NZ Manufacturer November 2021

November 2021

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6 BUSINESS NEWS

CIRCULAR 12 THE ECONOMY

Engineering climate action.

Adoption Of Industry 4.0 Paves The Way For Growth In Manufacturing

By Dr Troy Coyle, Ceo, Hera Our world is changing.

Climate change and pandemics have garnered much attention but there is another revolution underway.

One that is likely to change the very fabric of the way we live and work. It is called Industry 4.0 and is the next stage of the industrial revolution.

In 1794, the industrial revolution forever changed manufacturing with the introduction of the mechanical loom.

Things changed fast.

A mere hundred years later the first production line enabled mass production. Jump forward another hundred years and we witnessed the birth of industrial robots, that together with advances in electronics and IT have automated much of the manufacturing process.

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Circular economy plans going around in the wrong

Listen to uniquely Kiwi stories contributing to New Zealand’s future

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COMPANY PROFILE Hutt Valley manufacturer stepping up to fill skill shortages.

“MOM’s” the word when it comes to NZ manufacturers getting a competitive edge

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By Rob Stummer, Asia Pacific CEO at SYSPRO New Zealand’s manufacturing sector is incredible with how almost two years into a ‘new normal’, a pandemic is not letting the industry reduce the productions of goods that the world demands.

What has remained constant is the expectation that costs and waste stay minimal while the business functions efficiently.

Without a doubt, manufacturing is a globally competitive industry that’s often responding to market supply and demands.

The unpredictability of some market conditions can make it challenging for domestic manufacturers to often operate efficiently but there are solutions that can help New Zealand business to gain a competitive edge through better operational efficiencies.

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The issue is that from a data collection perspective,

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CONTENTS Contents

DEPARTMENTS 1 LEAD LEAD

ADVISORS

Adoption of Industry paves the way for Get your carbon diet 4.0 on track. growth in manufacturing.

EDITORIAL the word when it comes to NZ 4 “MOM’s” manufacturers getting a competitive edge.

When EMEX 2021 comes to town.

BUSINESS NEWS NEWS 65 BUSINESS Why you need to change the way you

Manufacturing in the age of sustainability. approach risk.

Is NZ’s Covid response world class?

Engineering climate action.

UKK’s CPTPP a win for exporters.

Kirk Hope

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TECHNOLOGY 7 MANUFACTURING MANUFACTURING 8 Fiercely competitive newTECHNOLOGY normal driving

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.

Ian Walsh

NZ Code canadoption make manufacturing more technology for manufacturers. competitive.

Cannabis purification deep-tech.

Dewalt Design Assist breaking new ground.

Global award for NZ research to help business adopt 3D printing.

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ANALYSIS 10 Qual IT helps bring first digital APEC forum to

Ian is Managing Director of Intent Group, a master black belt improvement specialist and global lean practitioner. He is passionate about improving productivity and helping to create world class New Zealand businesses.

Time for change. the world.

Anatomy of a data-driven supply chain.

Additive Manufacturing Network platform connects community of design engineers/

14 EMEX 2021 Floor CIRCULAR Plan and Exhibitors.

ECONOMY 12 THE -15 Plans to switch to a circular economy going ANALYSIS in the wrong circles.

16 around Achieving carbon neutrality: One company’s

Leeann Watson

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What does a circular economy look like – lessons Part 2 oflearnt.

2.

PROFILE SMART MANUFACTURING 14 17 COMPANY Phil Walding, LabelMAN. Australia launches lunar exploration mission.

Hutt Valley manufacturer steppingrecovery. up to fill Cutting edge tool for underwater skill shortages.

Matrix 320 reader empowers traceability for automation and logistics.

18 SMART MANUFACTURING future of rugged technology in QUALITY CONTROL 21 The manufacturing.

8 Lewis Woodward

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NDC sensors control manufacturing at the Kauricone fromt line.ARM servers better for climate change.

NEW PRODUCTS how to prevent overstressed machinery’s 22 Plan mid-life crisis.

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Structural bearings deliver extreme low-level friction performance.

NEW PRODUCTS Cost-effective and lubrication – free mounting Energy data combined in new igus hybrid of solarand panels. cable for SEW motors.

AC Servo System provides highest-level safety.

ILME MIXO pneumatic: at full air.

DEVELOPMENTS 25 DEVELOPMENTS 23 Mint Innovation raises $20m to build gold It’s all about the base! biorefineries.

Clarity on vaccinations to engineering HRS highlights steam injection for foodsector. sterilisation.

Reduce emissions and change an industry at

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

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.

Brett O’Riley

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

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

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the same time.ready for hydrogen?

Is automotive

WORD REARLAST VIEW 25 28 THE

Why cybersecurity needs a more and Climate Change Commission callsdiverse for decisive inclusive action. workforce.

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

As I have said in the introduction to the NZ Manufacturer Media Kit 2022, it wasn’t that long ago we were talking about IOT, and now we are talking about Industry 4.0 and – continually – Climate Change, Cyber Security, Productivity, Renewable Energy, Carbon Extraction and Green Hydrogen.

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

CONTRIBUTORS Holly Green, Rebecca Reed, Dr. Jim Goddin, Rob Stummer, Dr. Troy Coyle Lisa Sisson, Jarrod Kinchington Hannah Blumhardt, Frank Baldrighi

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

At least that is what I will be writing and talking about next year.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

These are the key issues In these precarious times – we need to be on top of our game and ahead of the game. The virus has been bad enough but now we have inflation, supply chain issues, climate and cyber security concerns, and a government that has not clearly communicated to the business community how they see the way forward.

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

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

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

Inflation was always going to come back, its what it does; it is the effect on the economy next year that we will need to come to terms with.

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

We are a nation known for catching up…we were late ordering in the vaccines because we didn’t want to spend the money and we are not ahead of the game with climate action, piggybacking on overseas efforts to make us look better.

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.12 No. 10 NOVEMBER 2021

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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Private sector needs government out of the way

NZ Manufacturer November 2021 /

Government needs to get out of our way, take on board the advice and experience of business leaders and be realistic, knowing that the private sector lives in the world of business daily.

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Doug Green

Success Through Innovation

Editorial

Business News Why you need to change the way you approach risk When someone raises the topic of risk, do you roll your eyes or become uncomfortable?

Many people do and understandably so, as there are responsibilities associated to risk and often significant consequences when getting it wrong.

Which is why we feel the need to take control, to protect what we deem important. Risk after all is defined as the “effect of uncertainty on objectives” and risk management as the “coordinated activities to direct and control an organisation with regard to risk”.

What makes managing risk difficult is the compounding factors, like the heavy influence of third-party expectations, the market, legal and regulatory requirements. Some organisations find themselves distracted by risk. They have lost sight of their main goals, as they have become obsessed with risk assessment and risk management.

And with the best of intentions, efforts to manage risk impede their employee’s ability to do their fundamental roles.

Time for a rethink It’s time to rethink how we approach managing risk.

First, ask yourself a few important questions: 1. Who is responsible for risk management in your organisation?

2. How does your current approach affect your employees?

3. Is there conflict between how you promote your organisational culture and your risk management approach?

Let me provide some thoughts and insights, starting with question one.

The Royal Commission’s findings within the Finance Services sector highlighted that accountability resides at the top. It is senior executives that are accountable for the poor behaviour, decisions, and actions/inactions of their employees and the systems within their organisation.

Senior executives are accountable, but they push down the responsibility as the plan moves from the original handful of decision makers into the business.

Managers may play a part, but the real responsibility, the execution and day-to-day management of risk, is by your people.

Which leads us to exploring question two.

Your organisation’s risk management approach affects your employees, as they touch every aspect of your business; from daily operations, engaging with customers, utilising technology, creating and adhering to your processes and policies, through to making decisions and taking action (or inaction) that affects your business daily.

Your risk management approach must support your employee’s ability to perform their functions. If your measures impede employees, they can become frustrated, and even become creative to find work arounds to complete their work, leaving your business exposed.

Leading to question three.

Many organisations promote their culture as a point of difference to the market, prospective employees

Lisa Sisson.

and current employees. Their aim is to portray a favourable image, for example promoting trust, empowerment, inclusiveness.

The issue is when reality conflicts with what is being promoted, the work environment is not as promised.

This can do harm to employees and expose the organisation to disengaged or disgruntled workers.

Employees are often drawn to organisations with similar beliefs and values as themselves. Alignment to values is important for employees because it gives them a reason to show up every day and creates connections between the employee and their

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Business News Engineering climate action Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau this month launched Engineering Climate Action, a programme to support its members, engineering professionals and the government to take positive action to address climate change mitigation, transition and adaptation.

Climate change is a reality – it’s happening here, in New Zealand, and it’s happening now. Climate change will affect our country’s energy production, infrastructure, agriculture, health, coastal ecosystems, water resources, and biodiversity. How we respond to climate change is increasingly prioritised by society and will continue to drive strategy, policy, and funding decisions into the future.

Engineers are critical to helping our country respond.

As innovators and problem solvers, engineers are key to designing and driving the technology and systems to transition to net zero. They also have a crucial role in supporting society to adapt.

of Engineering Climate Action provides a way for all in the engineering community to get involved.”

Richard says this isn’t just a one-off initiative. “This isn’t a checkbox exercise. Engineering Climate Action is an organisational priority and, over time, these activities will inform much of what we do.”

To find out more about the programme and how to be involved, go to engineeringclimateaction.nz

Many younger engineers have a passion for climate action, but they can struggle to have their voices heard within the profession.

“But in the next five-to-ten years, we’ll have a whole new generation of engineers coming through who all seem to have the same passion for the environment and for the climate,” says Emma. She is optimistic about people getting onboard with climate action.

“People’s mindsets are changing. And if you’re not going to act on it, you’re going to get left behind.”

Resources to inform and guide members will be developed and shared. Engineers will have opportunities to discuss common issues and share best-practice, enabling a coordinated and connected response that spans engineering disciplines and sectors. Internally, Engineering New Zealand will audit its carbon footprint to establish a baseline and work towards reductions.

Emma Lowe:Young engineer and climate action advocate Emma Lowe chairs the Auckland Young Engineers’ Branch of Engineering New Zealand. She studied civil engineering at the University of Canterbury, graduating in 2018, and now works for Beca.

Emma says, “My interest in climate change has grown through my engineering experience – initially I studied engineering because I wanted to help communities.”

Emma is part of an international group of young engineers set up by the World Federation of Engineering Organisations to look at the United Nation’s sustainable development goal of climate action.

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Social and political pressure often drives change.

Consumers begin to expect companies to minimise their footprint. Businesses and governments set targets, to which customers and society can hold them to account and to which suppliers must respond. Ultimately, Emma thinks policy is the most useful tool to help elicit a response for climate action.

“Policy is a fast way to get everyone on the same page, so long as it is the right policy done in the right way.” She concedes bringing people together to achieve a satisfactory policy outcome can be difficult.

Through Engineering Climate Action, Engineering New Zealand will support engineers to take positive action as society responds to climate change. It will support, advocate for, and foster collaboration between its members.

Engineering New Zealand Chief Executive Richard Templer says, “Climate change is the most significant challenge of our time and Te Ao Rangahau is committed to being part of the solution. The launch

solutions for farming.

She says New Zealand’s biggest challenges in terms of climate resilience are sea level rise, decarbonisation of transport, and agriculture. Connection through this group provides an opportunity to share knowledge with other countries.

For example, New Zealand was recently contacted

by Argentina, to talk about new and innovative

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When asked about the most important value for an engineer, Emma responds, “Partnership. And I think that encompasses a lot of different aspects regarding climate change – partnering with different organisations, our communities, and the government to achieve an overall positive outcome for our communities, our country and at a global level.”

Emma is part of an international group of young engineers set up by the World Federation of Engineering Organisations to look at the United Nation’s sustainable development goal of climate action.

Manufacturing Technology Fiercely competitive new normal driving technology adoption for manufacturers

By Jarrod Kinchington, Infor ANZ managing director Manufacturers worldwide are eager for signs of recovery and are also bracing for the next wave of change it will bring. While some manufacturers spent the past year in a holding pattern, others accelerated their adoption of digital technologies.

Those early adopters have kindled new market expectations for speed, value, and customer engagement. It’s a new era, new rules, new ways to achieve success.

Improving visibility in the supply chain, accommodating digital commerce, adopting safe distancing within plants, and enacting new safety protocols for employees were among the typical “adapt-to-survive” tactics completed in 2020.

Pragmatic manufacturers focused on the long-term opportunities. They accelerated digital initiatives and fast-tracked deployment of cloud-based solutions to take advantage of emerging micro-markets, shifts in consumer attitudes, and a move to regional sourcing.

The ability to stand up new business models quickly proved valuable for the entrepreneurial minded.

Many manufacturers used the time to direct energies toward R&D, building partnerships at regional levels, testing new pricing models, and migrating solutions from on-premises to the cloud.

Use of ecosystems and partnerships also escalated, proving to be effective in co-innovation and problem-solving.

“When the pandemic impacted businesses a year ago, most brands and enterprises scrambled to accelerate digital transformation efforts,” writes R Ray Wang of Constellation Research in a blog post.

He reports that efforts have ranged from rekindling digital channel projects to forging new digital revenue streams.

“These accomplishments accelerated five years of digital transformation in less than one year’s time.”

A survey by Deloitte found that 62% of manufacturers are committed to continuing or accelerating their factories’ digital transformation.

On average, manufacturers expect to apply 36% of their factory investments toward smart manufacturing, an impressive 20% increase over last year’s figure.

“The disruption and economic hardship caused by the ongoing pandemic have increased the urgency to accelerate smart manufacturing initiatives for future competitiveness,” the report states.

What will the next era look like?

As economic recovery is taking shape, manufacturers are gearing up. Those who tabled technology investment will need to catch up quickly with the must-have capabilities for the next era: Data driven - Manufacturers must be able to capture data, aggregate, and analyse it to derive

meaningful insights.

Manufacturers can turn to tools that make applying artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology simple. Data should be consumable, easy to access, and easy to tailor for business roles.

End-to-end visibility - Manufacturers need to see the big picture. End-to-end visibility with every app or point solution fully integrated is a necessity.

Whether there are multiple business units, multiple locations, different currencies and tax laws, or complex go-to-market structures, “one version of the truth” is essential.

Cloud deployment - Today’s modern technologies, like AI and ML, the Internet of Things, and e-commerce, require vast amounts of data. Cloud solutions provide that kind of elastic capacity.

Reporting - Manufacturers need solutions that are highly flexible, able to be personalised for dashboards, reporting, and user-defined key performance indicators.

Digital initiatives and transformation is a key.

Remaining relevant requires modern technology that meets the challenges of tomorrow. Greater speed, value, and customer engagement are only the beginning.

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Manufacturing Technology Cannabis purification deep-tech

Ligar, a New Zealand-based deep-tech company and Maratek, a Canadian-based engineering company have partnered to launch a revolutionary cannabis purification system that uses world-first molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) to selectively target and capture cannabinoid molecules to produce a higher quality extract, more efficiently, safely and economically.

The high-performance cannabis system was unveiled at MJBizCon in Las Vegas, the world’s largest B2B cannabis event.

The successful launch follows an extensive research and development programme which includes numerous scientific breakthroughs, including the development of ‘smart’ MIP beads, which can be optimized to target and recover high-value molecules and remove contaminants in fluids across a wide range of food applications.

The cannabis industry has been revolutionising itself at breakneck speeds over the last decade to automate and improve the process of cannabis extraction, driven by legalisation across the United States and Canada.

The boom in cannabis production led Ligar, one of the first companies in the world to manufacture MIPs at scale, to apply its novel purification technology to cannabis extraction. Joining forces with Maratek, a market leader in engineered cannabis and hemp extraction equipment, the partners have developed a cannabis MIP system that can produce large volumes of cannabis extract at a higher quality and reduced cost than traditional complex manufacturing processes.

The MIPs capture cannabinoids from crude extracts while letting the fats, waxes, lipids and contaminants pass through – eliminating the need for winterisation and distillation.

The result is a high-quality full-spectrum concentrated Mipillate extract that contains all of the different cannabinoid types present in the crude, including the acid forms.

Ligar’s Managing Director Aiden Tapping says, “We’re extremely proud to be bringing our MIP system to the cannabis extraction market in partnership with Maratek. This is an exciting milestone for the Ligar team as it’s the first of a series of research and commercial projects to be launched to the market. We’re also excited to launch our new brand ‘Mipillate - the evolution of distillate’, to describe extracts made by MIP systems – which we will develop as a distinct and unique product.”

Colin Darcell, President of Maratek says, “We’re always looking for ways to push the boundaries of what is available by partnering with forward thinkers, like Ligar. Starting in the solvent waste industry in 1965, Maratek has evolved through printing and silver extraction to now take the cannabis world by storm. Ligar’s unique extraction technology pairs perfectly with Maratek’s goal to provide a complete system for automation, optimisation, and scaling

Ligar team member Eirlys using a reactor.

AidennTapping, CEO, Ligar opportunities.

“Working with MIPs offers an opportunity to leave behind the outdated and expensive winterization and distillation systems and put science to work, extracting with ease. MIPs is a technology we are very excited about and can’t wait to see its applications not only in the cannabis sector but with all bio-actives around the world.”

Maratek and Ligar have a shared focus on engineering and innovation. Ligar’s MIPs systems work alongside other technologies designed and manufactured by Maratek that complete the processing and extraction of crude oil and cannabinoids.

Maratek’s strengths lie in ethanol extraction processes and look to limit solvent waste and increase efficiency. Ligar’s focus will remain on the development and manufacture of MIPs and the design of MIP systems.

The reusability of the MIPs has been tested over thousands of process cycles. Each 1mm MIP bead in the system contains around ten quintillion (100,000,000,000,000,000) molecular binding sites, all shaped like the target molecule. The MIP beads trap molecules and filter them out, and then the beads get flushed out and reused.

Global award for NZ research to help business adopt 3D printing University of Auckland research into how companies can use 3D printing properly, to add value and improve lives, has won a leading global award against competition from the US, UK and Europe.

The researchers, from the Creative Design and Additive Manufacturing Lab based in the Faculty of Engineering, won the Academic Research Team category of the 2021 3D Printing Industry Awards.

“This is a huge booster for the whole team,” says CDAM Lab team lead Professor Olaf Diegel, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

“It demonstrates that our research is being recognised and appreciated by the 3D printing community from around the world.”

The awards are the largest in the additive manufacturing sector; winners are decided by public vote and this year more than 140,000 votes were cast across the award categories.

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“The voters are real users and companies that use 3D printing to make our lives better. Their support is a great indicator that the work we are doing is the right work we should be doing,” says Professor Diegel.

There were 10 team nominations in the research team category of the awards including Harvard University’s Lewis Lab, Aston University’s Meso-brain project (UK), the Manufacturing Technology Center’s Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing facilities for UK aerospace and Northeastern University’s DAPS lab in the US. The focus of the research that won the award for the CDAM Lab team is on helping companies adopt 3D printing (or additive manufacturing as it is also known) for the right applications and with the right design.

“If not used properly, 3D printing becomes a slow and expensive way of manufacturing. It must add

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value that is high enough to overcome significant costs. And adding that value through good design practices is exactly the area we are most specialised in,” says Professor Diegel.

He predicts a future where 3D printing is used to automate many of the design processes behind the technologies.

“This will help users who may only know how to design for conventional manufacturing to quickly adopt the whole range of technologies and add true value to what they do.

“As this level of automation increases, we will see more and more companies adopting the technologies for real production. In fact, it could get to the point where companies who do not actively adopt and understand all advanced manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, become disadvantaged.”

Manufacturing Technology ABB brings AI to asset performance management

NZ MANUFACTURER

FEATURES December 2021 Issue

ABB has strengthened its existing digital offerings with the launch of ABB Ability Genix Asset Performance Management (APM) Suite for condition monitoring, predictive maintenance and 360-degree asset performance insights for the process, utility and transportation industries.

The Genix APM Suite makes it easy to add asset condition monitoring to existing operational technology (OT) landscapes, enables prioritisation of maintenance activities based on AI-informed predictions, and provides a comprehensive overview of asset performance.

Genix APM Suite also empowers significant improvements in operational sustainability. By assessing the remaining useful life of industrial assets, Genix APM generates a plan for preventive maintenance, which can extend equipment uptime by as much as 50 percent and increase asset life by up to 40 percent.

With reliable data insights, decision makers are provided with the information required in order to identify gaps and areas of improvement for energy efficiency and tighter control of operations, increasing asset availability and improving profit

INNOVATORS 2021 ROBOTICS& AUTOMATION

potential.

“Poor asset availability and reliability is a major problem that results in unplanned downtime and unexpected maintenance costs, and also impedes strategic planning and procurement,” said Rajesh Ramachandran, Chief Digital Officer at ABB Process Automation. “It’s not that industrial customers lack data; it’s that many lack effective ways to use their data to improve operational and business performance.”

COMPANY PROFILE CYBER SECURITY INDUSTRY 4.0

Genix APM is built on the ABB Ability Genix Industrial Analytics and AI Suite. ABB Ability Genix is a modular, IIoT and analytics suite, which integrates IT, OT and other enterprise data in a contextualised manner, applying advanced industrial AI capabilities that support new insights to optimise operations.

PRODUCTIVITY Advertising Booking Deadline – 10 December 2021

Qual IT helped bring first digital APEC forum to the world Qual IT was initially engaged to conduct quality assurance testing across APEC’s technology platforms, to ensure they were ready for multiple in-person events across the APEC year.

The largely completed project was thrown a curve ball on 30 June 2021, when APEC officials made the decision to pivot towards a virtual APEC forum in response to COVID-19 restrictions on international travel, to provide certainty to members that the forum would still take place.

As the first virtual APEC forum there was no template, and the focus needed to shift quickly to transform the event from an in-person experience to a virtual one, where the world’s global leaders, thought-leaders, and various other participants could interact and carry out their meetings collaboratively, no matter how far apart they were.

Qual IT adapted quickly and worked to provide assurance that the new technology required for the online forum would be fit for purpose, because this technology would ultimately underpin peoples’ experience of APEC 2021.

Advertising Copy Deadline – 10 December 2021 Editorial Copy Deadline – 10 December 2021 Advertising – For bookings and further information contact: Doug Green, P O Box 1109, Hastings 4156, Hawke’s Bay Email: publisher@xtra.co.nz

Specifically, this meant testing the delegate registration portal and the video conferencing service thoroughly to ensure they would deliver for every participant of the forum. Qual IT’s comprehensive testing ensured the systems were applicable to different laptops and operating systems, would work in different regions and time zones across the world, and ultimately would deliver a virtual APEC forum as seamlessly as possible to thousands of participants all across the world.

“The pandemic really turned the delivery model on its head,” says John Campbell, General Manager of Qual IT Central Region.

“We had limited time and lots to achieve, it was essentially six months of work squeezed into 12 weeks,” continues Cheryl McCullagh, Senior Test Manager, Qual IT. “But with clear lines of communication, an understanding of the challenges, and by working collaboratively with our partners, we achieved terrific outcomes.

“We were really focused on testing the end-user experience and making sure it was seamless for all participants,” says Cheryl. “This is a showcase event on the global stage for New Zealand, so it was vitally important that it ran smoothly.”

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

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Manufacturing Technology WebLytics solution for collaborative applications OnRobotn makes its software debut with the launch of WebLytics, a unique production monitoring, device diagnostics, and data analytics solution designed to enhance productivity and minimise downtime.

application is performing, offering live device diagnostics, alerts and preventive maintenance measures to keep costly robot cell downtime to a minimum.

Capable of monitoring the performance of multiple collaborative applications simultaneously and in real-time, WebLytics gathers equipment data from both robots and tools and transforms it into easy-to-understand, visualised device and application-level intelligence.

Integrating the globally recognised overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) industry standard, WebLytics identifies trends in real-time in the robot cell, including patterns, peaks, and disturbances in application productivity.

WebLytics provides real-time, application-focused data for collaborative applications across major robot brands. WebLytics marks the beginning of OnRobot’s journey into robot software and completes their vision of providing a One Stop Shop for collaborative applications on both the hardware and software side.

For end users and integrators, WebLytics not only eliminates manual data collection -- it provides actionable insights into how well a collaborative

OEE measures the percentage of manufacturing time that is truly productive – a score of 100% indicates that the collaborative application is producing only good parts, as fast as possible, and with no downtime.

Leveraging these OEE measures, WebLytics can determine whether the manufacturing process is running at optimal speed and can monitor and analyse the quality of application cycles –key insights for manufacturers of all sizes.

WebLytics can report on utilisation of the robot arm and OnRobot tools such as grippers, vision cameras, and sensors, as well as the number of safety stops initiated, and the number of grip cycles performed while an application is running.

When changes are made to a robot cell, such as adjusting the speed of a robot or the settings on a gripper, WebLytics can also automatically report on the impact of those changes on application performance.

If anomalies occur in the collaborative application after deployment, WebLytics enables users to analyse the data collected directly from the robot(s) and tools and report on its findings using customisable dashboards.

Compatible with all leading collaborative robot and lightweight industrial robot arms and with all OnRobot tools, WebLytics is readily expandable, futureproofing it as new robots and tools become available.

Access to WebLytics’ is provided through a secure, intuitive browser-based user interface, that displays OEE measures and user-defined KPIs through customisable dashboards that provide an immediate and transparent view into real-time and historical application performance.

The WebLytics server can be deployed on a shop floor’s local network or added to a virtual network that connects to the robot cell. Collected data is stored locally on the WebLytics server.

Meanwhile, WebLytics’ built-in web server is always accessible from the shop floor network or from anywhere in the world via secure HTTPS connection.

WebLytics is not just a powerful tool for end users; it also creates new revenue opportunities for system integrators, by providing the software required to offer their customers data-backed custom service agreements and engineering services for cell optimization.

Additive Manufacturing Network platform connects community of design engineers

By Schaeffler, a global automotive and industrial supplier, to connect its community of design engineers with its AM Fab Shop for additive manufacturing to facilitate collaboration, speed time to production and to foster greater application of the benefits of additive manufacturing (AM) within its value-chain.

Siemens’ AM Network digitalises the additive manufacturing workflows (order-to-delivery process chain) of customers and partners, as well as applying additive manufacturing on an industrial-grade to scale their business.

With the AM Network, customers and partners are enabled to build up their own additive manufacturing ecosystem (company-internally as well as with their trusted external suppliers/partners), and to join the

existing ecosystem already established over the past years on the AM Network platform.

With demand for additively manufactured parts growing exponentially among its R&D designers and engineers, Schaeffler has adopted Siemens’ AM Network as the single platform for all engineering/ technical collaboration throughout the entire AM order-to-delivery process.

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This cloud-native platform enables it to take advantage of the benefits of additive manufacturing more quickly, efficiently and at greater rate of scale by digitalising and streamlining additive manufacturing workflows.

R&D designers and engineers are guided through the AM part qualification process, as defined by the AM Fab Shop, while shop floor operations and machine utilisation have been streamlined to increase efficiency.

Time and effort are saved with increased throughput while fostering a wider understanding of the benefits of additive, better formalisation of best practice and ultimately, more efficient execution and more timely delivery of the successfully 3D printed parts.

Siemens‘ Additive Manufacturing Network platform was selected not only to assist orchestrating the end-to-end order-to-delivery process for industrial additive manufacturing, but was perceived as a long-term partner to grow with and to explore further opportunities to create a fully digitised end-to-end AM workflow and value chain.

The Additive Manufacturing Network also perfectly blends into the Siemens’ NX implementation currently being evaluated for AM at Schaeffler.

Lead (cont) Adoption Of Industry 4.0 Paves The Way For Growth In Manufacturing continued from Page 1

Today, we are entering a new age – Industry 4.0 – the age of cyber-physical systems; the marriage of physical production, and smart digital technology.

It is not sci-fi. It is not the realm of filmmakers and futurists. Change is happening now and promises to transform industry as much, if not more so than, the introduction of water, steam, and electricity did in the past.

What is Industry 4.0?

In essence, Industry 4.0 enables companies to have better control and understanding of their business. The new technologies save time, boost productivity, and reduce waste.

A panacea for considerable and sustainable growth.

A quick search of the internet will provide you with a mountain of anachronisms - IoT, IIoT, CPS, AI, Big Data – to explain Industry 4.0. It is a catch-all term that encompasses all the technologies that enable businesses to collect and analyse data to help automate and streamline their systems and processes.

It promises faster response times, increased efficiency and profits, and better quality products at a lower cost.

Impact of new technology HERA’s latest report in collaboration with BERL, ‘Modelling the potential economic impacts of Industry 4.0 in New Zealand’, uses high-level CGE modelling to analyse the impact of the adoption of new technologies in manufacturing, on the New Zealand economy, over the next five years.

It suggests that the economic gains are likely to be significant.

1. GDP will be boosted. Total GDP gained over the five years could be as much as $8 billion and, even their most pessimistic forecasting revealed a $4 billion increase, compared to the base scenario.

This is roughly equivalent to the value of the recent trade agreement with the UK. 2. Wages are likely to increase.

An increase of almost $3.5 billion over the five years. The benefits

will be felt most by those in the middle-income bracket and are marked by higher incomes and consumption.

3. Government spending can evolve. With more money, the government can invest in large-scale projects.

The full report can be viewed here.

A real-world example D&H Steel has transformed its traditional business and gained real-world outcomes through the adoption of new agile technologies.

As Wayne Carson, Managing Director says, “We recognised we were creating a huge amount of data every day from BIM models to automated machines resulting in hundreds of pieces, but were struggling with connectivity to make best use of it in our daily business activities.

“We employed two dedicated IT staff, who are using out of the box Microsoft products including Sharepoint, Power Apps and Power BI to provide unprecedented visibility and feedback on our business operations and therefore decision making.”

In terms of D&H Steel’s future plans in this space, Wayne says, “ We are like kids with a box of chocolates.

We’ve reached in and tasted the ones on the top but now realise there is so much more within easy reach.

“We are so excited and committed to keep reaching in to the box and tasting more of the flavours now knowing there are so many more flavours to bite into.”

An investment Industry 4.0 promises greater connectivity, innovation, and collaboration but requires investment. An investment in skills, training, and new technology.

The report indicates that those companies that take up the challenge are more likely to be insulated from a rapidly changing global environment and adoption of new technology will lead to significant national benefits.

Dr Troy Coyle brings more than 20 years’ experience in innovation management across a range of industries including materials science, medical radiation physics, biotechnology, sustainable building products, renewable energy, and steel. She is a scientist with a PhD (University of NSW) with training in journalism and communications.

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“MOM’s” the word when it comes to NZ manufacturers getting a competitive edge every machine can in theory generate megabytes of data that is often not used to its full potential.

But what is the best way to improve operational efficiency in a manufacturing environment?

Manufacturers should fully embrace connected and automated manufacturing by digitally transforming their operational processes, because connecting with machines to read real-time data without manual inputs will drive efficiency and transparency to manage operational performance better.

The best way to achieve this is to ensure the intelligent interconnectivity between automation, digitisation and data analytics, which will drive transformative change within their operations and help them realise the promise of Industry 4.0.

The changes this industrial revolution promises are profound and over the next decade, forward-thinking manufacturers will transform themselves through digital interconnectivity.

Industry 4.0 is heralding a transformation in the manufacturing sector by facilitating new ways for humans and machines to work together and empowering manufacturers to achieve greater insights, reduce the risk of error and make better decisions.

It encompasses three technological trends driving this transformation: interconnectivity, intelligence and automation.

It converges IT (Information Technology) and OT (Operational Technology), to create a cyber-physical environment, which has been made possible due to the emergence of advanced Industry 4.0 technologies, including the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), big data, cloud computing, additive manufacturing, robotics and augmented and virtual reality.

These technologies combined are digitally transforming manufacturing through the integration of previously disparate systems and processes through interconnected computer systems across the value and supply chain.

Embracing Industry 4.0 opens a multitude of benefits for manufacturers, including improved agility, flexibility and better operational efficiency.

Connecting research, design, engineering and manufacturing enables manufacturers to reduce the time it takes to bring new products to market, resulting in faster responses to customer needs and better operational efficiency.

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supply chain data into insights enables manufacturers to respond a lot faster to changes in customer demand as well as market disruption, as has been seen in the past year during the pandemic.

By connecting operations and supply chain data through the cloud manufacturers can continuously optimise their factories and products in real time.

This means they can improve products throughout their lifecycle and this optimal level of agility through digital interconnectivity leads to higher sales.

Where does “MOM” fit in this picture? Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) is the art of providing plant-wide manufacturing lifecycle management from planning, scheduling, publishing, collecting, tracking and analysing to optimise and improve end-to-end manufacturing operations.

The software element of MOM is called a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), which combined with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, offers a unique level of delivery, cost and quality control of manufacturing operations for job shop, batch production, production line and mixed mode environments.

Manufacturers can also use a MES to measure performance to achieve world class standards of operation for overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and total effective equipment performance (TEEP).

Also, a MOM allows manufacturers to optimise operational efficiencies through better workflow of core manufacturing activities, including schedule, publish, collect, track, analyse and improve.

Additional benefits of a MOM include increased productivity and lower costs by minimising loss within the business.

Perhaps the most important aspect of a MOM is the ability to connect machines and other devices to digitise the factory and gain competitive advantage.

The next logical step for New Zealand manufacturers is to invest in digital acceleration to create smart factories with Industry 4.0 technologies that will be better positioned to manage future disruptions, which will enable them to be more competitive against foreign companies in the post-pandemic world.

Implementing a MOM system will ensure effective execution of manufacturing operations to help improve efficiency.

Only by understanding and harnessing the technologies driving Industry 4.0 and understanding the value of interconnectedness, will manufacturers achieve the competitive edge they are seeking.

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The Circular Economy Plans to switch to a circular economy going around in the wrong circles 1. Hannah Blumhardt - Senior Associate at the Institute of Governance and Policy Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Hannah Blumhardt is a researcher for Āmiomio Aotearoa - a trans-disciplinary, multi-partner research project into the circular economy funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and hosted by the University of Waikato.

She is also a contractor for the Zero Waste Network. She founded and runs The Rubbish Trip and Takeaway Throwaways. She is affiliated with the New Zealand Product Stewardship Council, Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance and WasteMINZ. She was a member of the advisory group to the Ministry for the Environment for the proposed waste strategy.

The New Zealand government is currently developing plans to address two crises — climate change and waste — and to embrace a circular economy. But it has no clear path for how to do this.

Doubling the circularity of New Zealand’s economy would mean transforming production and consumption systems. Today, much of what we make and buy is inherently linear.

The resulting muddle is watering down the potential of a circular economy to bring lasting change.

In a circular economy, products are built to last and designed for repair. Organics are composted to replenish soils.

Public consultation is underway to develop an emissions reduction plan, following the Climate Change Commission’s advice on carbon budgets towards New Zealand’s 2050 net-zero target.

Another consultation document proposes to overhaul the country’s waste strategy and legislation.

Both documents intend to move Aotearoa towards a circular economy — one that limits waste and pollution, keeps products in use, and regenerates natural systems to protect, not pillage, natural resources.

But the government’s plans for circularity are fragmented, contradictory and uncoordinated. They fail to confront the business-as-usual drivers of the linear economy or to enhance collaboration.

New Zealand needs a dedicated Crown agency to champion a low-waste, low-emissions circular economy.

The need for circularity New Zealand is one of the most wasteful countries in the OECD. Waste is not only a pollutant but the dead end of a linear supply chain that emits greenhouse gases at every step along the way.

Roughly half of global emissions come from producing and consuming stuff. Every bit of waste represents embodied emissions lost to the economy.

Circular practices preserve this embodied energy by keeping products and materials in use. This slows down global extraction of natural resources, from mining to tree-felling.

The less is extracted, the more waste and emissions are reduced.

Currently, just 8.6% of the global economy is circular.

This figure must double by 2032 to keep us on track to limit global warming to 1.5℃.

Business models favour sharing over individual ownership, and reuse over single use.

This seismic shift in economic direction demands coordination across sectors, strong leadership and a shared understanding of the circular model. The government must collaborate with those already practising circularity and reconfigure the rules to wind down linear practices.

Lack of a whole-of-system approach The consultation documents do not tell a shared circular economy story. The waste strategy focuses on end-of-product-life processes such as waste management, litter and recycling; the proposed emissions reduction plan discusses business models and innovation.

The waste proposal suggests the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will eventually bind everything together in a “separate and broader circular economy strategy”, but this risks creating a bigger tangle.

The confusion is not surprising. The government’s work on circularity has been splintered between the Ministry for the Environment and MBIE. The agencies’ organisational cultures and priorities differ and they have not connected their thinking for a whole-of-system approach.

Critical elements of the circular economy are falling through the cracks in the silos, particularly the part about economic transformation.

Increasing corporate responsibility for waste is the hottest potato no one wants to touch.

The consultation documents propose few upstream policy interventions to trigger product redesign or new business models that reduce waste and emissions.

Instead, they focus on using or disposing of waste after it’s been produced, which presumes, rather than challenges, linear inefficiencies.

All the wrong circles Despite responsibility being the central theme of the waste proposal, it makes nobody responsible for waste creation because it never analyses where waste comes from.

Instead, it emphasises improved waste management and anti-littering laws. This lumps responsibility at the end of the pipe, on individuals and councils who cannot influence waste baked into the system further upstream.

Furthermore, product stewardship is ring-fenced to “end-of-life” activity, neutralising its potential to redistribute responsibility further up product supply chains.

The emissions reduction plan does not fill this gap, apart from some promising initiatives for the construction sector.

The connection it draws between circularity and climate abatement mostly relates to organic waste rather than overall production and consumption.

Despite considering the potential for new business models to address climate change, product stewardship is barely mentioned.

Instead, it views circular innovation through the lens of the “bioeconomy”, where waste-derived biomass is converted into bioenergy and new products.

But a bioeconomy depends on continued waste generation, which is arguably non-circular. It also contradicts the waste proposal’s suggestion to discourage waste-to-energy “downcycling” through levies.

A circular economy with no driver The government cannot achieve circularity alone, but has no cogent plan for collaboration.

Supporting community groups and local enterprises does not appear a government priority. Both documents describe circularity and innovation as future states, yet many organisations already implement circular and zero-waste practices and are potential partners.

A Te Tiriti-based partnership is fundamental for economic transformation. The Climate Change Commission described the circular economy as aligned with a Māori worldview. Organisations like Para Kore show Māori leadership in advancing zero waste and circularity.

While the emissions reduction plan promises meaningful partnership with Māori, the waste proposal does not.

This is a missed opportunity. New waste legislation could protect Māori decision-making rights and rangatiratanga over natural resources.

Rather than charting a clear path to a circular economy, the government is proliferating documents that perpetuate a business-as-usual approach where communities, councils and government run around in the wrong kinds of circles, cleaning up after

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The Circular Economy What does a circular economy look like?

Part 2 of 2 of thinkstep-anz’s circular economy series

By Dr. Jim Goddin

In last month’s issue we introduced the circular economy’s inner and outer ‘loops’.

Unlike the outermost loops, which focus on avoiding waste and recycling, the inner loops focus on recovering the significant value (manufacturing, intellectual property, branding, advertising, and services) that is lost when products are recycled.

We called for greater ambition from New Zealand businesses and the Government to tackle these inner loops and set out the circular and economic advantages of doing this.

Here we share local and international examples of companies tackling the inner loops – through their products, supply chains and business models.

1. Designing products and systems with circularity in mind Reusabowl: circular products and systems Reusabowl provides a solution for waste created by single-use takeaway containers. The reusable food container goes far beyond recycling.

The Wellington-based company has a reuse network that consists of many of the city’s eateries, making it easy for customers to pick up and drop off bowls at various locations.

Reusabowl has also designed the systems around their product with circularity in mind. The Reusabowl container is made with a by-product of the rice-making process that would otherwise go to waste.

At the end of their useful life, the bowls are collected and commercially composted. Lids for their containers are made of food-grade silicone and get recycled into headphones at the end of their life.

XFrame: circular design tackling waste in the building industry Another example is XFrame, a structural wall framing system that allows walls to be deconstructed and reused many times. XFrame’s circular design tackles the source of New Zealand’s single largest contributor to landfills: the building industry.

The Sustainable Business Network notes that construction projects using XFrame reduce the quantity of waste sent to landfills during construction by up to 86%.

2. A circular supply chain needs responsible sourcing Responsible sourcing is one of the ultimate endpoints of the circular economy. We become comfortable

industry.

The problem isn’t a lack of good ideas. But these ideas aren’t properly filtered or organised, important elements and key partners are missing and nobody’s in the driver’s seat.

Moving Aotearoa away from silos and towards a circular economy requires a dedicated Crown agency with a Te Tiriti-compliant governing structure.

This agency could champion circularity, resource

with disposing of the materials we use partly because we underestimate their value.

In a circular economy, materials are more valuable and, consequently, we source them more carefully.

This includes considering the ecosystems their sourcing disrupts and the social and ethical issues involved in producing them.

There is no such thing as waste in a circular economy; waste is materials in the wrong place. A fully circular supply chain finds and eliminates or monetises waste.

Every operation in a circular supply chain becomes a source of raw material for another operation. For example, Reusabowl’s responsible sourcing uses rice husk — a waste product from the rice-processing industry — as a raw material for their containers.

Jeans’ leasing model for denim products.

Inner loop opportunities: greater profits, lower risks, stronger businesses Actions in the inner loops focus on avoiding consumption,

reducing

materials

and

energy

required to create products, and redesigning business models, systems, and products to support a circular future. A zero-waste vision drives some businesses to take this step, but many are motivated by profitability and business resilience.

Disputes over waste exports and the supply of

Using another’s waste as input for your own production is known as industrial symbiosis. For Reusabowl, this industrial symbiosis allows the rice-processing industry to monetise their waste and Reusabowl to create a circular product.

raw materials needed to produce electric vehicles,

3. A circular business model focuses on delivering services

Therefore, as well as offering greater profitability,

A circular business model provides the benefits a customer requires, instead of selling products which they are fully responsible for. Some companies, like Rolls-Royce, have used circular business models for decades.

Since 1962, Rolls-Royce has been using a ‘power-bythe-hour’ model for their aerospace engines. Instead of buying the engine and being responsible for repairing and maintaining them and replacing parts, airlines pay for power delivered.

This service-based model was born from realising that airlines did not want to manage fleets of different engines but wanted to concentrate on getting passengers from A to B as effectively as possible.

energy, agricultural outputs and medical equipment are increasingly frequent and bring with them the risk of price volatility and disruptions to business.

a transition towards the inner loops of a circular economy can be an effective way to reduce supply chain risks.

Businesses that do not prepare for where the world is heading will find themselves struggling to keep up with increasing regulations overseas that directly or indirectly relate to circular principles.

As our key export markets introduce regulations focussed on circular economy New Zealand businesses that adopt the inner loops of a circular economy model will position themselves well for the future.

Shifting to a service model frees up airlines from this added responsibility and incentivises Rolls-Royce to optimise how they perform their services.

Other examples of circular models in action include the United Kingdom start-up Riversimple’s service model for hydrogen-powered vehicles, and Mud

https://www.thinkstep-anz.com/

efficiency and conservation across the system, from resource extraction to product disposal.

New Zealand is one of the most wasteful countries in the OECD. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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Company Profile Phil Walding, LabelMAN When did LabelMAN commence, and what does your business do?

LabelMAN was founded in 2002. We’re a leading label supplier for the New Zealand SME market, converting base raw materials into high quality custom labels and signage, on demand.

What are your key markets, and do you export?

We currently ship nationwide to a variety of markets including trade wholesale, manufacturing and retail.

While there’s been the odd order shipped overseas, we don’t currently export in larger volumes.

Australia is a location of interest, and we plan to explore this in the near future.

Where do you source materials?

Print consumables, predominantly inks and media stocks, are sourced through local branches of nationwide distributors, carrying international brands.

How have you increased productivity or remained innovative in your business over the years?

I’ve been in manufacturing since I first started working, and also became involved with the evolving computer industry in the early 1980s.

This presented opportunities – such as projects designing automation for manufacturing plants – which provided an invaluable experience base for setting up LabelMAN. We’re a highly automated and technology-driven business, and continually seek opportunities for expansion in both capacity and product range.

This requires keeping abreast of developments in new materials and equipment technology, so maintaining good relationships with suppliers is crucial.

Have you, or are you experiencing supply chain delays as a result of COVID-19? If so, how have you managed this challenge?

Since COVID-19 first struck, supply lines have been impacted, and at times, significantly so.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be going away in the foreseeable future.

Part of our strategy is to manage inventory by utilising materials in their base form as much as possible. This allows value adding inhouse and reduces the stock variants, also reducing the requirements for space and inventory funding.

During the first lockdown in 2020, we had an opportunity to pivot and supply hand sanitiser labels, of which there was high demand.

But beyond the supply chain issues, we also had some customers postpone or cancel their orders due to hardships. We used Prospa refinancing to weather these issues, by increasing our holdings of raw materials, and in a far less onerous manner.

But this also requires an additional resource… funding. As important as supplier relationships are, equally so is the relationship with those available to assist when opportunity knocks.

Consequently we’ve been able to continue reliably addressing customers’ ongoing requirements for JIT (just-in-time) supply.

I couldn’t stress enough, the importance of being able to swoop in on opportunities when they arise, and this requires a good relationship with a finance provider.

Due to the high levels of automation in my business, the requirement for staffing has been light to-date.

I’ve been extremely fortunate to have established a relationship with small business lending specialist, Prospa. They’ve proven to be interested, receptive and highly responsive, which is exactly what I’ve needed as a small business owner.

We’ve been able to gain huge advantages as a result of the speed we’ve been able to access funding, and in every instance, the immediate savings and opportunity has far outweighed the cost of borrowing.

continued from Page 5

However, due to growth, it’s now becoming a significant issue and is the one area I’m struggling with how best to address.

What are some of the challenges of running a small manufacturing business?

My current inability to take a break of any duration – other than seven to 10 days (at best) over the Christmas season.

And while it’s a great challenge to be facing, trying to prioritise which of the multiple opportunities for expansion I should be pursuing, as opportunity far

How is your company finding current business conditions?

Business-wise, I have much to be thankful for. I face the same pressures and uncertainty as everyone else, but despite initial concerns, lack of workload would have to be the least of them, as LabelMAN is somewhat unique in how we get things done.

We can quickly respond to our customers’ various needs with more sophisticated labelling, or as we’re driven further into JIT operating, can offer fast, variable and reliable label supply.

Our best customers tend to be those who place a high value on small inventory holdings and reliable rapid resupply.

With the uncertainly from COVID-19 and rapid pace of change in society, no one wants to carry stocks of potential obsolete packaging materials and tie up unnecessary funds when it can be avoided for little, if any, additional cost.

What are your future areas for expansion?

Due to COVID-19 and various life events, despite prior commitment, I’m currently two years behind ‘the plan’ which has been in place and mostly adhered to for the last 15 years.

I think I’ll have achieved what I originally set out to do by mid-2022. However, nothing stands still, and now I’ve got my eye on a couple of new goalposts I’m currently working on planning the next five-year development.

What do you enjoy most about running a small manufacturing business?

I have a passion for label printing and an affinity with machinery. I get a lot of satisfaction from delivering a desired solution by creatively applying a disparate assortment of resources to achieve the outcome required.

Why you need to change the way you approach risk

organisation.

A change in perspective is needed By engaging and connecting with your people, the right way, you can empower your people to be your organisation’s greatest risk management asset.

People naturally become aware of threats to the things that are important to them, often instinctively. Their desire to protect what is important can also apply to your organisation.

Engaged employees want to protect the well-being of their organisation and colleagues. This desire to protect can provide the opportunity for employees

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Do you have trouble retaining and finding staff?

outstrips resources at present.

NZ Manufacturer November 2021 /

to become human risk sensors – proactively sensing risk.

If your people are not engaged, they might see a potential threat and think it is someone else’s problem. But if they are engaged, they are far more likely to come to you and raise their concern that something in not quite right.

These conversations can sound out areas of potential harm and are among the most effective ways to reduce organisational risk, if captured and responded to appropriately.

People are at the centre of all risk; it is their decisions,

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actions/inactions and ability to touch every aspect of your organisation that can determine the potential value or harm that they can bring. It is only by focusing on risk with, through and by your people can you truly solve your risk exposure.

Lisa Sisson, author of ‘Risk Starts And Ends With People: Demystifying risk for executives and leaders’, is a sought-after speaker, mentor, consultant and author who helps executives and leaders who have become distracted and overwhelmed with ‘managing risk’, by demystifying and tackling risk within their organisation.

To learn more, visit www.unearth.com.au

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Company Profile Hutt Valley manufacturer stepping up to fill skill shortages Rebecca Reed

Like many other industries across New Zealand at present, the manufacturing industry is struggling with a shortage of trained talent due to Covid-19 restrictions on immigration and current work levels. lack of quality of young people coming out of the pre-trade courses at our polytechnics.

“MJH are not expecting to run this work at a profit, but instead invest in the future of some young people to help them into sustainable employment.

“If anything, the cost to MJH will be substantial due to setting up a bespoke welding bay, equipment costs and taking senior staff off their projects to help train the students.

One Hutt Valley manufacturer is taking on this challenge proposing an innovative way to help young people into engineering.

MJH Engineering Ltd is one of New Zealand’s leading structural steel fabricators, specialising in the fabrication and installation of large-scale structural steel projects including industrial warehouses, commercial buildings, multi-storey tower-blocks, and seismic strengthening projects.

Over the past couple of years, the Seaview-based company has grown in size due to its excellent track record of delivering top quality results and its reputation as one of the preferred steel subcontractors around town.

Jeremy Mikoz, HR & Development Manager for MJH Engineering Ltd, says with the demand of projects comes the challenge of finding the right workers.

“While there are private training enterprises out there, we’re finding in our industry that many students coming out of these institutions just aren’t receiving the training they need to be ‘job ready’.

“On top of that New Zealand is now in one of the worst labour shortages we have seen in the last 10 years which in turn puts more pressure on obtaining talent and solving our work-flow issues.”

As a result, Mikoz says they have come up with a solution - the “MJH Welding School.” The school, based at MJH Engineering, would provide a 6-week full-time training course with qualifications to help young people learn on the job skills and theory in welding.

However, we see this as a way forward to give back to the community and assist our industry with new thriving talent who may not ever have been aware of how to get into it.”

Patrick McKibbin, Chief Executive of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, says MJH Engineering is not alone when it comes to skill shortages in the industry.

“Talent is a significant issue for businesses in the Hutt Valley, with more than 60% finding it harder to get skilled talent and over 40% finding it harder to get lower skilled talent.

“We believe training programmes like the Welding School are one option to help young people into employment and create a longer-term opportunity for young people to enter apprenticeships with long term, high paid employment.

“Over time we hope the potential of the government changes to the Vocational Education system will make a difference and address the challenges employers are having today.”

Over the past 18 months the Chamber has been rolling out the Education to Employment programme to facilitate the community’s youth into rewarding vocations and careers.

The programme is part of the Reform of Vocational Education (ROVE) plans by the Government to completely restructure vocational education nationwide, as a direct response to ongoing labour and skill shortages.

At the end of this course, the young people would come out with Unit Standards, a welding qualification, and 240 hours of practical, industry-related training.

To top it off MJH Engineering would guarantee the 6 young people with jobs at the end of their training programme.

MJH Engineering approached the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce for advice, and they are now advocating on their behalf to help them discuss some funding options to get the Welding School up and running.

“We’re grateful for the support we have been getting from the Chamber. They understand the predicament we’re in with staff shortages and the

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The Chamber has been working with schools and students to help them transition from education into vocational careers, facilitating apprenticeships, work experience and trades training with employers.

Last month it held an Employment Expo where over 100 students from around the Hutt Valley were exposed to more than 20 different businesses and vocational opportunities.

“The feedback we’ve had so far from businesses and schools has been extremely positive with every single employer stating the Expo exceeded or met expectations and they would participate again. Employers received CVs from almost 202 students, and this has created over 120 follow up conservations.”

MJH Engineering is one of those participating employers who benefitted from the Expo.

“We found the Expo really useful because a lot of school leavers are unsure about the opportunities out there, aside from the traditional academic route of attending a university or polytechnic.

“We already have a student who attended the Expo coming along for some work experience in December and if he is keen following a trial period, then we will look to take him on a paid apprenticeship next year,” said Mikoz.

When it comes to opportunities in the manufacturing and engineering industry in New Zealand, Mikoz doesn’t hold back.

“The opportunities for progression in this industry are huge. One prime example is one of our senior project managers who started sweeping the floors for us as a 17-year-old school leaver.

“After receiving on the job training, he moved into a welding position, got his apprenticeship, became a tradesman, then worked his way up to a supervisor role.

“He became a key player in the day-to-day running of the workshop, managing projects between $500,000 and $3 million. In just over a decade, he is now in one of the highest roles at MJH and thriving. The opportunities are there for the people who decide to take them.”

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.

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.

Iain Hosie

Iain Hosie, NanoLayr, Technical Director and Founder Iain is the co-Founder and Technical Director of Revolution Fibres. Iain has been deeply involved in nanofibre production and the development of many unique nanofibre products in the past ten years. Iain co-founded Revolution Fibres in 2009 and led the business since 2012, taking it from a small start-up to a recognszed leader in nanofibre production. Iain has recently moved to the Technical Director role – with a focus on keeping Revolution Fibres at the forefront of textiles innovation.

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The future of rugged technology in manufacturing Frank Baldrighi, Business Development Manager, Getac

A recent article from Deloitte revealed that the current pace of technological advance is unprecedented in history and shows no signs of stabilising as other historical technological innovations, such as electricity, eventually did.

This rapid rate of advancement paved the way for Industry 4.0, an industrial era that is be categorised by artificial intelligence (AI) sensors, robotics, and additive manufacturing.

As each industry looks eagerly to the future for the impact of digital transformation, manufacturing has already begun to see the impacts of smarter technology in the field.

From 3D printing to AI, the manufacturing industry has already pioneered several practices that are now more widely adopted. With the benefit of automation being so evident across the industry, manufacturing acts as the perfect testing ground for new, innovative technologies.

Manufacturers have introduced rugged devices to improve efficiency and quality of output. These rugged devices let employees stay connected on site, without the fear of damage that could occur to non-rugged devices on the factory floor.

When it comes to the role that rugged devices will play in the manufacturing industry in the next phase of development, there are several key points to consider.

1.Increased durability. As implied in the name, rugged technology offers a more durable experience for the user as opposed to its consumer counterpart.

in addition to innovative back-end workflow programs.

2.

Truly rugged devices are designed from the ground up to withstand the elements that would break consumer devices.

Rugged devices let employees access data quickly through safe, zero-trust authentication systems to make certain that each part of the production process is accounted for correctly.

For example, shocks, drops, vibration, and moisture can all stop consumer devices from working. For a truly durable device, it’s important to look for one that has been tested rigorously to military standards.

These increased security measures protect valuable organisational data and can save organisations from the impacts of a data breach, such as reputational damage, financial loss, equipment downtime, and more.

This will ensure the rugged equipment will last longer in a manufacturing setting than a consumer device, resulting in lower business costs and ensuring that employees can remain connected regardless of factory conditions.

4. Portability. Some manufacturing industry workers move between various locations, which can upset the flow of work between projects.

Rugged tablets let travelling employees access digital systems remotely and continue working securely regardless of the location.

3.

Secure remote data access. Manufacturers can reduce human error significantly by giving employees access to real-time data systems

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This leads to increased productivity and improved efficiency overall.

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5. Communication and connection.

Communication, both internal and external, is critical in the manufacturing industry, so that projects can stay on track and customers can be kept in the loop, and from a safety point of view on the factory floor.

With durable Wi-Fi and 5G capabilities, reliable communication becomes seamless for all rugged device users. Many models also support Bluetooth technology, instant messaging, and call applications, so that staff can stay in touch and share real-time updates. This improves the overall customer experience and keeps employees safe and on task during their shifts on the floor.

The flexibility, reliability, and convenience that rugged technology provides the manufacturing industry are emblematic of the potential of Industry 4.0, letting organisational leaders continue providing efficient and high-quality outputs for the consumer of the future.

Crosser and Moxa join forces for IT/OT edge convergence Crosser’s edge analytics platform and Moxa’s reliable network, connectivity and edge computing solutions will help manufacturing companies to connect their devices to offer better collaboration between systems, processes, and people.

Smart manufacturing centres around creating an environment where all available information — from the shop floor itself and from every other point along the supply chain — is captured in real-time, made visible and transformed into actionable insights.

This need for interconnectivity across IT and OT networks has created a demand for intuitive, scalable cloud services and edge computing solutions. That’s why, in a recent IBM study, 91 per cent of respondents stated their organisations plan to implement edge computing in the next five years. However, to realize these technologies, manufacturers require both the technology itself and support to implement it.

harmonisation, or data reduction to their streaming data.

The platform runs on a hybrid architecture, which means that the partly cloud-based, real-time analytics engine can be installed anywhere: on an edge gateway, on a factory floor, or in the cloud — giving customers maximum flexibility.

By joining forces, Crosser and Moxa can give manufacturers a complete IIoT solution.

Crosser makes data analytics scalable when an

organisation wants to make changes to their analytics software in the field or implement a new technology across multiple devices.

Crosser’s unique hybrid architecture allows companies to innovate centrally with a low-code approach.

The architecture combines the best of two worlds: the simplicity of modern cloud technologies and the secure and low-cost processing of data close to the data source, on premise or on an edge device.

Moxa helps organisations digitise their infrastructure.

By providing secure and reliable IIoT solutions that let customers rapidly develop and deploy applications in the field, Moxa’s cloud-ready gateways and long life-cycle software act as the ideal starting point for manufacturers upgrading to Industry 4.0.

Moxa’s IIoT edge gateway family includes industrial computers that are optimised for edge computing applications.

For instance, Moxa’s IIoT gateway software ThingsPro Edge provides a cloud-ready gateway solution for easy and secure connectivity between the edge and cloud, ensuring transparent data exchange between OT and IT systems.

Crosser’s low-code platform gives users access to a rich library of pre-built modules that enable non-developers to apply any data transformation,

Kauricone ARM servers better for climate change Kauricone have developed an integrated suite of hardware and software products that will give business a reduced carbon footprint while enabling faster deployment and reduced labour and power costs.

Kauricone minimalist, efficient, power saving servers, allow CEO’s, CIO’s, and CTO’s to take control of their data, get peace of mind from taking responsibility for lowering emissions, and spend time better.

in a 2U rack.

IoT Server

Maxed out at 72 ARM processors, and 472 Cores, the Cluster Server provides scope for a wide range of applications.

Kauricone suite of products

Cluster Server allows Systems Administrators to distribute processing across individual processors, or cores, and efficiently allocate compute resources as needed.

Kauricone IoT server collects and processes data from a wide array of devices. Industrial devices include sensors for temperature, vibration, noise, flow, or levels.

Kauricone have a strong focus on efficiency, and sustainability, and have been doing everything possible to reduce the electricity consumption of their servers yet maintain compute power.

The Application Servers and IoT Servers only draw between 6 to 10 watts. This reduces the electricity requirements to run them and keeps them cool, reducing the carbon footprint while also minimising the reliance on expensive UPS’s and Generators Their ARM-based servers come with Operating Systems preinstalled and give compute power back to the business, at an affordable cost.

Application Server

Image detection allows capture and processing of data about building waste in skips, dangerous rubbish on roads, animals and pasture on farms, pests in the forest, and many more, limited only by the imagination.

Kauricone Application Servers are ideal for Website Hosting, Database Hosting, Email Hosting, or running a full Business Network.

The Kauricone IoT server combined with Machine Learning, delivers more accurate, faster, and essential data to the business.

The Website hosting Server can run up to twenty content sites such as Joomla or Wordpress, or five ecommerce Magento websites

Cluster Server

Your preferred Operating Systems: Redhat, Centos, or Ubuntu will be preinstalled ready to go out of the Box.

Kauricone Cluster Servers add real compute to your Data Centre with significantly lower energy consumption. High Density compute means more processors, more cores, and more mainframe grunt

Application Servers are nicely configured with RAID 1 hardware redundancy, 128GB eMMC storage, 4GB memory, and 6 ARM cores, drawing 10 Watts of power

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Aerotech releases upgraded Automation1 controller platform Aerotech has released version 2.0 of Automation1,user-friendly motion control platform. This upgrade brings drive-based controller support, more robust configuration and programming support features, and new drives to the platform.

Automation1 is for precise, complex motion control and with every new release, capabilities and drives are being introduced that improve customer user experience as well as their application’s performance.

The Automation1 2.0 motion control platform additions include: • Drive-Based Controller Support — The Automation1 motion controller can now be installed on a servo motor drive, delivering Automation1’s precision and power without the overhead of an industrial PC.

• iXC4 & iXC4e Drive-Based Motion Controllers — Featuring the complete configuration and performance capability of our XC4 and XC4e servo motor drives, respectively, the iXC4 and iXC4e can run an entire machine’s control, act as a servo drive for a single axis and control up to 11 additional axes of motion – all without a PC. • XI4 Servo Controller — The Automation1 servo controller for analog transconductance amplifiers, the XI4 generates an analog voltage command (required by analog amplifiers to control the output current to a servo motor) and receives encoder and axis feedback signals. Two- and four-axis configurations are available.

• Configuration Checklists — Studio application users are now guided through axis configuration

with a series of checklist items, making the process faster and easier than ever. This feature bolsters the existing MachineSetup wizard.

• More Programming Language Examples — Users can refer to an expanded set of .NET API, .C API and AeroScript examples.

• Improved Help Documentation — Completely updated for easier use, the Automation1 Help documentation site features a new navigation menu.

Plan how to prevent overstressed machinery’s mid-life crisis Just as humans can be worn down by constant stress, so also can shock, vibration, and constantly changing loads accelerate wear in machinery and infrastructure, consume excess energy, and ultimately cause equipment to be taken out of service prematurely.

This cycle of fatigue, particularly of metals, can not only result in unplanned downtime, but also intrusive shuddering and noise caused by machinery, plant, and infrastructure not engineered to ensure optimum performance from the start of its role – and extending the same performance past mid-life and maturity.

The increased shock, impact and noise pollution may, in many instances, contribute to OH&S issues and diminished working conditions, particularly affecting the recently growing proportion of older workers whose skills industry can ill-afford to lose.

“Competitive, future-focussed employers can no longer afford unexpected downtime, because global markets are highly sensitive to prices, delay, and security of supply chains post-Covid.

“Industries such as resources, energy, and manufacturing have to be both price sensitive and secure suppliers. Not only that, but suppliers are very sensitive to performing to top standards of accident and injury prevention, including issues that can build up longer term, such as deafness and nervous system disruption,” says engineering plastics authority Laurie Green, who has decades of experience as a leader in his industry with clean, quiet and tough engineering plastics.

A straightforward rugged application of Wearply from Cut To Size Plastics, involving infrastructure reticulation system protection with a combination of coil springs and Wearply leaf springs, selected and adjusted based on the load limits, vibration frequency and unique operational factors involved

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in each application

Laurie Green is Managing Director of Cut To Size Plastics, an international provider of engineered plastics solutions for industries such as construction, electrical, infrastructure (including road and rail), mining and energy, manufacturing, oil and gas, marine, and land installations. Cut To Size’s subsidiary, Hercules Engineering, is also a leading supplier of structural bearings and slip joints for parallel markets.

An example of its extensive inventory of noise and vibration-quelling long-life technology is Wearply reinforced plastic composites that weigh less than aluminium but have up to 10 times the specific strength of 1020 steel.

This material – which can withstand millions of stress cycles at 1400 bar (20,000 psi) without fatigue failure – is used to optimise design and performance of machinery and plant components and leaf spring assemblies in which performance and reliability is vital, ensuring optimum performance from the start of their role and extending the same performance past mid-life and maturity.

Wearply from Cut To Size Plastics is used for applications ranging from vibratory conveyor leaf springs (above) through to insulated rail joints, and electrical motor, generator and transformer components.

Applications include vibratory conveyor, feeder, screening, materials handling technology, insulated rail jointing, food and primary product processing, automotive and vehicle suspension components, flexible couplings that can transmit torque even when shafts are misaligned, and electrical motor, generating and transformer products

“This advanced engineering material is attracting the attention of machinery designers globally for its outstanding performance in a huge range of applications, from vibratory machinery in minerals and primary production processing to its hygienic, highly resilient high insulation properties in food and beverage plant and electrical applications.

Wearply derives its enormous strength, performance and durability from epoxy resins reinforced with continuously aligned, non-woven filaments.

“The same qualities that make it suitable for advanced aerospace and medical applications – such as helicopter blades and MRI equipment – mean it can be employed with confidence in automotive, rail, marine and high-precision tasks where reliability is vital.”

This allows plies to be laid so reinforcement is oriented to give greater strength and stiffness in the direction, or directions, in which it is most needed.

Parallel filaments resist the stress abrasion that can shorten the fatigue life in conventional reinforced plastics, says Mr Green.

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Mr Green says engineering thermoplastics are often an untapped resource for machinery and infrastructure designers and operations staff.

New Products ZASCHE handling introduces Carbon-fibre material handling solutions Carbon Series – Technical Data Articulated Arm

Lifting Axle

new series of carbon-fire handling solutions.

Engineered in close consultation with a renowned German university, the low weight Carbon series offers high performance that does

• Payload – up to 80 kg

• Payload – up to 80 kg

• Maximum working radius – 3.8 m

• Torque – 400 Nm

The product is available globally in articulated arm and lifting axle formats.

• Floor- or ceiling-mount possible

ZASCHE handling has unveiled its

not compromise on safety.

With this launch, ZASCHE is proposing a new way forward in industrial material handling.

Compared to regular industrial manipulators, the Carbon series realises impressive weight savings, providing users with an efficient manual handling device of very low inertia.

This feature improves significant ergonomics on the shop floor, as it ensures that device dead weight is kept lower than a workpiece’s mass.

This product development process considers the fact that manual workstations are subject to increasingly higher requirements of ergonomics and hand forces.

• Stroke – up to 1,200 mm

• Several options of lifting controls available

• Dead weight – 18 kg • Sophisticated modular

system • Specialised end effectors for various applications — clamping gripper, vacuum gripper, pure mechanical, etc.

• Equipped with pneumatic controls for best levels of sensitivity • Choice of simple up/down control or multi-load balancing controls

All-new Virtual Showroom Additionally, ZASCHE is pushing out an interactive Virtual Showroom on the website to provide an immersive digital experience of its products for customers. The new feature helps visitors to better understand various equipment’s functions and offers 3D visualisations of how the product elements come together to form a complete solution.

Energy and data combined in new igus hybrid cable for SEW motors Hybrid cables for drive technology are characterised by their ability to combine energy and data transmission in one cable.

a wide range of industries: from machine tools and material handling to the automotive industry.

The result: the number of cables required is halved.

In the case of the new SEW motors with MOVILINK DDI interface, the drive manufacturer relies on a coaxial element for the data transmission of motor information.

With 28 different cable types for motors from Siemens, Beckhoff, SEW and Bosch Rexroth, Treotham has the largest portfolio of igus hybrid cables for the energy chain from stock.

In order to be able to safely supply the compact motors with energy and data while they are in motion, Treotham provides a newly developed igus hybrid cable.

Treotham also offers the CF280 cable series with a

“The challenge with cables with coaxial elements is that they quickly become susceptible to faults at high dynamics. That is why we have made it our task to develop a durable and flexible cable that also functions reliably in motion”, says Andreas Muckes, Head of Product Management chainflex cables at igus GmbH. To this end, the motion cable specialist can draw on its more than 20 years of expertise in the field of coaxial cables for highly dynamic applications.

For the new hybrid cable CF280.

UL.H207.D, four energy cores have now been combined with one coaxial core and two control pairs. By merging two cables into one, users can save 40% space in the energy chain.

At the same time, the weight that has to be driven by the system is reduced, which means that less energy is consumed.

The new cable with PUR outer jacket can be used for applications with a bending factor of up to 15xd and is therefore suitable for

28 cables for hybrid technology

With the expansion of the CF280 series, igus is following the ongoing trend of hybrid technology.

PVC outer jacket as CF220. In this way, additional costs can be reduced in the hybrid cable segment. The chainflex cables can be purchased harnessed or by the metre.

As with all igus cables, they ensure a guarantee of up to 36 months on the new SEW hybrid cable.

With the new igus hybrid cable for the SEWMOVILINK DDI interface, users save space at the motor and in the energy chain.

RACING TOWARDS YOUR FACTORY OF THE FUTURE SPEED AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION WITH WELDING THAT'S 30 TIMES FASTER

PLEASE VISIT

www.ebflow.com FOR MORE INFORMATION

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New Products Sensa produces demineralised water Veolia Water Technologies announces the launch of Sensa a double-pass reverse osmosis system that produces demineralised water with low conductivity and bacteria for the cosmetics industry.

Sensa complements Veolia’s existing range of water treatment solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, which also addresses the needs of the cosmetics industry.

Capable of producing different kinds of water outlet qualities for applications such as ultrapure water production, industrial process water production, and utility water, SENSA meets all the requirements of the cosmetics industry.

Sensa is a reverse osmosis (RO) system, where water gets purified through a membrane. This purification process is repeated twice in Sensa’s double-pass RO configuration to achieve higher water quality — removing more than 99% of salts and producing water with a conductivity as low as 5 µS/cm.

With six skid-mounted units, it is a high-availability system with flow rates ranging from 1.4 to 10 m³/h depending on the inlet water quality.

Compared to conventional systems, Sensa is an eco-friendly system providing high water recovery to minimize water losses of up to 90%. It boasts a plug-and-play unit ready for Clean-In-Place operation and offers remote monitoring and control as well as easy access for maintenance.

according to European standards.

Tapping on Veolia’s proven expertise, Sensa is fully designed and standardized with models available

real-time solutions to continuously optimise the

Sensa is compatible with Hubgrade, Veolia’s digital monitoring solution. Clients can benefit from the secure cloud-based offer that provides advanced data analyses and interpretation — allowing for operation of the equipment.

Nexans to deliver digital contact centre solution for remote work Nexans, New Zealand’s largest cable manufacturer, has partnered with BayCom New Zealand and NICE to implement NICE CXone, the industry’s leading contact centre as a service (CCaaS) platform, across its local operations to support its move to Microsoft Teams and provide a platform for remote work.

With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing Nexans New Zealand to shift its support team from its offices in Auckland, Christchurch, and New Plymouth to a remote working model, the company needed to better support its disparate team.

Following the successful implementation of CXone in Nexans Australian counterpart’s contact centre, NICE was engaged through its partnership with BayCom New Zealand to support the establishment of a local

contact centre with a cloud-based solution.

Nexans New Zealand needed a solution that would support remote workers as its contact centre operations were established, with the long-term view that the solution would integrate with Microsoft Teams as part of a wider digital business transformation.

BayCom New Zealand conducted a demonstration with the Nexans New Zealand team to show the features and functionalities of the solution and, after determining it would meet the company’s needs, it was selected as the ideal solution for the contact centre integration.

Nathan Fenwick, IT Manager, Nexans New Zealand, said, “The NICE CXone solution met every business requirement that Nexans New Zealand had, including the need to integrate with Microsoft Teams down the track. The Australian offices already had the NICE CXone solution, which was working seamlessly, giving us the assurance it could do the same for us.”

Steve Bower, general manager, BayCom New Zealand, said, “BayCom New Zealand is committed to supporting its customers with innovative and comprehensive solutions. The NICE CXone platform is the perfect solution for a Covid-19 world as it provides a fully functional contact centre environment for remote contact centre operations with omnichannel capability across all channels including voice, chat, text, email, and social media on one platform, providing a better customer experience across the entire customer journey.

NICE CXone is the most comprehensive contact centre offering in the market.”

A cloud native omnichannel platform, the NICE CXone implementation provides Nexans New Zealand a flexible and fully functional contact centre environment to facilitate remote working, reducing the need for on-premises hardware and giving Nexans’ IT team additional flexibility and control over the contact centre.

ILME MIXO pneumatic: at full air!

Treotham provides the new improved ILME MIXO modular system by adding new metal contacts for pneumatic connections.

A step up for the winning MIXO series that guarantees better mechanical resistance and increased airflow for transmitting dry, compressed air in pneumatic systems.

• can now withstand a constant pressure of 10 bar;

• hose barbs fitting for ID tubing (straight version only)

• are available in straight and angled versions for different size plastic tubing: 3, 4, 6 mm, for both inner and outer diameter - ID and OD designation;

If needed, the female contact can be ordered with a retaining valve to avoid any airflow losses with the uncoupled connector.

The metal pneumatic contacts:

• are fully reusable after the assembly, using the given removal tool: a performance guaranteed up to 10,000 matings with HNM enclosures and MIXO frames.

In a single MIXO module, two different pneumatic fitting techniques find their place meeting the user’s needs: • quick push-in fitting for OD tubing (straight and angled versions)

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The ILME pneumatic series can be used side to side to all the MIXO series modules and inside all the ILME enclosures, especially with the high construction versions.

Developments It’s all about that Base!

Antarctica New Zealand’s new Scott Base will be constructed at PrimePort Timaru.

The decision to work with PrimePort was made after careful deliberation – not least because it has an accessible and available construction site.

Antarctica New Zealand Chief Executive, Sarah Williamson says, “PrimePort has the land available to start construction almost immediately. The entire base is being built at the port and will then be shipped south to Antarctica in eight modules on a massive ship. Timaruvians will be able to watch the build as it happens!

“Construction in New Zealand allows us to build year-round – Antarctica is in darkness for half of the year. It also means we can test and commission the buildings and make sure everything is working before they head south,” Ms Williamson says.

Timaru District Council Mayor Nigel Bowen says this is an important project for the city, which is why the council is investing in port infrastructure to support it.

“We have the skills and talent to support this build, it’s a great chance for our community to make a real contribution to Aotearoa’s home in the Ross Sea region.”

Main contractor, Leighs Construction Chief Executive Gary Walker, agrees that it will mean jobs for the region.

$344 million in Budget 2021 to rebuild Scott Base and upgrade its wind farm, which will ensure the new base is powered by up to 97% of renewable energy.

The existing base will be deconstructed and shipped back to New Zealand along with all waste and materials at the completion of the project.

“We’ll be recruiting in Timaru for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It’s not every day you get to build an Antarctic research station on your back doorstep!”

The new base will eventually be situated on the same location as the current base at Pram Point, Antarctica, allowing continued support of New Zealand’s world-leading Antarctic science.

Antarctica New Zealand received

Clarity on vaccinations in Engineering New Zealand, the Association of Consulting and Engineering (ACE) New Zealand and CEAS are calling for employers in engineering and professional services to identify working environments that are ‘high risk’ for COVID-19 transmission and which would require workers to be vaccinated.

Their statement responds to calls from the engineering and professional services sector for clarity on vaccination requirements.

Workers in these sectors are essential to delivering many of the country’s major infrastructure and

construction projects, as well as numerous private developments.

regularly assess the risk of COVID-19 in workplaces and respond accordingly.

ACE New Zealand Chief Executive Helen Davidson says, “People in the engineering and professional services sector work across diverse settings, and the nature of their work means they may visit several locations in a day, for example schools and hospitals, client offices and consent agencies.

The statement does not propose vaccination as a mandate for all workers in the sector, but advocates vaccination as a pre-requisite for workers operating in high-risk settings.

“We have a responsibility to keep them safe, wherever that may be.”

The statement advises organisations in the sector to

Guidance is also provided to help organisations consider their approach to vaccination requirements.

Principles are that COVID-19 risks must be actively managed, and that vaccination is the best line of defence to keep workers and communities safe and to support business continuity.

TradeWindow appoints directors TradeWindow, a trade-tech company helping exporters, importers, freight-forwarders and customs brokers on the front line of global trade to digitise trade processes has appointed three new independent directors to its Board.

It has also acquired two software businesses to bolster the company’s capabilities.

The new independent chair will be Alasdair MacLeod who currently serves as Chair for NZX-listed Napier Port Holdings Limited and for Silverstripe Limited a Wellington-based digital experience company.

He has broad governance experience across the software, technology, and not for profit sectors.

A former Partner of Deloitte NZ, he has worked extensively with primary industry exporters, and was Chair of the Hawke’s Bay chapter of Export NZ for seven years.

Founder and CEO of

TradeWindow, AJ Smith, says the appointment of an independent chair and directors signals a new stage of commercial maturity for the company as it looks to expand market share across Australasia and prepares for a possible direct listing on the NZX later this year.

Alasdair MacLeod said that TradeWindow operates in an exciting market segment.

“The interface of technology and trade is an exciting space for TradeWindow to operate. Having worked with many primary sector exporters, I see ample opportunity to improve the productivity, connectivity and visibility of trade through technology,” says Mr MacLeod.

The other two new independent directors to be appointed are Diana Puketapu and Phil Norman.

Diana Puketapu (Ngāti Porou) is a finance professional by career with a broad background in commercial, iwi and sports governance.

Diana has a strong governance background, with her current portfolio including directorships on NZX-listed Napier Port Holdings Limited, Ngati Porou Holdings and New Zealand Cricket. In 2015 she was elected to the board of the New Zealand Olympic ommittee.

She sits as either the Chair or a member of the Audit Committees on all of these entities.

Phil Norman is a professional director and business advisor for growth companies. His career has included management, ownership and governance roles in many local and international businesses.

He was founding chairman of Xero Limited for five years and his current chairing roles include NZX/ASX-listed Plexure Group, ASX-listed Straker Translations, NZX-listed Just Life Group, and Loyalty New Zealand Limited.

The new board appointments and recent acquisitions for TradeWindow follow an over-subscribed $15 million capital raise announced last month.

The company’s solutions now facilitate more than 1.5 million TEU container movements and 89,000 tonnes of airfreight per year. Leading exporters to use TradeWindow’s solutions span most major productive sectors, including T&G Global, Cedenco Foods (horticulture sector), Whittakers and Jack Link’s (processed foods), Greenlea Premier Meats, ANZCO, Silver Fern Farms (meat sector), Synlait, Open Country (dairy), Pan Pac Forest Products Ltd (forestry) and Sealord and Independent Fisheries (seafood).

Alasdair MacLeod, Chair of TradeWindow.

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Developments Reduce emissions and change an industry at the same time Ka-inga Ora is on a mission to make its buildings climate friendly now and in the future - and it’s influencing the whole construction sector to do the same.

Dramatically reducing emissions associated with buildings is part of the agency’s participation in the Carbon Neutral Government Programme (CNGP)* which was announced last year. Buildings are a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand – both during construction and while people live in them.

As the Government’s urban development agency and housing provider for approximately 190,000 New Zealanders, Ka-inga Ora has a strong focus on building healthy homes and sustainable, thriving communities.

The need to reduce building emissions was clear for the organisation – 99 percent of its overall emissions are from constructing new buildings and operating the older ones.

Ka-inga Ora Manager Sustainability Strategy Alex Baker says the majority of these emissions are locked in when a home is designed, dictating the construction materials used, the amount of energy occupants will need and the maintenance it needs.

“Where the building is located and how people can access it matters. For example, if we’re building homes people can only access by car, then they will have no choice but to access them by car, which of course increases emissions,” Alex says.

“Low carbon buildings are also healthier, require less maintenance and are more affordable to live in.”

The Ka-inga Ora Carbon Neutral Housing Programme is accelerating the adoption of low carbon buildings,

materials and construction techniques through leading-edge pilot programmes and collaboration with the construction industry. The organisation has made the 6 Homestar standard**, a mandatory requirement for all new public housing, and has recently launched two key projects*** to reduce carbon emissions even further.

“Ka-inga Ora is using its huge purchasing power to change the whole industry to a low carbon future,” says Disee Anorpong, Manager of the Carbon Neutral Government Programme.

By collaborating with the construction industry on these projects and leveraging its huge building portfolio, Ka-inga Ora is leading greater adoption of climate friendly construction materials and systems throughout New Zealand.

Alex maintains the Ka-inga Ora approach is all about

footprint and an 85% reduction in heating and cooling costs for occupants.

• Nga-ā Ka-inga Anamata, another Kāinga Ora sustainability pilot recently announced, takes the Passive House standard even further, building 30 new homes within five, three-level apartment buildings in Auckland’s Glendowie. The project aims to achieve the Government’s proposed 2030 carbon emission targets by 2024, through the use of a range of low-carbon or carbon-reducing systems and materials, while providing key insights back to the industry. https://kaingaora.govt.nz/developments-and-programmes/innovation/ nga-kainga-anamata-homes-of-the-future/

reducing costs now and in the future. “We have two choices: either we spend 10% more now to build carbon neutral houses fit for the future, or we spend 110% fixing it later.”

Examples of new low emissions housing projects • The Ka-inga Ora Bader Ventura development in Auckland’s Mangere will deliver 18, three-storey homes built to Passive House standard, providing a significantly reduced operational carbon

ISO brings mobile harbour cranes to Eastland Port areas into other machinery-based roles within the business.”

ISO commissioned the German-manufactured Liebherr mobile harbour cranes to suit its operating environment, with advanced technology and safety specifications designed by its technology team.

The cranes arrived at Te Tairāwhiti Harbour after departing Rostock, Germany on 24 September.

Eastland Port will be the second port to benefit from introducing ISO’s mobile harbour cranes, following the introduction of four cranes in Mt Maunganui in August 2020.

Photo copyright ISO Limited Mt Maunganui-headquartered port logistics company ISO Limited has announced the arrival of two world-leading mobile harbour cranes for safer and more efficient handling of cargo at its operation at Eastland Port in Te Tairāwhiti Gisborne.

The world-leading technology continues ISO’s significant investment in innovation to transform its port logistics supply chain nationwide.

Paul Cameron, CEO of ISO, says, “Our new mobile harbour cranes will help transform our operation at Eastland Port in Te Tairāwhiti. The new technology will remove our people from high-risk areas on the wharf and enable cargo to flow more efficiently through the increasingly pressured supply chain.

“With the implementation of the cranes we are upskilling and training staff we move out of high-risk

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Andrew Davies, COO of ISO says, “We’ve seen significant improvements in safety and productivity in Mt Maunganui with the introduction of mobile harbour cranes, including a 75% reduction in incidents. The cranes provide a safer, more efficient and reliable method of loading logs directly from trailers into the vessel’s hold with mobile cranes instead of ships’ cranes.”

Three mobile harbour cranes will be in operation at Eastland Port by the end of the month; ISO will ship one of its Mt Maunganui-based mobile cranes to Te Tairāwhiti, so three cranes are available at each port.

A world-first in terms of size and capacity, the fully mobile crane weighs 465 tonnes, has a 51-metre maximum lifting height, a 54-metre maximum outreach, and can lift a maximum load of 124 tonnes.

ISO, which handles more than half of New Zealand’s log exports, is applying robotics, automation and

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IT across its operations nationwide to minimise exposure to hazards and move its people into more skilled roles.

Over the past three years, thirteen Robotic Scaling Machines (RSM’s) for scaling logs have been installed across ISO’s North and South Island operations to automate the accurate volumetric measurement (scaling) of export logs on trucks and trailers. The world-first robotic technology was developed by Tauranga-based Robotics Plus in collaboration with ISO. Earlier this year, ISO started the rollout of its Automatic Tally Stations, developed by its technology team, to replace manual scanning of tickets on packets of logs at the wharf following scaling through the RSM offsite.

When the truck drives through the new stations, tickets attached to the logs are scanned automatically while drivers safely stay in the truck. In addition, mobile Harbour Cranes allow logs to be loaded directly from trucks onto vessels.

ISO has grown to be one of New Zealand’s largest nationwide waterfront cargo logistics companies, operating out of Marsden Point, Tauranga, Kaingaroa, Murupara, Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington, Picton, Timaru, Dunedin, Bluff and Invercargill.

ISO also provides innovative warehousing, IT and total supply chain solutions to port industries across New Zealand.

The Last Word Why cybersecurity needs a more diverse and inclusive workforce As cyberattacks increase in scale and severity, so too does the global demand for cybersecurity professionals – in all aspects of the field and across all sectors. The supply seemingly cannot keep up, resulting in an acute talent shortage.

But in this talent shortage, there is an even bigger and more troubling gap: the lack of diversity in cybersecurity.

Improving the work environment for underrepresented groups The latest statistics on demographics in cybersecurity are troubling: according to the Aspen Digital Tech Policy hub’s latest report, underrepresented groups such as Black (9%), Hispanic (4%) and Asian (8%) professionals make up an increasingly low percentage of the industry.

For example, women make up 51% of the population, but only comprise only 24% of the cybersecurity workforce.

On the flip side, there are almost 500,000 open jobs in cybersecurity in the United States alone, signalling a systemic, yet not-insurmountable divide.

If we work together through individual and collective action to improve the current environment for underrepresented groups, there could be lasting positive impacts across the field of cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity professionals work long hours. In many circumstances, they exhaust themselves to safeguard infrastructure, IT systems and institutions.

Almost everyone in cybersecurity is stretched thin.

Organisations and nations alike need more qualified people to work in cybersecurity.

Professionals must truly understand the threats while producing more robust solutions. To do so, the industry must fix parts of recruitment, retention and leadership development.

Choosing candidates with the right core traits Focusing on the barriers to inclusion and success in the industry, instead of just overt discrimination, can help reduce the talent shortage. Cybersecurity leaders play an important role in this. They should focus on diversity and inclusion when selecting candidates.

Instead of merely recruiting new diverse candidates into the workforce, they must also provide those professionals already in it with opportunities, and tools to succeed and grow.

problem-solving abilities are crucial for the next generation of cyber professionals.

• Ensure that your leader actively supports diversity, equity and inclusion across the organisation.

People who are looking to break into cybersecurity believe that it is too challenging to even land their first job.

• Create opportunities for everyone to publish, write, and engage in public speaking.

The entry level jobs they are applying for require a number of qualifications.

What if instead recruiters looked at core traits and then trained and invested in people? This is the practice that many militaries around the globe use, including the Israeli and the US armies.

Prioritising diversity, equity and inclusion On top of this, leaders need to ensure they are taking care of people already in the industry, especially when it comes to future leadership positions.

This includes everything from professional development over allyship to childcare and paid family leave.

This is where efforts like #ShareTheMicInCyber come in. The project highlights expertise of professionals already in the industry. Initiatives like CyberBase and #MakingSpace from the R Street Institute, which aim to boost diversity at cybersecurity events, as well as the Women in Security and Privacy scholarship fund, eliminating financial barriers to cybersecurity trainings, grew out of #ShareTheMicInCyber.

Preparing for future challenges Illuminating more pathways to leadership for a bigger pool of employees is vital for the retention of talent. But diversity needs to be represented at all levels of the organisation.

These issues are all interlinked and they are connected to national and international security.

The next generation of leaders in cybersecurity needs to come prepared. Present leaders should focus on creating opportunities for a diverse group of staff for professional development, mentorship and networking.

The lack of diversity blinds us to the myriad ways that actors can attack us, and robs us of the talent and engagement of important parts of the global population.

A lack of different perspectives and diverse representation mires us in the issues of today. It saps our energy and ability to look ahead to future threats.

These are actionable and powerful ways where allies have made a huge difference in this space.

As we have adapted digitalisation in every sphere of our lives, threats to our safety and health have grown in scale and complexity. These threats need to be addressed on a global scale – through creative ways.

Organisations prioritising diversity, equity and inclusion have found these four concrete steps to be useful:

Diversity is a vital part in our collective toolkit to guarantee more robust, more innovative and more agile ideas.

• Prioritise retention and development opportunities of diverse staff members. Employee retention is essential if you want to build up diversity at higher organisational levels.

It is hard to know where to start. It is hard to admit your own privilege and know that you can do better... It requires some serious introspection. But from a security, a business, and moral perspective, it is worth it.

• Treat all employees as individuals, provide opportunities for them to express themselves, create a safe space and acknowledge their contributions.

Break down the problem, identify your platform, leverage and act.

Finally, managers have to allow diverse candidates to obtain a skillset to succeed as future leaders in the field.

Curiosity, problem-solving ability and critical thinking should be taken into consideration when recruiting experienced talents. Cybersecurity is a vibrant field that is constantly changing, especially when it comes to threats or potential attacks.

Professionals cannot be static in their knowledge to succeed in this field.

Therefore,

a

curious

mind

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