high pace of innovation being reflected in a very dynamic business and labour market, with high productivity growth, lots of job churn and business start-up activity. And you might expect to see that first in the countries where innovation is concentrated, especially the USA. Yet data from across the developed world, including the USA, tells the opposite story.

Productivity growth is uncommonly sluggish, average job tenure has increased, business start-ups and job churn are down. Is it possible that the future could look a lot like the present – low productivity growth, slow technological diffusion, and slow change in the labour market?

Maybe, but economists such as Chad Syverson and Erik Brynjolfsson – the leading gurus in this field – argue that lots of firms are making large investments in creating and adapting new technology.

These investments are costly, but have yet to bear fruit, hence the fall in productivity growth.

Once the new technologies are well embedded, we should see large increases in productivity and accompanying disruption to incumbent business models.

What do we know about the diffusion of technology in the New Zealand economy? Quite

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a lot, really. And the story is quite grim. With the firm-level analysis we are now able to undertake, we can confirm, as is intuitive, that our generally sub-par productivity performance goes hand in hand with sluggish innovation.

Our best firms have productivity performance that is well short of the levels of firms at the global frontier. Our laggard firms are well behind our best. More particularly, our laggards hold a surprisingly large share of our labour and capital resources, and don’t give them up quickly. In small and quite isolated markets, our low productivity firms remain in business for a long time.

If we are to lift New Zealand’s productivity performance and with that, community well-being, we will need to lift our capacity to take up and apply new technology and innovation and learn to deal effectively with the change process.

How we can achieve that will feature in our forthcoming reports.

Notes • The New Zealand, technology and productivity report is available at: www.productivity.govt.nz/inquiries/technology-and-the-future-of-work/. Feedback is welcome and submissions are invited by 20 January 2020.

• Further analysis and advice will be available in three further draft reports: Employment, labour markets and income will be released in October, Education and skills in November and Preparing New Zealand for the future in December. A final report will be presented to the Government in March 2020.

• The Commission has a blog with regular posts on technological change and the future of work: www.productivity.govt.nz/ futureworknzblog/ Your comments and guest posts are welcome.

Team NZ gets a lift in lead up to Cup NZ Crane Hire is on board as an official Team New Zealand supplier and is responsible for lifting the team’s race boat in and out of the water at its Viaduct Harbour base.

Team New Zealand’s new 75-foot AC75 foiling monohull, Te Aihe, was lifted into the water for the first time recently with NZ Crane Hire’s Demag AC 250 all-terrain mobile crane.

NZ Crane Hire’s Managing Director, Deane Manley, says the company has done thousands of large-scale lifts in its 60-year history but there was added pressure with many eyes watching the launch.

“This boat is precious cargo and carries the hopes of a nation, so it is a little different. But essentially cranes are based on simple geometry, so it comes down to careful planning and a high level of skill from our crane drivers to get the job done well.

without NZ Crane Hire.

“The boat weighs 6.5 tonnes and there are some very interesting winds around the Viaduct so getting the boat in and out of the water as safely and efficiently as possible on a regular basis is key.”

The 36th America’s Cup is returning to Auckland’s waterfront in 2021 after Emirates Team New Zealand won the Cup in Bermuda in 2017.

The racing period will take place from March 6th – March 21st. It will be a best-of-13, first-to-sevenpoints series.

“The team and I are also looking forward to playing a small part in helping the team defend the Cup in 2021,” he says.

Reports show that changes brought by AI will be as significant as the ongoing changes that have brought computers and internet into all aspects of business, government and everyday life over the last 30 years, he says.

Muller was commenting on the New Zealand AI Forum’s latest research report which highlights the importance of AI for New Zealand’s future growth.

“Last year the AI Forum released a report that called for a national AI strategy, that would be nice, however technology is moving so fast we just need to get on with it.

“We need to consider AI in all sectors including health, education, agriculture and banking. AI will be useful in almost every way of life in New Zealand.

Grant Dalton, CEO Team New Zealand, says the build up to the America’s Cup would not be possible

“For example, how can AI reduce the road toll?

According to this study, AI has the potential to save 64 lives a year, prevent 7200 injuries and more than $800 million in social costs.

Xcelerator speeds digital future of industry

“The research clearly highlights the value of AI for achieving New Zealand’s wellbeing, sustainability and economic goals.”

Xcelerator is an integrated portfolio of software, services and application development platform that can be personalised and adapted to fit customer and industry-specific needs to help companies of all sizes become digital enterprises.

The Mendix platform now includes cloud and app services for digital engineering and Internet of Things (IoT) powered by MindSphere the cloud-based, open IoT operating system from

AI technologies are beginning to have a major impact on New Zealand’s economy and society, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says.

“It is excellent that this new report identifies we should immediately begin considering the role of AI to support all of the existing national strategies,” he says.

Mr Manley says the company will have a crane based permanently at the New Zealand syndicate in the lead up to and during the Cup in 2021.

Xcelerator combines the full portfolio of Siemens’ software for design, engineering and manufacturing with an expanded Mendix low-code, multiexperience application development platform.

AI can make a positive impact

Siemens, in addition to Mendix’s market-leading unified low-code and no-code development environments.

Unique to Xcelerator, this platform drives digital transformation by enabling anyone in the ecosystem, including citizen developers and engineers to easily build, integrate and extend their existing data and systems.

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The report provides a showcase of AI case studies, analysis of what’s needed to boost acceptance and adoption and a first examination of Māori attitudes, perceptions of and engagement with AI. The research identifies that New Zealand urgently needs to increase its focus on areas such as investment in AI, skills and talent, research, trusted data, ethics and regulation. The report shows how AI solutions can be used to improve wellbeing, productivity and sustainability.

Graeme Muller.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Cobot companies in industrial applications There are well over 50 manufacturers of collaborative robots (cobots) worldwide, but only a handful of these companies have so far deployed cobots on any meaningful level of scale.

Tens of thousands of cobots have been sold as of 2019 and earned US$500 million in annual revenue for world markets.

The Industrial Collaborative Robots Competitive Assessment analysed and ranked 12 collaborative robot vendors in the industry - ABB, Aubo Robotics, Automata, Doosan Robotics, FANUC, Franka Emika, Kuka AG, Precise Automation, Productive Robotics, Techman Robot, Universal Robots, and Yaskawa Motoman.

For this competitive assessment, innovation criteria included payload, software, ergonomics and human-machine interaction, experimentation and safety; implementation criteria focused on units and revenue, cost and ROI, partnerships, value-added services, and the number of employees.

axes for superior flexibility, long reach, and a very affordable price point, but has yet to deploy at scale. Automata, a British company develops a ‘desk-top’ cobot costing less than US$7,000, is significantly lowering the barriers to entry for smaller actors and is championing the use of open-source middleware like ROS to program cobots for industrial use-cases.

Germany-based Franka Emika and Chinese-American provider Aubo Robotics also represent relatively new entrants to the market who are building on the success of Universal Robots and are beginning to compete with them.

Perhaps surprisingly, while the major industrial robotics providers have developed cobot lines, they have generally been less successful in marketing them or gaining market traction relative to the

pure-cobot developers.

In part, this is down to focus. While collaborative robots are valuable, they generally suit deployments and use-cases with smaller shipments and a wider variety of small and large end-users.

For industrial players like ABB, FANUC, KUKA AG and Yaskawa Motoman, their client-base tends to be large industrial players who buy fixed automation solution through bulk orders.

Aside from this, all four of these companies are competing extensively for greater shipment figures in China, where the cobot opportunity relative to the market for traditional industrial systems is much less apparent than in Europe or North America.

Market leaders in cobots generally have well-developed cobot rosters, in many cases backed up by an ecosystem platform that integrates applications, accessories, and end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) solutions in with the base hardware.

With 37,000 cobots sold so far, UR leads, followed by Taiwanese provider Techman with 10,000, and Korea-based Doosan with over 2,000.

Precise Automation, which uses an advanced direct drive solution to develop faster collaborative robots, was cited as the most innovative of the 12 providers, just edging out Universal Robots, who claimed the overall top spot due to their significant lead in implementation.

There are several companies that are too young to be challenging the dominant parties in the cobot market but are developing new and disruptive technologies that will allow them rise to prominence in the years to come.

Productive Robotics is a case-in-point.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Robotics Plus wins ANZLF Trans-Tasman Innovation and Growth Robotics Plus, a world-leading robotics and automation company developing innovation to unlock new levels of productivity in some of the world’s most labour-intensive food and fibre value chains, has won an ANZLF Trans-Tasman Innovation and Growth Award.

The awards celebrate innovation, growth and impact of emerging businesses in Australia and New Zealand.

Robotics Plus was founded in 2013 by Steve Saunders and Dr Alistair Scarfe with a simple goal in mind: to improving the quality, productivity and sustainability of the horticultural and other primary industry supply chains.

The company’s R&D efforts focus on automation, vision, robotics and AI, to solve the growing challenges in the primary industry globally such as: labour shortages, sustainability for growers and producers, pollination gaps and yield security.

Steve Saunders, Chairman and Founder of Robotics Plus, says: “It’s an absolute honour for the team to receive an ANZLF Trans-Tasman Innovation and Growth Award. It is validation of the hard work of a lot of people over a number of years and celebrates our innovation, culture and diversity.

“Receiving such a prestigious award provides a valuable opportunity to showcase Robotics Plus to the world. We would like to recognise our fantastic partners and collaborators in the commercial, research and Government sectors, without them this would not be possible.”

Robotics Plus CEO Dr Matt Glenn says the company is experiencing strong growth on the back of increasing demand for its world-first platform technologies. “Over the last 18 months Robotics Plus has launched two commercial products, entered the US and European markets, completed a US$10M Series A investment with Yamaha Motor Company and grown from a team of 12 to over 50. We also

have a number of new products in the pipeline and expect our growth to continue at the same rate for the foreseeable future.

“We’ve been able to achieve so much due to our passionate founders, innovative culture, diverse and entrepreneurial team, and collaboration with fantastic partners who share our vision to grow into a truly global business that will transform a number of industries.”

Saunders adds, “Importantly, our core company values of ‘he aronga nui’ (pioneering), ‘manaakitanga’ (collaboration), ‘tika me te pono’ (principled) and ‘kaitiakitangi’ (stewardship), also resonate strongly with our local and international partners who are helping us scale quickly.”

Robotics Plus launched its award winning robotic Āporo apple packers commercially in 2018. The technology, which identifies and safely places up to 120 apples per minute in display trays, is being marketed by Global Pac Technologies, a Jenkins Group (NZ/Australia) and Van Doren Sales (US) joint venture.

industry which is facing labour shortages and increasing consumer demand for fresh fruit, including: an autonomous agricultural vehicle, robotic pollinator, robotic harvesters, crop estimator, and a number of confidential projects.

Dr Glenn say, “It’s an exciting time for Robotics Plus. We’re rapidly adding to our world-class development team to prototype new ideas, validate new components and integrate these into our robotic systems. Our efforts are well supported by our investors, commercial partners, Governmental partners and collaborative research relationships.”

The inaugural ANZLF Trans-Tasman Innovation and Growth Awards was established by the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF), in association with founding partner Accenture.

ANZLF brings senior business and government leaders together to help Australia and New Zealand prosper in the global economy. Robotics Plus winners’ prize for the ANZLF Trans-Tasman Innovation and Growth Awards consists of $20,000AUD and an invitation to two funded winners’ summits to be held in 2020.

Aporo apple packers are already operating in packhouses in New Zealand and USA, with a number of installations set for Europe.

Earlier this year, Robotics Plus launched its industry-changing Robotic Scaling Machines (RSM) which automates the accurate measurement of logs on trucks and trailers, with Mount Maunganui-based ISO Limited commissioning the world’s first two automated logging truck scalers.

Robotics Plus has a range of technologies under development to Dr Alistair Scarfe, CTO and Co-Founder (L) and Steve Saunders, Chairman and Co-Founder address major issues in a range of industries, including the horticulture (R) with Robotics Plus’ UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle).

Low cost process monitoring for CNC transfer Innovative new application software enables users of high throughput, multi-process CNC machine tools to implement process monitoring without incurring any additional hardware costs.

systems, a further 8 motors can be monitored for each additional NCK.

The software is likely to be of especial interest to users of high-end production systems such as transfer machines, where even relatively small operating issues can rapidly escalate into much larger, more expensive problems unless proactive remedial action is taken.

Both the level and duration of each load event that occurs during the ‘learn’ cycle are measured and recorded, and the process can be repeated to obtain average values. There is no limit to the number of different load events that can be accommodated during a complete machine cycle.

NUMmonitor capitalises on the inherent flexibility of NUM’s latest-generation Flexium+ CNC platform.

As standard, every Flexium+ CNC system includes a PC which can handle data from the servo drives’ measurement points, a PLC that has direct access to machine parameters, and an NCK oscilloscope feature capable of reading values in real-time. All system communications are handled by FXServer, using fast real-time Ethernet (RTE) networking.

Through real-time monitoring of the power/current values of the electric motors on a transfer machine throughout its milling, turning or grinding processes, it is possible to minimise system downtime and maintain production quality by guarding against faults.

Minimum and maximum curves are automatically generated from the ‘learn’ cycles, with the user able to define the types of error detection and the logic (for combining different error criteria, if desired).

Production can commence as soon as NUMmonitor has acquired the machine’s ‘known good’ performance parameters. The same part program is used for both the ‘learning’ phase and the production phase.

Typically, these would include worn or damaged tools and undersize or oversize workpiece blanks.

Known as NUMmonitor, the software initially operates in ‘learn’ mode to acquire the varying loads and drive currents of motors when the CNC machine tool is running at optimal performance levels and with a sharp new tool.

Up to eight motors can be monitored simultaneously throughout the machine’s operating cycle, and the software accommodates up to 11 different error detection criteria per motor. In the case of multi-NCK

On transfer machines, it is generally sufficient to monitor just the load (power) of the spindle motors.

additional hardware costs.

These machine cycle-time related operating parameters form ‘known good’ event references which can then be used for comparison purposes against data sampled during subsequent production runs. The user-programmed amplitude, duration and integral thresholds determine whether an event constitutes an ‘alert’, ‘alarm’ or ‘shutdown’ condition.

One of the key design aims behind NUM’s new process monitoring software was that it should be entirely self-contained, so that machine designers and users can implement relatively sophisticated process monitoring schemes without incurring

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FACILITIES INTEGRATE Seminar Series – Facilities Integrate Wednesday 25 September | Open 9.30am – 5.00pm

MC: Greg Ward

Time

Speaker

Title

Blurb

10.00am – 11.00am

David Karam (APS Ltd)

Safety at Height

Working at height remains one of the biggest and most common causes of injuries and fatalities on facilities all over the world. The cost of these falls in New Zealand is estimated to be NZ$24 million a year, an amount which doesn’t speak to the human cost as a result of these falls.

In this hands-on demonstration, David will show you how contractors can work safely at height and how in the event of a fall, by using key personal protective equipment (PPE) and rescue devices, a rescue can be performed quickly and safely.

Facility roof access is inevitable – make sure you’re equipped to provide a safe working environment for staff and contractors alike.

11.30am – 12.15pm

Melanie Tristram (Jasmax), Andrew Field (Beca), Steve Davis (Assemble)

Why BIM?

Better utilisation of BIM can unlock many of the cost and programme challenges currently facing the New Zealand construction sector, as well as providing benefits across the life of the building.

However, a large number of the industry’s current projects are falling short of optimal BIM usage.

Jasmax’s Melanie Tristram, Beca’s Andrew Field and Assemble’s Steve Davis – who have collectively authored the third edition of the New Zealand BIM Handbook – will facilitate a lively discussion around the industry’s adoption of the technology and the collaborative behaviours required to ensure clients receive accurate, timely and meaningful data.

1.00pm – 1.45pm

Rosemary Killip (Building Networks Ltd)

The Danger of Occupying a Building Without a Code of Compliance

In this day and age of increased health and safety, many businesses and undertakings are missing the obvious – occupying a building without a Code of Compliance is dangerous!

A building project is not finished until it is signed off with a CCC (or in some cases, a CPU).

What’s more, a CCC/CCP is required for there to be a Compliance Schedule and a Fire Evacuation Scheme. Do you have these?

Don’t miss the chance to hear tips and tricks from an industry expert, to ensure your building is up to current standards.

2.00pm –2.45pm

Ulrich Frerk (Adroit), Scott Pollard (Vodafone New Zealand)

IoT To The Rescue

IoT is changing the way humans live. By being able to collect data from the real things in our lives, we can lower power consumption, farm better, help people with disabilities, plus many more innovative applications.

Connected technology has an equalising effect, that can be a particular help for people with disabilities – by making our spaces more interactive, more welcoming and more human.

Connecting things to the internet is, unsurprisingly, an essential piece of the Internet of Things. But when it comes to evaluating what type of network connectivity is best for a given IoT solution, it can feel like there are an overwhelming number of options. Cellular, satellite, WiFi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, LPWAN and Ethernet are all possible ways to connect a sensor/device. And within each of these options there are different providers.

Last but certainly not least in any implementation of IoT, it is important to consider IoT security. Not just your device but what your device can do to the internet.

In this 30-minute seminar slot, Ulrich Frerk (founder of Adroit) and Scott Pollard (country manager of IoT for Vodafone NZ) will dive into the most innovative and impressive ways that IoT is assisting those with disabilities, how companies collect and use data from their things, how NB-IoT fits in, and how Vodafone is leading the way in the IoT space and IoT security.

3.00pm – 3.45pm

Duncan Munroe (Auckland Council), Mark Roberts (Auckland Council), James Griffin (Sustainable Business Network)

Working Together Towards Zero Waste by 2040

Introducing Auckland’s Waste Plan – which has an aspirational vision for Auckland to be Zero Waste by 2040 – taking care of people and the environment, and turning waste into resources.

In this panel discussion, hear practical examples of what businesses and the commercial sector are doing to reduce waste over a range of industries including shopping malls, the construction and demolition sector, and Auckland Council – the latter of which has reduced waste by 30 per cent over the last six years and is now including waste outcomes in its procurement of services.

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FACILITIES INTEGRATE Wednesday 25 September continued 4.00pm – 4.30pm

Gareth Lawrenson (Garman Aviation)

rones/UAV’s/RPAS in today’s Facilities Management framework.

1. The current role of drones in modern Facilities Management, Engineering and Construction a. External services scoping and post project retention release assessments b. External structural scoping and post project retention release assessments c. Insurance damage assessment d. Full 3D Modelling and asset condition capture, inspection, reporting and maintenance planning. e. Photography and Video of specific construction feature inspections, truss, precast, roofing etc. f. Photography for monthly construction progress reports 2. De-risking drones for Facilities Management, Engineering and Construction a. Health & Safety b. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Compliance c. Insurances d. Subcontractors 3. The future roles and risk of drones to Facilities Management, Engineering and Construction a. Security Monitoring b. Delivery (Risk AND Reward c. Time critical medical and first responder care/ assistance d. Real time built environment progress and response 3. The future roles and risk of drones to Facilities Management, Engineering and Construction a. Security Monitoring b. Delivery (Risk AND Reward) c. Time critical medical and first responder care/assistance d. Real time built environment progress and response

Close 5.00pm

Thursday 26 September | Open 9.30am – 4.00pm

MC: Greg Ward

Time

Speaker

Title and blurb

Blurb

10.00am – 10.45am

Sam Archer (New Zealand Green Building Council)

Net Zero Carbon Buildings for Aotearoa

Buildings contribute a large portion of our national carbon emissions. More importantly, they contribute far more to our lives than simply carbon.

The Green Building Council, alongside Enviro-Mark Solutions, is developing a framework to shift our buildings to net zero carbon, and as part of that framework a comprehensive net zero carbon building certification for existing commercial buildings.

This framework and certification are being launched alongside Facilities Integrate.

Over time, it will be developed into a comprehensive standard that could be used to decarbonise all of Aotearoa’s buildings.

Sam’s presentation will give you an outline of this standard and how you can meet the growing demand from both central and local government, industry and building occupants to improve building performance.

11.00am – 12.00pm

Jason Cherrington (Optic Security Group), Damian Seaton (former British Military Intelligence Agent)

Cyber Attack: A Growing Invisible Threat for Physical and Digital Infrastructure

Cyber threats continue to evolve as fast as technology changes and it is now difficult to find an industry sector, technology or organisation that is immune to cyber risks.

KEYNOTE

Because cyber means are being used to achieve an increasing array of nefarious outcomes all over the world, it is important to understand how you might mitigate the complexity of converged security within physical and digital infrastructure.

In this panel discussion hosted by Optic Security Group CEO Jason Cherrington, you’ll hear from former Military Intelligence Officer and ex Scotland Yard senior detective Damian Seaton and a number of industry experts who will provide practical steps for how to secure critical infrastructure, which is increasingly reliant on systems and technology.

12.15pm – 1.00pm

SPOTLESS

A Talk by Spotless

TBC

1.15pm – 2.00pm

Michael Welzel (Direct Control Ltd)

Optimise Operational Efficiency in Facilities Using Industrial IoT

Introducing sensor-based smart technologies to buildings and other facilities is the initial step towards gaining comprehensive insights into the performance of multiple factors including HVAC, electricity and water consumption, lighting, occupancy and more.

The next, and more important step towards a greater number of intelligent buildings, is the integration and practical use of the data being generated by multiple assets and from hundreds or even thousands of sources.

Michael Welzel will explore the concepts of the industrial Internet of Things, discuss what data can be generated, how it is transmitted, collected and integrated, and how it can be used by facilities managers in the pursuit of improved efficiency, reduced emissions and lowered operational costs.

Whether a single facility or across a portfolio of properties, Welzel will explain how the Internet of Things is revolutionising building management in New Zealand today.

2.15pm – 3.00pm

Mark Sinclair (Britomart), Glenn Inkster (TransNet)

Electric Vehicles in Infrastructure Simplified

Electrified transport is a hot topic currently. The price premium to drive an electric vehicle can be seen as a positive as it buys the building industry time to put plans in place and ready itself for the rush as prices begin to drop.

The automotive and electrical industries are having to learn a lot about each other, but the building industry must have an understanding of both to ensure facilities cater for EV charging requirements.

But there are so many new terms, it can be hard to know what is actually required. Understanding the power and energy an EV needs (and not what it could take) is essential to ensuring buildings are prepared, without making mistakes based on misinformation.

Simplifying EV charging and working out what is important will minimise the chance of making costly mistakes.

Everyone is in this together and it is vital we learn from what has already been done (both good and bad) and the lessons gleaned along the way.

Close 4.00pm

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FACILITIES INTEGRATE

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FACILITIES INTEGRATE FACILITIES INTEGRATE 25-26 SEPTEMBER AUCKLAND ASB Stand #

Company Name

Stand #

Company Name

Stand #

Company Name

D17...........................................ABB New Zealand

E44..................................................Easi Recycling

E20.... New Zealand Security Association (NZSA)

E33............................Access Partners in Property

C19................................................ Electrotest Ltd

F31..................................................No More Birds

C37........................................................ ActronAir

C5.............................................................. EMANZ

G17......................................... NuGreen Solutions

B17..............................................................Adroit

C9................................Energy Solution Providers

E35......................................Optic Security Group

F40.................................................... Air Solutions

H20....................................................EnviroWaste

D28.................................................. Panasonic NZ

E11....................................... Alarm New Zealand

E29..........Eurotec (Electrical & Instrumentation)

G43.................................................. Pitney Bowes

H16........................................................... ALPECO

C32................................ Eurotec (HVAC & Eaton)

G11......................................Powerbox Pacific Ltd

C3....................Alternative Backup Solutions Ltd

F42.......................................................PowerEdge

A24......................................Ambius Plantscaping

H36...................................Facilities Management Association of New Zealand

C36................................Aotea Electric & Security

F17...................................Fire Corp Industries Ltd

G3............................................................. QPower

E17.......................... Armstrong Smarter Security

F41...............................FSI – Concept Evolution™

E5.......................................... Quasar Systems Ltd

F29............... ASIS New Zealand Chapter 148 Inc.

D24...................................... Gallagher Group Ltd

F09........................................... Rentokil Initial NZ

F35...................... ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems

Seminar series.................Garman Consulting Ltd

E40........................................................ RIS Safety

D29..................................... Atlas Gentech NZ Ltd

E24......................................... Geutebrück Pacific

H32....................................................... SafetyLink

A13..........................................................Augview

A26........................................Global Seismic Data

C28..........................................Sharp Corporation

F34...........................................................Belgotex

D27................................................. GoodMeasure

C16............................................... Siemens NZ Ltd

B6............................................ BICSI South Pacific

H8...................................................... Gunn Talent

E22............................................................ simPRO

F44.............................................. Blygold Oceania

E10........................................................ Hampden

G4............................................................ Stoddart

H8......................................................Build People

D35......................................................... Hikvision

C2................................................... Superheat Ltd

E36..............................................................Camfil

E6............................................................. Hills Ltd

A26...................................................Survive-it Ltd

H14.........................................................CardQuip

H31................................................ Hire Plants Ltd

E28.................................................... temperzone

E16............................................................Caroma

D11..................................................... Infratec Ltd

F25................... The Building Wash Company Ltd

E17.............................................Challenger Safes

D2.............. Integrated Control Technology (ICT)

D21....................................................... Ticked Off

H10................................................... Clevertronics

H17........................Jackson Engineering Advisers

H6...................................................... Tiger Coffee

A16................................................... Company - X

F11...................................... Ladycare Services Ltd

H32........................................ Total Height Safety

B22.......................Connect Security Products Ltd

B4.............................................Leading Solutions

G17............... Total Utilities Management Group

G34......................... Cool Breeze Rentals (NZ) Ltd

G28....................................Legrand New Zealand

C24......................................................Trak Group

E34...............................................Conslab Extend

G21.........................................................LPINZ Ltd

H18..................................Tycab New Zealand Ltd

B11............................Cover Communications Ltd

A31....................................................... Luma AVC

B26............................................................Upcycle

F24........................................................ Creone NZ

G35..................... MacMillan Plumbing & Gas Ltd

E4........................................ UPS Power Solutions

G24................... Custom Technology Systems Ltd

D6..............................Maser Communications NZ

H15........................................................... Ventüer

C09............................ Cuthbert Stewart Ltd (CSL)

F16.....................................................Merquip Ltd

A25............................................................ Versare

C22............................ Dallmeier Panomera (CRK)

D32........................................................ Metrotest

D5............................................................. Vertiv™

G16.................................................... Design Tints

G39.................................Mil-tek Waste Solutions

H12.................................................. Waterless Ltd

C17................................................. Direct Control

D36........................National Fire & Security (NFS)

B32......................................................Waterware

D18......................................... dormakaba NZ Ltd

F28....................................Nespresso Professional

A20............................................WhosOnLocation

B30.................................................. Dyson NZ Ltd

G41.New Zealand Green Buildving Council (NZGBS)

E7.....................................................................YHI

F43..................................................................PPCS

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PRODUCTIVITY Are you leaving productivity on the factory floor?

Gemma Stanbridge, ViAGO International Limited We all have heard how important it is to have workers who are engaged with their roles and motivated to put their best into what they do.

Despite this, recent research reports only 12% of construction, manufacturing, and production workers worldwide are engaged in their roles.

Sixty-four percent of workers in this sector are not engaged, with 24% of workers actively disengaged.

Manufacturing workers particularly struggle with engagement, and this is often due to a process-focus rather than an employee-centred focus that promotes engagement.

Workers in production roles are less likely to have any say in determining how their day will be structured or what could be done to improve their job or workplace.

In fact, manufacturing and production workers have the lowest rates of engagement among employees worldwide¹. And yet, the primary approaches to improving productivity in this sector focus on process optimisation. Why are we leaving productivity on the factory floor?

The Problem with Process-Centred Approaches to Productivity Conventional management in manufacturing continues to put processes ahead of people, despite evidence that employee engagement is a significant factor in productivity. Discussions about increasing productivity focus on getting more out of resources using cost-cutting, efficiency and utilisation targets.

Factories with this mentality often offer low wages for long hours, and although workers are expected to increase output and reduce lead times, their efforts are seldom recognised. Unsurprisingly, there’s little motivation for workers to do more than ‘the bare minimum,’ and workers may even act out due to feelings of frustration and the perception they are not valued by management.

Management must consider that employees are an important element of any Productivity Journey, and a mindset shift from cost and efficiency measures can increase employee engagement and productivity.

A Closer Look at the Impact of Employee Engagement

Increasing the engagement of actively disengaged employees is also valuable, to ensure any productivity gains achieved are protected.

This focus doesn’t mean that manufacturers should throw out their process improvement plans, but it does mean managers may have to look at how they implement them.

Similar to the effects of employee engagement, those that are engaged in the process improvement or change project will go out of their way to make it succeed.

Those who are not engaged will let it happen, and those actively disengaged may actually undermine the implementation.

Process improvement should be a journey that employees are actively involved in, not something that is happening around or to them.

What Can Managers Do? Get to Know the People on tihe Floor Managers can get to know their people — who they are, not just what they do. Every interaction with an employee can influence their engagement and inspire their effort.

This alone may not be enough to increase employee engagement, but it lays the foundation that other strategies will build on. Two effective strategies to increase employee engagement are empowering workers to make a difference and determining how to provide recognition and positive reinforcement for workers.

Empowering Employees To create the connection which engaged employees feel toward the company they work for, workers must feel they are able to make a significant difference in their immediate work environment. Often workers on the factory floor have valuable experience and intuition in their roles but have given up trying to share their ideas with management.

Recognition and Positive Reinforcement For workers in more routinised roles, consider what elements can heighten each employee’s sense of

It’s no surprise that engaged employees produce better business outcomes. This applies across industry, across company size and nationality, in good economic times and bad. Increased employee engagement also results in lower customer defect rates, increased customer satisfaction and lower staff turnover rates.

But, most significantly, more than 65% of the bottom line that a business can control is derived directly from employee engagement.

Untapped Potential When 64% of workers in the manufacturing sector turn up at work without energy and passion for the jobs they do, converting this group of employees to engaged workers has huge potential to increase productivity in the industry.

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accomplishment, such as frequent recognition and opportunities for personal development. Even the most self-reliant workers gain from positive reinforcement and engagement!

As a manager, think about aligning an employee’s individual goals and expectations with those of the organisation they work for.

This is why we need to get to know our people first!

If we can do something with the 88% of employees in the construction, manufacturing, and production sector who don’t feel engaged at work, can we really afford to ignore the productivity gains from doing so?

References: https://profithub.co.nz/employee-engagement-and-profit https://www.gallup.com/workplace/238079/state-global-workplace-2017.aspx *ViAGO International Limited specialises in helping businesses achieve more through education, training, and change projects.

ViAGO works with their clients to ensure employees are a key part of the Productivity Journey.

Those who are not engaged will let it happen, and those actively disengaged may actually undermine the implementation.

ADVISORS Mike Shatford

is an expert in the field of technology development and commercialisation. His company Design Energy Limited has completed over 100 significant projects in this vein by consulting for and partnering with some of New Zealand’s leading producers.

Among Mike and his team’s strengths are industrial robotics and automated production where the company puts much of its focus.

Matt Minio

Managing Director, Objective3D Matt has extensive hands on experience as a user and supplier of 3D Printing technology. He comes from a mechanical design and engineering background with 25 years’ experience in multiple high end 3D cad applications across a range of industries, including aerospace and automotive. He has been heavily involved in the 3D printing evolution - from initial early prototyping to todays advanced 3d printing technologies producing production parts straight off the printer. As Managing Director of Objective 3D, he provides Stratasys, Desktop Metal and Concept Laser 3D printing solutions to a host of industries across Australia and New Zealand.

Sandra Lukey

Sandra Lukey is the founder of Shine Group, a consultancy that helps science and technology companies accelerate growth. She is a keen observer of the tech sector and how new developments create opportunity for future business.

She has over 20 years’ experience working with companies to boost profile and build influential connections.

Greg Morehouse

Greg founded Motovated Design & Analysis in 1999 with a vision to “cost effectively engineer our client’s vision”; through the use of advanced techniques, superior tools, and boundless enthusiasm. Working for VW & Audi as a mechanic, and then with Boeing & Hercules Aerospace as an Engineering Analyst, provided Greg with 40+ years of real world design and analysis experience. Greg is a world-class analyst and provides training and advanced technical support to manufacturers and some of the FEA resellers throughout New Zealand.

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The fourth Industrial revolution emerges from AI and the Internet of Things Big data, analytics, and machine learning are starting to feel like anonymous business words, but they’re not just overused abstract concepts—those buzzwords represent huge changes in much of the technology we deal with in our daily lives.

Some of those changes have been for the better, making our interaction with machines and information more natural and more powerful.

Others have helped companies tap into consumers’ relationships, behaviours, locations and innermost thoughts in powerful and often disturbing ways.

And the technologies have left a mark on everything from our highways to our homes.

Tagged as “Industry 4.0,” this fourth industrial revolution has been unfolding over the past decade with fits and starts—largely because of the massive cultural and structural differences between the information technology that fuels the change and the “operational technology” that has been at the heart of industrial automation for decades.

As with other marriages of technology and artificial intelligence (or at least the limited learning algorithms we’re all currently calling “artificial intelligence”), the potential payoffs of Industry 4.0 are enormous.

Companies are seeing more precise, higher quality manufacturing with lowered operational costs;

less downtime because of predictive maintenance and intelligence in the supply chain; and fewer injuries on factory floors because of more adaptable equipment.

And outside of the factory, other industries could benefit from having a nervous system of sensors, analytics to process “lakes” of data, and just-in-time responses to emergent issues—aviation, energy, logistics, and many other businesses that rely on reliable, predictable things could also get a boost.

And then there’s always that whole “robots are stealing our jobs” thing.

Sensors and sensibility The term “Industry 4.0” was coined by Acatech (the German government’s academy of engineering sciences) in a 2011 national roadmap for use of embedded systems technology. Intended as a way to describe industrial “digitisation,” the term was applied to mark the shift away from simple automation with largely stand-alone industrial robots toward networked “cyber-physical systems”— information-based orchestration between systems and the humans working with them, based on a variety of sensor and human inputs.

In the Industry 4.0 future, smart factories using additive manufacturing—such as 3D printing through selective laser sintering—and other computer-driven manufacturing systems can adaptively manufacture parts on demand, direct from digital designs.

Sensors keep track of needed components and order them based on patterns of demand and other algorithmic decision trees, taking “just-in-time” manufacturing to a new level of optimisation.

Optical sensors and machine-learning-driven systems monitor the quality of components with more consistency and accuracy than potentially tired and bored humans on the product line. Industrial robots work in synchronization with the humans handling more delicate tasks—or replace them entirely.

Entire supply chains can pivot with the introduction of new products, changes in consumption, and economic fluctuation.

And the machines can tell humans when the machines need to be fixed before they even break or tell people better ways to organize the line— all because of artificial intelligence processing

Manufacturing success since 1987.

Whatever you need, we’re onto it. Be it signage for your vehicles or business, stand-out strategy, branding and design (logos, brochures and web), flawless digital printing (large and small format), prop building for specialty events or a promotion with real cut-through - our mighty team, with its expertise, resources and technology, will deliver every time.

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the massive amounts of data generated by the manufacturing process.

around in some form since the 1960s, when early implementations were built around mainframes.

two knowledge domains needed to make predictive maintenance work.

That vision has driven a 1.15 billion Euro (approximately $1.3 billion) European Union effort called the European Factories of the Future Research Association.

But CMMS has almost always been a heavily manual process, relying on maintenance reports and data collected and fed into computers by humans—not capturing the full breadth and depth of sensor data being generated by increasingly instrumented (and expensive) industrial systems.

The tools to create the models needed for operation must facilitate collaboration between those two camps.

Researchers at MITRE Corporation’s Human-Machine Social Systems (HMSS) Lab have also been working on ways to improve how robotic systems interact with humans.

As part of that work, MITRE has partnered with several robotics startups—including American Robotics, which has developed a fully automated drone system for precision agriculture. Called Scout, the system is an autonomous, weather-proofed unit that sits adjacent to fields.

All a farmer must do is program in drone flight times, and the AI handles drone flight planning and managing the flight itself, as well as the collection and processing of imagery and data, uploading everything to the cloud as it goes.

That level of autonomy allows farmers to simply look at data about crop health and other metrics on their personal devices, and then act upon that data—selectively applying pesticides, herbicides, or additional fertilizers if necessary.

With some more machine learning juice, those are tasks that could eventually be handed off to other drones or robotic farming equipment once patterns and rules of their use are established.

Scout mirrors how human-machine teaming could work in the factory—with autonomous machines passing data to humans via augmented vision or other displays, letting humans make decisions based on their skills and knowledge of the domain, and then having humans and machines act upon the required tasks together. But that level of integration is still in its infancy.

Every sensor tells a story One place where an embryonic form of human-machine teaming already takes place is in the world of retail: Walmart uses robots to scan store shelves for stock levels and has automated truck unloading at many stores—using sensors and conveyor belts to sort shipments onto stocking carts.

And robotic systems have already taken over the role of warehouse “picking” at Amazon, working with humans to retrieve and ship purchases.

Conversely, an element of Industry 4.0 that has evolved past the embryonic stage is the use of sensor data to drive plant operations—especially for the task of predictive maintenance. Unexpected equipment downtime is the bane of all industries, especially when the failure of a relatively minor part leads to the total failure of an expensive asset.

By some estimates, about 80 percent of the time currently spent on industrial maintenance is purely reactive time spent fixing things that broke.

And nearly half of unscheduled downtime in industrial systems is the result of equipment failures, often with equipment late in its life cycle.

Being able to predict failures and plan maintenance or replacement of hardware when it will have less impact on operations is the Holy Grail of plant operators.

It’s also a goal that industry has been chasing for a very long time. The concept of computerised maintenance management systems (CMMS) has been

Doing something with that data to predict and prevent system failures has gotten increasingly important.

Even when there’s good collaboration, there’s another problem for many predictive models: while there’s plenty of data available, most of it is about normal operations rather than failures (which is how it should be—a smoothly running plant shouldn’t be suffering a lot of failures).

The growing complexity that we’re seeing with electronic components in assets and devices, and the growing amount of software in them.

Often there’s not enough failure data to train algorithms. How do you train algorithms that need lots of data with a lack of failure data?

And as industrial systems provide more data about their operations on the plant floor or in the field, that data needs to be processed to be useful to the operator—not just for predicting when maintenance needs to occur, but to optimize the way equipment is operated.

In some cases, manufacturers perform “run to fail” tests to collect data about how their equipment acts as components start to push outside of their normal operating parameters. But “run to fail” tests involve creating failures, and purposefully breaking costly and complicated manufacturing hardware is uncommon.

Predictive maintenance systems—such as IBM’s Maximo, General Electric’s Predix and MATLAB Predictive Maintenance Toolbox—are an attempt to harness machine learning and simulation models to make that level of smartness possible.

It’s a harder sell to equipment manufacturers, in some cases—especially because implementing the concept often involves providing detailed (and therefore proprietary and deeply guarded) modelling data for their products.

And some equipment manufacturers might see predictive maintenance as a threat to their high-margin sales and maintenance business.

However, some companies have already begun building their own lines of businesses based on predictive maintenance—such as General Electric.

GE first used Predix for internal purposes, such as planning maintenance of its fleet of jet engines— using “data lakes” of engine telemetry readings to help determine when to schedule aircraft for maintenance to minimise its impact on GE’s customers.

Using a library of data for each piece of supported equipment and a stream of sensor data, GE Software’s data scientists built models—”digital twins” of the systems themselves—that can be used to detect early signs of part wear before things progress to part failure.

But GE has also applied the same technique to other, less mechanical inputs—including using models for weather and tree growth data to predict when trees might become a threat to Quebec Hydro’s power lines.

Bridging the gap between data and knowledge There are several challenges that companies face in making predictive systems effective—the old computing proverb of “garbage in, garbage out” still applies. MathWorks’ Wallner noted that the main challenge is bridging the gap between the

The last gap to be bridged is how and where to process device data. In some cases, for safety or speed of response, the data from equipment needs to be analysed very close to the industrial equipment itself—even having algorithms run on the embedded processor or procedural logic controller (PLC) that drives the machine.

Other parts of analysis that are real-time but not directly safety-oriented might run on hardware nearby. But more long-term predictive analysis usually requires a lot of computing power and access to lots of other supporting data, and this usually means complex applications running in a company’s datacentre or an industrial cloud computing system.

In some cases, companies may run combinations of all of the above methods or start off with “edge” systems handling predictions until they’re more comfortable with using cloud solutions.

It makes sense to have some of the algorithm as close as possible to the equipment, to do things like data filtering, but have the predictive algorithm in the cloud. This gets you the best of all worlds.

The dangers of digitising While there is vast potential in the combination of information technology and operational technology that makes Industry 4.0 concepts like predictive maintenance possible, realizing that potential doesn’t come without risks—especially if proper security measures aren’t taken.

While there have been few credible cyber-threats to industrial systems, new threats are emerging— including the “Triton” malware attacks that aimed to disable safety systems at multiple industrial sites and the “Black Energy” cyber-attacks in Ukraine that briefly took portions of the power grid down.

Predictive modelling systems pose a lesser risk than those having direct control over equipment, but there’s still reason for concern about potential access to raw analytics data from the factory floor.

Such data won’t immediately yield the blueprints for proprietary manufacturing parts, but if it’s subject to “big data” analytics techniques it might give an adversary (or a competitor) a wealth of information about the patterns of manufacturing operations, plant efficiency, and manufacturing process details that could be used for other purposes—including outright industrial espionage.

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Electric motorbike launched The Fonzarelli NKD electric motorbike and its charging stations will be manufactured in Adelaide, South Australia.

Michelle Nazzari and Simon Modra met at a wedding several years ago in Sydney and spent the evening engrossed in conversation about motorbikes.

The pair of entrepreneurs stayed in touch as each went their separate ways, Simon back to Adelaide and various startups in the sustainability sector, and Michelle into her own electric vehicle company called Fonzarelli.

“I had been working in automotive manufacturing with electric and hybrid buses,” said Nazzari.

“That’s where it all started, but I looked at the powertrain and it’s very simple and thought, ‘yeah, I might give this a go,’ and so set up the company and started tinkering.”

Nazzari launched her first electric scooter in 2012-13 under the brand Fonzarelli and has grown the business from there.

Always with the push to increase mileage and with a dedication to motorcycles still in her heart, Nazzari reconnected with Modra to tackle the issue

of charging stations for her NKD electric motorbike.

The electric dual-sport mini motorcycle has a range of up to 120kms and can produce 6000 RPM and a top speed of 100 km/h.

Modra, who is also an architect and Future Submarine design researcher at the University of South Australia, jumped at the chance to collaborate with Nazzari on the NKD project and convinced her to manufacture the charging stations and bike in South Australia.

“It’s a legitimate form of transport – there are many motorcyclists out there who don’t have a car and we’re lucky battery power has become so reliable now and Peter [Coombs – Chapter president of Design Institute of Australia] did give the hat-tip to Tesla,” Modra said.

“Now we’ve got this incredible range with the vehicle and we’re getting further and further out.”

The Fonzarelli technology can be retrofitted to older motorcycles – potentially expanding the customer base for this product throughout high-use motorcycle populations in the countries across the Southern Hemisphere.

“The idea at the moment is to solidify ourselves here in Australia, but we’ve got strong interest from around the world,” said Nazzari.

Modra said the motorcycle has got a bit of iRobot or Gattaca about it.

“I think the NKD is very futuristic looking and in Gattaca they actually retro-fit electric motors into their cars and that’s what I get excited about with the Fonzarelli – is that all that embodied energy in all the steel that’s on our roads now can actually stay there with a new powertrain. It is the future.”

The Fonzarelli NKD bike is made to order. Base model pricing starts from $9,990AUD and early adopters will be able to have their bikes ready for the Australian summer.

High-quality film production for next generation devices ULVAC Inc. has announced the successful launch of PZT piezoelectric thin-film sputtering technology and a high volume manufacturing (HVM) solution to solve technical issues that have hindered the development of MEMS devices, which are crucial in applications from autonomous driving to next generation wearable terminals (such as smart glasses).

The company has begun selling production systems incorporating the new technology.

Evolutions in technologies such as 5G and AI are expected to accelerate the journey towards smart societies, in which the digitisation of all types of industries will improve industrial performance and enhance convenience for people.

With increasing levels of multi-functionality found in autonomous driving, AR/VR, security, and smartphone applications, actuators are needed in order to activate devices based on signals received from various types of sensors.

Demand for actuators is projected to explode and key issues in their development have come to the fore, including the need for miniaturization, reduced production costs, lower power consumption, and higher performance.

It used to be impossible to fabricate PZT piezoelectric thin films, which constitute the key technology in sensors and actuators, using a low-temperature process with the conventional coating method (Sol-Gel).

However, in 2015, ULVAC successfully developed the world’s most advanced technology for forming PZT piezoelectric thin films using a low-temperature sputtering process. ULVAC has continued developing this as next-generation MEMS technology.

with semiconductors (CMOS), and enables other positive outcomes such as miniaturisation, reduced production costs, lower power consumption, and higher performance.

It is expected to pave the way for increased use of MEMS devices in sensors and actuators in spatial information sensing and 3D image displays, including smart glasses. The technology will also facilitate MEMS device use in applications such as 3D fingerprint authentication.

ULVAC will continue to spearhead innovations in MEMS device technologies that can be used in a wide range of applications, including etching, sputtering, ashing, and sputtering targets. With all of these contributions, ULVAC plans to remain a driving force in the creation of smart societies.

Overview of the Technology MEMS devices using thin-film PZT are formed on a silicon substrate with the following five (5) layers: an adhesion layer, a lower electrode layer, a buffer layer, a piezoelectric (PZT) layer, and an upper electrode layer.

The laminated structure of all these layers can be formed using ULVAC’s single-wafer sputtering system without exposing the substrate to the atmosphere. This multi-chamber sputtering system (model SME-200) allows for continuous process flow, optimising each individual layer inside its own process chamber to achieve high repeatability and improved throughput.

The system is also designed to provide a uniform and stable process for forming 8-inch silicon substrates,

By further advancing this proprietary technology, ULVAC has reduced running costs by optimizing system operation and has greatly improved the technology’s reliability, which is critical for device commercialization. The result is a groundbreaking mass-production technology that is now incorporated into systems ULVAC has begun to sell.

This technology allows MEMS devices to be integrated

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the largest size substrate available today for MEMS device mass production. A load-lock chamber and a maximum of seven (7) process chambers can be installed, including DC and RF magnetron sputtering chambers, and a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) chamber for accelerating crystallization.

ULVAC’s PZT sputtering system uses PZT sputtering chambers specifically designed to solve problems unique to PZT, and it forms PZT thin films by growing crystals on a heated wafer. To do so, ULVAC uses a new low-temperature PZT thin-film process carried out at no more than 500 degrees C, as well as a proprietary process technology for applying a buffer layer, simultaneously achieving superior piezoelectric performance*1 and high reliability*2.

Furthermore, through maintenance cycle optimization, running costs have been reduced to 75% of what they were in 2015, resulting in the world’s highest PZT thin film performance under mass-production conditions.

Features of the Technology 1. Allows film formation by laminating individual layers inside the same system using a single-wafer sputtering system.

2. Achieves mass production of high-performance PZT thin films using a proprietary low-temperature process technology carried out at no more than 500 degrees C. 3. Achieves high device reliability through the use of a new process.

4. Reduces running costs to 75% of what they were in 2015. *1 Piezoelectric performance: The higher the piezoelectric constant (e31), the greater the movement per unit of voltage applied to the device, making it possible to miniaturize the device and reduce its power consumption. (Piezoelectric constant e31: -15.5 C/m2 @ PZT film thickness: 2.0 um) *2 High reliability: As indicators for the device’s high level of durability, a dielectric breakdown voltage of around 200 V and a time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) of 2 million hours were confirmed.

title

The challenges of unmanned automation in the oil and gas industry Located on the Norwegian North Sea, there’s something different about Equinor’s Oseberg H platform. With no toilets, living quarters or coffee break facilities, this oil rig was not built with human workers in mind.

Remotely operated from the Oseberg field centre eight kilometres away, this is the world’s first fully automated oil and gas platform.

As human workers transition from offshore oil rigs to onshore monitoring and automation managing roles, addressing the challenges that come with an automated, remote workforce is an important step towards developing more facilities like Equinor’s in the future.

No man’s land There are many factors that make offshore the perfect candidate for unmanned automation.

Inherently dangerous operations, long stints at sea and remote locations make for unattractive working conditions.

With an eroding human workforce, the industry is increasingly turning to robotics to carry out its operations.

When robots were first introduced to offshore environments, they were assigned rather menial tasks. While machinery continues to carry out processes such as screwing drill pipes and connecting them into well holes, today’s offshore robots are capable of much more.

For instance, Swiss robotics company, ANYbotics,

has developed a four-legged robot fitted with a sensor head to carry out monitoring duties offshore.

Named the ANYmal, it’s pilot installation in 2018 proved that the robot is capable of autonomously performing a range of inspection tasks, including thermal measurements and checks on water levels.

Sensing danger For an unmanned oil platform to succeed, it would require continuous monitoring to keep track of its automated workforce. The technologies to facilitate this already exist, meaning unmanned facilities could be easily installed across the globe.

For example, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software can continuously monitor and detect machinery faults and raise the alarm to alert maintenance engineers.

This approach can be taken further by retrofitting equipment such as sensors and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to build a digital interface that helps onshore engineers retain insight into their offshore facility.

offsite engineers must take a number of factors into consideration.

The terrain of an offshore platform can be pretty treacherous if you aren’t equipped with hands and feet. Facilities host a range of complex installations, including networks of pipes and steep stairs that connect multiple levels.

While such an environment is no challenge for a human worker, the platform’s layout may require refurbishment to make it accessible to our automated counterparts. In parallel to this, robots themselves will need to be programmed with a high degree to autonomy so that they can manoeuvre any obstacles.

Another hurdle concerning automated operations is risk management. If a piece of equipment malfunctions or risks breakdown, a lack of on-site human workers may delay vital maintenance.

Establishing relationships with parts suppliers will be crucial in minimising downtime at an unmanned site by ensuring that replacement parts arrive with speed.

By measuring factors such as energy consumption, leak detection and equipment failure, implementing small changes to a platform’s operations could massively boost its autonomy and facilitate efficient remote management.

The Asia-Pacific region is a huge, growing market for the oil and gas industry — predicted to account for 70 per cent of global oil demand by 2020. As demand for this incredibly challenging industry shows no sign of ceasing, unmanned automation could well be the key to maintaining productivity.

Getting prepared

We may not be handing the reigns over to four-legged robots any time soon, but achieving autonomous offshore operations is certainly in our reach.

Developing an automated offshore structure isn’t as easy as ripping out restrooms and sending workers ashore. For robot roughnecks to elevate production,

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UC Engineering excels with $11.8m MBIE Endeavour Funding Three University of Canterbury Engineering academics have been awarded Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE) 2019 Endeavour Funding totalling $11.8 million to lead research in areas of renewable energy and advanced manufacturing.

Professors Conan Fee, Shusheng Pang and Mathieu Sellier all received funding in the latest funding round announced by Hon Dr Megan Woods, Minister of Research, Science and Innovation.

This research can and will impact society as we look for more efficient solutions to modern challenges, UC Vice-Chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey says.

“Funding of Professor Pang’s research into smart and renewable energy highlights the importance of this area for Government, an ambition that also aligns with UC’s commitment to local and regional development,” she says.

“The innovation behind Professor Sellier’s spin-coating research and Professor Fee’s research into using 3D printing technologies to advance manufacturing processes will challenge the status quo of industries and create new possibilities for product developers.”

MBIE Endeavour Funded UC research projects: Professor Conan Fee, School of Product Design, UC Engineering – 3D printed porous media for process engineering ($9,812,550 funded over five years)

This research project will revolutionise manufacturing processes that have only changed incrementally over the last two centuries. Using advances in 3D print technologies, the research programme will develop ways to create structures of complex solid and fluid channel geometric design to deliver heat and mass exchange more efficiently.

Work to date shows that 3D-printed triply periodic minimal surfaces (3D-TPMS) offer significant advantages over existing heat exchanger and porous bed designs, but the knowledge gap between engineering science and computational tools required for the design of 3D-printed structures is preventing implementation in real-world applications, which the research programme will address.

Professor Shusheng Pang, Chemical and Process Engineering – Integrated chemical looping and oxygen uncoupling with advanced biomass gasification, for renewable hydrogen production and carbon dioxide capture ($999,999 funded over three years) This research will develop a new system that combines advanced technology of biomass steam gasification with the capability of Hot Lime Labs for developing new carbon dioxide sorbents and oxygen carrier materials.

This research will develop a new process and materials to produce bio-hydrogen and capture carbon dioxide by using New Zealand wood biomass resources from log harvesting and wood processing.

ammonia and oil refineries. At present 95 per cent of hydrogen used in these industries is produced from fossil fuels.

Carbon dioxide captured from this process could be used in plant greenhouses, fertiliser manufacturing and methanol or ethanol production.

Professor Mathieu Sellier, Civil and Mechanical Engineering – Development of a multi-axis spin-coating system to coat curved surfaces ($1,000,000 funded over three years) By developing a system with the capability to spin-coat curved surfaces p r o d u c t developers will have more flexibility in the shapes they can produce.

Traditionally, spin coating is achieved by depositing a liquid on the surface and then spinning it off to leave a thin film that will solidify.

Non-uniformity of liquid distribution is the biggest challenge to spin-coating curved surfaces. For the first time, Professor Sellier’s Smart Idea will develop optimal flow control algorithms using the theory of Partial Differential Equation and a multi-axis system to achieve uniform distribution of liquid onto a curved surface which will revolutionise the possibilities of product development.

The bio-hydrogen produced could be used as transport fuel, a chemical feedstock for methanol,

Innovative 3D solutions for AEC FARO, renowned for 3D imaging solutions for construction BIM, has an innovative set of 3D solutions specifically developed for AEC professionals.

FARO Indoor Mobile Scanner As 3D Laser Scanning becomes more ubiquitous across various industries, there is an ever increasing need to make the scanning process and data processing more efficient. Conventionally, this has been addressed with a variety of mobile mapping solutions.

However, these solutions typically have limitations in terms of accuracy and data fidelity.

The Indoor Mobile Scanning solution enables kinematic 3D scans to be completed up to 7X faster than a series of traditional, fixed point scans over comparable areas. Thus, projects that took days can be executed in just a few hours.

Additionally, as the Mobile Scanner includes fixed scan capability as a standard feature, users can simply switch to high-fidelity scan mode in real time

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for seamless integration with mobile scan data.

The Indoor Mobile Scanner solution combines several leading technologies, including FARO’s patented Focus Laser Scanner technology, which have been optimised to operate in concert.

Current owners of Focus Laser Scanners or ScanPlan products will have a simple upgrade path to the Indoor Mobile Scanning solution, which protects their original purchase investment.

FARO As-Built Modeler FARO As-Built Modeler Software enables AEC professionals to leverage the smoothest Scan to BIM workflow in the industry to date. As-Built Modeler is specifically designed to minimise the effort and time required to create as-built documentation, which is the main task across AEC professionals in the

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building, facility and infrastructure design phases.

This comprehensive and innovative platform automates many cumbersome processing steps that must be performed manually today. Powerful tools allow the easy creation of CAD objects that can be directly imported in any CAD system independent of the specific CAD software, dramatically simplifying the modelling workflow for FARO users across the AEC industry.

Innovations in taste for world markets

NZ Food Manufacturer brings you the latest news and developments in food from the land to the plate For further information and to advertise visit

www.nzfoodmanufacturer.co.nz NZ Food Manufacturer

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz / NZ Manufacturer September 2019 23 T 0064 6 870 9029 E publisher@xtra.co.nz

FOOD MANUFACTURING Launch of the New Zealand Agritech Story New Zealand has a new story to tell, one that highlights the nation’s ingenuity, development of cutting-edge technology, and care for its people and place.

The New Zealand Agritech Story provides a

concept of Kaitiakitanga (guardianship, for people,

supporting proof points. They highlight the diverse

compelling way of promoting New Zealand’s agricultural technology internationally, to build awareness and preference for New Zealand solutions and ultimately help more New Zealand agritech businesses succeed on the world stage.

place and planet) and how this sense of responsibility

solutions that have been developed by New Zealand

has inspired many of our world-class agritech

companies, from the invention of electrified fencing

innovations.

to robots that pick apples.

Aotearoa New Zealand has had a long history with

A range of materials is now available to assist

agritech innovation from its first settlers. The early

companies and New Zealand organisations tell the

The NZ Agritech Story includes a comprehensive suite of free promotional materials that highlight New Zealand’s leading edge in the sector.

Māori pioneered agritech when they came to NZ and

Agritech Story, including a market insights report,

worked out ways to elongate the growing day using

emotive Story video, showcase booklet, more than

stones and rocks to soak up the warm of the sun and

100 professionally shot photos, a comprehensive

radiate it back into the soil.

user guide and more, all designed to promote New

Peter Wren-Hilton, the executive director of Agritech New Zealand, said the story would make a key difference for export companies.

David Downs, the head of the all-of-government

Zealand as a source of world-class agri-innovation.

agritech taskforce which commissioned the Agritech

All materials have been developed by New Zealand

“The sector is highly competitive, with companies from around the world all promoting their products.

The New Zealand Agritech Story will provide us with a distinctive voice, a way to engage with customers and communities and explain to them why Kiwi companies are different, both in the way we have developed our innovative solutions and the way we operate as partners.

Story, said the international research was the first

Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) in partnership with

step.

Agritech New Zealand, Callaghan Innovation, New

“Agritech has a significant value for New Zealand’s export economy - it currently contributes about $1.5 billion to our export receipts – and campaigns like this will support its growth.

we have always worked in partnership with

sector.

nature. From this connection, we have drawn the

“New Zealand’s primary sector is going from

inspiration, ingenuity and skills to create world-class

strength to strength. While the economic forecast is

agri-technology.

good in the short and medium-term, we need to be

“In essence, we are, Powered by Place, which is the

looking further into the future to ensure that our

“We’re excited to share the Story for the first time internationally this week as part of New Zealand’s presence at Ireland’s National Ploughing Championship, where we’ll also be showcasing some cutting-edge Storytelling with the Agritech Mixed Reality experience.”

The development of the agritech story fits within the framework of the New Zealand Story and was informed by the gathering of comprehensive market insights, to better understand current perceptions of New Zealand agritech – areas of strength, weakness or possible misconceptions. The Story is designed to help respond to these issues.

Central to the New Zealand Story is the Maori

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NZ Manufacturer September 2019 /

“It became clear that one of our greatest competitive strengths is our connection to the land, and the way

Zealand Story, MBIE and MPI, and are available for free download from Agritech New Zealand’s website

this has influenced our approach to developing

(link here).

agritech.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the

“New Zealanders are driven by our sense of

agritech story underlined the commitment of the

responsibility as guardians - or kaitiaki – where

central theme of this story (and the name of the

Government to developing a sustainable primary

primary industries are sustainable in the long-term.

website).

We have to move past volume to value. Innovation

“Being able to tell a compelling and consistent

have to be at the forefront of new technology and

story about New Zealand agritech will build our reputation in this area and help more of our agritech businesses to succeed on the world stage.’’

The Story includes four key messages: Powering Great Farmers, A World of Expertise in One Country, Natural Innovators, Powerful Partnerships.

and technology will be key to our achieving this. We value chain development.

“I

strongly

believe

that

value-growth

and

sustainability are not a trade-off. In fact, increased sustainability is the only pathway to future prosperity. If we are responsive to international consumer preferences, if we collectively leverage our

Each of these messages responds to themes

premium brand, and if we continue to farm smarter,

uncovered in the market insights research and

we will make both profitable and environmental

showcases a range of New Zealand companies and

gains”.

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NEW PRODUCTS SpindleSense reduces machine downtime Schaeffler is introducing its new SpindleSense spindle monitoring system to Australasian industry to further optimise machine tool uptime and performance.

Schaeffler Australia – which operates throughout Australia and New Zealand – says the main spindle is crucial to the performance capability of the complete machine tool used to cut and shape metal and other materials.

It is at the heart of the machine and largely defines the achievable cutting capacity, surface quality, and precision.

In turn, the spindle bearing support is one of the most heavily loaded components because it must transmit machining forces precisely at very high speeds for long periods of time and the risk of collisions can never be ruled out.

It therefore comes as no surprise that most machine tool downtimes can be traced back to defective spindles, particularly as a result of collisions and continuous, undetected overloads.

In milling operation, for example, the combination of high radial loads, long tool protrusions, and high speeds leads to particularly high loads and unfavorable kinematic conditions on the spindle bearing in the vicinity of the tool.

These unfavourable and in some cases impermissible loads occur because operators have hitherto not had a suitable tool, with which they could monitor borderline loads on spindle bearings. Schaeffler has now solved this problem with the SpindleSense monitoring system.

Key benefits of the new system include: • Electronic protection against continuous overload and collision damage • Sensor ring monitors displacement of the spindle bearing with micrometer precision • Measurement of displacements in combination with Schaeffler’s expertise in rolling bearings enables assessment of operating conditions • Detection of critical operating conditions within 2 milliseconds

Software with rolling bearing expertise integrated into sensor ring All the software and the required algorithms are integrated into the 16mm wide sensor ring. No further components are required for the system.

The system is locally functional and transmits an individual warning signal to the machine’s control system, which makes the following applications possible: • Detecting a crash (collision): The sensor technology can signal an overload at a digital output within 2 milliseconds. This allows serious subsequent damage to be minimised or even prevented through fast deactivation of the drive.

• Long-term protection for machine tool spindles: In practice, continuous mechanical spindle bearing overloads are not immediately identified. In contrast, SpindleSense immediately triggers a warning signal when the overload is parameterised accordingly.

The operator can adjust his machining program right after the first manufactured part and reduce the spindle load by using a new tool or modified cutting values, or by employing a more suitable tool type.

The operator thus achieves lower and less numerous peak loads, and thus benefits from a longer spindle operating life with fewer machine tool downtimes, which ultimately means more production time and reduced repair costs.

Two options are available for outputting the measured values. Variant C-A0 transmits alarm signals as soon as the individually defined limit values for the bearing load and kinematics are reached.

Variant C-A1 outputs the measured radial and axial displacements including tilting via CAN bus.

Machine tool and spindle manufacturers can use these displacement values to develop analysis tools for optimising the utilisation of spindle capacity, e.g. by visualising the deflection collective measured by the sensor ring as a load collective.

For the first time ever, the machine operator will know the degree to which the spindle capacity in each machining process is being utilised as a percentage with a high level of accuracy and thus be able to adjust the machining process even more precisely in terms of capacity utilisation and operating life for each machine: This means that harmful overloads are prevented despite maximum spindle loads.

Safe operation in the limit range allows the operator to increase his or her productivity and to benefit from longer spindle operating life and less frequent machine downtimes.

Cross-section of a tool spindle: 1 Shaft; 2 Housing; 3 Housing cover; 4 Schaeffler SpindleSense; 5 Radial measuring ring; 6 Axial measuring ring; 7 Spindle bearings

The measured displacements that are outputted via CAN bus can also be used for zero-point compensation. This makes it possible to produce the same quality with larger cutting values or higher quality with unmodified cutting values.

Design of the Schaeffler SpindleSense monitoring system: 1 Distance sensors; 2 Evaluation unit; 3 Connection cable

also be used for quality assurance.

Ready for volume production to coincide with EMO 2019 The first production-ready SRS sensor ring units – including radial and axial measuring ring with an inside diameter of 70 mm – will be available to coincide with the major Hannover metalworking expo, EMO 2019 in September.

Additional sizes with 80 and 100 mm inside diameter will be available at the end of the year. All units have a standard width of 16 mm. The scope of delivery includes an SST setup service tool, with which SpindleSense can be parameterised and put into operation.

The sensor system integrated into the spindle bearing measures the displacement of the spindle shaft under load in a very high resolution and in five spatial directions – three translational and two rotatory.

The sensor ring transmits an electrical warning signal to the machine’s control system if the deflections measured on the rolling elements exceed a specific threshold, which is set individually for every spindle and machine type.

The threshold is based on an assessment of operation-related bearing parameters such as pressure, spin/roll ratio, and cage pocket clearance, into which Schaeffler has integrated its many years of expertise in rolling bearings.

Electronic versus mechanical overload system In comparison with mechanical, i.e. passive overload systems, Schaeffler SpindleSense does not just protect the spindle in the event of a collision, it is also a revolutionary system for safely maximising the utilisation of the spindle capacity.

For the first time ever, machine manufacturers can now offer their customers a highly effective tool for increasing productivity, machine availability, and quality.

The monitoring of the maximum displacement can

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NEW PRODUCTS Making business continuity easy and affordable Schneider Electric has extended its world leading uninterruptable power supply Easy UPS 3M product range with the addition of 120, 160, and 200 kVA. Easy UPS 3M 120-200 kVA UPSs personify simplicity as they are easy to install, use, and service, providing business continuity for small and medium businesses.

With an optimised footprint design, Easy UPS 3M protects critical equipment from power outages, surges, and spikes. This unit saves on CapEx investment while also delivering up to 99% efficiency

in energy-saving ECO mode.

Easy UPS 3M fills a growing market segment need for a solution delivering power availability, reliability, manageability, quality, and convenience as all customers benefit from the included start-up service to ensure the Easy UPS 3M is properly and safely configured for best performance, reliability, and safety. Specialists also provide a complete range of services throughout the entire lifecycle.

Customers can monitor and manage the UPS status

remotely through the EcoStruxure IT cloud-based DCIM software suite.

This new offer is rugged, with a wide input voltage window and strong overload protection, all in a compact footprint. Designed and tested following rigorous procedures, the UPS rolls into position quickly and installation is simple.

PowerScan range extends durability of handheld industrial scanners Datalogic, is introducing to the Asia-Pacific region a new range of powerful industrial scanners with longer ranges, enhanced autofocus and innovative features designed to minimise total cost of ownership.

In addition to outstanding scanning lengths and quick focus adjustments, the PowerScan range also features best-in-class performance in dark environments, for warehouses that utilise low lighting for product integrity.

The latest PowerScan models of cordless handheld scanners – which build on the proven and globally leading range – are ideally suited to warehousing, logistics, factory and automation applications and to companies looking to improve scanning efficiencies and productivity with a single scanner capable of performing multiple tasks.

The range perfectly integrates with Datalogic’s vehicle-mounted computers, providing a seamless data capture experience to increase ease-of-use and operator efficiency.

The range includes advanced autofocus technology, which allows the scanner to read from a short distance of 15cm through to a distance of more than 20m with fast focus adjustment – allowing the operator to easily scan a nearby barcode, then a barcode at the top of a warehouse rack.

The Auto Range (AR) models – capable of the longest read distances in the range – feature Datalogic’s innovative 3 Green Lights (3GL™) technology, which guarantees the operator will receive good read feedback in any condition and from any position.

Datalogic’s patented ‘Green Spot’ directly on the code and dual Good Read LEDs on the top and back of the cap add increased visibility at any angle.

Extended range The PowerScan range includes models suited to a broad range of customer needs and application complexities, including: • PM9501-AR – a 1D/2D Auto Range model with extra-long-range capabilities • PM9501-DAR – an intermediate model which includes a display and 4-key keypad • PM9501-DKAR – an advanced model which features a display with a full 16-key keyboard. The PM9501-DKAR model significantly increases the sophistication of interaction with the host system and opens up new potential uses of the scanner, making it suitable for applications that would normally require a more expensive portable data terminal.

THE FACTORY OF THE FUTURE WILL MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE SINGLE PASS WELDS IN THICKNESSES UP TO 200MM WITH NO CONSUMABLES

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NEW PRODUCTS Cool solution for CO2 refrigeration in hot climates Two new technologies have combined to create what researchers claim to be the world’s most efficient air-cooled carbon dioxide refrigeration system.

The new system is being hailed as being of particular importance for use in hot climates where CO2 refrigeration systems have traditionally performed poorly.

23kWr capacity with 100kWh of thermal energy storage (TES).

Lead researcher Professor Frank Bruno said testing showed the R744-only system had operated efficiently over the past 12 months, including on a day in January when the ambient temperature at the track reached 47.5C and many conventional refrigeration systems around the state failed.

Glaciem Cooling Technologies is now on a commercialisation pathway with the system and plans to target the Middle East market.

Seeley International has recently launched a domestic version of its Climate Wizard, which has reduced its size by about a third.

Previous CO2 systems in hot climates use cascade systems, which is basically another refrigeration system operating in series with the CO2 system. These systems are efficient, but the secondary refrigeration unit still contains a synthetic refrigerant.

The system also has a thermal energy storage component that can store excess electricity from sources such as solar PV. The -6C Phase Change Material (PCM) storage system can then release the thermal energy as cold air to run the refrigeration system when electricity prices are high.

The dew-point cooling component is provided by fellow South Australian refrigeration company Seeley International, whose patented Climate Wizard indirect evaporative technology is among the most efficient in the world.

The air-cooled CO2 refrigeration system has been operating at The Bend Motorsport Park, about 100km southeast of Adelaide for about 15 months, providing UniSA and Glaciem with more than a year’s worth of clean data in a commercial setting.

The first commercial freezer and cold room is servicing The Bend’s main restaurant and has a

Hudson said the TES and renewable energy components were vital for reducing the carbon footprint of the refrigeration system because the fossil fuels traditionally burned to generate the electricity to power refrigeration systems were as damaging to the environment as the synthetic gases the systems used.

He said the Middle East was also an ideal market because several countries in the region were still using ozone depleting refrigerants gases such as R22 and were loathe to switch to HFC because they were also being phased out in many places.

Natural refrigerants such as CO2 (R744) have become more common in recent years as traditional synthetic refrigerants are phased out due to their harmful environmental impact.

Glaciem Cooling Technologies in conjunction with researchers from the University of South Australia have developed a unit that uses dew point technology to pre-cool air before it enters the refrigeration system’s condenser.

to operate at its highest efficiency point. It also optimises the onsite generation of renewable energy and offers a technical hedge to users that are exposed to spot market electricity pricing fluctuations.

Glaciem’s commercial trial unit at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia uses a dew point cooler to pre-cool air before it enters the condenser.

Professor Bruno previously won a Eureka Prize for his low cost thermal energy storage invention.

Glaciem Cooling Technologies Managing Director Julian Hudson said he planned to unveil three more commercial projects across a variety of industries in the coming weeks as the company transitioned from an R&D startup to a commercial business over the next 12 months.

He said the company was now looking for additional investment, grants and export opportunities to help fast track commercialisation.

The system also uses an intelligent energy management forecasting algorithm to collect information from multiple internet sources such as the National Energy Market pricing forecast and weather data as well as data from the site including state of TES charge, current electrical demand and refrigeration load.

This information allows the software to continuously adjust the onsite control system enabling the unit

Glaciem’s PCM thermal energy storage unit.

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DEVELOPMENTS Changing our attitude to plastic Plastic gets a bad rep; the big bad villain that is slowly choking the world.

Its effects on the environment are undeniable, but plastic didn’t put itself in the oceans for turtles to eat, or in the forests to smother wildlife.

That dubious honour goes to us humans. We are the ones who invented something which is cheap to make, durable and very long lasting, but then started using it everywhere with limited thought around its disposal.

There are many different types of plastic – all with different properties and applications. But the trifecta of “cheap, durable and long lasting” is generally true for them all.

The most common reaction has been to shun plastic and search for alternative options. Paper shopping bags are a classic example. Just about everyone knows paper can be recycled, but few in the general public know the manufacturing of paper bags results in significantly greater resource use and greenhouse gas emissions than plastic?

Given that climate change is the greatest threat we

now face, it’s important to factor in the emissions from not only the use and disposal of a product, but its production too.

And while mixed plastics have been the focus of extensive media attention, China’s National Sword policy is affecting the recycling of mixed paper in equal measure.

Paper wins out in terms of how quickly, and benignly, it breaks down in the environment, meaning if it ends up as litter its impact is nothing like that of plastic. While it’s important to consider the impact an item has should it end up as litter, this is only one factor to consider.

The answer isn’t to stop the production of plastic – the world has after all become utterly reliant on it, and in many instances, it has made the world a better place.

We rather need to stop viewing plastic items as disposable things. This attitude is contradictory to its design. We need to accept its valid use and harness its potential to be made into products that can be re-used time and again.

Among other things, plastic can be a great way to reduce waste by extending the shelf life of food products – not only by keeping it fresh for longer but also by keeping it safe to eat.

Addressing overuse is a critical element to using plastic for good, as well as considering recyclability and appropriate disposal at all stages of the product life cycle. Excess packaging is a prime example.

Consumers can effect change through their buying power, while product designers can do so at the proverbial coal face.

Durable, reusable shopping bags are a great way to make plastic the hero, rather than the villain.

So why has plastic become this single-use material?

As with so many things the reasoning can be boiled down to economics.

One of the great things about plastic is that it’s cheap. This is also one of its biggest problems. It’s human nature to let the monetary value of an item largely dictate the material value we put on it. If something is cheap then it can’t be very good or long lasting, and we are happy to throw it away.

Plastic isn’t likely to suddenly become a premium product, but nor does it need to. What is needed is a change in our attitudes towards it by seeing it from a circular economy perspective.

In the circular economy – dubbed the “economy of the future” – resources are maximised before being reused or recycled.

In the same way we should be getting the absolute maximum value from plastic products and use them as a way of reducing waste.

Fortunately, change is beginning to happen with simple single-use products like straws and shopping bags. However, we need to challenge ourselves to broaden this beyond the supermarket and bar and look with a fresh eye at all plastics in our lives – the enormous amount of plastic which goes into children’s toys is just one example.

We can and should make far better use of this “miracle” material.

We can and should make far better use of this “miracle” material.

-Natalie Martin, 3R Materials Innovation Manager

New equity deal announced for industry automation specialist An award-winning industry automation specialist is set to significantly extend its market reach thanks to a new equity partnership with a horticultural heavyweight.

Following recent collaboration on a number of projects, CR Automation (CRA) has decided to sell a 50 per cent equity stake to Jenkins Group – a key industry player throughout Australasia’s horticulture post-harvest industry.

With subsidiaries in New Zealand and Australia (Tauranga-based Jenkins Freshpac Systems Ltd and NSW-based J-Tech Systems PTY), Jenkins Group provides an extensive range of labelling, packaging and handling systems to the fruit and vegetable industry across both countries.

Hawke’s Bay-based CR Automation provides automation, robotic and post-harvest solutions to a broad range of industries including food and beverage, water and wastewater, materials handling, cool storage, meat and wool processing and general manufacturing.

Managing Director Peter Richards says the 18-year-old tech company has experienced exponential growth over the past three years and has been looking for an equity partner who could help sustain that growth and ensure longevity.

“We wanted a partner founded on similar ideals

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who would add value and provide market access beyond our existing client base,” Richards explains.

“Jenkins Group are an innovative, family-owned company with 136 years of success behind them.

They are very client-focused and trade with a high level of integrity which is an excellent fit for us.”

Innovation is at the core of both companies, and CRA won the “Most Innovative Solution” award for ABB robotics at the 2019 ASIA Value Provider Conference.

Richards says he is immensely proud of the engineering capacity the CRA team has developed and recent growth was primarily due to a strategic initiative of developing bespoke material handling and machinery for a broad range of industry players.

“Jenkins were very impressed by CR Automation’s engineering capacity and its diversity. They felt some of our engineering services and products would complement the sectors that are core to them including apples and kiwifruit, but were very interested in CR Automation’s specialisation in water and wastewater, and machine and functional safety as they recognise the high demand for these services,” he says.

“I’m excited to see our company’s potential realised through this new equity partnership with Jenkins Group and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”

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CR Automation managing director Peter Jenkins.

Managing Director of Jenkins Group, Tony Sayle, says the combination of skills, products and services that the two organisations can now provide across a wide industry segment is “formidable”.

“The Internet of Things (IoT) and automation are clear requirements for our horticulture sector to excel and thrive in a global economy and soar through its ambitious target of being a $10 billion industry by 2020,” Sayle says.

“This new partnership will provide industry leading produce handling capability to a post-harvest industry screaming out for efficiencies and solutions to its labour supply woes and escalating compliance needs.

“CR Automation are a world class developer and provider of automation and control systems. Our horticultural clients will certainly benefit from their services and products and together we intend to lead the field across post-harvest produce handling, FMCG production automation and municipal asset monitoring.”

DEVELOPMENTS New Plymouth company certified ISO 45001 Asset integrity solutions provider, Stork Technical Services New Zealand Ltd (Stork) has been certified ISO 45001: the global occupational health and safety management system standard in August 2019.

Introduced in 2018, ISO 45001 provides a framework to develop health and safety management systems which improve employee safety, reduce workplace risks and create better, safer working conditions.

identification, risk and opportunity assessment; emergency preparedness and response; communication; as well as monitoring, measurement, analysis and performance evaluation. The standard also adopts Annex SL a management system format that allows for easy consolidation of an integrated management system with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015.

Says Janice Halliburton, HSEQ Manager at Stork: “When ISO 45001 was published last year, we chose to upgrade from our previous accreditation AS/NZS 4801. Following a year of hard work by our team, integrating the system into our way of life, we underwent a three-day audit and were certified as compliant with no non-conformance through auditing body Telarc.”

“Integrity and client satisfaction is of great importance to us. Through our head office in New Plymouth, we now have a fully integrated management system being certified for Quality: ISO 9001: 2015, Environment: ISO 14001:2015, Health & Safety: ISO 45001 and accredited with IANZ,” says Rob Sullivan, General Manager and Director at Stork.

Areas covered by ISO 45001 include: Hazard

Rob Sullivan, General Manager and Director at Stork.

management system. “Clients can have confidence in our consistency of service quality, delivery and credibility,” concludes Sullivan.

The ISO certifications supports the company’s IANZ accreditation, proving the company has a quality

Nelson manufacturer award winner A Nelson-based contract manufacturer for products made from high-quality natural ingredients has for the second year running won the Supplier of the Year Award for New Zealand’s natural health products industry.

Moser says Alaron Products has developed an excellent reputation during more than 25 years of custom manufacturing nutraceutical products.

Industry body Natural Health Products NZ recently announced Alaron Products as this year’s winner. The award, which was decided by popular vote among Natural Health Products NZ’s members, recognises a supplier that has made a significant contribution to the businesses of many.

“Being voted as winner for the second year running shows the high esteem in which Natural Health Products NZ members hold Alaron Products. As one voter said: They never fail to wow us with their customer service, management of our account and quality of the finished goods.”

“They are known for their high attention to detail and quality, and excellent customer service.

Natural Health Products NZ’s Chairperson Lorraine

(from left) Brett Parr, Claire Quin, Sara Ching, Natalia Gemskaya and Johanna Cheer from Alaron Products. Photo credit Pharmacy Today.

Helping to make your business stand out – so YOU can be outstanding in the busy, complex and interactive world of advertising.

Operating from my home office in Hastings, networked with other professionals as required, my overheads are sensible, and my hours are flexible. I offer a competitively priced service, backed up by over 15 years in the advertising agency environment.

My career has its roots in signwriting, I then moved to England and undertook study and worked for a company specialising in graphics aimed at promoting conferences and exhibitions. This enabled me to think BIG. Twelve years later I returned to New Zealand and joined a very successful advertising agency which encouraged me to engage my skill set within this wonderfully expressive, yet versatile and highly disciplined arena.

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BUSINESS NEWS What it takes to navigate cultural differences in a global business world Revti Raman Sharma, Senior Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington

In an increasingly globally integrated business world, it is now widely accepted that cultural intelligence (CQ) is as essential as general and emotional intelligence. Cultural intelligence in practice But do organisations fully appreciate what cultural intelligence entails? Our study of Indian senior managers conducting business with New Zealand may help them do so.

Thinking outside cultural boundaries Cultural intelligence has been defined as a specific form of intelligence “focused on capabilities to grasp, reason and behave effectively” in culturally diverse situations. It allows us to think outside our narrow cultural boundaries and decode complex cross-cultural interactions.

When business partners are from other cultures, institutional differences may create challenges in communication and agreeing on mutually accepted managerial approaches. Cultural intelligence helps address such issues. It allows us to manage anxiety and uncertainty in unfamiliar environments.

Global managers with high cultural intelligence are non-judgemental, inquisitive, tolerant of ambiguity, cosmopolitan and inclusive. They understand the impact of their own culture in their dealings with others. They pause and verify their cultural assumptions before reaching conclusions. They are likely to develop trust with culturally different people and less likely to engage in exclusionary reactions.

Those with low cultural intelligence engage in stereotyping, which results in conflicts and failures.

Cultural intelligence and leadership In a 2011 study of Swiss military officers with leadership responsibilities, cultural intelligence was found to be a stronger predictor of cross-border leadership effectiveness than both general and emotional intelligence. The study also found that people who are effective in domestic contexts may

not be effective in cross-border settings.

Our new study surveyed 186 managers. We explored the interaction between four dimensions of cultural intelligence – cognitive, metacognitive, motivational and behavioural – and the quality of the managers’ relationships and institutional success.

This included their ability to manage differences in rule enforcement, cultural values and ethical business practices.

People with high cognitive cultural intelligence are more likely to have broader knowledge of foreign politics and cultural and economic systems. But this on its own may result in negative outcomes because of “sophisticated stereotyping”. This reduces a complex culture to a shorthand description and applies it to all people in that culture.

Metacognitive cultural intelligence dampens this negative effect. People who have this skill are more likely to actively check stereotyping. They suspend judgement in intercultural contexts. They are consciously aware of other people’s cultural preferences, question cultural assumptions and can adjust their ways of thinking.

People who score high on motivational cultural intelligence have an intrinsic interest in being effective in culturally diverse situations. Behavioural cultural intelligence is about actively demonstrating culturally appropriate behaviour.

The theory is that these four dimensions of CQ help people gain legitimacy in a foreign environment because of their enhanced understanding of that environment, and conformity to norms and expectations.

We expected to find that cognitive CQ would be most effective and that, combined with metacognitive CQ, it would improve relationship quality and institutional success. This proved only partly so.

Cognitive CQ and metacognitive CQ combined do have a significant positive effect on relationships but only a non-significant positive effect on institutional success. If metacognitive CQ is low, the effect of cognitive CQ on relationship quality is actually negative.

As expected, motivational CQ has a significant direct positive effect on both relationship quality and institutional success.

Contrary to our expectation, our study showed behavioural CQ to have a significant negative effect for organisational success and non-significant negative effect for relationships. This anomaly requires further investigation.

The study demonstrates that cognitive and metacognitive CQ have to interact to ensure quality relationships with business partners and successful management of cultural differences. Given these findings, and previous evidence of the positive effect of CQ on global leadership, managers need to strengthen weaker aspects through training and practice.

Cultural exposure has been shown to enhance CQ. It allows people to learn from experiences of diverse cultures. This opens their mind and increases cultural empathy, emotional stability and flexibility.

Our study also highlights the importance of relationship quality. Investing in sustaining quality relationships with business partners is critical for managing cultural differences.

Marlborough wine producer wins diversity award A cadetship programme giving Marlborough and Hawkes Bay locals employment and providing a solution to skills shortages in the wine industry has won a national workplace diversity award.

Constellation Brands New Zealand, which owns Drylands Winery and Riverlands winery in Marlborough, and Selaks winery in the Hawkes Bay, took out the Tomorrow’s Workforce category at the 2019 Diversity Awards NZ.

The company began its cadet programme in Marlborough in 2012 as a way of identifying and training local talent. It gives young people and those outside the industry a chance to explore working within the wine industry during a year of paid training.

The programme was later extended to Hawkes Bay. About a fifth of the 60 people who have completed the training have been offered permanent employment with Constellation Brands New Zealand.

Those who aren’t offered employment leave fully trained and qualified to work in most New Zealand vineyards and wineries.

“This programme is an investment in the future of the company, the industry and New Zealand. This is critical in helping to fuel a growing industry with a labour shortage in Marlborough,” says Constellation brands New Zealand Vice President Human Resources Julie Bassett.

Judging convener Neil Porteous says this is a well-designed programme with the greater good of the industry and regions at its heart, that has invested in developing capability creating pathways for both younger workers and those looking for a career change.

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Is technology making us less productive?

October 2019 Issue

Technology might actually be killing productivity according to a new study – and an old piece of wisdom called Metcalfe’s Law. A team at Bain & Company analysed data on how people are spending their time at work. By combining this with productive output and total headcounts, they were able to see the impact of technology at work.

“Technology can have enormous benefits in the workplace,” said Michael Mankins, a partner at Bain & Company, in an article for the Harvard Business Review. “But it’s fair to ask whether we have reached the point of diminishing returns in some areas.”

Why is technology slowing us down?

Tech pioneer Robert Metcalfe predicted that the value of a network increases with the square of the number of users. However, his law has a downside as well. As the costs come down, the number of interactions rises exponentially. All of these interactions take time.

Consider the situation 30 years ago. If a manager was away from their desk, they’d get a note saying they missed a call – perhaps 1,000 a year. This then become a voicemail – perhaps 4,000 a year. Now, with the vast array of communication possibilities (email, Skype, instant messengers, phone) this has expanded to 30,000 communications.

This is equally true of meetings. Setting up meetings before digital calendars was a far more complex task.

Now, data suggests that 15% of a business’s collective time is spent in meetings. A percentage that has increased every year since 2008.

All of this points to technology actually being a drain on productivity, rather than aiding it.

What does the data say?

Bain & Company’s research backs this up. Assuming a 47-hour working week, a typical supervisor or mid-level manager was estimated to have less than seven hours a week of uninterrupted work time.

How is this even possible? Well, the analysis saw an average manager devote 21 hours a week to meetings and 11 to sending, replying to and reading email.

Finally, another major chunk of time is lost either side of meetings and emails as we focus our attention. All

of this combines to cut uninterrupted time to less than seven hours a week.

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Daily tasks are also taking longer. According to a recent study, 60% of workers have to consult, every day, with a minimum of 10 other employees, just to do their job.

DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING

The same study also suggests that over the last five years, the time taken to accomplish tasks has skyrocketed. Recruitment takes 20 days longer than it did in 2010, while the time taken to complete an office IT project grew by over a month between 2010 and 2015.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

What can we do about it?

Mankins suggests two steps to make sure technology is working for your business, and not against it.

DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

First, organisations should consider whether the technology will save people time. If it only reduces cost, then it should be viewed “sceptically”.

FOOD MANUFACTURING

Second, businesses should look at their own behaviours, rather than the seemingly easy fix of technology. “Many investments in new technology are essentially workarounds for bad behaviours or poor procedures for sharing information,” argues Mankins.

Advertising Booking Deadline – 11 October 2019

Greater consideration of the impact of technology on the workplace, and particularly productivity, could have a positive impact on business. It could well see new investments in technology rejected, he concludes.

Organisations should consider whether the technology will save people time. If it only reduces cost, then it should be viewed “sceptically”.

Advertising Copy Deadline – 11 October 2019 Editorial Copy Deadline – 11 October 2019 Advertising – For bookings and further information contact: Doug Green, P O Box 1109, Hastings 4156, Hawke’s Bay Email: publisher@xtra.co.nz Editorial material to be sent to : Doug Green, P O Box 1109, Hastings 4156, Hawke’s Bay Email: publisher@xtra.co.nz Tel: 06 870 9029

At NZ MANUFACTURER our aim is to keep our readers up to date with the latest industry news and manufacturing advances in a tasty morsel, ensuring they do not get left behind in the highly competitive and rapidly evolving manufacturing world.

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