NZManufacturer May 2020 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited

May 2020

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Barry Robinson, immediate past Chair MESNZ.

Covid-19 Closed borders demand more investment in local workforce.

Dr Dieter Adam, Executive Director, The Manufacturers Network.

James Neale, Chair MESNZ.

THE INTERVIEW John Cochrane, Facteon.

Nick Collins, Chief Executive, Metals NZ

Rachel Barker, CEO Plastics NZ.

Manufacturers offer blueprint for economic recovery

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25 ANALYSIS Unleashing the potential of IOT in manufacturing.

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A new report released by a group representing New Zealand’s manufacturing industry associations outlines a blueprint to work with Government to strengthen manufacturing capability and reduce trade barriers to support the nation’s post-pandemic economic recovery. The New Zealand Manufacturing Alliance’s Manufacturing Matters report includes a range of policy proposals in the areas of innovation, capital and investment, trade, skills, procurement and achieving sustainable growth in a low-carbon economy. The proposals are designed to address challenges to the sector’s future including growing trade protectionism, the transition to zero carbon, skills shortages, and the shift to the fourth industrial revolution. The report highlights the crucial contribution manufacturing makes to the economy, accounting for 10 percent of New Zealand’s GDP and employment, more than half of exports and a third of business R&D expenditure it also underpins the success of other key sectors. Manufacturing Alliance spokesperson Nick Collins says a strong manufacturing sector is crucial to New Zealand’s future prosperity. “The pandemic has highlighted the weaknesses of globalisation, the frailties of international supply chains and the vulnerability of relying on income from tourism and international education as major sources of export revenue. “A vibrant domestic manufacturing sector is going to be critical to New Zealand’s economic recovery, building resilience against future global shocks

whether they be pandemics, recession or the challenges of climate change or natural disaster. “In particular, as New Zealand moves into the recovery phase, it will be critical that as a nation we continue to work with others in ensuring international trade laws are upheld in the face of a rising tide of protectionism and other unfair trade practices.

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“New Zealand’s manufacturers are ready to work with Government to develop an industry transformation strategy to support the nation’s post-pandemic economic recovery.” The Manufacturing Alliance represents The Manufacturers Network, Metals New Zealand, Wood Processors & Manufacturers Association, Plastics NZ, and the NZ Maintenance Engineers Society. The Alliance has been working with Government on a range of issues including safe work protocols to restart the non-food manufacturing sector since the Covid-19 outbreak. “Our invitation to the Government is now on the table to implement these recommendations and do what many other advanced economies have done – develop a cohesive strategy to grow the role of manufacturing in our economy,” says Mr Collins. “We’ve done the analysis - now we’re inviting the Government to work with us to make this happen.”

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CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS

LEAD

Covid-19 BUSINESS

Manufacturers offer blueprint for economic recovery.

12 14 15

Closed borders demand more investment in local workforce. Biosecurity and conservation jobs for redeployed workers. Covid-19 a game changer for energy? Biosciences company shines amidst global economic gloom. The five ‘silver linings’ to Covid-19.

ADVISORS

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Kirk Hope

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.

Digitalisation of the Engineering and Construction Industry. Student automation aims to bring automation to home builders.

Dr. Dieter Adam

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

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY Quantifying Circular Economy with the Materials Circularity Indicator.

Leeann Watson

THE INTERVIEW John Cochrane, Group General Manager, Facteon.

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

COMPANY PROFILE Little Island.

SMART MANUFACTURING Revolution Fibres skincare product popular in South Korea. Robotics tutor creates real time map of PPE demand. Faster transaction processing for manufacturers.

Lewis Woodward

NEW PRODUCTS Dr Troy Coyle

Linear motor robot safe at high speed. Treotham introduces iglidur J3. E4 control relay connects to eleven models.

ANALYSIS

DEVELOPMENTS

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.

Unleashing the potential of IOT in manufacturing.

Brett O’Riley

Inclusion must be a priority for workplaces in post Covid-19. Vocational education budget package crucial to Covid-19.

REAR VIEW Why a trans-Tasman travel bubble makes a lot of sense.

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.

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.

Revolution Fibres finding success overseas

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CONTRIBUTORS Holly Green, John Cochrane, Barbara Nebel, James Crow, Nathan Knight, Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, James Higham

As we settle down in this lower level lockdown we are practically back to as business was, except for those companies and people who have been hit hard losing their life’s work and their jobs.

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This kind of editorial is quite difficult to write because of the changing situation with a new form continually evolving.

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

But we do know this: Government has been very much on to it and incredibly supportive of businesses with packages for affected staff members.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

They have put people first and by us all working as a team, maintaining restrictions, and using our common sense, we are doing okay. There is always the possibility of a second wave.

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

As we get closer to the election, Government need to not spend money for re-election, but show us the real plan in going forward in some detail so that financial investment is credibly focussed and targeted.

WEB MASTER Julian Goodbehere E: julian@isystems.co.nz

Organisations like EMA, BusinessNZ, ManufacturingNZ, HERA and the Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce and MBIE are to the fore and putting in massive efforts to support their members, New Zealand business and the economy.

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MEDIA HAWKES BAY LTD 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

Vol.11 No. 4 MAY 2020

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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Meanwhile, in this issue of NZ Manufacturer, we have for you some good news stories of companies keeping on and finding success on overseas markets and developing locally. Take for example Revolution Fibres whose AcitvLayr skincare product has now sold out in South Korea. ActivLayr is made from premium marine collagen and was developed through an intensive research and development programme over several years, with funding support from the Seafood Innovations Ltd and in collaboration with Sanford and Plant & Food Research. Or WelTec tutor Frank Beinersdorf who has developed a real time map of how many, and where, protective shields are needed across New Zealand. Frank’s map is what Shieldsup uses to determine how many shields need to be made and provides information to the many volunteers tasked with delivering the equipment. Enjoy the read. And send me your news if your company is developing products and has a story to tell.

Doug Green

Success Through Innovation

EDITORIAL

COVID-19 BUSINESS Covid crisis to delay the energy transition Irrespective of the shape of the recovery, bigger bets on sustainable energy now will act as a stimulus for the wider economy. The world is grappling with an unprecedented health crisis that has triggered the worst economic recession of the century. Be it manufacturing, supply chain, exports or project execution, the entire business ecosystem experienced a sudden collapse. Due to lower demand, many power systems across the globe are suddenly dealing with the highest ever proportion of renewable energy in the power mix. This has inadvertently given energy systems a real scenario to test and develop a playbook for more resilient grid integration of intermittent sources of power such as solar and wind. Investments in carbon assets such as oil, gas and coal, worth more than $2 trillion, face a transition risk where they can become stranded assets. In economics, stranded assets are assets which before the end of their economic life are unable to generate the desired returns due to shift towards a low-carbon economy.

although slowly. Even before the crisis, many investors had started to reject the investment case for oil. However, the turmoil in the oil market has accelerated that process. The share of fossil fuel companies in the major equity indices is at its all-time low now and it is likely that many fund managers who dumped such stocks in the current crisis may never return to carbon investing again. Consequently, and other things being equal, any recovery in the broader equity market may not translate into similar gains in the stocks of oil and gas companies. Further, the institutional investors who, with more than $70 trillion in assets, serve as a key source of capital for the equity and debt markets are increasingly adopting

Extending commissioning deadlines, enabling cheaper financing and facilitating currency hedging in developing markets amidst a strengthening dollar will help resolve many supply side issues in renewables. The power sector remains more resilient to the crisis than most other sectors of the economy, particularly on the demand side. And within the power sector, renewable energy will remain competitive. Irrespective of the shape of the global economic recovery, bigger bets on sustainable energy now will act as a stimulus for the wider economy.

The parallel shifts in renewable energy and energy efficiency will continue

American economist Joseph Stiglitz, among others, has argued that prices of carbon assets are markedly wrong, which poses the risk of causing a financial crisis.

Energy transition, characterised by more renewable energy generation, higher adoption of energy efficiency and cleaner transportation, could be delayed but not derailed by the Covid crisis.

The market has started acknowledging this risk,

The supply chain and project execution of renewable

Commercial & industrial growth

energy projects have been hit hard due to lockdowns in key geographies.

Employment growth

Economic output

Crime rate East Tamaki is the largest industrial precinct in Auckland with 2000 businesses and a growth rate higher than the regional average.

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Greater East Tamaki Business Association Inc.

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COVID-19 BUSINESS Closed borders demand more investment in local workforce With the number of migrants to New Zealand likely to significantly reduce in the next few years, employers will have to look to other diverse groups in our workforce to ensure their business thrives.

wisdom workers to find out how they can retain their skills and institutional knowledge while still accommodating the different ways they may want or need to work as they age,” she says.

Massey University’s Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley says the Covid-19 crisis means the supply of temporary and permanent migrant workers to New Zealand is currently turned off.

Fewer migrants will also mean that businesses need to more actively reach out to our younger New Zealanders. “If our economy slows down, there is a risk we could end up with more NEETs (young people not in education, employment, or training),” Smit says.

“And it might remain turned off, depending on the visa category, for between 12 months to three years,” he says. Diversity Works New Zealand Chief Executive Maretha Smit says this means businesses who have relied on immigration to fill labour and skills shortages will have to look at different ways to bolster their workforce. “We would like to see New Zealand organisations more engaged with the older generation in the workforce. Employers should be talking to their

“Forward-thinking leaders should be planning now to invest in those young people and bring them into their organisations to create the workforce they need for future success.” Spoonley has been leading the team analysing data from the 2020 New Zealand Workplace Diversity Survey. The survey report will be made public on Wednesday, 6 May but initial findings suggest ageing and employment transition for younger staff do not appear to be important considerations for

employers. But he believes that, for some industries at least, they will become increasingly important as the fallout from Covid-19 and our ageing population define our society through the 2020s. At the time of the Alert Level 4 lockdown, there were 170,000 migrants on temporary visas in the country, while 2019 saw the largest net gain of permanent migrants ever.

Biosecurity and conservation jobs for redeployed workers Up to 160 redeployed workers are set to pick up jobs in 55 biosecurity and conservation projects to get the regional economy moving again, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage have announced.

weed – wilding pines, a $4.6 billion dollar threat to farmland, waterways and ecosystems.

The new projects in Northland, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury are part of the Government’s $100 million redeployment support package announced in March and will tackle the invasive

“This is work that needs to be done and what we’ve done is accelerate projects which also saves money as the cost of removing wilding pines rises by 30 per cent each year.

“As we rebuild the economy, linking up people and jobs is vital,” Damien O’Connor said.

“Forestry workers were among the first to feel the economic impact of Covid-19. Their skills translate well to what’s needed for wilding pine pest management, ranging from pulling young trees by hand, skilled chainsaw operation, to operating heavy machinery. “We also see opportunities to support people affected in other sectors such as tourism and aviation,” Damien O’Connor said.

Covid-19 a game changer for energy? The World Energy Council (WEC) has released the results of two surveys that investigate the impacts of Covid-19 on the world and its energy systems. WEC’s surveys, on Business Impact and Preparedness and Future Outlook, were aimed at addressing how can we emerge from Covid-19 as a more resilient society and accelerate the pace of successful global energy transition. BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC) Executive Director Tina Schirr says the results can help energy leaders better prepare for the wider and longer-term impacts, including structural shifts in energy, society, economy, finance and trade systems.

Ms Schirr says 96% of energy businesses have been affected by Covid-19 but avoided disruptions despite weaker demand and changes in fuel prices to ensure uninterrupted supply for billions of people around the world. Looking ahead, the WEC has developed a set of four plausible and alternative medium-term scenarios for the Covid-19 recovery: Pause, Rewind, Fast Forward, and Stop and Re-record. Responses suggest that the impacts of and responses to the Covid-19 crisis might be a game changer in the energy transition - emphasising the need for resilience, re-localisation and dealing with the social issues of the transition. While some respondents do not see Covid-19 as a pivot for accelerating the energy transition, majority expect that it will play an important role in stimulating community-scale actions, redirecting attention to the need for dynamic resilience capabilities, prompting a rethink of economics and increasing attention to the social agenda. Opinions differ as to whether a society will bounce back after the Covid-19 crisis. 45% of all respondents

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expect the greatest impact on society will be in the next 1-3 months, while half of respondents expect it to be later - in 6-12 months. Most respondents (70%) do not expect a quick recovery and indicate that it will take more than 12-months or at least 6-months to get back to normal. There are split views on the outlook for decarbonisation of energy systems - some respondents anticipate potential delays as governments respond to pressures to restart growth by rolling back action on climate goals. Others anticipate, however, that the current crisis will accelerate decarbonisation as governments increase direct investment to energy systems.. The rapid spread of the pandemic has highlighted a global interdependency and the inter-connectivity of supply-chains, demonstrating a new imperative for new and effective collaborative solutions, supported by digitalisation. Ms Schirr says this was one of the key takeaways from BEC’s 2060 Energy Scenarios.

COVID-19 BUSINESS Biosciences company shines amidst global economic gloom Despite the Covid-19 pandemic’s dire consequences for the global economy, a young New Zealand biosciences company has appointed its first Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Auckland BioSciences, which has grown rapidly since it was established in 2014 by Dr John Chang and Suzana Chang, manufactures animal serums which it exports to veterinary vaccine manufacturers and research institutions in 14 countries including China, India and Russia, and the Americas. Its manufacturing process, which has been disrupted by New Zealand’s pandemic response, involves separating serum from animal blood sourced from meat processing companies around New Zealand. Dr Chang, who is the company’s Managing Director, says turnover in the last financial year was more than $10 million and further significant growth is expected in the current year despite production ceasing during the lockdown. He says the financial impact has been lessened by the Government’s wage subsidy scheme. “For Auckland BioSciences, the government wage subsidy had the desired effect. In the early, uncertain days of lockdown, a young company like ours would have had to reduce staff, including our production staff. But we are now back in production and aiming high.”

In just six years, Auckland BioSciences has gone from being based in a shipping container at an Auckland abattoir to having more than 40 staff at its headquarters in Rosedale, Auckland, its recently-opened office and additional processing site in Christchurch and manufacturing sites around the country. It has now reached a level of maturity where it requires a dedicated CFO. “We are delighted that Mark Dawson has taken up the new role of Chief Financial Officer at Auckland BioSciences. He brings more than 30 years of finance and accounting, and corporate governance experience to the company,” Dr Chang says. Prior to joining Auckland BioSciences, Mr Dawson was the Acting CEO of Development West Coast. He managed a $130 million investment fund that originated from a $92 million adjustment package provided by the government in the late 1990s following the loss of indigenous forestry and the privatisation of infrastructure on the South Island’s West Coast. Before establishing Auckland BioSciences, Dr Chang spent five years as the Trust’s Chief Executive where

Dr John Chang (left) with Frank Jung, Production Manager.

he worked closely with Mr Dawson who, at the time, was the Trust’s Chief Financial Officer.

The five ‘silver linings’ to Covid-19 -Dr Troy Coyle, HERA Director

Our current state of play has created a massive disruption to business as usual – but are there any positives to come out from the Covid-19 pandemic? Covid-19 has dramatically impacted us all in many different ways. Of course, most discussions have been on the negatives of Covid-19, but here are five silver linings that we think may help build our resilience in the longer term. After all, it is those that take a negative and turn it into a positive that come out of situations for the better! So lets ensure that it is our NZ metals industry that is taking advantage! The significance of domestic manufacturing has come to the fore from Covid-19. We have had significant disruption to global supply chains. The expected market response is likely to be a shortening of supply chains and a strategy of securing supply chains. This undoubtedly favours local manufacturing.

Both of these are, in turn, likely to lead to increased warehousing requirements and this will stimulate warehouse developments, with structural steel playing a role in via, for example, portal frame designs. There will necessarily be an increased focus on the upskilling of our workforce. Businesses were already struggling to attract and retain quality staff and many had gone offshore to obtain these skills (e.g. welders). Now, we have an unprecedented opportunity to upskill our own workforce and to demonstrate the significance and crucial role that careers in manufacturing and building and construction have. HERA is well placed to support our industry in upskilling its workforce.

For a long time, manufacturing has not received the attention and support that it should have had – in terms of national security of supply chains and Government support.

Infrastructure development is often key to st imulating the economy.

The PM’s specific mention of manufacturing in her announcement on 20 April indicates the sudden attention to manufacturing as a core requirement of Kiwi’s economic and human wellbeing.

It would be expected that building and construction activity will be the recipient of significant Government support in order to stimulate the economy.

There is also likely to be a market change toward greater support for local manufacturing in consumer decision-making. Changes in consumer purchasing are also likely to support increased on-line purchasing.

The Government has already announced its interest to fast-track “shovel ready projects”.

While HERA has been banging on about the importance of a digital strategy for some time and the potential for disruption of existing models – some may have thought we were crying wolf. Now, we have all had to come to terms with how we can pivot our operations in a world where physical connection is restricted. The importance of digital communication channels also became evident during lock-down. This was a fantastic wake-up call. Flexible work arrangements don’t necessarily lead to reduced productivity. People just seem to have gotten on with their work and found ways to be productive during lock-down. Perhaps this will help reassure some managers who have not previously supported working from home or flexible work arrangements to be more open to these.

Most of these announcements relate to horizontal infrastructure and we hope and anticipate this will switch towards vertical construction support too.

In fact, it will be a necessity as the post Covid-19 world will always hold the threat that we will have to go into lock-down again on short notice – so it is best that organisations are prepared for this.

Covid-19 has shown the importance of having a digital innovation strategy has become tangible.

Having flexible and work from home situations now actually becomes a risk management strategy.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Digitalisation of the Engineering and Construction Industry Achieving Project Value Improvement with an Informed Lifecycle Digital technologies have transformed entire industries in the last decade, impacting lives on both personal and professional fronts. Companies have had to reinvent themselves to evolve with the times, enhancing productivity, sustainability, and adaptability, all in order to stay relevant to their target audiences. Interestingly, however, firms within the engineering and construction (E&C) industry have for the most part bucked this trend and retained a majority of the trade’s traditional methods. According to the World Economic Forum, the E&C industry continues to operate today as it has for the past 50 years, heavily relying on manual labour, mechanical technologies, and legacy business models.

In the same vein, McKinsey & Company advocates improving the value of capital projects through more efficient spending. By integrating specific tools and practices, project owners have historically managed to realise better project value of more than 10% in savings — either by reducing the project’s capital or operating expenditure; increasing its output; or accelerating its completion date so profits can be achieved earlier. The next question, naturally, is whether there are solutions in the market to support the E&C industry’s digitalisation efforts.

Enabling an Informed Construction Lifecycle Enter the idea of Traceable Construction by FARO, an approach that leverages the availability of accurate data throughout various stages of construction. In the E&C industry context, the traceability concept functions rather similarly as it describes how one can follow through on a building’s complete lifecycle — whether in the design, build, or operate phase. Across any building’s lifecycle, there are five typical aspects to traceable construction that may be relevant at any given point in time.

1. On-site Capture The basis of an informed construction lifecycle is accurate and reliable 3D data. Today, there The lack of productivity growth remains prevalent throughout the industry, leading to delays in the completion of projects and material wastages, which affect project bottom lines significantly.

are ultra-portable laser scanners and intuitive data processing software that work seamlessly together to enable quick and easy acquisition and registration of point cloud data.

The industry’s underinvestment in digitalisation has had a profound impact on productivity.

Project owners and managers have the option of choosing between terrestrial capture, mobile capture, and airborne capture for various applications.

Firms are held hostage to issues such as manpower challenges (with manual data tracking and verification) and the need for re-work due to an inability to accurately track project progression. That said, the increasing complexity of building designs coupled with a severe shortage of skilled workers have accelerated the digital push, especially for companies who want to stay relevant and profitable. An easy way for E&C industry players to visualise benefits of digitalisation is to picture the conventional construction life cycle taking on a digital form, where real-time information of a project is readily available to all stakeholders on a single platform. Right from design phases through build and operate phases, a project is clearly laid out and its progress can be tracked.

2. As-built Model & Design By capturing as-built conditions, stakeholders can ensure a traceable conversion of scan data into BIM designs, for further planning and design of building projects based on the context of reality. High-speed, high-fidelity laser scanners, coupled with suitable processing software, enable fast and efficient creation of 2D-, 3D-, and BIM models that can be fully integrated into major Autodesk Building design systems.

The data transparency enables teams to collaborate effectively, allow foremen to identify and manage any issues early, and helps owners monitor project safety. Based on The Boston Consulting Group’s research, a full-scale digitalisation across the E&C industry can generate an estimated value of $1.0 to $1.7 trillion in annual cost savings.

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3. Design Layout Conversely, subcontractors can employ laser projectors to visualize designs from CAD plans and models on real objects. This facilitates the prefabrication of components; increases the precision of installation and assembly; and allows users to identify deviations from CAD plans onto components (e.g. display of unevenness in the floor).

4. Quality Control To ensure continuous quality control on construction sites, workflows need to quickly and precisely record current status, compare the status-quo with CAD plans, and report any deviations. Foremen and site managers can rely on laser scanners to perform immediate, real time build, and verify analysis throughout the entire project to improve efficiency, shorten timelines, and reduce material wastage.

5. Data Connect & Share With cloud-based hosting solutions, participants can share scan data easily and

project

securely on standard file types and widely used platforms. The ‘single source of truth’ enables transparency and traceability on project progression at any stage.

Realise Greater Value with Traceable Construction Within the Traceable Construction framework, there are several practical ways that project owners can seek to realise tangible value improvement. Some applications that further elaborate its value include: Application 1: Improving Construction Quality and Reducing Re-work With traditional construction methods, site managers primarily record data with pen and paper. In these scenarios, the information tends to be outdated and issues are typically uncovered only at a later stage. This then results in the need for re-work and material wastage and causes a delay in timeline as well as a decline in efficiency. In comparison, with 3D digital methods, engineers and site managers can rely on laser scanners to capture a construction site completely and precisely. This real-time digital data can be continuously monitored and analysed using data processing software, allowing any defects or non-conformity

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY to surface more easily and quickly, which makes it possible for problems to be resolved earlier.

Enabling Fast and Precise Assembly Without Templates Using a 3D laser projection system, fabrication shops can speed up the assembly workflow for structural and prefabricated elements. Design data can be projected on to building components to enable large-scale laser guided assembly, offering a quick and accurate way to position these elements. It also eliminates the need for manual measurements and physical templates, which optimizes the use of manpower, time, and budget. 3D Laser Projection Systems allow workers to conduct large-scale laser guided assemblies, without the need for physical templates.

Maintaining a Clear Overview of As-Built Data Throughout Project Duration Complete, efficient, and accurate documentation of construction projects carried out at various stages of the construction process adds value to the delivery process and to the ‘as-built’ dataset. But even more valuable is the use of laser scanning in building supervision.

Reliable integrated solutions like FARO laser scanners and software platforms readily offer companies the opportunity to turn things around and implement digital strategies to their processes quickly and easily. Chances are, the firms who do so will likely emerge as leaders and have tangible first-mover advantage results to show for their efforts.

Timely monitoring of construction progress is ensured by the rapid recording of construction work. The data collected supports the precise positioning of formwork in concrete and columns in steel construction. In addition, it also serves to control construction work and to record progress, structural damage, and health and safety compliance. The E&C industry is now at the cusp of a new era.

Student venture aims to bring automation to home builders A group of engineering and science students who met during a free University of Auckland venture development programme run last summer, are preparing to take their building automation ideas to the world. Nikau Robotics is utilising leading-edge automation technology to increase productivity for small and medium construction businesses. The team is developing a smart computer numerical control (CNC) wood router that can intake a stack of wooden panels and process them automatically to pre-cut, drill, and carve wooden panels. The machine they have designed is highly portable to enable onsite use for fast, accurate cuts of wood without the need for external suppliers. The concept is the brainchild of Mechatronics Engineering student Harrison Lawton. “It occurred to me while helping a contractor renovate my family home for several weeks, how strenuous and repetitive the work was. Almost the entire woodworking process was highly predictable and required a great deal of measuring and precision. From my background in robotics, “I was aware these are the ideal characteristics for automation. After scouring the internet for a machine to meet these requirements, it became apparent there was no product that was able to effectively satisfy the market’s demands, so I began to design my own.” Harrison took his idea with him to the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. While taking part in its Summer Lab programme, he

formed a motivated and talented team and a suite of new skills and knowledge. “The programme was beyond amazing and I would recommend it to anyone”. A core part of the Summer Lab programme is market validation; testing assumptions about your idea and ensuring there is a market of a viable size. The Nikau Robotics team’s ideas were validated by their research. Harrison says the problem of inefficient construction is a global concern. “In the past 20 years there has only been a 1 percent increase in productivity yet a 5 percent increase in production in 2019 alone. Meanwhile, demand for residential construction soars and skilled labour shortages reduce capacity. “Small and medium construction companies are unable to take advantage of the enormous and expensive industrial CNC machines used by larger construction companies. However, 70 percent of contractors believe that advancing technologies can increase productivity. Here is where we are able to compete in the otherwise overlooked market segment of small construction firms which make up a large proportion of global builders. “In New Zealand alone there are over 21,650 construction companies of which the majority are small residential firms.” Since Summer Lab, Nikau Robotics has established a dedicated team with extensive technical knowledge in engineering and commerce, as well as a large experienced mentor board.

capital firms including UniServices and received wonderful feedback on everything they’re doing right and the aspects to improve. “We have made enormous progress in prototype development and engineering design. The main challenge has been a result of Covid-19. Like all businesses we too have suffered from decreased productivity and slow supply chains,” he says. The Nikau Robotics team is excited about the prototype they are constructing and will soon begin manufacturing furniture as proof of concept. From there they will market test the design with industry partners. Harrison believes the key to their success is going to be building a large international community of companies who are aware of their innovation, and in the coming months, the team will begin their market outreach. “Our product is slated for release between November 2021 and January 2022, so our work has only just begun, but the journey is as exciting as the destination.”

The team initiated meetings with several venture

Members of the Nikau Robotics team (with Harrison Lawton left) and Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship staff, at Summer Lab end of programme celebrations.

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NZ Manufacturer May 2020

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY A closer look at composites In 1200 A.D., the Mongols invented the first composite bow, combining bamboo, silk, cattle tendons and pine resin to make a tool that was swifter and more powerful than those of their rivals. Since then, composites have transformed the technologies of many industries — although the materials used to manufacture them have evolved. Although the method of combining materials has been around for thousands of years, compared to legacy materials such as steel, aluminum and iron, composites are still coming of age. While industries are still awakening to the benefits of composite materials, their physical properties make them an undeniably attractive option.

Composites 101 Fiberglass composites accelerated from development to mass production during World War II, as alternative materials were needed for lightweight military aircraft. Engineers soon realised that low weight wasn’t the material’s only boon. It was discovered that fibreglass composites were transparent to radio frequencies, and they were used as a replacement for the molded plywood in aircraft radomes. High strength and low weight remain a winning combination for composites, helping to reduce fuel use, facilitate faster and easier movement of devices such as robotic arms as well as improve topside stability in vessels and offshore structures. Around 0.02 cubic meters of steel weighs approximately 222 kilograms, while the same amount of composite material can weigh up to 70 per cent less. Another crucial quality of composites is that they do not rust, reducing maintenance requirements. This is especially beneficial for applications prone to corrosion, such as in marine and other offshore environments. This excellent resistance lengthens the lifespan of the material, helping increase profitability for the end user. Resins play a crucial role in the overall performance of composites. The primary function of resin is to act as a glue that holds a composite’s fibers together and protects them from mechanical and environmental damage. Resins such as polyester (UPE) can be modified to make them flame retardant or self-extinguishing, while we can create specific properties for epoxies (EP) by adapting the hardening process. These

modifications add further value to a composite’s properties, allowing it to offer even more benefits.

Industry expansion Thanks to its enviable properties, a vast range of industries favour fibreglass. While the body of the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette’s show model was the first time the vehicle was made of reinforced plastic, purely as an expedient to get the job done quickly, the material has withstood the test of time. With doubts expressed over whether the 1954 model should be created using steel, people seemed to be captivated by the idea of a fibreglass plastic body. Following the original fibreglass model, the Corvette has seen eight different generations of composite bodies. Father of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov, set the stage for the innovative design with his document titled “Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders and Chevrolet”. Identifying that Chevrolet needed to overtake Ford’s lead in use by customisers and racers, the evolution of the Corvette continued, including the birth of its first sports edition in 1956. It’s insulating properties also mean that fibreglass is commonly used in electrical equipment, where non-conductive strength and reliability over long periods of time are required. The design flexibility of fibreglass, for example, makes it a perfect material for high voltage insulators, or used in transformers or electric motors and generators. Elsewhere, the building and construction sectors have been using composites for over 40 years, beginning with glass reinforced polyester (GRP) cladding panels for buildings in the 1970s. GRP composites are now becoming a more standard material of choice for many small infrastructure projects. As the weight and strength advantages of the material are becoming better known, the materials are being piloted for larger schemes and building projects — including composite bridges and even freestanding carbon fibre roofs. Perhaps one of the first instances of carbon fibre being used in practice was in Thomas Edison’s lightbulb. The carbonised cotton thread used to create the lightbulb’s filament wasn’t the carbon fibre we know today, but carbon has since been thrust into the spotlight and hailed as a high potential composite material. With five times more strength than steel, and twice as stiff, carbon fibre composites could reduce passenger car weight by 50 per cent, improving fuel efficiency by as much as 35 per cent. The potential is enormous. If we take a closer look at wind energy, for example, composites play a crucial role in maintaining turbine efficiency. The demand for wind energy is soaring, and this increase brings with it the desire for longer turbine blades

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to produce more energy. But as blades get longer, we also need to focus on reducing their weight in order to ensure maximum performance. However, this lighter weight must also be coupled with strong and long-lasting materials. One of the main sources of a turbine’s blade strength comes from a support beam, or spar cap, which runs down the blade. These spar caps have been traditionally made using fibreglass, but manufacturers are turning more towards carbon fibre as it adds stiffness that allows for longer blades. Carbon fibre is all too often perceived as fibreglass’s more appealing younger sibling. Far less dense than fibreglass and with a higher ultimate tensile strength, carbon fibre is ideal for applications where were every gram of strength or stiffness matters. However, manufacturers should also consider fibreglass’s lower tensile strength and, as a result, greater flexibility.

Pull it together When manufacturing a composite tube to meet specific design considerations, the most common processes used are pultrusion and pull-winding. Pultrusion involves a continuous process of pulling a material through a guide where fibres are placed precisely in relation to the profile’s cross section to ensure a consistent quality. As the fibres are led through the equipment, they are permeated with resins to lock the fibers in place. Pull-winding is remarkably similar to pultrusion with the exception that fibres can additionally wound around a profile before it enters the heated die. The advantage is in the fibre alignment possibilities in both the crosswise and longitudinal directions that enable a wider range of solutions, and even thinner profile walls, such as those used for tubing. While these methods are well used in composites manufacturing, the ability to repeatedly produce the desired quality requires an understanding of many factors, such as the choice of reinforcing fibre, the angles at which the fibres are orientated in a profile’s structure and the resins used. This is important both in the manufacturing phase to ensure that the right amount of materials are used and waste is reduced. We also need to make sure that when the products are in use, they provide the desired material properties. The strength and accuracy of the Mongol’s composite bow made it one of the most feared weapons on Earth, until the invention of effective firearms in the 14th century. By providing lighter weight for increased strength, alongside a multitude of other advantages, composites today are well on their way to becoming a crucial material in several applications. Can’t imagine what the Mongols would have done had they had fibreglass or carbon fibre composite laminates to use rather than silk and pine resin.

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NZ Manufacturer May 2020

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY Quantifying Circular Economy with the Materials Circularity Indicator -Barbara Nebel, CEO thinkstep-anz Many producers today are eager to make the transition from linear to circular models. However, doubts remain over how well a product’s materials align with circular economy principles of minimal waste and enhanced reuse value. Fortunately, the Materials Circularity Indicator is here to help.

Going circular

incorporate it into the EPD. Indeed, InfraBuild and thinkstep-anz are building the MCI into all their EPDs in order to provide a more comprehensive indication of their products’ sustainability credentials.

The circular economy is a system that requires us to reconsider the entire lifecycle of our products and resources by designing out waste. That means making use of materials and technologies that extend the lifespans and potential reuse value of the things we produce, while minimising unintended waste and pollutants as far as possible. With that, there remains a need to quantify this progress so producers can know just how circular their products are. The Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) not only provides a benchmark for improving a product but can add extra value to (EPD), providing a more accurate picture of the overall sustainability credentials of that product.

Measuring sustainability Numerous rating tools and certifications exist worldwide to assess the sustainability credentials of a product or project and reward them accordingly. Looking at such properties as the GHG emissions and energy usage, these ratings give manufacturers a basis to work with and improve upon, whereas users can make the most informed choice during the initial design process. EPDs and carbon product certifications both go a long way towards establishing a product’s overall environmental impact. Both look at the entire lifecycle of a product, are internationally standardised, and independently verified. However, they stop short of quantifying a circular economy approach. This is where the Material Circularity Indicator can help to offer a fuller picture and ensure that circular economy steps are well underway.

The Material Circularity Indicator The Ellen McArthur Foundation, building on their strong work publicising the circular economy, developed the MCI to measure the circularity of products. The indicator’s focus is on Technical Cycles, “in which products, components and materials are kept in the market at the highest possible quality and for as long as possible, through repair and maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, and ultimately recycling.” (Ellen McArthur Foundation 2015) With this, the MCI is particularly relevant to organisations working in building and infrastructure areas and encourages more circular design principles from the extraction of raw resources, to the construction and eventual demolition stages. This process is demonstrated in figure 1, with the MCI tracking material flows from virgin stock, to use and eventual reuse. In short, its focus is entirely on the materials going in and the waste coming out along each step of a product’s lifecycle. It also

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In a broader sense, and in line with the objectives of the MCI according to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, this MCI provides InfraBuild with an important piece to add to Figure 1: Diagrammatic Representation of Material Flows (Ellen McArthur Foundation 2015) their growing sustainability puzzle. Although this MCI only applies to one of many products, it is nonetheless vital information as they shift from considers a product’s a linear production model to a circular one. In the utility when making future it could help to assess the MCI of larger, more the calculation, multifaceted projects, of which the reinforcing bars which includes the are only one part. intensity of use and intended lifespan. Concluding points: Finally, the MCI has a The material circularity indicator is an extremely simple scale of 0—1, useful tool for measuring and improving the with 0.1 indicating circularity of a product. It can help to provide a more a linear process, comprehensive picture when identifying hotspots in and 1 indicating a the production process, carrying out or evaluating an fully circular one. A EPD, or assessing how a product fits into a project’s result of less than overall environmental impact. 0.1 indicates a linear Some final considerations to keep in mind when product with lower assessing how and when to utilise an MCI: than average utility.

What this looks like in practice Following on from EPD work already carried out on a range of their products, InfraBuild (formerly Liberty Steel) commissioned thinkstep-anz to carry out an MCI on their reinforcing bar product. With a score of 0.669, the company found that they had a reasonably good benchmark but could also start to seek opportunities for improvement. Looking through their supply chain and manufacturing process, InfraBuild could identify the material contributions of their Electric Arc Furnace which is fed primarily by recycled scrap metal, and their blast furnace facility, both of which contribute towards the production of their reinforcing bars. With the MCI in mind, a decision could then be made to increase the usage of materials from their electric arc furnace which had a more positive overall contribution to their MCI. Additionally, with the MCI calculated on their reinforcing bar product, InfraBuild can look to

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• MCI is only one piece of the puzzle and is less useful as a tool to use on its own. It should be considered alongside other indicators, such as those included in an EPD, to avoid burden shifting. • For most products, MCI has many levels of detailed information and calculations at different levels. It shares most data requirements with those used for developing a life cycle assessment, making it a logical inclusion in LCA and EPD projects. • The MCI distinguishes between reused and recycled materials; however, it does not separate different types of recycling, with ‘downcycling’ rated the same as closed-loop recycling. Future versions could improve on this in order to reward processes that maintain maximum material value. • MCI will become increasingly relevant as circularity is measured in more products, enabling comparison between similar products as well as providing a benchmark for improvement. www.thinkstep-anz.com

COMMENT The next start-up cities to transform the global economy During the past decade, much of the discussion about start-up ecosystems has been centred on the question of which city or region will become “the next Silicon Valley”. Although there are several places with promising growth trajectories, this view is short-sided. It implies there needs to be a new champion overshadowing the old one. In fact, there will be no “next Silicon Valley”. Instead, new research from Startup Genome’s 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) points to there being 30 “next” hubs that will reach critical mass and reshape the state of the global economy. While none of them will be as big as Silicon Valley in the foreseeable future, each will thrive due to either regional dominance or start-up sub-sector leadership. Now, it’s not obvious which ecosystems will end up as the global change agents we predict, but we have some big clues. The first place to look to determine the next hotspots is at present start-up ecosystem rankings. 12 such ecosystems are: Greater Helsinki, Finland,Hangzhou, China,Jakarta, Indonesia,Lagos, Nigeria,Melbourne, Australia, Montreal, Canada, Moscow, Russia Mumbai, India, São Paulo, Brazil, Seoul, South Korea, Shenzhen, China, Tokyo, Japan.

When it comes to specific start-up sub-sector leadership, Montreal emerge is one of the global hotspots for artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups. Since 2016, more than $1 billion has been invested in AI companies located there (including notable startup Element AI), and it has the largest concentration of AI academic researchers in the world. Montreal also hosts the NeurIPS conference, the largest AI event held annually in the world.

The next hubs, partly predicted above, will be where the bulk of that growth is occurring and they are where the global economy will be remade, especially in the areas of advanced manufacturing, agricultural tech, AI and blockchain.

Other “Challenger” ecosystems on the list have not created such a strong brand, or ecosystem identity, for themselves yet. But that is changing rapidly, partly due to aggressive government investment. In Asia-Pacific, for example, Seoul Metropolitan Government stands out with a recent pledge of $1.6 billion in funding for start-ups by 2022. South Korea is also notable for its R&D spending-to-GDP ratio, which is the highest in the world at 4.55%. The global start-up community is now the top engine of job creation and economic growth in the world, not only in Silicon Valley.

Artificial intelligence hotspot … Montreal.

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NZ Manufacturer May 2020

THE INTERVIEW

John Cochrane, Group General Manager, Facteon Where do you see manufacturing opportunities after the virus? I think it would be an understatement to call the Covid-19 pandemic a “wake-up call” for governments, businesses, and society in general. When looking at this in the narrower context of manufacturing one must consider that the entire surrounding ecosystem is set for disruption. And when such disruption occurs there are always opportunities for lasting beneficial change. A few things are already becoming clear – Manufacturing much closer to ‘home’ makes a lot more sense now in a post-Covid economy. Speed to market, speed to putting the right product on the shelf (whether bricks and mortar or online) are essential advantages for a modern business. Advantages and benefits of proximity are increasing, both economically and for social good. Fragile supply chains can no longer be tolerated. Unreliable logistics capacity and volatile cross-border pricing need to be buffered against. Reliance on low-cost (mainly overseas) human labour for routine low-skilled tasks is an outdated business model.

challenge for several months, perhaps longer. The burden resting on all leaders is to adapt and respond swiftly to a new-normal and not bury our heads in the sand waiting for things to return to the old-normal. The emergence of the internet was a game changer for businesses around the world. Digital disrupted traditional film photography, both amateur and professional. Streaming has been a game changer for the entertainment industry. I believe we are on the verge of a shift of similar magnitude. Shifting a manufacturing footprint, and optimising manufacturing productivity, are not stop-gap measures to be applied solely as a temporary Covid-19 response. These are long-term trends that have been building up behind the dam, so to speak, and it has taken a global event, with the Covid-19 pandemic, to highlight the pressing need for such a shift. Now the dam has broken, new norms will be formed, which means global competitive advantages are about to shift again. What is an example or two of areas of manufacturing opportunity?

With the cost of automation continually coming down and being normalised globally, there is an erosion of the historic economic advantages of manufacturing in locations where labour costs are lower.

This question reminds me of my time in the public sector. One of the things New Zealand enjoys is a strongly positive national brand around the world. Our Primary Industries have been benefitting from this for decades; tourism as well.

If the virus persists, opportunities still exist?

Now is the time for our manufacturing industry to catch up and likewise leverage our positive national brand. A brand that has been enhanced by our national response to the Covid-19 crisis.

then

will

these

Yes, while I make no claims to be a disease expert, I believe most people watching global media are anticipating the virus will be around for some time, at least until a widely accessible vaccine is produced in volume. Some are suggesting this will remain an evolving

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More than anything, I would love to see more New Zealand companies add value and capture value here prior to export. The often-cited example is forestry – instead of shipping essentially unprocessed logs,

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what’s holding us back from adding manufactured or processed value right here in our own country? We should do this prior to export. A combination of focussed skills training and advanced manufacturing practices will enable that to happen. Productivity and contract manufacturing are major concerns in NZ. If we were to manufacture more locally, how do we incentivise the workforce? In my career I have had the privilege of visiting hundreds of factories in numerous countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia/ New Zealand, running the full range of rather primitive facilities in tin sheds down dirt roads to state-of-the-art factories cleaner than a hospital operating theatre. Unfortunately, the former perception carries on, leading to manufacturing being mis-branded by some as an undesirable career path. This is a grossly outdated perception. Modern advanced manufacturing must be cast in a new light. Latest technology and modern working conditions exist in many manufacturing environments. While our vocational education system and government policies place jobs in industries such as tourism and construction as desirable, I promote the notion that manufacturing has greater career longevity, stability, and flexibility in the longer term. What has happened during the Covid-19 crisis bears this out. You mentioned contract manufacturing as well, and in one of my former roles we chose to outsource all our electronic assembly and plastic injection moulding rather than do this ourselves. And all that manufacturing went to local businesses, not offshore, and these local companies did a fantastic job at a fair and competitive price.

COMPANY PROFILE Plus, since our manufacturing partners were literally right around the corner, we could co-create new products with ease. In my personal experience there is seldom a need to look offshore for capable and reliable contract manufacturers where genuine IP is involved. Underlying issues in NZ manufacturing are holding the country back. For Facteon, where are the new areas of growth at this time in business history? We are observing a very encouraging trend where customers are seeking guidance on single operation automation and upgrading existing manufacturing systems, including Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), to enhance overall plant productivity.

You might say this is learning to walk before running. Where previously the idea of adding IIoT and robotics were considered out of reach, possibly only accessible to the large wealthy multinationals, we are now enjoying discussions with customers across multiple manufacturing sectors, who are embracing advanced manufacturing technologies more enthusiastically than ever before. The “dollars and sense”, including business continuity, all add up to a very compelling case to break the chains of outdated thinking and explore modernising manufacturing in a step-by-step approach. The Government has managed the health issues and tightened the economy during

There is seldom a need to look offshore for capable and reliable contract manufacturers where genuine IP is involved.

lockdown. Do you see far reaching effects on the manufacturing industry as a result of this approach? As a result of this pandemic I believe many people, tens of thousands here in New Zealand, will re-think their education and career choices. Business leaders will also re-think their supply chains and manufacturing eco-system. I am, at heart, an optimist, and I would like to think that this mutual re-thinking of careers and supply will mean people who found themselves unemployed in one industry can be re-employed in an advanced manufacturing setting, creating more sustainable jobs in New Zealand. How is your supply chain holding up? We see some flows beginning to stabilise. We consider ourselves lucky because we purchase from numerous countries globally, which means we are not reliant on any one country for the majority of our supply. Prices for some goods movement remain volatile. In summary, it’s still touch and go for some items we source, but overall, we are coping well.

Little Island James Crow, Co-founder and non-executive director How do you see current business opportunities for your company? This is new territory for us all but what the past two months have reaffirmed is that the need for locally manufactured food with environmental credentials is only growing. Consumers have become more aware of what they are consuming over the lockdown and will be more receptive to the health and lifestyle benefits that plant based foods can offer. As our hospitality channels rebuild, we will look to develop specific products and formats for that industry as well. Our current capital raise via Snowball Effect will allow us to react more quickly to these developing trends to expand our current range, while also acquiring a plant based yoghurt business to round out our offering. Do you export and to where? We have tested the waters with exports into an independent Australian retailer chain of 100 stores and a successful two year pilot in a premium Singapore supermarket chain of 45 stores. This work has shown where the opportunities are and the work that will be required to secure these regions for Little Island in the future. After 10 years, is everything on track? For a start-up “on track” is generally code for you tackled the last obstacle and are charging ahead. The secret to our success so far has been building production capacity and knowledge in what we do, from the ground up, and this is going well.

How easy is it to retain staff?

sector that has benefited us the most.

As a foundation member of Living Wage Aotearoa, we have always held the welfare of our staff as paramount. This along with our close-knit family environment have kept most staff with us for five years or more.

What are your plans for overseas expansion?

Have you been affected by the virus?

We want to command a dominant export position, as NZ animal protein business have done in the past.

Covid-19 must have effected every business in some way. For us, it was a surge in supermarket demand pre-level 4, coupled with an immediate halt to all hospitality trade. Revenues during lockdown decreased, as expected but our team was well supported and continued to manufacture as we traded throughout. We finished our financial year on March 31 and still met our targeted revenue growth thanks to great summer trading. We’re very thankful. Future opportunities for your company – where are they? Our strength will come from continuing to develop Little Island into a national leader in plant based dairy alternative products and further meeting the growing local demand before expanding our foot print into receptive export markets such as Asia.

Our work for now is to continue building the business here in New Zealand and, in particular, develop a strong NZ source story to take Little Island offshore.

We want to command a dominant export position, as NZ animal protein business has done in the past.

There is certainly value in meeting more mainstream shoppers needs with products they will use every day like our milks and upcoming yoghurt ranges. Why are dairy-free products all the rage?

We have very good business fundamentals that now require further capital to accelerate growth.

What began as a want by consumers to remove dairy from their foods for allergen or lifestyle reasons, has grown into an acknowledgement that the innovation of plants and plant proteins will be a major factor in feeding the world’s population and reducing carbon emissions in the future.

Through our current capital raise we have a solid strategy to develop our people and products to become the dominant plant based business both in New Zealand and in our chosen export markets.

This consumer realisation has jettisoned the concept of plant based foods into the mainstream. We’ve been here since before the word “plant based” was known and it’s this knowledge and expertise in the

Little Island product range

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NZ Manufacturer May 2020

Torches for efficient welding

www.kemppi.com Matt Heron: 0220 200 626

And you know.

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.

Revolution Fibres skincare product sells out in South Korea A natural New Zealand skincare product has sold out in online sales after just two hours on South Korea’s most influential home shopping network. The manufacturer of the skincare product, Auckland-based nanofibre producer Revolution Fibres, has now switched its production capacity to face masks to meet Covid-19 demand and to increase the local supply of critical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Ray Connor, Revolution Fibres CEO, says while the South Korea campaign was successful, following the Covid-19 announcements Revolution Fibres priority switched to manufacturing filter media for N95 face masks. “Filtration for respiratory protection from pollution and viruses is what Revolution Fibres made its name on 10 years ago. We have the expertise and we are increasing our capacity to fulfil large scale orders for face masks which are increasingly in demand.” With AcitvLayr now sold out in South Korea, Revolution Fibres will ramp up production of the skincare product once the lockdown is finished in New Zealand alongside the continued manufacture of filter media for face masks. ActivLayr is made from premium marine collagen and was developed through an intensive research and development programme over several years, with funding support from the Seafood Innovations Ltd and in collaboration with Sanford and Plant & Food Research. ActivLayr was advertised on influential South Korean home shopping channels GS and Lotte across two hour-long segments showcasing the skincare product to tens of millions of consumers. The advertising campaigns for ActivLayr focussed on the premium Tier 1 marine collagen combined with hyaluronic acid (an ingredient to help the skin retain moisture) to deliver an advanced cosmetic application. The ActivLayr technology is a versatile platform and has been shown to effectively and efficiently deliver a broad range of active ingredients directly into the intradermal and subdermal regions of the skin. Iain Hosie, Revolution Fibres founder and Technical Director, says a key appeal for the South Korean market is the application method of placing the product onto wet skin like a mask. “This method of application enables the collagen and bioactive ingredients to be absorbed quickly and efficiently to reduce wrinkles and to maximise the repair and protection of the skin. “Soluble nanofibres are an emerging class of materials for skin beauty and skin health. A growing number of industries are also embracing what nanofibre can do for increased performance, establishing a competitive edge, and helping to make products better and stronger.” Last year sales on South Korean home shopping channels topped NZ$14.4 billion. The beauty and personal care category was worth NZ$1.76 billion alone, making it second only to the food and drink sector.

Autonomous Mobile Disinfectant Robot Autonomous mobile robot company SESTO Robotics has launched a dual-function Autonomous Mobile Disinfectant Robo. Addressing the urgent need for tiptop hygiene standards and minimum environment infection risk during Covid-19, the robot can efficiently and effectively disinfect facilities 24-hour, round-the-clock, with its dual functionality, eliminating 99.99% of bacteria, germs and viruses. SESTO HealthGUARD is designed to self-navigate and manoeuvre around tight places, avoiding obstacles and people, making it suitable for many indoor facilities. The robots are versatile and safe, and automate labour-intensive and repetitive tasks in healthcare and manufacturing facilities. There are no “off-days” or “after hours” for viruses. And the self-navigating, fully-autonomous robot is ready for round-the-clock thorough facility disinfection. Powered by SESTO’s proprietary user interface, operators can easily set up cleaning missions, schedules and deployment on a tablet or laptop. This means operators can conveniently change and update the robots’ cleaning routine as necessary. The robot provides an industry-leading utilisation rate of up to six hours on a single charge, auto-returns to its charging station when required and battery hotswap in less than five minutes. Responding to the growing concerns around environmental infection and community spread with the outbreak of Covid-19, the team at SESTO Robotics conceptualised the product in less than four weeks, integrating the disinfectant unit on its industry-adopted mobile robot platform. The proof-of-concept was rolled out in mid-April to much interest across industries ranging from retail malls, bus operators, hotels and healthcare facilities. Manual cleaning and disinfection may be inadequate and subject to human error, especially in large spaces. During operational hours with human traffic, SESTO HealthGUARD can disinfect the environment with hospital-grade disinfectant from its multi-nozzle sprayer, eliminating 99.99% of bacteria, germs and viruses. The multi-nozzle sprayer targets high-touch surface areas and enables facilities owners and operators to disinfect large surfaces more efficiently and thoroughly. Also equipped with six UV-C (254nm) high-output germicidal lamps, SESTO HealthGuard effectively disinfects an area of 100 square metres in approximately 45 minutes. Its light delivers a powerful intensity to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria, germs and viruses. At 254nm wavelength, its short-length UV will break the molecular bonds within micro-organisms, thereby destroying them. A mid-size indoor facility – mall, hotel, healthcare centre – of around 100,000 square feet can be disinfected within 24-hours using three or four of these robots.

NZ Manufacturer May 2020

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Robotics tutor creates real time map of PPE demand As part of his volunteer work for ShieldsUp, an organisation established at the start of lockdown which called on volunteers to 3D print personal protective equipment (PPE) to fill the shortage gap, WelTec tutor Frank Beinersdorf has developed a real time map of how many, and where, protective shields are needed across New Zealand. Frank’s map is what Shieldsup uses to determine how many shields need to be made, and provides information to the many volunteers tasked with delivering the equipment. Using various icons, the map displays priority of orders, what orders are ready to go, or are on the way, and a heat map of what is still needed. There is also a visual chart to demonstrate demand over time and a chart tracking Covid cases in New Zealand. The map and information can be found here: https:// beinerf.github.io/. “Frank’s work became invaluable as we grew beyond lists and text,” says Tim Carr, ShieldsUp founder. “What he did in regard to visualising a rapidly growing data set has allowed us to see where resources were needed and demand was growing.”

delivered 21 shields for Pacific Health Plus in Porirua, a health service caring for vulnerable patients in the needy suburb of Cannons Creek. Two WelTec students also helped out manufacturing on their own printers.

Malcolm. “Although a crisis, it’s wonderful to see how communities can pull together like this.”

Frank has done this work with the support of Malcolm Fair, Programme Manager at WelTec’s School of Construction & Engineering.

Since launching in late March ShieldsUp has received more than 16,000 requests for face shields from healthcare workers across New Zealand and that number continues to grow daily. These include GPs, after hours medical clinics, pharmacies, community health workers as well as many others.

“WelTec can be proud of having a small part in this effort. By putting his skills to work and using his creative thinking and kindness, Frank has really assisted this very important cause by providing real time maps and charts of demand, delivery status and other information to the community,” says

“We are continuing to see high demand for face shields within the health sector, which we are now assessing alongside new requests from other industries as they consider how they can protect their staff as workplaces look to re-open under alert level three,” says Tim.

ShieldsUp is a community driven initiative, conceived from the outcry of medical and emergency responders facing Covid-19 head on, as they put their own health at risk in their jobs to help protect others, often without the personal protective equipment they so desperately needed. As well as providing information on numbers and location of PPE required, Frank has also converted the data into useful quick facts, kept up to date real time. For example, on Tuesday May 5th, over 18, 000 shields were still needed, 22 242 were wanted and 16, 521 had been made and delivered by 254 volunteers across New Zealand. In the spirit of community from which ShieldsUp was created, Frank included fun facts in his data visualization, such as: if we stacked all the shields what height they would reach - almost as high as the Sky Tower in Auckland, and: if one person would have attempted this job with one average 3D printer running 24/7, it would have taken 782 days and 3 hours. Frank used his own 3D printer, and one of WelTec’s, to contribute to the stock for ShieldsUp. As part of this, Frank created and

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NZ MANUFACTURER

FEATURES June 2020 Issue COVID-19 BUSINESS CLIMATE CHANGE COMPANY PROFILE

Robotmaster Version 7.2 is more efficient Hypertherm has announced a new version update to Robotmaster V7, its world-leading CAD/CAM based offline robot programming software.

Path Transform Path Transform allows users to copy, move, array, or mirror the path(s) in different or multiple locations on the part. This new feature eliminates redundant work and expedites the programming.

PRODUCTIVITY The All-New Intelligent Cell and Tooling Creator

SMART MANUFACTURING

Integrators, partners, and end-users can now set up their robotic cell inside of Robotmaster themselves. Its intuitive user interface with real-time visual feedback enables users to calibrate, optimize, validate, and commission their robotic cell and tooling up to 10 times faster with unparalleled ease!

3D MANUFACTURING REGIONAL MANUFACTURING New Welding Tools Advertising Booking Deadline – 12 June 2020 Advertising Copy Deadline – 12 June 2020 Editorial Copy Deadline – 12 June 2020 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. Opinion

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Trade Fair World Diary of Events World Market Report Q/A

The new welding tools will highlight how easy path creation has gotten in welding. The new welding selection method improves path creation in a visual method which virtually eliminates the need to modify the geometry to select the welding seams while minimising the number of clicks. This method and the new touch sensing grouping not only speeds up the process up to 10 times faster but also simplifies the overall workflow.

Geometry Filtering The new Geometry Filtering feature automatically filters out bad geometry edges to create quality paths, without worrying about bad geometry edges being unusable. The geometry filtering not only allows for cleaner path creation, but also smoother robotic motion.

Say Goodbye to bad edges from low quality CAD files, forever! Video Tutorials

Maximise the full potential of your software and get up to speed faster than ever with the new library of video tutorials. From step-by-step part programming videos to brand new Cell and Tool Editor tutorials, we’ve gone above and beyond what our customers have been asking for by providing a large library of content.

Australian Report New to the Market Lean Manufacturing

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Equipment for Sale

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Faster transaction processing for manufacturers ThinkSystem SR645 and SR665 two-socket servers feature enhanced performance and I/O connectivity for higher performance workloads. Many industries, such as manufacturing need faster transaction processing, improved data analytics, and greater grid-computing capacity, while still improving efficiency and total cost of ownership (TCO). To address these needs, Lenovo focuses on delivering open, reliable, and secure infrastructure solutions comprising industry-leading servers, storage, and software. With the addition of the new ThinkSystem SR645 and SR665 servers featuring more CPU cores and a larger memory footprint, Lenovo can help customers accelerate higher performance workloads and improve efficiency. ThinkSystem servers are designed for workloads such as in-memory databases, advanced analytics, virtualisation, and AI.

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They feature: • Next-generation technologies, including PCIe 4 support, which doubles I/O bandwidth eliminating potential bottlenecks found in previous generation servers increase networking capabilities essential for I/O intensive applications

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• Increased GPU support (up to 8x 75W NVidia T4s) allowing customers to efficiently implement video analytics and inference solutions for artificial intelligence • Increased onboard storage up to 40 2.5” drives or up to 32 NVMe drives allowing for dense software defined storage solutions

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The high core counts allow customers to buy fewer servers, saving them rack space and power, in addition to obtaining results faster. These benefits are material in multiple industries: • In the financial services industry, typically, servers are in a premium space located near the exchanges so saving rack space is paramount

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• In retail environments, faster video analytics results can identify high-traffic areas in stores to strategically place products • In manufacturing, processes rely on efficiency, therefore the ability to quickly process analytics data allows for better quality control and improved throughput. This results in higher yields and better forecasting of warranty needs

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• In high performance computing (HPC) environments like scientific research, higher throughput means faster results, yielding earlier discoveries • The Lenovo SR665 server with AMD EPYC processors and the Xilinx Alveo FPGA-based real-time architecture provides an ideal acceleration platform to deliver unprecedented tick-to-trade performance.

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NEW PRODUCTS Safety at high speed with the igus e-chain system in the linear motor robot Twice as fast and half as heavy: this is what makes the linear motor robot from Fibro Lapple Technology(FLT) different from other solutions.

In order for the linear robot to be able to get production up and running quickly and reliably, a compact, durable and quiet energy supply was required. A side-mounted igus energy chain system with pre-harnessed chainflex cables proved to be the optimal solution. Linear robots are the automation tool of choice for machine or press loading, order picking and high-bay warehouse loading or even for transport and handling tasks. Due to the demands of production for faster, more intelligent and economically profitable solutions, Fibro Lapple Technology has developed a linear robot which fulfils the desire to maximise production performance. In a new carbon design, the linear motor robot saves up to 50% in weight compared to conventional solutions. The weight reduction enables twice the speed, accelerations of up to 26m/s2 and twice the positioning accuracy. Instead of a rack and pinion drive, the designers chose a linear motor because it

allows very high dynamics. An unsupported igus energy chain of the E4.1 series ensures a secure energy supply for the z-axis. The integration of a suitable energy chain solution in the compact installation space of the x-axis was a challenge, because a classic gliding or unsupported solution was out of the question due to the high forces. Complete energy supply system directly from a single source An E4.1 series energy chain is used with additional sliding elements that further reduce wear. The designers also used the igus range for the cables. They chose pre-harnessed chainflex cables – so-called

Safety at high speed with the igus e-chain system in the linear motor robot side-mounted igus energy chain ensures reliable energy supply in high-speed lightweight linear robots.

readycables – that are specifically designed for use in the energy chain and, thanks to a large number of tests in the company’s own 3,800 square metre test laboratory, are given a guarantee for 36 months. The complete system is housed in a special guide trough, which further minimises noise and increases the reliability of the system.

Onsite to online – hydraulics leader shifts safety training sessions A croc’s jaws slam shut with 3,700 psi. Hydraulic tools can provide much needed safety, efficiency and precision, but their power (10,000 psi) must be treated with respect and knowledge, says global hydraulics and safety leader Enerpac. Enerpac is introducing to New Zealand a new series of ‘Goal Zero’ online hydraulic safety training sessions, designed to optimise uptime and safety for industries that use powerful (10,000 psi) hydraulic tools to make lifting, shifting, positioning and other tasks easier and more efficient. Enerpac has moved its training sessions online so that responsible companies in construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, materials handling, mining, oil and gas, power generation, water, wastewater and other industries can still keep their safety knowledge up to date during Covid-19. “Many industrial companies are performing essential tasks and continuing to work, and others are adapting rapidly to a changing environment. Whichever the case, we’d like to make our safety training sessions readily available for all. They are typically conducted onsite for the convenience of the customer, but hosting them online makes the most

sense right now,” says Enerpac Channel and Product Leader, Australasia, Mr Andrew Marsh. “Enerpac has a global ‘Goal Zero’ initiative that aims for zero harm to employees, customers and end users of both Enerpac and other-brand hydraulic machinery. These safety training courses are an important way of achieving Goal Zero by training staff on safety best-practices with hydraulic tools,” said Mr Marsh. The practical, down-to-earth safety training development courses will use real-world examples and cover topics such as: Tool inspections and correct workplace usage guidance Maintenance and storage practices that optimise safety and uptime Spotlighting potentially dangerous practices unique to high pressure hydraulic tools Extending tool life and increasing productivity

Only 14% of all our engineers are women. We want to change that. Join us and scores of other Kiwi organisations that have galvanised around one common goal: 20% more women engineers by 2021. www.diversityagenda.org

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“As a hydraulic technology and safety leader in Australasia for more than 50 years, Enerpac is now taking a further lead in the industry by using online safety courses to deliver immediate benefits by combining local expertise with global knowledge and standards. The key outcomes on which they focus are reduced accidents and downtime,” said Mr Marsh. The online courses are a great way for companies to get a head-start on safety initiatives, before a potential post-Covid-19 boom in activity. Once everything is back up and running, companies are going to be busy, but safety is always a priority onsite. Now is the ideal time to refresh and expand hydraulic tool safety knowledge in preparation for busier days ahead. The courses are open to anyone who uses or supervises the use of hydraulic tools, including tool users; supervisors; inspectors; safety managers; project and site engineers; maintenance shutdown engineers; administration and management staff concerned with risk assessment and management; training and development managers.

NEW PRODUCTS Portable powerhouse delivers oil-free compressed air - when it’s needed From mining, construction and refineries sites to the manufacture and production of food, beverages, chemicals and pharmaceuticals to name only a few - a diverse range of industries and applications require large volumes of oil free - and often portable - compressed air. The Mobilair 500-2 is expertly engineered for maximum versatility and fuel efficiency. The innovative M500-2 combines all the advantages of a two-stage dry-running oil-free rotary screw compressor with those of a mobile unit, and is always ready when it’s needed and wherever it’s needed. At the heart of the M500-2 is a proven two-stage dry running rotary screw compressor. Thanks to an innovative coating that withstands temperatures up to 300oC, the machines sandblasted, phosphate-treated rotors show no measurable signs of wear, even after years of operation. This translates into maximum long-term efficiency

and no increase in fuel consumption over the operating life of the machine. A generously sized fuel tank further ensures the M500-2 can run for two entire sequential shifts without the need to refuel and can even run continuously when connected to an optional external fuel tank. The reliable on-board Caterpillar C18 diesel engine is rated at 447.5 kW. The M500-2 includes an integrated Sigma Control mobile controller which automatically adjusts the motor speed to the exact pressure set-point between 4 and 10.3 bar. Compressed air discharge temperature can also be selected via the controller. The portable compressor also comes as standard with a spark arrestor and motor shut off valve for installation in refineries and is mounted on a supporting chassis with parking brake so that it can be quickly and safely positioned anywhere. It also features crane and lashing eyes, as well as forklift

pockets. This giant unit, which weighs in at just less than twelve tonnes, can therefore be precisely placed exactly where needed; the parking brake on the chassis also ensures that it stays put. The M500-2 delivers a dependable supply of quality compressed air from 4 to 10.3 bar. Maximum free air delivery varies from 38 m3/min (10.3 bar) to 45.8 m3/ min (6.9 bar).

E4 control relay connects to eleven models Power management company Moller has announced an expansion to its range, with the launch of the easyE4 control relay in Australia and New Zealand. Designed for installers who want to easily integrate control tasks for business and industrial applications, the easyE4 is more compact than previous models, and has flexible options that can connect to 11 modules and a maximum of 188 inputs/outputs. Mark Anning, Eaton General Manager ANZ said the powerful hardware, flexible expansion and comprehensive communication options of the easyE4 range, makes it one of the most versatile control relay options in the market. “The easyE4 has a large voltage range (DC, AC and UC) with mixed operation flexibility to suit a wide range of applications and markets – from plumbers in building installations, right through to automation

engineers in machine building applications. “Backed by Eaton’s intuitive easySoft programming software, the easyE4 can handle simple control tasks, right through to comprehensive configurations with high process efficiency. New function blocks include email notification and an interrupt function which enables fast event recognition and rapid response times. “When used in combination with other products from the Eaton portfolio, the easyE4 can also be integrated into IIoT system architectures via the integrated ethernet interface – a critical feature in the era of advanced manufacturing and automation.” The easyE4 comes with optional DCF77 radio signal analysis and ethernet services which enable highly

precise data and time indication. While the integrated micro SD card facilitates data logging and customised starter programs. The software includes four programming languages including structured text (ST) and function block diagram (FBD). With a variety of unique display and visualisation options available for users on mobile devices, tablets or laptops. The easyE4 is available in various supply voltages: • AC version for 85 V to 264 V • DC version for 24 V • UC version for 12 V DC, 24 V DC or 24 V AC

Sizing dispensing system for abrasive materials A new Flexicon Sizing-Dispensing System for abrasive materials receives, scalps, stores and dispenses sand, rutile, zircon, and other dense, abrasive materials on-demand, free of dust. Fed by a pneumatic conveying line, the system is equipped with an integral cyclone that separates

incoming solids from the air stream. A rotary airlock isolates the pneumatic system from atmospheric pressure and meters material into a vibratory sifter that discharges on-size particles into a surge hopper. With extended vertical sides, the surge hopper stores

up to 540 litres of material, enabling the system’s flexible screw conveyor to dispense material when needed, while reducing the number of on-off cycles required for the independent pneumatic delivery system to replenish the hopper with material.

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NEW PRODUCTS The Best in Black: igus high-performance polymer iglidur J3B The advanced material is attractive with a low coefficient of friction and a new black design For the bearing of pivoting and rotary applications, Treotham introduces iglidur J3, a lubrication-free and long-lasting igus tribo-polymer. The endurance runner convinces, above all, with its proven, very low coefficient of friction. As the yellowish material did not always match the design concept of the user, igus has

now further developed the tried-and-tested tribo-polymer into the black iglidur J3B. But igus always has the right material for other applications as well. The intuitively operated iglidur online expert system helps with the selection. High dirt resistance, low coefficient of friction and toughness to combat edge and impact loads; features that are in demand in many industries. To satisfy this demand, igus launched the high-performance polymer iglidur J3 for its plain bearing range in 2015. The tribo-polymer displays its advantages especially in pivoting and rotary movements. igus has now further developed the “endurance runner” into iglidur J3B (B for black). The new black high-performance polymer adapts to the design of furniture or even sports and leisure equipment.

With a new black design and the best coefficient of wear that can be calculated online, the iglidur J3B is attractive on the bike. For other applications, the iglidur expert system from igus helps to select the right material.

“Particularly the customers who use our flanged bearings wanted to use iglidur J3, but the slightly yellowish material often did not fit into the design of the application. Now we can deliver a long-lasting solution with proven properties”, explains Stefan Loockmann-Rittich, Head of iglidur plain bearing technology Business Unit at igus GmbH.

The iglidur J3B increases service life, especially for applications with low and medium loads, making it ideal for the bicycle industry, for example in pedals, brake levers or suspensions. The iglidur J3 is also used in the mountain bike pedals from Crankbrothers. For years, the American company has been promoting the premium components and is relying on the lubrication-free and dirt-resistant plain bearings made of high-performance polymers. Online expert for plain bearings helps in the selection Users of the motion plastics specialist igus can choose from 57 different materials. From the visually appealing endurance runner iglidur J3B to the high-temperature specialist iglidur X. In the search for the right plain bearing, the iglidur online expert system accompanies the user to determine the appropriate tribo-polymer. The online configurator is very easy to use. The user only has to enter the parameters of the application for design, load, movement and counter partner. Then the expected service life of all suitable iglidur materials is displayed and the material with the best price-performance ratio for the application can be selected. All plain bearings are available directly from Treotham with no minimum order quantity.

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ANALYSIS Unleashing the potential of IoT in manufacturing -Nathan Knight, General Manager ANZ, Lenovo DCG

With Australia’s 5G networks set to go live this year, we can expect a new wave of possibilities in the manufacturing industry to usher in a new era of economic growth and hyper-connectivity. 5G isn’t just about consuming more content faster, but also how high-speed connectivity supports new work from home arrangements, smart vehicles, devices and factories where plenty of data are exchanged in the network every second. This looks set to propel the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) and catalyse connectivity beyond recognition.

IoT is the future of manufacturing IoT and 5G together are key for manufacturing companies to connect all stages of the planning-to-sales process, offering a holistic view of real-time benefits. They allow data to flow back and forth through multi-dimensional ecosystems, enabling suppliers, manufacturers and customers to conduct business m ore efficiently. IoT-enabled devices collect masses of data, allowing manufacturers to achieve higher product quality, better-informed decision making and greater foresight with predictive maintenance. At a supply chain level, IoT streamlines processes where various shipments coming in daily need to be synced into the production schedule and tracked until the final delivery stages. This entire process needs to be arranged with precision so entire factories are being IoT-enabled with smart devices that track the position of each employee and machine. While the benefits of the technology are vast, a quick summary of what enterprises can hope to achieve through the creation of IoT enabled networks includes: Identification of issues before they occur, for example, potential breakdowns Optimisation of supply and reduction of costs through closer observation of the production network Improved analytics and decision making through rel evant, real-time data Enable efficiencies of scale in areas such as inventory, production, logistics, etc. Increased consumer loyalty through improved products Prediction of issues and optimisation of inventory management by closely monitoring materials and products throughout the manufacturing process

able to store and access data remotely while man aging workloads in response to operational cycle demands. Further to this, by incorporating IoT into the cloud, m anufacturers can better connect different plants and storage clouds across a variety of locations, and the use of artificial intelligence in this network can help manufacturers capture new growth opportunities. It’s no wonder that manufacturers are now more int erested than ever to leverage the cloud to intelligently handle their data networks and support their digital transformation. Many cloud service providers today charge via a pay-per-use model, which means manufacturers can have access to potentially unlimited resources but only pay for what they actually use. This model is particularly set to benefit SMEs and start-ups to avoid overprovisioning their IT infrastructure, resulting in an overall reduction in costs. Many manufacturing companies have also started implementing BYOD (bring your own device) facilities, which gives employees the flexibility to control and manage work from anywhere in the world. In addition to cloud deployments, edge computing has emerged as a solution that supports mission-criti cal activities in manufacturing while requiring minimal delay in processing. The result? IoT infrastructures tr ansitioning to the edge. This transition is being mirrored in the data centre, which is quickly evolving from ‘core-centric’ to ‘edge -to-core’ – distributed edge IT being where the ‘local’ work happens; and core IT being where the majority of business operation work happens including the data centre and private, multi or hybrid cloud. R The cloud must follow the transformation of the data centre, and likewise, move availability and breadth of services to reach the edge of the network. Customers are looking to shift focus to delivery, consumption and operating models that are service-oriented. Companies are considering leveraging multiple cloud environments that offer specialised capabilities to better align with the different technical requirements and business-level objectives of particular workloads, applications, or services within the manufacturing ecosystem.

IoT generates mass amounts of data that manufacturers are required to store, secure, manage and analyse in order to gain business insights.

Edge computing is a more economical way to scale up IoT adoption since the edge is not usually one location – and in the case of the manufacturing sector, it is possible to see many small deployments running autonomously.

Not only do cloud-based solutions perform these essential functions, but they also allow for better collaboration with developers and analysts who are

It would not be too far-fetched to expect that more manufacturing companies will increasingly adopt edge computing because of its ease of use, low

Getting the most out of IoT with Cloud and Edge

Nathan Knight.-Nathan Knight, General Manager ANZ, Lenovo DCG

latency, and cost savings.

Moving towards an Intelligent Future With IoT, manufacturing companies will beco me increasingly data-driven and cloud and edge computing will impart a high degree of ‘smartness’ to their operating environments. Smart companies will have real-time visibility on the efficiency of factory processes and performan ce, thereby enabling manufacturers to refine and improve operations with relevant and up-to-date data. While edge computing has key advantages for the manufacturing sector, the cloud will still hold the promise of managing large data workloads that will accelerate predictive analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence deployments. When deployed in a thoughtful configuration, edge computing and the cloud have the ability to create dynamic, cutting-edge solutions for the manufacturing sector. Companies that are integrating IoT and 5G technologies into their digital strategies will be able to meet the goals of their businesses today and in future and maintain competitive advantage in today’s dynamic business environment.

It would not be too far-fetched to expect that more manufacturing companies will increasingly adopt edge computing because of its ease of use, low latency, and cost savings.

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DEVELOPMENTS Inclusion must be a priority for workplaces post Covid-19 New Zealand workplaces will need to strive to maintain a diverse and inclusive culture as our businesses recover from the Covid-19 fallout. The 2020 New Zealand Workplace Diversity Survey identified wellbeing, gender equity and bias as the three most important diversity issues in Kiwi organisations. The data was collected from more than 900 participants in the public and private sectors during February and March this year, before New Zealand entered the Alert Level Four lockdown, which is having an ongoing impact on our economy and business performance. “These issues that were important at the start of 2020 will become even more so in a post-Covid-19 world,” says Diversity Works New Zealand Chief Executive Maretha Smit.

“We must mitigate against bias when we need to right-size our organisations. We need to support our valued workers across the spectrum of gender, age and disability. We need to address the cultural stigmatization emerging from this crisis.” Massey University Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley, who leads the team analysing the data, says wellbeing has been the most important diversity issue for New Zealand workplaces for several years and now it will be critical for communities, workers, employers and businesses.

“Research shows us that an inclusive culture encourages creativity and fosters an innovative organisational spirit, boosts morale and engagement for employees and leads to better problem solving and decision making.”

“These are extremely disruptive times and each of these sectors will have their own challenges and anxieties. It would be nice to think some of the kotahitanga and outreach will continue as we work collectively to emerge into the new normality,” he says.

“These are key to organisations thriving in times of disruption.”

Key findings from the 2020 New Zealand Workplace Diversity Survey were:

Therefore, when businesses are making tough decisions about the future structure of their workforce, they must ensure they retain those hard-won diversity gains, Smit says.

• Wellbeing (ranked as important by 75% of survey participants), gender (56%) and bias (55%) were again the three most significant diversity issues for Kiwi workplaces.

Diversity Works Chief Executive, Maretha Smit.

• Gender equity was regarded as a top issue for the second year in a row. In previous years, this issue has ranked as low as seventh. • Aging is regarded as less important this year – it was selected as an issue by 34 per cent of participants compared with 47 per cent in 2017. This is despite growth in the number of over 65s in paid employment. • Ethnicity was considered an issue by 47 per cent of respondents this year compared with 41 per cent in 2017. But it ranks as the fifth most important diversity issue at a time when ethnic diversity is changing New Zealand society in significant ways.

Vocational education budget package crucial to Covid-19 Industry training organisation Competenz is applauding the Government’s bold investment in the vocational education sector in the 2020 “Rebuilding Together” Budget. $1.6 billion will be made available in the Trades and Apprenticeships Training package to facilitate the rebuilding of the economy in the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdown.

that in a post-Covid-19 economy, sectors Competenz supports such as general manufacturing and mechanical engineering will see employment decline by as much as 10 per cent in the next 12 months.

Competenz CEO Fiona Kingsford said “This is the most substantial Budget to support vocational education in recent times. Competenz relishes the opportunity to ensure our industries, apprentices and trainees take full advantage of the incentives and support to enrol new learners and keep existing ones in training.”

Forestry employment could decline by around five per cent.

Ms Kingsford said the government spend is more important than ever, following a forecast by economics consultancy firm Infometrics, estimating

Part of the announced package addresses this, with $412 million in support for employers to retain and keep training their apprentices. This incentivises businesses to retain younger and more vulnerable staff members in the recovery process. A further $320 million targeted investment will also make trades training free in these critical industries, which will make it easier for employers to train up their existing people, help those who have lost jobs to retrain and will be vital to supporting these sectors. A further $19 million has been set aside for group training organisations (GTOs) to retain apprentices. “This funding will be critical to support Apprentice Training New Zealand (ATNZ), Competenz’s largest employer of engineering apprentices, who currently employ and second over 370 apprentices around New Zealand,” said Ms Kingsford. Additionally, the $50 million grant for Māori apprentices will support at-risk youth, especially in sectors like forestry.

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These measures will also directly address the skills shortage New Zealand was facing before the pandemic began. “Only two months ago, prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, our industries were crying out for skilled employees as the skills shortages impacted their businesses. This was a consistent story in the 37 sectors that we support.” Infometrics estimates over 55 per cent of metal fabricators, over 40 per cent of refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanics, and close to 30 per cent of fitter-welders were roles filled by skilled migrants in the last three years. The domestic market still has considerable labour demands across Competenz sectors that will continue to need to be met. Now, Ms Kingsford said, acting quickly to implement these initiatives is key. “It is critical that we don’t pause the momentum to bring young people with new skills into our sectors, especially as a number of these sectors have been reliant on skilled migrant labour, and the future of this labour flow is no longer certain. “We will communicate with our employers, learners and industry when we have additional information on how they will be rolled out and the part Competenz will play in that.”

REAR VIEW Why a trans-Tasman travel bubble makes a lot of sense We are hearing increasing talk about a trans-Tasman “travel bubble”, which could see Australia and New Zealand open their borders to each other. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was a special guest at a recent Australian national cabinet meeting, which discussed the possibility of setting up a travel safe zone. Both Ardern and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison have cautioned a travel bubble will not happen immediately. After the meeting, Morrison

competing in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. In reverse, lots of Kiwis head to the Gold Coast but also visit the Hunter Valley for wine or Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane for sports events. Starting to rebuild these markets while the rest of the world remains in lockdown would represent a huge boost to both economies.

said a safe zone is “still some time away”. But he also stressed, “it is important to flag it, because it is part of the road back”.

What would a travel bubble mean in practice for Australia and New Zealand? As tourism researchers in both countries, we see a travel bubble as a great opportunity to kick-start the post-Covid economic recovery, while also focusing on more sustainable tourism.

Why the trans-Tasman bubble makes sense A travel bubble would see quarantine-free travel allowed between Australia and New Zealand. The two neighbours have a unique opportunity to do this. Not only are they geographically isolated, both have so far had success containing - perhaps even eliminating - Covid-19 cases within their borders. It is not yet known when international flows of

What is needed to make a bubble work? After the national cabinet meeting, Ardern stressed “there is still a lot of work to be done” before the travel safe zone idea can progress. The key to a successful trans-Tasman travel arrangement will be sound planning and implementation. Rigorous public health measures to facilitate safe travel will be essential, including being prepared for all travel to be halted again if the situation changes. Broad stakeholder involvement and coordination will be necessary, including between tourism commissions, airlines and airports, industry associations and a range of government agencies, to ensure any reopening is managed well. Local councils and businesses must also be involved to ensure that the tourism restart is planned, coordinated and controlled.

tourists will be possible again. But it is understood

A chance for greener travel

that global tourism as we once knew it will not be

A trans-Tasman travel bubble could also lead to a change in both countries’ tourism strategies.

possible until a Covid-19 vaccine is widely available. Historically,

limited

travel

circuits

have

been

associated with former and current Communist states. Nevertheless, for Australia and New Zealand in 2020, the idea of a travel safe zone makes a lot of sense. In 2018, New Zealand was Australia’s second largest inbound market for visitor arrivals and fourth largest market for visitor nights and total visitor spend. Australia is New Zealand’s largest visitor market, generating 1.5 million visitors a year as of 2017. The beauty of our shared travel markets is our visitors are generally repeat visitors who head to diverse regions. Because more than 70% of Australians book self-drive holidays, for example, their spending spreads more widely than some other visitors. Australians seek skiing and adventure in Queenstown, wine in the Martinborough or Waiheke Island regions. They also support Australian sports teams

Like other countries, Australia and New Zealand have historically prioritised international tourists, particularly “high value travellers”, who spend more and stay longer. A Covid-era focus on domestic and trans-Tasman travel will likely result in lower yield but could also lead to a more sustainable tourism future. Trans-Tasman travel is the least carbon emitting of our international markets because it does not rely on long-haul flights. Trans-Tasman visitors also tend to have a lower carbon footprint at their destinations. In 2018, more than half of all Australian visitors to New Zealand (57%) were repeat visitors. Repeat visitors tend to spend more of their time at regional destinations, and less time incurring the carbon costs of transporting themselves around the country.

Freya Higgins-Desbiolles

James Higham

Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management, University of South Australia

Professor of Tourism, University of Otago

tourism economy to establish greater sustainability. A trans-Tasman bubble presents an opportunity to foster tourism with a lighter footprint.

Could the bubble be expanded? There is a call for an extension of this travel bubble to the Pacific neighbourhood, where there are also low infection numbers. Such a move would not only provide economic support to the Pacific community, it would also represent another step in the long process of restoring normality in different regions of the world. Ardern has kept the door open on this aspect, but noted “at the moment, we are focused on Australia”. She has also cautioned about not introducing Covid-19 to parts of the Pacific untouched by coronavirus. Even if it remains just Australia and New Zealand, any travel bubble will obviously elevate the risk of Covid-19 reinfection. So, public health priorities must trump the desire to kick-start economies, to make sure we don’t squander our success against coronavirus so far. But if the governments and tourism industries can find the right balance between public health and economic needs, then Australia and New Zealand stand to benefit from a head start on the long road to economic recovery.

Australia and New Zealand stand to benefit from a head start on the long road to economic recovery.

New Zealand has already begun to rethink its

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