Nzm dec 2013 final

NZ 2013/January Manufacturer December December 2014 2013/January 2014

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The Year in Review

The Year in Review

Economy in pretty good shape.

2013-The year of grass roots change.

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2013 lays solid foundation for growth

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ith the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, 2013 turned out much as the pundits predicted it would be. All the signs at the beginning of the year were for business conditions and the economy to slowly and steadily get better.

Remarkably, so it proved. Indeed the signs augur well for 2014 across the board.

How the year progressed was recorded very well for manufacturers in the Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI), and the result from it for November is just to hand.

The PMI reading for November was 56.7 which confirmed the sector has been expanding for 14 consecutive months, an impressive run.

Given a measure above 50 indicates expansion the average score of 56.0 since the start of 2013 makes the result that much more impressive.

The sub indices are even more positive. New Orders and Production are running at record

The signs augur well for 2014 across the board.

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www.solidtec.co.nz

Guest Column

Kiwi-Ingenuity, the real national treasure.

Page 15

Telarc improves market share

elarc CEO Craig Smith talks to NZ Manufacturer about the year ahead and why Telarc needs to introduce new younger staff into the certification industry to ensure its ongoing sustainability in the future.

NZM: How is Business?

By Kim Campbell

levels though employers appear wary of taking on more people just yet, even if Employment is clearly in positive territory.

Furthermore the expansion has spread right across the country, the first time for three years this has been evident.

Here in the North manufacturers recorded the highest level of activity (63.3) for four years, while in the Central region the PMI reached 64.6, an 11 point bounce back from October, and the highest its been there since November 2002. In the South activity is also well above 60.

Continues page 14

RECENTLY, Telarc has purchased Verification New Zealand.

This represents a significant improvement in our market share and services within the certification industry in New Zealand. The combined business is doing well and has a positive outlook for next year.

NZM: What is Telarc focussing on?

CURRENTLY Telarc is focusing on merging its recent acquisition, Verification New Zealand, into its business. It is essential that we take the best of both companies to ensure a sustainable business moving into 2014.

We now have a great combination of excellent staff that will ensure Telarc is well set for the future.

Telarc’s business will focus on regulatory requirements with a goal of ensuring compliance and improvement for its clients.

Telarc sees itself as a partner in

Craig Smith CEO Telarc.

improvement businesses.

for

New

Zealand

NZM: What does the future hold for Telarc?

A NUMBER of companies are expanding their export activities with growth on a global perspective.

Telarc is well position to assist its customers with their certification needs as they expand with our global partner and shareholder SAI Global.

Within New Zealand Telarc will be looking to expand its Food Safety, Environmental and Health and Safety programmes. These all represent areas where third party auditing is expected to expand.

We are confident that Telarc is well positioned to grow and expand its services.

Continues page 29

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

CONTENTS Advisors

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DEPARTMENTS

20 22 23 24 26 27 30 31

➡

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Is the Manager of the Maintenance and Reliability Centre, Manukau Institute of Technology.

NZ economy in pretty good shape.

• 2013 – The year of grass roots change.

• Manufacturing sector picks up a real head of steam.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

• NZMEA looks back on 2013.

• India: Finding the right partner.

• Good news for NZ companies.

Page 10 – MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY – All aboard the 3D revolution.

Craig Carlyle

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Craig Carlyle is Director of Maintenance Transformations Ltd, an executive member of the Maintenance Engineering Society and the Event Director of the National Maintenance Engineering Conference.

• Brazil offers excellent opportunities.

• Metals Industry Works Together To Achieve Progress.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

2013 –Steady recovery continues.

DEVELOPMENTS

➡

Catherine Beard

Page 13 – BUSINESS NEWS – Sistema invests to expand.

➡

Page 16 – DEVELOPMENTS – GMP makes significant contribution to NZ’s organic programme.

Is president of the NZ Manufacturers and Exporters Association and managing director of Contex Engineers and Plinius Audio.

Is Executive Director of Export NZ and Manufacturing, divisions of Business NZ, New Zealand’s largest business advocacy group, representing businesses of all sizes.

Technology to make construction sites safer.

BUSINESS NEWS Its in the bag.

GUEST COLUMN

Kiwi-Ingenuity, the real NZ national treasurer!

DESIGN

Bring those bright ideas out of the closet.

WORKSHOP TOOLS

• Pipes for hot water and gas.

• Weld testing packages save time.

• Product lifecycle management.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY • ArtCAM Pro for complex shapes.

• DAQ systems support up to 66 channels.

• Optimising bandwidth use.

DEVELOPMENTS

Engineering innovator recognised.

ENERGY REPORT

➡

Lewis Woodward

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.

BUSINESS NEWS

• Top engineering students gain scholarships.

• Entrepreneurs predict growth in 2014.

Brian Willoughby

Page 23 – DEVELOPMENTS – Kiwi company smashes global demolition competition.

• Conversion principle to double engine efficiency.

• Stop global warming.

Professor John Raine ➡ Is Head of the School of Engineering and Pro Vice Chancellor – Innovation and Enterprise at the Auckland University of Technology.

EXPORT ANALYSIS

Taiwan – a golden opportunity.

DEVELOPMENTS

• Power women halve home energy use.

• Manufacturer honoured for 25 years of business.

MARKETS

Experienced advisors help accelerate growth.

REAR VIEW

Sticking to the Knitting!

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8 9 12 13 15 17 18

Larry Wiechern

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

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5 6 7

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Page 25 – SUPPLY CHAIN – Crane maintenance of the future – a window on safety.

Bruce Goldsworthy

An advocate for NZ manufacturing for 40 years, he was Chief Executive of the Auckland Manufacturers Association for seven years He has been Manager of EMA’s Advocacy and Manufacturing Services, and lately manager for Export New Zealand in the north.

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

EDITORIAL

Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week.

Publisher

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

MANAGING Editor

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

CONTRIBUTORS

Holly Green, John Walley, Bruce Goldsworthy, Larry Wiechern, Catherine Beard, Kim Campbell, Craig Carlyle, Richard Poole, Nick Inskip, Wolfgang Scholz, John Raine.

ADVERTISING

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

Design & PRODUCTION

Karl Grant T: + 64 6 857 7942 E: daylightmarketing@xtra.co.nz

WEB MASTER

Dan Browne E: dan@membrana.co.nz

PUBLISHING SERVICES

On-Line Publisher Media Hawke’s Bay Ltd

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E: info@nzmanufacturer.co.nz Free of Charge.

MEDIA HAWKES BAY LTD

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

Vol. 4 No. 11 December 2013/January 2014 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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– Charles Richards

Wind in the sails for manufacturing

P

raise is being heaped all over the place for what 2014 will be like. It’s like Australia looking at winning The Ashes back, every one is on the A-Team. Meaning that lots of bright lights are flashing and positivity abounds for our manufacturing and business sectors next year.

And why shouldn’t we be optimistic? We are levelling out onto a plateau that has left 2008 well behind and our innovators and developers have the wind in their sales and a clear direction for next year. All they have to do is continue to do it.

At NZ Manufacturer we have found this year – listening to and monitoring manufacturing and business – to have been a good one. I have lots of conversations with manufacturers who are optimistic and prepared to commit more to R & D and send the troops far and wide, to conquer the frontier, where increased business orders will be found.

NZ Manufacturer has a large committed readership of people driving their business proudly, who interact with us, who want to have their stories read by the nation and overseas.

The good ship manufacturing is sailing smoothly.

I must, however, reflect on the different focuses between us and our TransTasman neighbours before I bring the year to an end. Australia has the huge issues of dealing with the closure of Holden and the (probable) need to bring foreign investment into Qantas.

Here in NZ our issues aren’t quite as dizzying except for the privatisation of assets. Lots of people don’t want this to happen. A lot of people were against it and it happened. A large ’don’t sell’ response came back from the recent Referendum against privatisation which doesn’t mean anything at all by the look of it.

Doug Green

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

– Walt Disney

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW

NZ economy in pretty good shape

How have you found business in 2013?

FOR MANY in the manufacturing sector 2013 has seen a slow but steady increase in sales, with the global recession well behind us and GDP running at around 2.5%.

Exporters have had to face the fact that the NZ dollar will remain at current high level indefinitely, and this also means that the volume of imported manufactured products, particularly from Asia, is steadily increasing.

Manufacturers aligned to the construction industry have seen a slow but steady increase in demand, particularly in the residential sector, driven mainly out of Christchurch and Auckland where there are big housing shortages.

Has your company flourished?

MITEK, like many other building material supply companies had seen an increase in sales volumes in 2013. Building consents are up by around 18% on the previous year, having been at a 46 year low in 2011.

Housing affordability continues to be an issue, causing by rapidly escalating land prices in the main centres, particularly Auckland, resulting in a housing shortage and a big rise in house prices.

Where is the market for your products?

MITEK manufactures engineered timber fasteners for all types of timber buildings, including houses, commercial buildings and farm buildings. Whole of house engineering software designed and built in house by Mitek enables the complete design and specification of all the connections in these buildings with Mitek providing full support and engineering advice to customers.

All products are distributed via building supply merchants throughout NZ and the network of Frame and Truss Pre- fabricators.

Do you export?

MITEK products are exported throughout the Pacific Island region, however over recent years construction activity has been fairly low in most places.

GETBA is hugely representative of businesses in East Tamaki. Why is it doing so well?

WE ARE a proactive association with the objective of making East Tamaki a great place to do business.

GETBA was founded in 1994 and

operated for 15 years as a voluntary subscription-based organisation.

In 2009, business and property owners in the GETBA area voted to invest in improvements to enhance the local business environment and economic growth of the area by adopting the Business Improvement District (BID) partnership programme, funded by a targeted rate collected by Auckland Council.

We are now able to truly represent the needs of the 2,000 businesses in our region. We have been proactive in advocating for local businesses on the many changes resulting from the amalgamation of the seven councils into the Auckland super city in late 2010. We know that most people in business do not have the time to immerse themselves in the huge amount of information that is available and we see it as our role to communicate to our members exactly what they need to know and what it will mean to their business and what the options are. We are a conduit to useful business resources and information, and current projects include waste minimisation and travel planning.

Our website (www.getba.org.nz) is a key point of communication and is updated regularly and provides all GETBA members with a quick and easy way to keep up to date with what is happening and where they can find information via links to Auckland Council regulatory information for example.

Our comprehensive crime prevention programme has seen a significant reduction in business burglaries. Bayley’s figures show that East Tamaki is the best performing industrial property area in the country.

Business networking is all important and GETBA certainly does this well.

Please elaborate.

BUSINESS networking is vital in a thriving business community and at GETBA we do this via our regular events including business breakfasts, business owner’s forums, and business showcase events as well as our web based business directory of local businesses.

While we promote our businesses outside the area, we also foster a ‘keep it local’ ethos encouraging local businesses to buy local and employ local. A weekly Keep it Local email to our members puts the spotlight on a different business each week. Businesses in East Tamaki like to work with other businesses in the area as this helps to make ‘East Tamaki- a great place to do business’.

As you look ahead down the road called 2014, what do you see?

THERE IS no doubt that 2014 will be a better year for most business.

The NZ economy is in pretty good shape with GDP growth forecast at 2.5 to 3%, immigration now running at a 20,000 net gain and construction forecasting a 10% lift per year for the next 4 years. Even the “truckometer” is giving the right signals, being a measurement of truck movements in certain areas which has proven to be a remarkably accurate sign of economic activity ahead.

The many businesses that supply the construction industry will be gearing up to meet the increase in demand, with activity in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and BOP named as regions where demand will be higher. Many exporters are reporting a lift in demand, with primary produce exports volumes at record levels and this is expected to continue as NZ is seen as a producer of high quality food products.

The service industries, which make up a big part of the business sector, are also expected to see a lift in sales next year as the economy in general improves.

Do you share in the heightened recent confidence for 2014?

AT MITEK we are already seeing the lift in construction activity and with the removal of the LVR scheme, this will certainly increase the level of new home building next year and beyond.

Building consents next year could well be around the 22,000 mark and this is sustainable beyond next year as the average of the past 15 years is in fact 22,000 and couple with the housing shortage we should have three or four years of real growth ahead of us.

Is manufacturing in good spirits?

MANUFACTURING in NZ and many other countries is in decline, due to the shift to manufacturing

Richard Poole, managing director, Mitek NZ shares his vision of the year ahead with NZ Manufacturer. to Asia where labour rates are much cheaper. Many NZ based manufacturers are looking to China to have some or all of their products made there, to enable them to compete with imported products.

I think some manufacturing is in good spirits in NZ, buoyed by the forecast of an economy in good shape, lift in construction activity, an election next year, export in many cases.

Where do you see the opportunities for NZ manufacturers?

EXPORT OF manufactured products is the ideal, coupled with supplying the local market. The future is in the application of technology and innovation where possible.

Copying of products by Chinese manufacturers is a real issue as copyright laws as we understand them, do not exist in China.

There is a gradual swing back toward locally manufactured quality products however, at a premium price, as consumers realise that cheaper imported products often don’t last. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

THE YEAR IN REVIEW 2

Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.

– Denis Waitley

2013 – The Year of Grass Roots Change

013 stands out as a pivotal year for change; the year that the first stepping stones for positive change in New Zealand industry emerged.

For those of us that moan about the faceless bureaucrats making illogical decisions completely unchallenged by the masses, a sea change emerged from the halls of power.

Following admissions that connections with ‘industry” and the real world were somewhat jaded, and “systemic failure” is the new black, policy makers and crown agencies get my praise for actively listening.

From the Reserve Bank admitting a lesson in economics that a Year 11 student could have told you (housing LVP = less houses being built), to the new Health and Safety agency, the new H&S Act, Machine Guarding and the Mechanical Engineering Qualifications review, a heartening and inclusive approach to listening to industry emerged.

Of course, it’s not all Nirvana, the 80/20 rule always applies and dumb stuff still prevails, but it has been heartening to see even the

smallest snippets of common sense populating new decisions. The message to industry groups and individuals is clear; if you get off you chuff and have you say, you will be listened to.

For my peers and I, the inverse is also true, we have walked away from pointy hat meetings this year thinking, “Wow, if we were not there to have our say, a real dumb decision would have been made!” Scary stuff, Fill the vacuum or accept your fate.

It is not natural for Kiwis to stand up and be counted; we are more like sheep than we realise and we are oh so easily manipulated; think antismacking, i-learning, super cities.

Bureaucrats will always make policy; they will continue to make dumb decisions weighted by those with their trotters in the trough or some great ideology to push to the masses, the trick is to calmly push back, as individuals or through your associations.

2013 was the year of youth inclusion. Hot on the heels of news that NCA doesn’t work, (you call that NEWS? Hello? Where have you

been?), a larger than life American called Joel Leonard walked into our life and demanded that we give work a chance and take industry to the next generation.

The timing was perfect; we have college kids realising that somewhere between university degrees (McDonalds career) and “course” (McDonalds career) lies a whole world of inspiring and well rewarded opportunity in engineering and industry.

Apprenticeships are suddenly back in vogue and not just because we have a city to rebuild. The government now understands what apprenticeships are about and have (hopefully) taken on board the message about avoiding boom and bust approach to the trades supply chain.

Finally, 2013 was the year that big companies realised that they had painted themselves into a corner with the top heavy follow-theleader approach to health and safety systems. A ream of paper for every job and paying contractors to fill out forms was always going to have a short half life.

– Craig Carlyle,

Maintenance Transformations Ltd. Mind you, it was keeping the big boys ego’s safe, at least until the top 20 most prosecuted companies list surfaced. Don’t worry if your company’s systems make your ears burn reading this; you can always make it your New Year’s resolution to make your systems work too.

So much change in just one year fills me with hope that 2014 will be even better still. Let’s hope that the collective effort makes NZ a viable and vibrant place to do business!

Manufacturing Sector Picks up a Real Head of Steam

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he latest BNZ - BusinessNZ PMI (Performance Manufacturing Index) for November shows that manufacturing in New Zealand continues to be in expansion now with an average PMI value of 56.0 since the start of 2013.

The good results are backed up by the Economic Survey of Manufacturing for the September quarter (Statistics New Zealand) where non-dairy and meat manufacturing sales rose 2.8% (this is the category of manufacturing that the PMI also measures). Metal Product manufacturing was up 6.6% and we are also getting strong expansion from the PMI survey in this category.

Unsurprisingly

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construction related industries are on the rise and we expect this to continue for some with the activity planned for both the Christchurch and the Auckland regions.

Those that have tried to portray manufacturing as being in crisis and decline this year are looking increasingly like they have not been consulting the right people for the right reasons. In my view they have done the sector a disservice when all the indicators are increasingly positive. All they have achieved is to put the next generation of young people off manufacturing as a career choice. Let’s hope all the positive sentiment and the increasing contribution manufacturing will

make to the economy in the next decade will turn that around.

As to the contention that BusinessNZ takes an overly positive view because our manufacturing members are not exporters being challenged by the high dollar; of course they are.

A recently completed Survey for ExportNZ (a sub-brand of BusinessNZ) showed 51% of respondents were manufacturing exporters and this is a good reflection of our membership overall. Despite the relatively high New Zealand dollar this year these manufacturing exporters are coping well and are employing a range of strategies to stay competitive. The top four strategies were improving

– Catherine Beard,

Executive Director, ManufacturingNZ productivity, investing in new product development, hedging and increasing prices. The full results of that survey will be released soon.

As all successful manufacturers know, we live in dynamic and changing times, and those that do not stay globally competitive through constant innovation and creating added value will find themselves left behind in the race.

I for one am confident we have the manufacturers with the smarts to succeed and I am impressed every week by the innovative and creative manufacturers I meet.

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.

– Napoleon Hill

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Looking back on 2013

t is nothing new but the past year has been good and bad in parts, how much of each rather depends on the characteristics of any particular business. Taking a look at our comments during this year some continue to stand out in terms of persistence and impact.

As the past determines the present and the present influences the future, looking back always has an element of predicting the future.

Early on in the year, much of our focus was on the Parliamentary Inquiry into Manufacturing, run by the opposition parties. This was sparked by difficulties in the sector and a string of closures and job losses throughout 2012. Political comment on this Inquiry centered around “crisis what crisis” from the Government. We remain of the view, further supported by the Census, that manufacturing is in crisis as onshore investment continues to decline. The report from the Inquiry has a number of recommendations that have strong base in the submissions made and therefore strong support from the manufacturing sector. We hope to see them as policy one day.

From the 2013 Census, less than one in ten people are employed in manufacturing, (their activity

represents over 13% of GDP, and 24% of exports) so it is easy for everyone else to take manufacturing for granted or even see it is some optional unimportant part of our economy. Nothing can be further from the truth; the service sector, high wages and innovation all depend on the foundations provided by the manufacturing sector. We can learn a lot from other economies; those that continue to see manufacturing as key economic activity have done significantly better than those who have bought into the post indusial fantasy.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) is finally moving beyond interest rates to support financial stability by targeting asset price inflation directly through the quantity of debt (LVR) as opposed to indirectly via the price of debt (OCR). Higher interest rates when the rest of the world are cutting rates or printing money are poison to our external sector. The need for macro-prudential options that directly target the quantity of debt are clear. We would like to see the current tools extended around “debt servicing to income” limits that have been successfully used elsewhere.

Macro prudential intervention offers the prospect of directly controlling

India: Finding the right partner

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n India the number one component for doing business is finding the right partner.

There are some great examples of New Zealand manufacturers with the right partner and others where there has had to be a revision of arrangements.

New Zealand manufacturers are often selling high-value specialised products to other businesses and can do so competitively.

Fisher and Paykel Healthcare is a great example. We are seeing others in India looking to capture a greater market share by lowering their costs through local or regional manufacture, where the design and IP development is retained in New Zealand. Fisher and Paykel Appliances are a good example of this strategy with their manufacturing operation in Thailand.

Rakon is another example with an excellent JV partner in Centrum Electronics in Bangalore.

This year we have seen other smaller New Zealand manufacturers establishing JV manufacturing in order to capture a bigger share of the Indian and regional market. To do this successfully good market research and identification of a trusted partner are critical success factors.

India is also a source of capital and there are Indian companies

asset inflation without the exchange rate impact associated with the indirect influence of interest rates.

This change and the use of prudential intervention around the quantity of debt is part of a wider generally changing view of how central banks should protect financial stability, control inflation and control other important targets, such as the exchange rate and employment. We see this use as essential in a modern economy; as many other countries have also learned this since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Our simple single target, single lever mechanism, that claims to control inflation, has done so by forcing deflation into the traded sector via the exchange rate mechanism; overvalued exchange rates hurt exporters, reduce onshore investment, employment and wages.

So far, it is unclear as to the extent of LVRs actual effectiveness or ineffectiveness in bringing down house price inflation, but there is no doubt that the resulting reduction of high LVR loans on banks balance sheets will have some effect in building resilience against any shock.

Looking forward to 2014, there are two main events we so far know of that will affect the sector; the election, and likely OCR increases by the RBNZ. The election will set the tone for policy direction over the next three years, with each party’s commitment to improving and

By John Walley

New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association Chief Executive supporting the manufacturing and exporting sectors our key focus. So far we have heard some intentions from opposition parties to introduce policy change which could be very beneficial to the sector; we need to hear more from the current Government.

The suggested OCR increases in 2014 will also be significant, if New Zealand is one of the first developed countries to do so since the GFC we can expect a general and significant currency appreciation.

Furthermore should the Reserve Bank of Australia, who have been commenting around further easing of their reference rate, continue to loosen monetary policy we can expect to see even more pressure on the Australian cross rate, which has been hitting five year highs recently.

All up this is a potentially a serious problem for exporters into Australia.

Good news for NZ companies

A – Gavin Young, Trade Commissioner and Consult General, Mumbai, India interested in buying into New Zealand companies.

In the best examples of this the Indian partner brings business knowledge and networks that enable the New Zealand business to grow through partnering for export or manufacture in India.

In looking at India, manufacturers need to consider that there is a very affluent top end in India, where many of our products could fit.

A number of the big Indian corporates are building global businesses and may be good partners for not only India, but to also connect you into global supply chains.

ustralia’s economic success continues to be underpinned by the resources sector. As major projects develop however, the focus has turned from construction to extraction, and the need to do so as efficiently as possible.

This is good news for New Zealand companies in the operations, maintenance and facilities management sectors, as these areas look likely to continue their solid growth.

Reasonably strong labour demand and a persistently high Australian dollar have also put productivity into stronger focus in other sectors of the economy.

New Zealand manufacturers have enjoyed considerable success in industries from food production to marine, by focussing on delivering high-quality, customer-focussed solutions that alleviate some of the competitive pressures facing Australian companies.

The transition being experienced

by Australia’s manufacturing sector provides an ongoing challenge for New Zealand companies. The landscape for manufacturing

– Daniel Taylor,

NZTE Trade Commissioner to Australia

in Australia is changing, as is graphically illustrated by the challenges being faced by the car industry.

As Australian manufacturers evolve, New Zealand companies may find themselves facing competition not previously encountered. The importance of innovating and providing smart, customer-centric solutions will undoubtedly escalate. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Industry is the soul of business and the keystone of prosperity.

– Charles Dickens

Brazil offers excellent opportunities

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he increase in wealth across the Brazilian middle class in recent years has been astonishing and with it comes the demand for investment in specialist manufacturing.

Families in the emergent, established and affluent segments will make up 37% of Brazilian households by 2020, compared with 24% in 2000. The volume of Brazilian imports of machinery have steadily increasing since 2008 with machinery and electrical and transport equipment being the principle import commodities with China and the US being the principle import partners.

These figures have the potential to turn into opportunities for New Zealand companies looking to target niche manufacturing industries such as electrical machinery and components, medical, dental and laboratory instruments, domestic appliances, aerospace/airport, agrochemicals and dairy and meat processing.

Brazil offers an excellent opportunity for Kiwi companies looking to expand their access to global and regional supply chains and diversify their risk away from Asian markets. The health industry is of particular interest as it is one of the few industrial sectors where local production is almost entirely dedicated to the domestic market, is heavily reliant on quality imports, with imports exceeding NZD 3,6 billion per year since 2010.

The main competitive advantage for New Zealand manufacturing is in the food processing and agri-

technology industries, mainly the dairy and meat industries. With a population of more than 200 million and being a tremendous source of meat and poultry production, as well as a significant player in the global market for food products, Brazil is keen to use processing technologies to improve efficiency, quality and reduce costs.

The figures speak for it: Brazil is currently the world’s top producer of orange juice and coffee, and ranks second in world production of soya and meat (beef and poultry) and third for fruits and corn.

The agriculture machinery sector is expected to grow 22% in 2013 and the dairy industry will reach almost a 14% increase in the same period.

And as noted in the above report, Metals NZ via its secretariat organisation and main sponsor HERA, has signed up Gary Hook as the CEO of Metals NZ. Gary, who in his previous role was the Vice President New Zealand and Pacific Island Building Markets at NZ Steel, is fulfilling the CEO role in a parttime capacity. He brings a great background and experience match to the role given his 36-year career in the steel & mining industries in NZ, Australia, Asia and the Pacific Islands.

The Metals NZ partnership looks forward to working with him. An

official announcement will be made in the New Year; however behind the scenes Gary has already started getting traction with engagement in two submissions to Government; one on the All of Government Procurement discussion document and the other on the Residential Construction Sector Market study.

– Ralph Hays,

NZTE Trade Commissioner, Brazil

However, companies wishing to sell into this market need to consider their strategy and business model carefully as trade barriers, regulatory bodies and administration costs are usually better managed by working via a joint venture or manufacturing in-market under license.

Metals Industry Works Together To Achieve Progress

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ooking back on 2013, Metals NZ can report great progress made. The Metals NZ Industry Conference in May set the scene and led to the setting up of a comprehensive programme entitled “Securing the Future of New Zealand Metals Engineering”.

At the September AGM, Scott Fuller was elected as the new Chairman of Metals NZ. Scott, who is the Vice President Marketing at NZ Steel and represents Metals NZ Ordinary Corporate Member NZ Steel on the Executive, replaces Metals NZ founding Chairman Noel Davies.

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

– Dr Wolfgang Scholz

Secretary Metals NZ and HERA Director So watch this space – much will be coming next year from Metals NZ as the united voice of the Metals Engineering Industry of New Zealand.

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier.

– Charles F. Kettering

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2013 steady recovery continues

he heavy engineering industry including steel construction continued its steady recovery from the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) during 2013.

The January 2013 rolling totals for NZ heavy steel usage stood at 130,000 tonnes and at the end of September they pointed to 135,000 tonnes reflecting an increase of 3.7%.

With still three months to go in the statistical calendar year further improvements are possible but if we settle with the 3.7%, this is well ahead of the New Zealand annual GDP growth rate of 2.6%.

However, the fact remains that the industry is still around 25% short of its pre GFC capacity peak of 179,000 tonnes of heavy steel usage. Improved co-cooperation within the steel construction sector points to improved effectiveness with the entire national capacity being available and industry is eagerly waiting the demand from Canterbury to use remaining workshop capacity.

From a productivity perspective steel based fabrication remains very competitive against other building material options and also against imports.

While overall building and construction cost may have gone up, landed steel cost statistics show that steel prices have actually gone down during the year driven by on-going competitive pressure in the market.

Looking ahead to next year, volume increases are expected with likely only modest steel price adjustment however this is highly dependent on exchange rates.

Also the steel construction sector is noting increased pressure on procurers to consider imported fabricated metals product options and is responding to this challenge.

New Zealand fabricator’s main differentiation points against imports are quality, reduced risk and flexibility in doing business.

In particular, quality conformance issues are the main concern in the post Canterbury earthquake environment and this will be reflected in building and general construction specifications which will likely lead to cost increases for all building material based solutions.

To reliably demonstrate NZ industry competitive advantages the steel construction sector during this year committed to an industry wide and international recognised steel fabrication accreditation scheme.

The first major steel construction company has already achieved international accreditation and with many industry members engaging in a significant up-skilling effort, 2014 will see several more NZ companies

achieving this steel fabrication quality mark.

I am convinced with its attitude towards innovation including ongoing sector overarching industry R&D investment via HERA and SCNZ, the New Zealand steel construction sector will remain competitive and is well placed to face up to international competition.

In view of the ‘lowest cost’ competition from overseas suppliers industry embers in the general heavy engineering space increasingly recognise the need to move from a lowest cost tender based business model to a higher

Volume increases are expected with likely only modest steel price adjustment.

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value manufacturing model based on product ownership and focussed on export markets. Overall, heavy fabrication based industry exports have declined during the last year and this might have just been a blip as the previous year showed a growth trend. There have been outstanding export successes such as the just completed Fitzroy Engineering oil refining plant export to Queensland and the 2013 Metals NZ Export Award winning Southern Cross Engineering’s grain stacker exports also to Australia. Both demonstrating that higher value and export focused heavy fabrication offerings can be competitively achieved from a New Zealand manufacturing base.

HERA is committed to assist industry members in unlocking more of this potential and is using industry funding in its industry development process. However, a co-operative effort is required by all agencies across government

– Dr Wolfgang Scholz

Secretary Metals NZ and HERA Director

and in the absence of a broad based industry R&D strategy much will depend on how the newly formed Callaghan Innovation will interface with HERA and its industry sector.

Thin-Walled Academia

ithout letting go of its practical roots, the School of Engineering at Auckland University of Technology has undergone a rapid transition in recent years to being a researchintensive professional school.

After close to four years I am moving across from the School of Engineering to the Research Directorate.

I reflect here on how we have been positioning this School.

The challenge facing Schools of Engineering across Australasia and internationally is how to maintain a culture that delivers well-grounded graduates who move into industry as practical product and system designers, development engineers, and prospective managers.

Increasingly, the pressure for research performance militates against staff engagement with business and industry and tends to drive courses towards greater sophistication in theoretical treatment of subjects at the expense of design applications and professional practice.

At AUT we have chosen the path of being a “thin-walled” School of Engineering that encourages staff and student external engagement, and which actively pursues industry-linked research and consulting contracts.

The new curricula in both four-year BE(Hons) and threeyear BEngTech are strongly

design-focused, while meeting necessary analytical content and IPENZ professional accreditation requirements.

We aim to give all students an industry-linked project experience and maximise industry linkages thereby fostering develop greater momentum in the innovation ecosystem.

An example of this was a project in 2011-2012 with Fulton Hogan Ltd that successfully developed a laser scanning system and software to measure and characterise road surface roughness texture. Further development of this product towards full commercialisation may follow.

We encourage our students to be entrepreneurs and are looking to markedly increase the number of spin-out ventures arising from student and staff inventive activity.

The recent launch of a Stroke Riskometer app in the personal health management space was a great collaboration between a research professor and an apps company started by AUT graduates.

The School’s major capital reinvestment programme is focusing not simply on equipment needed to meet undergraduate teaching or postgraduate research requirements, but also on the creation of sophisticated facilities aimed for part-use on industrylinked contracts. For example, the School’s new Renishaw AM250

Professor John Raine, Head of School of Engineering, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Innovation and Enterprise), Auckland University of Technology.

selective laser melting additive manufacturing machine is expected to be heavily used on partnered industrial product development work.

While we are building a balanced portfolio of research momentum across the full spectrum of research, we are pro-actively pursuing projects with industry parties, sometimes in partnership with other universities, CRIs and Callaghan Innovation.

Greater mobility of knowledge and people between academia and industry can only be a good thing for both sectors and it is important that employment contracts and promotion criteria encourage this. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

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I wasn’t satisfied just to earn a good living. I was looking to make a statement.

– Donald Trump

All Aboard: The 3D revolutio

lmost unnoticed, revolutionary production technologies have emerged without any meaningful input from big players.

Instead, the initiatives came from researchers, small start-ups and tinkerers in their garages who experimented with printing threedimensional stuff.

As is common with all technical revolutions, the “movement“ thrives on its early protagonists’ enthusiasm, which in our case happens to be mostly made up of middle-aged, male tech aficionados working in tandem with a complementary open-source community.

These so-called “makers” espouse the trend toward personal production and the networking of things.

Social utopians entertain dreams of re-possessing the means of production by the “masses”, tech enthusiasts the triumph of self-replicating machinery. The elation of a new age, together with goldrush-like optimism is palpable, notwithstanding that many young businesses soon will join the corporate world, fairly quickly abandoning their open-source ideals en route.

Still, 3D printing is not without history. Long before the internet changed the world, laser-based processes for industrial applications had been developed, e.g. for the manufacture of prototypes and models to be used in the production of limited numbers of work pieces and building components.

Other than is the case with standard injection moulding processes, 3D printing bypasses the labour-intensive set- up of jigs, together with the various processes of cutting, lathing and drilling.

As an undeniable fact, the 3D revolution’s social and economic repercussions are making themselves felt.

In times where the life cycle of products continues to compress while the number and variety of

products inexorably expands, the tirelessly working printing robots producing complex objects at precision levels unmatched by mere mortals, are just what the doctor ordered.

Especially in the field of tool system technology, construction component production, medical device technology and the consumer goods industry, 3D print technology occupies an immensely important place.

Consequences of the 3D revolution 3D printing not only supplants, reconfigures and leverages traditional processes, but accelerates innovation by virtue of the fact that an instant creation of solid prototypes and tangible templates has numerous benefits. In the consumer space, unit costs of mass-produced articles will always stay below those of customized manufacture, yet at the very margins, some share of the manufacturing process may well be taken over by the consuming public itself.

It would hardly be a detriment to the economy, since these unaffiliated manufacturers still need 3D technology besides materials and support….at the same time creating brand new lines of business, e.g. printing services for those who are reluctant to invest in a 3D printer themselves. We all recall the unreal rates a square foot of digital printing on fabrics commanded back in its early years.

Birth pangs Hewlett Packard was the first of the large press manufacturers to enter the 3D printer business.

Between 2010 and 2012, the US American IT company had struck an alliance with Israeli-American Stratasys. The result were devices with the names HP Designjet 3D and HP Designjet Color 3D, which however are no longer on the market.

Now, HP is about to venture a second attempt.

The strength of HP’s conviction may be somewhat debatable, though, since the actual revenue flow from the sector to the bottom line is a long way off.

Indeed, patience is the order of the day, not the least because the costs of efficient 3D printers remain out of reach for many, as is the raw printing material, the variety and selection of which still leaves much to be desired.

In addition, the currently available machines run at an agonizingly slow pace. To print a bottle may take eight to ten hours.

All quite interesting, but it feels like watching grass grow.

The hope for these birth pangs to be soon a thing of the past seems to be justified, however. 3D printing is more than hyping some pipe dream, but a veritable revolution of production technology.

Right now, 3D printing is mostly limited to CAD supported laser cutters, lathes or injection moulding

machines, yet new ideas have benefited all industries over time.

Incorporating 3D printing into the canon of printing technologies as a fourth pillar next to letterpress, offset and digital print is the right thing to do; no half-way measures, please. Sing its praises in high schools, vocational training classes, professional associations, and especially, companies. Online print shops print on the strangest objects like Christmas baubles and coffee mugs.

It only makes sense to also create certain objects according to customer instructions as the infrastructure and skilled labour is already in place.

A realistic prospect to profit handsomely is certainly there.

The time is now to define and hone business models, for as you sow, so you shall reap. The potential of it all is reflected when taking a look at the shares of Stratasys. Ten years ago, they sold for $7.58. Today, they change hands for $114 and an end to the rally is nowhere in sight.

Market survey Getting your feet wet in 3D printing is relatively easy. Building sets and apparatuses for beginners can be quite economic.

Professional machines sell for more. But these machines, being used in industrial applications, are under a great deal of pricing pressure. Analogous to 2D printing equipment, three categories of machinery have also emerged in the 3D sector: for home use, for professionals, and for industrial application.

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

You must remain focused on your journey to greatness.

– Les Brown

11

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

on is spreading like wildfire

Two dozen manufacturers from all over the world are currently offering solutions for the press floor. Most of them were inspired by the RepRap project, originally conceived by Adrian Bowyer, a professor for evolutionary research at Bath university in England.

RepRap stands for Replicating Rapid-Prototyper and is a 3D printing press, the blueprint of which Bowyer had published under a GNU general public licence with the goal to achieve rapid proliferation.

Vendors like Ultimaker and Makibox follow in its footsteps.

The best-known American maker of 3Dprinters, Makerbot in NewYork used to be a nonprofit organisation. Since 2013, it is a subsidiary of Stratasys and the current 3D printer model Replicator 2, unlike previous models, no longer bears any resemblance to the open source matrix.

The English manufacturer Bits from Bytes was also bought out. The company started with the 3D printer RapMan, a commercial version of the open source hardware RepRap Darwin.

In October 2010, the enterprise was taken over by the leader in the consumer sector, the American company 3D Systems. The South Carolina based organisation is currently firing on all cylinders.

Resources for research and production at their main plant in Waterford Business Park of Rock Hill are at the limit of their capacities; for those reasons, 3D Systems plans an additional site creating up to 133 new jobs.

In the professional sector,

Stratasys is the undisputed worldwide leader. The concern has two head offices in Eden Prarie (Minnesota, USA) and Rehovot (Israel) in addition to six branch offices, one of them in Rheinmünster near Baden-Baden, Germany.

Stratasys’ product range extends from popular-priced desktop 3D printers all the way to large state-ofthe-art 3D production systems.

With 150 photo polymers and thermo plastics, it also features the largest assortment of special materials.

World leader for industrial applications in the sector Laser Sintering is the EOS GmbH in Krailling near Munich/Bavaria.

Dr. Hans J. Langer and Dr. Hans Steinbichler founded the company in 1989. It supplies customers like MTU, EADS, Daimler and BMW with 3D-printers for their production sites. China supports its 3D printer industry through TierTime Technology Co. Ltd., founded 2003 in Peking.

Their devices are marketed under the name Inspire. In short: whether high-end products, one of a kind, or small-scale series—the capabilities of 3D printers are advanced enough right now to perform many conceivable and as yet inconceivable tasks.

use plastics with different degrees of hardness and colour in a combined printing process. Industry giant Stratasys took out a patent on a variation of layering by melting, or FDM technology (fused deposition modelling).

The FDM process melts delicate, semi-liquid strands of the

thermoplastic acrylnitril-butadienestyrol (ABS) with a spray nozzle, piling layer upon layer to eventually assume the final object’s shape.

The PolyJet technology deploys photopolymers which are instantly cured under UV light and indistinguishable from products made by injection moulding.

One principle, many processes 3D printing, also known as “Rapid Prototyping” or “Additive Manufacturing”, is based on the layering principle, an additive process by which the objects to be printed are built layer upon layer from several liquid or powderlike substances. In its course, chemical and/or physical processes precipitating curing and/or melting take place.

For those reasons, the typical materials used are artificial resins, plastics, metals, ceramics and paper.

Manufacturers currently use a number of 3D print processes, which in their application are fundamentally alike except for a few patented variations.

Among the most notable processes employed are selective laser melting, electron beam melting for metals, selective laser sintering for plastics, stereo lithography, digital light processing, polyjet modeling for photopolymers, and fused deposition modelling for thermoplastics.

Most 3D printers at his time process only a single type of material or some kind of blend.

There have been tests, though, to www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

DEVELOPMENTS

Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition – in having put forth the best within you.

– Henry J. Kaiser

Airmat soft fall technology to make construction sites safer

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uilding company owner David Grigor is aiming to significantly improve height safety work on construction sites by introducing Fall Safe airmat softfall technology to New Zealand.

Auckland-based Mr Grigor, owner of Grigor Construction Ltd, began researching soft-fall options to ensure his own worksites met the new Best Practice Guidelines for working at heights introduced by WorkSafe New Zealand.

Now, having introduced the European Fall Safe modular airmat system to his own building projects, he is making the safety technology available for hire to other construction firms in New Zealand.

Under the new WorkSafe rules all construction sites must have fall arrest systems in place for anyone working at height.

“More construction companies are introducing soft fall options, which is good news,” said Mr Grigor. “However, most are opting to use nets, which are the cheapest option to purchase.

“I looked into using the nets but felt that there are a lot of risks associated with them and, when used in residential house construction in

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New Zealand, they usually don’t meet safety compliance standards.

“The most popular systems in Europe are the airmats and beanbags but the maximum height you can work above ground with beanbags as protection is 2.8m unless you double-stack them.

“After a lot of research I opted for the Fall Safe system which has been in use since 1998 and is compliant for people working at heights up to seven metres.”

Mr Grigor said that while the airmats are one of the most expensive safety systems to purchase, their long life expectancy makes them very affordable to hire and he now has 13,000sqm of them available for use in New Zealand.

“It struck me that if I was insisting on the safest possible softfall solution for my construction sites then other businesses would want that too,” he said.

“The airmats are a modular system of interconnecting mats linked together with a patented flexible Velcro system. They work through a reverse bouncy castle effect. Rather than people bouncing if they hit them, they are safely absorbed by a cushion effect, like a

giant marshmallow.

“People can work at height above them with full confidence and they provide productivity gains because they are designed to absorb a ‘group fall’ of more than one person. This means a number of people can work at height at any one time. With nets the maximum permitted is two people.”

The system has been used in projects such as London’s new Wembley Stadium, and the London 2012 Olympic Park which set a new benchmark for health and safety throughout 62 million man hours of construction.

Statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, revealed that the accident frequency rate on site was 0.16 per 100,000 hours worked – lower than the all-industry average of 0.21 and significantly lower than the building industry average of 0.55.

Mr Grigor said he had concerns about the increasing use of nets as soft fall protection.

“In New Zealand most houses are timber braced and we work at much higher heights on trusses

than other countries do,” he said.

“All safety nets larger than 35sqm require a minimum of three metres of deflection – or drop. If someone falls from the plate of a building they are likely to hit the bracing, even with a net.”

Mr Grigor said all safety nets come under the guidelines of Fall Arrest Safety Equipment Training (FASET), the international trade association and training body for net rigging and fall arrest.

“FASET recommends that nets are attached to scaffolding structures all around the outside of the building,” he said. “However, that usually isn’t possible in New Zealand so they are being fixed to the wall heads of the building under construction instead, which is not compliant with FASET standards.”

Mr Grigor said additional potential problems included the difficulties of recovering an injured person from a net, workers unhooking the nets if they impeded their work or walking on them, potentially weakening them.

An estimated 200,000sqm of the Fall Safe airmats are now in use in the UK in the construction industry and a number of other industries.

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

BUSINESS NEWS

Humour is a rubber sword - it allows you to make a point without drawing blood – Mary Hirsch

S

Sistema invests $6M to expand NZ manufacturing

istema has imported a 1,300 and a 650 tonne injection moulding machine to boost its manufacturing operations in New Zealand, allowing the

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company to create a new range of durable plastic home and office storage products made exclusively for The Warehouse.

The 1,300 tonne machine is one

It’s in the bag

he New Zealand designer of a suitcase prototype, touted as the “mobile office of the future,” is seeking support via Kickstarter, the world’s largest crowd-funding platform.

The Barmes Freebase is an original, sleekly-designed case which has separate compartments that allow fast and easy access to travel documents; files; laptop; phone and power-cords; toiletries and clothing, and has been approved as carry-on luggage with all the world’s major airlines.

Aucklander Paul Barmes, founder of Barmes Design, wants the Barmes Freebase to be in full production by April 2014.

With the Barmes Freebase everything has its place and is easy to find in the standing position.” states Mr Barmes. “Other bags are either soft, so your gear is not as safe, or the hard shell cases have to be laid flat, and everything taken out to find what you want. Moving quickly through airports is so much easier with the Freebase.”

Mr Barmes adds, “it’s extremely encouraging for our design to be accepted by the most pre-eminent platform of this type in the world.”

Since Kickstarter launched in 2009, it has raised more than US$800 million, funding more than 50,000 creative projects.

Kickstarter has previously only been open to US, Canadian and UKbased projects, but announced in October that it would accept New Zealand applicants from November 13, making Barmes Freebase one of the first New Zealand projects to launch on the platform.

“The timing for this project is synergistic,” says Mr Barmes, who began his career designing commercial furniture and

KEVIN KEVANY

removable wheels, making them the most sophisticated plastic box storage system on the market.

The company is proud to collaborate with The Warehouse to bring this newest offering to the public.

What started as a backyard garage operation 30 years ago is an international success story today. They now export products to more than 65 countries around the world, including the United States, the UK, Europe and South Africa, and is committed to keeping manufacturing in New Zealand.

Paul Barmes

manufacturing computer arms for workspaces.

He says the Freebase concept stemmed from the evolution of employee’s mobility requirements, which has been termed “activity based working” and focuses on two key aspects; mobility and flexibility.

“As part of the activity-based working development, many companies are now providing lockers for their people, but lockers tie you to one place. When you change locations, you want to cover all the options - work needs, travel documents, personal clothing, gym gear, toiletries and cosmetics, all organized, all accessible and always within reach.”

Mr Barmes says office desks are becoming a thing of the past for many.”

“Shared spaces have become the norm. Wireless has enabled people to work seamlessly from home, on public transport, in the office, in cafes or other public spaces,” says Mr Barmes, “which is why I invented the Barmes Freebase – to truly mobilise people.”

09 520 5206 kevwrite@xtra.co.nz

of the biggest of its type brought into New Zealand during the last 20 years according to Sistema’s managing director Brendan Lindsay.

This equipment is a one-of-a- kind industrial machine. and no other company has brought in a similar machine to manufacture products like this in New Zealand.

The investment has allowed the company to diversify their product offering and produce heavy duty storage containers ranging in capacity from 14 to 90 litres. The range will include utility trays and organiser tubs, filing clips and

PETER ISSAC

06 340 8134 peter.isaac@xtra.co.nz

• Do you have a story you want to share?

• Developments?

• New markets discovered?

• How are you finding business in this challenging economy?

Email Doug Green at words@xtra.co.nz and share your story with readers.

DAVID BURKE-KENNEDY 09 473 8635 dbk@compublicity.co.nz

SANDRA LUKEY 021 2262 858

sandra@shinegroup.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.

– Warren Buffett

Search is on for New Zealand’s most exciting energy projects

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rom production lines, to truck fleets, to tourism operators – EECA is on the look-out for projects of all types across the country, that are changing how we use energy for the better.

Entries are now open for the 2014 EECA Awards, the biennial celebration of excellence in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

EECA Chief Executive Mike Underhill said if any organisation – public or private sector – had a successful energy efficiency or renewable energy project, EECA was keen to hear about it.

“New Zealand has many ingenious, innovative people who are boosting business success, improving the environment, and helping communities thrive through energy efficiency or renewables.

“Whether it’s a large corporate, small farming operation, community group or smart transport operator – our Awards seek out and celebrate those who are changing the way we use energy, creating a healthier and more productive New Zealand.

“I strongly encourage any

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organisation that has focused on improving energy use, to enter. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate the hard work and achievement of staff and get these projects the positive profile they deserve.”

The ten categories cover all sectors: Transport, Large Business, Small to Medium Business, Public Sector, Renewable Energy, Innovation, Community, Energy Management, and the Energy Leadership award for individuals. There’s also a Christchurch Energy Champion Award this year, to recognise an organisation or individual promoting positive energy use in the Canterbury rebuild. A Supreme winner is chosen from the category winners.

In 2012, the value of EECA Awards entrants’ combined energy savings over the life of their projects was more than $600 million and the combined reduction in CO2 emissions was 1.7 million tonnes.

The last Supreme Award winner, Air New Zealand, saved more than $500 million in transport fuel and cut carbon emissions by 142,000 tonnes

Dominion Salt, one of the past category winners

per year. Other category winners included Wanganui PAK’nSAVE, ASB Bank, Dominion Salt, Golden Bay Cement and New Zealand Post.

Entries close on Monday 10 February 2014. The winner will be announced at an event at the Auckland Museum on 28 May 2014.

From page 1

2013 lays solid foundation for growth We can look forward with a lot of confidence to continuing strong growth next year for most, though not all manufacturers, because those who will be able to seize the main chance next year will have been preparing for it well in advance.

In short they will have been re-investing in their businesses.

Companies waiting for a better time to invest risk going broke, as Tachikawa Forest Products found out.

Those ready to capitalise on better business conditions will have re-invested in new plant and equipment, embraced Lean, invested more in R&D and design, including in the opportunities presented by the latest manufacturing techniques such as additive manufacturing and 3D printing. As well they will have been investigating and analysing their online strategies for integrating processes and systems.

Notwithstanding the better business outlook, the challenges faced this year will be no less daunting in the next. Currency volatility will continue as there’s no end in sight to US and Japanese money printing.

Next year’s budgets and planning should be on the basis that the high dollar will persist although at least the high currency represents an opportunity to retool.

On the other hand, the warning lights are flashing for manufacturers whose traditional focus has been Trans Tasman markets. The elevated cross rate with Australia presents a special risk to those who have not

invested in developing new markets farther afield.

Currency volatility and other market uncertainties should spur manufacturers to review their supply chains and in-house systems.

They need to be the subject of constant review, to be streamlined and integrated with business processes to add value, not act as a brake on efficiency and add costs.

Getting the right skills training should never be a problem for those who invest in their own people and there is never a skills shortage for businesses that hire smart people prepared to invest in themselves.

Manufacturers traditionally pay their people well; they need to keep on doing this, so their employees will find it really hard to leave.

The green shoots of business growth are everywhere; in many ASEAN and other Asian markets, in sustainability, IT, energy, food and food processing equipment, biotech and transport.

The New Year offers the prospect of our Government achieving a balanced budget, our relationship with China growing stronger and ever more significant, and a relationship with the US not bettered for many years.

We have low interest rates, low inflation, falling unemployment, and the best terms of trade for 40 years.

No wonder business confidence is rising.

Kim Campbell is chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturers Association kim.campbell@ema. co.nz

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

15

GUEST COLUMN Kiwi-Ingenuity, the real NZ national treasure!

N You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits.

– Jim Stovall

ew Zealand is more than a haven for Hobbits, champion rugby teams, picturesque scenery, and adventurous vacations. Also a haven for KiwiIngenuity!

Kiwi Ingenuity has evolved to become the real national treasure for New Zealand. Located over 900 away from Australia, New Zealanders, or Kiwis have had to become very resourceful in order to cope with their remoteness and as a result have been forced to invent their own solutions and have been able to maximise their creativity, otherwise known as Kiwi-Ingenuity.

Have you ever heard about Jetboats? From Wikipedia- “A jetboat is a boat propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft.

Unlike a powerboat or motorboat that uses a propeller in the water below or behind the boat, a jetboat draws the water from under the boat into a pump inside the boat, then expels it through a nozzle at the stern.

Jetboats were originally designed

by Sir William Hamilton (who developed a waterjet in 1954) for operation in the fast-flowing and shallow rivers of New Zealand, specifically to overcome the problem of propellers striking rocks in such waters.

Previous attempts at waterjet propulsion had very short lifetimes, generally due to the inefficient design of the units and the fact that they offered few advantages over conventional propellers.

Unlike these previous waterjet developments, such as Campini’s and the Hanley Hydrojet, Hamilton had a specific need for a propulsion system to operate in very-shallow water, and the waterjet proved to be the ideal solution.

From this, the popularity of the jet unit and jetboat increased rapidly.

Through further developments, it was found the waterjet offered several other advantages over propellers for a wide range of vessel types, and as such, waterjets are used widely today for many highspeed vessels, including passenger ferries, rescue craft, patrol boats and offshore supply vessels.”

Also did you know that some Kiwis are converting road-kill into profits? Yes, believe it or not pesky possums are now being added to Merino wool and being used in various clothing items like gloves, sweaters, hats and socks. Since possum hair is strong, light, soft, very water resistant, it provides an ideal substrate and garners premium rates.

Farm raised possum sweaters can fetch over $300 on the global market.

Also did you know that US President Theodore Roosevelt donated dozens of red and white tail deer to New Zealand in the early 1900s? Now those deer and other additions have reproduced to become an environmental hazard and pest for local populations.

As opposed to eliminating them Kiwis realised that they could farm the deer, market to local restaurants and grocers. And believe it or not NZ venison is now sold even in the

Kiwi-Ingenuity should be celebrated as much and even more than the glorious achievements of the All Blacks on the Rugby field.

United States. So kiwis were smart enough to convert a donation into a profit maker.

Because of the volcanic origin and glaciers, New Zealand has rich mineral deposits like titanium and other precious, rare metals.

To help New Zealand become leaders in new metal creation, TIDA, the Titanium Industry Development Association was formed and have several multimillion dollar 3d printing machines that can convert powdered metal into new designs, prototypes and even new custom designed functioning products.

And with the abundance of available resources, TIDA will be able to help stimulate future business and economic growth for years to come.

Also SAFE, South Auckland Forgings Engineering Ltd and

By Joel Leonard other metal shops are helping forge new products and tools for energy plants, infrastructure and other manufacturing operations. These facilities help provide support to help advance Kiwi ingenuity and manufacturing growth.

With the efforts underway to rebuild Christchurch and other industry development to build the next generation of skilled talent, Kiwi-Ingenuity has strong growth potential and should be celebrated as much and even more than the glorious achievements of the All Blacks on the Rugby field.

Kiwi-Ingenuity can be the fulcrum to drive Kiwi prosperity for the future.

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

DEVELOPMENTS

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The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.

– Confucius

GMP makes significant contribution to New Zealand’s organic programme

MP Dairy Limited has launched the “Ogni” organic dairy product range and announced that they have gained a significant organic export order to China.

GMP is a leading manufacturing company specialising in a wide range of natural health and dairy products of Australian and New Zealand origin.

The company is playing a pioneer role in New Zealand’s organic dairy programme utilising their expertise to realise high value, market ready products for export, especially into Asia.

The potential for high quality organic products is huge as nations around the world look to enhance dairy products for their consumers.

Organic products are highly sought after and fast becoming more the market standard than is necessarily realised.

Fonterra is also an important player in this development, supplying to GMP a substantial quantity of their organic milk powder since 2012.

And it gets better...GMP has reached an agreement with a significant State Owned Enterprise as its exclusive distributor in China.

GMP is the recipient of significant business and export awards both in Australia and New Zealand for its successful business model and innovative solutions to international trade.

The company’s business model is based on identifying, processing and transforming food and nutritional ingredients into high value finished products, especially for the Asia markets, where there is high demand for those products for cultural or nutritional benefits.

The company started by identifying ingredients from animal products such as bee products, shark cartilage and shark liver oil, fish oil, deer antler, animal by products and green lipped mussel extracts; and later into herbal supplements such as bilberry, Blueberry, green barley and grape seed extracts.

Since 2001, GMP has been paying more attention on dairy ingredients such as colostrums, lactoferrin, milk

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By Doug Green

From left: Ravinesh Kumaran – Acting General Manager, GMP Dairy Limited; Mr. Chen Feihua - Vice General Manager of Salt Bureau of Guangdong Province; Mr. Peng Haibin, Chairman of Guangdong Salt Bureau of Guangdong Province; Minesh Patel, General Manager, GMP Pharmaceuticals Limited; Stuart Gray - General Manager, Fonterra Global Sales New Zealand; JamiLee Ross – National MP for Botany and Eion Jansen, National Sales Manager, Fonterra New Zealand

calcium and infant formula. Organic milk is the company’s most recent project under its business model.

In these times, with the search for quality organic products becoming prominent, GMP has left no stone unturned to produce Ogni, a certified organic brand with a range of organic products.

GMP’s organic milk is sourced from certified organic farms, which are free from synthetic fertilisers

and pesticides. The milk comes from green, natural and sustainable farming systems in harmony with nature. Organic production and certification standards ensure that no harmful chemical inputs or genetically modified materials are used and organic practices work to respect all life, bio diversity and take into account animal welfare considerations. Organic milk is a rare resource and accounts for less than 1% of the total milk production in New Zealand. It takes 3 years to turn conventional dairy farms into organic farms.

The company believes that this is a significant milestone for the organics programme in New Zealand and that this will be very beneficial for New Zealand in terms of buildings

its organic profile. There is no doubt that organic farming enhances soil and nutrient recycling and reduces reliance on chemicals. The organic approach would benefit future farmers, society and the environment.

Organic farming needs great organic products and more importantly a great consumer market, especially export markets.

GMP’s organic range of products is already selling in Australia and New Zealand markets and consumers can find them in selected supermarkets and organic stores.

This is a real cause for celebration, a success story and a great example of Kiwi innovation and product development. GMP’s Ogni products are a welcome addition to the organic market.

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

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DESIGN Bring those bright ideas out of the closet W The new source of power is not money in the hands of a few, but information in the hands of many.

– John Naisbitt

hy? Because the economy is improving, and designers and engineers are still hungry for work. You may just scrape in before they are too busy to spend quality time developing your idea. Good ideas and well developed equipment design takes time, and are done better when there is no other pressing work demands.

Accountants and bankers may also give you some compelling reasons why it is a good time to invest in productivity improvements and new products now the economy is coming out of a low growth period.

As I am not an economist, but a mechanical design engineer, I leave it up to them to convince you.

Let’s get the No 8 Kiwi Wire ingenuity to work.

We are a nation of inventers For the younger readers I will explain why. In the early days, we were living in isolation so we started finding ways to make machines and products ourselves. As we had few resources, things had to be simple.

Import restrictions also contributed to the drive to make it ourselves.

We often copied ideas or products from overseas and gave them a Kiwi twist as our requirements were often different from those in Europe or the UK. In the beginning of the 1900s NZ was one of the most mechanised agricultural economies as the new emigrants were bringing new machines in, but these machines had to be maintained of course and spare parts were difficult to obtain or not possible at all. Thus we made them ourselves. Now, we have about five generations of ‘tinkerers’, and this still shows in the “can do” attitude and the skills that are passed on from trades man to apprentice.

Let’s get back the economies of making new products and machines ourselves.

First of all we now can create a product or machine using 3D virtual reality. We can simulate the movement, and analyse the stresses in a relatively simple manner. More specialised analysis is also possible such as air and liquid flow in and around products.

Thus the chance that the real product may actually work satisfactorily is increased. What also is possible is to refine and re-analyse it to the point where the new design is the best and the most economical option to make.

All very well, but who is going to do the design? Most of you will have some sort of affiliation with

an engineering company, but are they the best option? Whatever the product or equipment is that you have in mind, you want someone that specialises in this field or knows who to enlist to take your idea from just a concept to a successful end result.

You have to decide how much you are able to spend, and the risk of losing the investment if the idea does not work. This is for you and your accountant to decide.

One of the more difficult issues is how much control you want to have over the project development.

Are you only interested in the return on investment, or do you also have specific quality requirements. Can you break the development up in stages?

Typical stages would be: Design brief, concept development, detailed design and approval, fabrication, testing, modifications and final commissioning.

The design brief must have, clearly written objectives, parameters and relevant information given to the designer. This is the most important part of the project. You have to think through all objectives and the options on how to get there.

Misunderstanding at this stage can be very expensive, and a debate may arise over who is responsible for what.

It is often helpful to have a concept design stage that has a defined time limit or dollar value. This is also a stage where you can assess if the working relationship is viable or not, or needs to be redefined.

It is important to have a sign off on the concept design; this is the point where both parties are able to see the idea coming to life.

In my work as a mechanical design engineer I have had customers who were only interested in the end result, a rough idea of what it would cost and a possible delivery date. In these cases I had to form a relationship that enabled them to understand the problems and the cost.

I had to ensure that the customer was informed about progress and costs. I also had to teach them what input they needed to have. The issues of cost and time estimation are then easier to resolve.

The detailed design and fabrication of the product or equipment is a matter of solving technical problems. If the designers are working in their field of specialisation then this can be reasonably straight-forward, at this point close estimation of the project cost can usually be established.

Now we have come to the testing stage If we are extremely lucky or know what we are doing, all should be well. At the testing stage adjustments often need to be made or we have to learn how to use the product or equipment.

Time spend on this can vary from 5% to 100% (and more) of time spent

-Aaldert Verplanke,

mechanical design engineer aaldert@slingshot.co.nz

on the project so far. This depends entirely on the complexity of the project, but budget on 25%. It is at this stage that problems can arise about who pays for what. How is the performance measured and how close to 100% perfect does it need to be? Getting the last 2% performance improvement can cost 20% 0f the budget.

When I have designed for myself or clients, getting experienced people on board who know the development process and know their limitations is as important as finding the specialists.

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Let’s get the No 8 Kiwi Wire ingenuity to work.

w w w. n z m a n u f a c t u re r. c o. n z www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

WORKSHOP TOOLS

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It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

– Charles Darwin

Pipes for hot water and gas

urn-key technology is producing PE-Xa pipes suitable for heating systems and gas transmission.

The system utilises peroxide crosslinked technology for polyethylene pipes in a one step process.

The complete line from the specially developed twin-screw extruder with a conical processing unit and pipe head through to the unique calibration and cooling system is ideal for the processing

of the ready-mixed compound consisting of polyethylene, a stabiliser and peroxide.

The system provides a high degree of reliability and consistent process which ensures a premium quality product with superior uniform cross linking in the product range from 16mm up to 63mm diameter.

The crosslinking of the PE pipes takes place in-line in the specially developed infrared crosslinking oven which is integrated into

the Krauss Maffei solution. This approach eliminates the need for additional downstream production steps, reduces manufacturing costs including lower raw material costs.

Crosslinked PE-Xa pipes have high flexibility, high resistance to

temperature extremes and cracking and are typically used in plumbing heating and cooling systems, hot water systems, drinking water, compressed air and fluids, radiators, gas lines and air conditioning networks.

Weld testing packages save time

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n-line weld testing and isolation packages from Hydratight are designed to reduce system downtime during maintenance and increase worksite safety by minimising pressure test volumes.

The full turnkey testing packages, available throughout Australasia and the Asia-Pacific, are designed to save time and reduces costs by limiting the test area to only to new welds or welded components tested during routine maintenance and maintenance shutdowns such as Christmas/New Year.

Localised pressure testing is a means of verifying the integrity of a welded or formed joint or flange installation/weld which has been made on a piping system.

Typically these are made as a repair or modification of part of a process piping system which is undertaken during plant shutdown activities, says global joint security specialist Hydratight.

Hydratight provides certified and experienced technicians to perform the job safely and provides operators a full turnkey testing package, delivering a first-class maintenance solution for facility assets. Qualified and professional technicians provide a safe, reliable and cost-effective means for the localised pressure testing of piping.

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Technicians insert the weld test tool (above) into the pipe or equipment component to provide a fast and efficient method of verifying the integrity of butt welds, joints or other welded pipe components.

Hydratight’s in-line weld test tools feature double block and bleed isolation.

Once set in position these tools provide a verified vapour barrier allowing hot work activities to take place safely on-site.

To test the weld, the same tool is repositioned over the weld area. The weld test is typically undertaken using water as the test medium, but can be undertaken using inert gas where necessary.

The test is normally a strength test of the joint at 1.5 times the design pressure, but can also be used as a leak testing means, typically undertaken at 1.1 times the design pressure.

As there are multiple variants in piping nominal size pipe wall thicknesses and flange configurations, Hydratight offers a broad range of test tools to accommodate all requirements. In addition to steel tools, Hydratight carries an extensive range of lightweight aluminium tools designed for light, fast and flexible use.

Gear tie a simple way to tie up gear

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tough, bendable twist tie that has hundreds of uses around the home, garden, car, boat, work or farm has just been introduced to the New Zealand market.

It’s called the Gear Tie and the name says it all.

Made of a sturdy, colorful rubber exterior with a strong bendable wire interior, the Gear Tie can be used to wrap, tie, secure and organise just about anything, from cables, tools, bundles of material and other items in a neat twist.

Or they can easily be bent into the shape of a stand to hold a tablet computer, cellphone or other device where it can be easily viewed.

Available in a range of colours, including green, orange and black, Gear Ties also come a a variety of sizes from 15cm (6 inches) to 61cm (24 inches).

They are great for tidying cords on power equipment in the garage and keeping them from getting tangled or to keep ropes in place on a boat. Loop them around tools and hang them off a hook in your garage or use them to hang lanterns from during summer garden parties or bar-b-cues. They are so easy and quick to use, I’m sure people will find endless ideas for them.

Gear Ties are waterproof and

safe for use in fresh or salt water without damage. They are also UV resistant and will not be damaged or destroyed by extended sun exposure, so Gear Ties can be used in all weathers outside, as well as indoors.

The tough rubber shell provides excellent grip and the strong wire inside holds its shape and can be bent, tied and untied countless times without losing its strength or breaking.

And with the outside casing being made from rubber, it won’t mark or scratch delicate items.

Gear Ties come in twin packs and are available through automotive and other retail outlets throughout New Zealand.

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

To succeed in business, to reach the top, an individual must know all it is possible to know about that business.

– J. Paul Getty

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WORKSHOP TOOLS

Product lifecycle management

ooking at the amount of machine tools that are metalcutting worldwide, future oriented service solutions are almost inevitably gaining importance. The provision of spare parts and assignment of service personnel alone doesn’t do the job anymore.

This is why modern manufacturers started to look at the whole lifecycle of a machine tool.

DMG / MORI SEIKI has set-out to provide 360 degrees solutions helping users to create the best possible environment for their machine tool to run precisely and productive throughout its entire lifetime.

Longer machine tool life

Service for commissioning machine tools as well as fast-on-site support in case of a specific damage through skilled personnel and the availability of spares are still the backbone of a long machine tool life. In those classic areas constant improvements have been made.

Now modern spare parts logistic networks spread globally serving users fast with the spares they need, service engineer localisation enables fast local language on-site service and remote diagnostics through hotlines or software solutions help to further minimize expensive downtime on the shopfloor.

However, around those more and more additional products have proven their stance. There is the operation of the machine, which achieves best results when operated by experienced welltrained staff. Training has thus become a cornerstone for successful manufacturing. Service training for the correct maintenance of machine tools is another important component.

Manufacturers have more and more realised that purchasing a highend machine is like owning a brand car: the better cared for, the smoother and longer it runs ensuring a high return on investment. Prevention is the keyword. Check-up systems in the control help to plan maintenance intervals and service work, maintenance kits facilitate the process.

The quality and efficiency of a machine tool does not depend on the year of its manufacture.

Software for remote troubleshooting or remote monitoring on smartphone or tablet devices prevents longer machine failure.

Productivity: Getting the best out of a machine tool’s life span

Periphery products are a crucial component of the product lifecycle increasing machine and tool life span, precision and thus productivity: the higher the productivity, the better the return over the whole lifecycle.

True lifecycle management starts even before the machine is purchased, when it comes to choosing the right machine configuration and continues with training operators to ensuring reliability in the production processes through round-the-clock local support or remote diagnostics.

Regularly planned inspections of safety functions, main spindle, hydraulics, cooling units, software status etc. helps minimising unexpected service assignments.

Looking at systems around the machine tool, customer specific solutions in automation such as robot and handling systems, engineering and tool pre-setting devices significantly increase a machine tool’s productivity and help to get the best out of the machine tool’s life span. The use of tool presetting equipment in manufacturing frees expensive machine tools from unproductive setup times and thus increases their availability ‘in a calculable manner’.

Users who configure their tools on the machine waste rationalisation effects that could be freed up easily and reasonably by using external devices.

A closer look at software solutions

Intelligent software solutions increase efficiency and ensure reliability in production. One focus is prevention of failure. Another angle is the optimisation of performance of the machine tool.

Software products involve the complete process chain from drawing, simulation and programming to the final machining of the work piece. They add to fast and efficient manufacturing avoiding unnecessary machine stop or failure through preventive simulation.

Remote diagnostic and support software kicks in when technical problems occur, as the operator can setup a secure internet connection right from the machine to the manufacturer’s service department by for example simply pressing a button on the machine tool. The best suited service employee to tackle the issue will be assigned to undertake an immediate and detailed problem analysis and also to rectify a multitude of machine problems directly – as if being right there on site.

Another approach is monitoring.

The capacity of metal-cutting machine tools continuously increases and production processes become more and more efficient.

Efficient handling, prompt provision of manufacturing resources and avoidance of downtimes is an ever increasing demand to reduce costs.

This particularly applies to production processes running over long periods. In this environment, the most up-to-date information about operating states of the machines plays a decisive role.

Software solutions allow users to check the current state of their machine at any time, independent of their location, and to respond to an error instantly if needed. Immediate text or email messages are one option; other more comprehensive functions collate information to be transferred.

Machine tools reborn with overhauling and reconditioning The provision of reasonably priced machines with comprehensive manufacturer’s guarantees or the repurchase of older machines within the scope of new investment have opened the doors to used machines trading, retrofitting and upgrading.

Machine tool users nowadays can retrofit their existing machine park and increase productivity to the latest standards without purchasing new models.

Overhauling of complete machines or components as well as giving them in part payment for a new machine (including dismantling and transport), is another way of providing solutions for productive operations using products which reach the end of their lifespan. At DMG / MORI SEIKI professional reconditioning includes thorough incoming inspection and complete cleaning of all components.

Defective parts and wear parts are replaced with original components. Once re-assembled, the machine goes through a longer time operating test and outgoing inspection. Reconditioned in such a way, the quality and efficiency of a machine tool does not depend on the year of its manufacture. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.

– Richard Branson

ArtCAM Pro includes distortion modelling for complex shapes

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elcam’s ArtCAM Pro CADCAM software for artistic applications has made it much easier to create complex designs, with a new approach called interactive distortion modelling.

This allows users to distort either vectors or reliefs within ArtCAM models by bending or stretching the design, and to see the results in real time.

Unlike most other CADCAM systems, ArtCAM Pro is aimed at skilled artisans rather than engineers and requires little knowledge of engineering or computing. It has been particularly successful in the signmaking, woodworking and engraving industries.

In these areas and in other artistic applications, ArtCAM Pro allows users to increase productivity, improve quality and deliver new designs more quickly, by combining their craft skills and creativity with the power and precision of computer-aided manufacturing.

The addition of interactive distortion modelling in the latest release makes ArtCAM’s unique free-relief modelling even more powerful.

Interactive distortion modelling makes it possible to create the most complex shapes quickly and easily, with the ability to see the effects of any changes as they are being made.

Once the design of the particular element has been finalised, it can be moved, rotated, rescaled and copied, either individually or as part of a group. Any part of the design can be isolated, edited and then recombined into a group for duplication or further editing within the group. At any stage in the process, either individual items or a group of items can be saved within ArtCAM Pro’s clipart library for use in future projects.

A second major focus in the new release is on vector creation and editing.

New snapping options make vector creation much quicker.

They include the ability to snap to anything in the design, including any point on a vector, intersections between vectors, guidelines and key points within a model, such as the origin, centre and corners.

The Vector Doctor has been enhanced so imported vectors can be cleaned up more quickly. Duplicate vectors and vectors longer, shorter,

larger or smaller than specified sizes can be identified immediately. In addition, “quick-select” functions help to spot unobvious open vectors that could cause machining issues.

Vectors can now be joined when they are mirrored using any of the many mirroring options in ArtCAM Pro. This allows faster creation of vertical and horizontal vector patterns. In addition, vectors can now be offset interactively by dragging the offset to the required position as well as by a specified amount.

Another new option in ArtCAM 2013 is the ability to specify colours for areas within different height bands, making it easier to sculpt reliefs to a required depth.

On the machining side, a new strategy gives the ability to add linear or curved fluting to designs.

The fluted-weave machining option also allows fluting toolpaths, including Celtic weaves, to be created from vectors.

ArtCAM Pro allows the most complex designs to be modelled and machined.

DAQ system supports up Ultimate protection for to 66 channels inspectors of high-energy T equipment he Fluke 2638A Hydra Series III is the latest addition to the Hydra line of Data Acquisition Systems / Digital Multimeters.

It features a full-colour display with an easy-to-use menu system, DC measurement accuracy of 0.0024 per cent, 6.5 digit DMM mode and CAT II safety ratings. This makes it a truly industrial grade, precision data acquisition (DAQ) system.

The 2638A incorporates the Fluke Universal Input Connector that supports 15 common thermocouple types and delivers thermocouple accuracy of 0.5 degrees Celsius.

The inexpensive, plug-in Universal Input Connector has 22 channels of differential analogue input (expandable to 66 channels) for wiring multi-channel systems. Once a system is wired, the connector can be disconnected and the 2638A moved and connected to another input connector, eliminating the need to disconnect and rewire test setups.

Selectable measurement input types include dc voltage, ac voltage, resistance, thermocouple, RTD, thermistor, frequency, and dc and ac current.

The Hydra Series III has 20 onwww.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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board math channels with alarm settings for even complex math calculations that record results to your data file during each scan.

It can chart real-time data of up to four channels at once with a history mode that allows scrolling through previously collected data within the scan file without a PC or expensive charting programs.

Optional application software is available for connecting several units together for larger system configuration of up to 2000 channels. The Hydra Series III has on-board memory for storing more than 57,000 data records and configuration files, as well as a USB port to collect and store large files directly to a USB drive. The USB and LAN interfaces allow easy connection to PCs and networks.

ore than 99 per cent of all arc flash incidents occur when a panel door is open, exposing workers to potentially lethal amounts of energy. The new ClirVu CV Series IR Windows eliminates the need to open the panel door to take infrared camera readings, and with an installation time of five minutes or less, there’s no excuse not to protect workers’ safety.

The ClirVu CV Series offers the ultimate protection for the electricians, engineers and inspectors who work around highenergy equipment. They are Torture Tested to the highest arc blast test ratings and, when properly installed, maintain a panel arc test rating of up to 63 kA. Once installed, there’s no need to power down or remove panels.

Inspections can be conducted quickly, easily, and safely often with little, if any, personal protective equipment.

Installation takes one technician five minutes or less. Simply lockout-

tag out, punch one hole with a standard conduit punch without removing the panel door, attach and secure the cover. The AutoGround feature instantly grounds the IR window to the metal enclosure, eliminating the need to separately ground each metal component of the window.

The hinged cover is easily opened with a quarter-turn latch or key to perform infrared inspections. It also protects the window from accidental exterior impact.

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

All glory comes from daring to begin.

– Eugene F. Ware

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Optimising bandwidth use

oday’s network managers are tasked with two conflicting business directives when it comes to network performance.

The first is to ensure the delivery of an optimal end-user experience on the network and the second is to reduce the operational costs of the network.

With the network under more and more stress as video, VoIP, virtualisation, VDI, wireless and more, all fight for bandwidth, understanding the right time and reasons to increase throughput is key.

Here are five areas to consider when tackling this challenge: • Understand bandwidth resources and performance trade-offs. Bad performance

does not necessarily mean that bandwidth is not sufficient.

Knowing how busy links are, and for how long, is key to gauging the correlation between bandwidth and performance. Under-utilised links can drain bandwidth resources by using up valuable budget that could be allocated to other over-utilised links.

Keep in mind that network bursting is normal, it just needs to be within proper thresholds.

• Use the right tools for the job.

Trying to detect over-utilisation of bandwidth can be difficult when the tools are not well suited to the job. Viewing a long-term trend of use flattens out peaks of high utilisation,

GeoOp

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eoOp lets field staff throw away inefficient manual pen and paper-based systems in favour of smart phones and devices with real-time information and time efficient features.

Any small business, from plumbers and electricians to IT technicians and health care workers, can use this mobile software to manage every part of their work– from creating to viewing a job, to assigning and scheduling it, creating quotes, accessing parts lists, carrying out the job and completing the invoicing and payments process.

GeoOp is typically targeting sole traders to small to medium sized businesses with up to 200 field staff.

It runs on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model at $20 per month per mobile user. GeoOp is available through the Apple App Store, Google Play and from the GeoOp website. Businesses sign up for a free 30 day trial and are operational with a few simple steps. The return on investment by using GeoOp is significant with no set-up or maintenance costs and automatic

free updates.Chief Executive Leanne Graham says that what makes GeoOP a standout, is that it works in the field through to the office, it’s easy to use and intuitive and is scalable. Mark Weldon, Chairman for GeoOp, emphasises GeoOp’s opportunity for rapid growth, in particular in international markets.

“The prevalence of smart phones and devices and fixed price data plans available to mobile workers means that, for the first time, there is an opportunity to bring simple, value-add software into the field for small and medium sized trades and services businesses. Before deep smartphone penetration, this was not possible.

“With 85 per cent of GeoOp’s users already offshore, GeoOp has a very significant international growth opportunity in that it has the right team and right product to execute.

Being listed is a key milestone and will allow further rapid integration with key channel partners in global markets, such as telcos and other cloud products that our customers also use.”

hiding true problems. Peak utilisation views show when links are the busiest, but do not indicate for how long. Traffic totals per-day, per-month, etc., can show general growth but ignore the differences between different times of day. The key questions to answer are, has the link been over-utilised, for how long, by what application and what end-user?

• Account for business hours.

While a network link might be busy during the night or weekend while backup and software updates are performed, it may be acceptable during the business day when staff is working. Don’t let evening and night data cloud your view of utilisation.

Having a combination of realtime and back-in-time views lets IT see what is happening more quickly, solve problems faster and move on to more strategic initiatives efficiently.

• Is bandwidth being used for business? There are two types of traffic, business and recreational. Obviously, business has priority, so it is important to know why a busy link is busy. Is it for use of a business application? Is it the breaking news story everyone is streaming to the desktop? Even if it is a business application causing congestion, does that application really

need to consume that much bandwidth?

Or, is the bandwidth being used by old rogue applications that IT needs to remove from the network?

Efficient application design and WAN optimisation are also examples of strategic decisions that should be considered alongside the tactical approach of bandwidth needs.

• Streamline the job. With networks growing quickly, the job of understanding what links are busy, when and why gets more complex and time consuming. The amount of time taken to perform proactive capacity planning is the main reason why the job does not get done. Don’t waste time looking at links that do not require attention. Focus on those critical few links that are busiest for the most amount of time. Use customised alerts that can show when bandwidth hits 80 per cent for a rolling three minutes, and be prepared to react.

Capacity planning and bandwidth optimisation can be time consuming without the right tools in place. To help network managers streamline the process and get complete visibility into utilisation, Fluke Networks offers Visual TruView, the industry’s first truly unified, single-box network and application performance monitoring and troubleshooting solution.

Organic manufacturer keeps cool

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wo environmentally focussed Kiwi businesses, EcoChill and Ceres Enterprises, have come together to create the first ‘green-rated’ cold storage facility in New Zealand.

Manufacturing novel refrigeration systems for supermarkets, coolstores and processing plants, EcoChill uses natural gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), propane and water as the coolants. With such a passion for keeping New Zealand cool and green, it has now helped Ceres Enterprises with their new ‘green home’.

“When first researching refrigeration solutions for our organic produce, we came across EcoChill and it felt such a natural fit,” says David King, Director at Ceres Enterprises. “Our brief to EcoChill was to create a cool room with a volume of over 2550m3, capable of operating down to 20C.” Matthew Darby, owner of EcoChill, says: “Traditionally, a system of this size requires a significant quantity (30+ kg) of

synthetic greenhouse gases, posing massive global warming potential, and significantly more electrical input (for defrosting).”

“What EcoChill created is a system that not only meets the operating requirements but uses 80% less refrigerants with no electrical defrost requirements whatsoever.

In addition, the refrigerant used is a natural substance, so no synthetic greenhouse gasses are used at all.”

“Replacing the synthetic gases with natural refrigerants such as propane and CO2, while using technology to manage the safety issue, can reduce the downside of refrigeration,” explains Darby.

“When you take some of that global warming potential away by using refrigerants inside and make it use less power to do that, you’ve got a two-fold benefit to the end user.”

Together, EcoChill and Ceres Organics have created an environmentally friendly, energy efficient refrigeration system that complements the Green Star philosophy. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

BUSINESS NEWS

Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating.

– Denis Waitley

Top engineering students gain lucrative scholarships

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wo outstanding final year engineering students from the University of Auckland have won prestigious scholarships to attend the University of Cambridge in England for further study.

Both Alex Kendall and Hannah Sheahan study mechatronics at the University’s Faculty of Engineering.

They won lucrative doctoral scholarships awarded annually to outstanding New Zealand students.

Hannah won the CambridgeRutherford Memorial Scholarship to study towards a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Hannah’s interest in mechatronics engineering is in rehabilitation robots and human robot interaction. Her final year project was to develop an upper limb rehabilitation robot for stroke patients.

Her scholarship is administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand on behalf of the Rutherford Foundation Trust and is intended to provide full support for a PhD at the University of Cambridge in pure or applied science.

Hannah’s doctoral research project is entitled: “The interaction of biomechanics and reaction times for bimanual activation using virtual reality systems” At Cambridge she will investigate the computational mechanisms that underlie how the brain controls the complex movements performed everyday with our hands and arms.

After her PhD she wants to apply her knowledge to the development of new rehabilitation strategies that will treat movement disorders and increase functional ability in people with disabilities.

Last month, Alex Kendall, was awarded a prestigious Woolf Fisher Scholarship for further study in mechatronics at the University of Cambridge. The $100,000 four-year scholarship will enable Alex to join the Control Engineering Research Group there, to study for a doctorate in control of autonomous aircraft.

Alex (from Christchurch), is finishing a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechatronics Engineering via the faculty’s accelerated pathway programme.

Last year he designed and built a quadcopter UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), and this year he completed his final year research project on ‘an on-board autonomous object tracking control system for a quadcopter’.

“I’d like to develop new modern state space control theory to control non-linear systems in uncertain and challenging environments,

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iwi businesses are predicting big things for the New Zealand economy next year going by their responses to an international survey of entrepreneurs.

The Global Entrepreneur Indicator published this month (Oct. 2013) for the six month period to 30 September forecasts increases in

For further information contact:

Managing Editor: Doug Green P: 06 870 9029 E: publisher@xtra.co.nz

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

to specialise in mechatronics because it requires mastery in mechanical, electrical and software engineering and satisfies my curiosity about the world’s technological systems.”

“Mechatronics systems are able to provide tangible benefits to society,” says Alex and this fits with his desire to use his technological knowledge to help society. “I hope one day to have the responsibility of technical leadership, to bring control technology, and in particular robotics, to innovate New Zealand’s economy.”

Entrepreneurs predict growth in 2014

FEBRUARY 2014 ISSUE FEATURES • ReManufacturing • Manufacturing Technology • Export Success • Additive Manufacturing

increasing their efficiency and safety in take-off and landing, and developing applications such as flying and navigating with an autonomous on-board camera vision system for aerial sports videography,” says Alex.

After gaining a University of Auckland Scholarship to pursue his passion for engineering in Auckland, Alex continued his interest in combining academic, sporting and cultural excellence.

“It’s my inquisitive nature that led to my studies in engineering at Auckland’” he says. “I chose

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profitability, full time employment growth and the opportunity to increase working capital.

The indicator is generated from a survey of every chapter of the world-wide Entrepreneurs’ Organisation (EO) and New Zealand businesspeople are among the most positive according to the results.

Tony Falkenstein, the communications chair of the NZ Entrepreneurs’ Organization says local entrepreneurs show a healthy positive attitude compared to other nations.

“The most dramatic difference between New Zealand and the rest of the world is our members’ outlook on the country’s economy,” Falkenstein says.

“Seven out of 10 New Zealand members feel our economic environment will improve during the next six months. Only 43 per cent of the rest of the world think the same.”

The survey shows virtually in every area New Zealand members have had a positive past six months

and believe the good times will continue.

“For example, 74 per cent of New Zealand members increased profitability during the survey period, and a similar percentage believe they will do the same during the next six months.”

The survey shows NZ EO members are finding access to capital easier and about a third will be increasing their debt during the next six months. More than 90 per cent of them are inclined to start a new business in the current year.

There’s good news also for New Zealand workers with three quarters of local entrepreneurs saying they plan on increasing full time employees versus 63 per cent globally.

“The Global Entrepreneur Indicator reflects the positive attitude of New Zealand entrepreneurs, and this is an excellent sign for New Zealand. History has shown it is entrepreneurs - more than any other business sector - who create growth in the economy.”

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

To succeed… You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.

– Tony Dorsett

23

DEVELOPMENTS

Kiwi company smashes global demolition competition

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leading Kiwi demolition company has bowled over international judges and decimated the opposition to win “Contractor of the Year” at the World Demolition Awards 2013.

Nikau Contractors, which has offices throughout New Zealand, was thrilled with the win - announced in Amsterdam this month - that pitted them against over 100 international challengers and some of the world’s most difficult demolition projects.

Nikau Director John Paul Stil said importantly the win signalled the first time a company outside Europe had scooped the top gong and Nikau was the first southern hemisphere winner of this category.

“We have almost more work than we can manage at the moment in New Zealand, but what this award will mean is that our international work will take-off as well,” he says.

“International clients look around the world for companies that can deal with the most technical demolition and salvage jobs and we have now proven we can foot it with the best global companies.”

Nikau Contractors has been hard at work across New Zealand as the country experiences something of a housing boom, and has been heavily involved with preparing Christchurch for its multi-million dollar rebuild.

The company, which has been in business 30 years and has completed 4,500 demolition jobs, won acclaim

‘Twinkle Toes’ has helped Nikau Contractors demolish the PricewaterhouseCoopers building, the Farmers carpark, the Holiday Inn, AMI building and Union House.

for its commitment to the rebuild of Christchurch. As part of NIKAU’s commitment to the rebuild of Christchurch, the Company made significant investments in plant and machinery. One such investment was the multi-million dollar investment in a 65-metre high reach excavator nicknamed ‘Twinkle Toes’.

Being the third biggest demolition excavator in the world, ‘Twinkle Toes’ is changing the

face of deconstruction in New Zealand; capable of systematically demolishing a 22-storey building.

NIKAU has employed the original operator, bringing him from England to train the NIKAU team.

“People probably imagine demo crews as people driving big cranes with wrecking balls attached,” says John Paul. “But actual wrecking balls are just a part of the picture we are more about remediating and

transforming environments with a range of tools, and when you throw in some of the challenges we are faced with, like hazardous materials and other dangers, the solutions have to be a lot more sophisticated and wide-ranging than that.”

Nikau Contractors, which employs 100, will turn over $20 million this year with a host of projects lined up in the North and South Islands.

Engineering innovator recognised

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lectrical Engineering Senior Lecturer Nihal Kularatna from the University of Waikato was named New Zealand Innovator of the Year at the New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards at a gala dinner at Te Papa in November.

The award recognises Mr Kularatna’s work in the field of electronic engineering during his career which spans 35 years.

When told he’d won the award, Mr Kularatna says he wondered if the judges had made a mistake.

“But I felt very happy,” he says. “I felt very mindful of the people who had helped shape my career over many, many decades.”

Mr Kularatna’s interest in electrical engineering began at an early age as he was growing up in Sri Lanka.

“I used to walk home from primary school across town with my friends. I started digging around in the garbage bins of radio repair shops picking up discarded

components, which I didn’t know were resistors and capacitors. I enjoyed playing with them, and by the age of 10 I was able to use step-down transformers instead of batteries to light up bulbs.”

Post-high school, Mr Kularatna pursued his interest in electrical engineering, graduating with a BSc (Engineering)(Hons) from the University of Peradeniya in 1976.

From 1976 to 1985 he worked in Sri Lanka as an electronics engineer responsible for navigational aids and communications projects in civil aviation and digital telephone exchange systems. He started sending off articles about his research work to various electronic engineering magazines in the UK and US, and was surprised at how many ended up in print.

Mr Kularatna joined the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies in 1985 as a research and development engineer. He was appointed as CEO in 2000.

Mr Kularatna moved to New

Zealand from Sri Lanka with his family in 2002 to take up a position at the University of Auckland, moving to the University of Waikato in 2006.

His research work at Waikato is in the major area of power electronics and the sub-areas of supercapacitor applications, power conditioning and surge protection.

Mr Kularatna says one of the highlights of his career was having his first book - Modern electronic test & measuring instruments published in 1996. He has authored seven books, with an eighth underway.

He has contributed over 100 papers to journals and international conference proceedings.

Initiated in 2005, the New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards are the premier awards for engineering professionals in New Zealand. Leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship and young engineers are also recognised along with the use of leading-edge technology.

Nihal Kularatna has been named New Zealand Innovator of the Year. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

ENERGY REPORT

It’s through curiosity and looking at opportunities in new ways that we’ve always mapped our path at Dell. There’s always an opportunity to make a difference.

– Michael Dell

Energy conversion principle to double engine efficiency

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rofessor Ken Naitoh of Waseda University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering (Department of Applied Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering) and his associates have discovered a revolutionary energy conversion principle (new compressive combustion principle) able to yield stand-alone engines with double or higher the thermal efficiency potential of conventional engines, independent of their size.

If engines utilizing this principle can be put to use in practical applications, it is believed that they could become innovations with the ability to solve today’s immediate environmental energy problems.

This new compressive combustion principle was formulated by Professor Naitoh through the development of a new thermofluid dynamics theory, as well as thought experiments, supercomputer simulations, and high-speed airflow experiments drawing on that theory.

The fundamental principle is that while thermal efficiency can be raised by reaching a high compression ratio, achieved through pulsed collisions of multiple highspeed jets of an air-fuel gas mixture at microscopic regions in the central area of a combustion chamber, expanded uses and ranges of application were attained with the further addition of 3 new measures.

This method is also considered to be lower in cost than batteries, as well as having possibilities for noise reduction and the potential to eliminate the need for cooling mechanisms.

If the effectiveness of this principle can be confirmed through combustion tests, it will not only open up the doors to new lightweight, high-performance aerospace vehicles, but would also lead to prospects of next-generation, high-performance engines for automobiles. The maximum thermal efficiency of present-day gasoline engines for automobiles is on the order of 30%, believed to fall to a level as low as 15% in states from idling to low-speed city driving.

Therefore, if automobiles could be equipped with “lowcost, ultimate-efficiency engines,” reaching a stand-alone thermal efficiency of 60% or higher over a wide range of driving conditions, it is believed that a substantial fuel consumption superior to that of current hybrid system automobiles could be a reality. Furthermore, if such automobiles, equipped with these high-efficiency engines, could be used to generate power at individual households, it would open up possibilities for improving the total energy efficiency of our entire society (The photographs above are of primary prototype engines produced to confirm the new principle, at the beginning of combustion testing).

These research results were announced in research papers at events including the spring congress of the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan (JSAE), held in May 2013, and the conference of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), held in San Diego in June 2013, as well as in journals and magazines on science and technology.

SUPPORT OUR MANUFACTURERS w w w. n z m a n u f a c t u re r. c o. n z www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

Stop global warming

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ccording to the latest figures from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment New Zealand ranks sixth worst for emissions increases since 1990 among countries who have signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

NZ’s biggest percentage increase in emissions came from electricity generation, which are up 88.3 per cent since 1990.

“The perception in New Zealand and internationally is that our electricity sector is very climate friendly,” said Eric Pyle, CEO of the New Zealand Wind Energy Association. “However, last year 28 per cent of our electricity generation came from non-renewable sources.

Compared to 1990 our coal-based emissions were up 463 per cent, while gas generation was up 21 per cent.”

It has been reported that a second Huntly Power Station coal-fired unit will be mothballed by the end of the year and that the Taranaki Combined Cycle (TCC) Plant will not run next winter.

“The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report has given us a clear message that we have to do more to stop global warming,” said Mr Pyle. “Even with the Huntly unit and TCC out of action, New Zealand’s electricity baseload still has gas-fired generation. We believe much of this could be retired or changed into peaker plant that supports wind.”

“There is 2,500 MW of wind generation consented and waiting to be built and our grid is lauded internationally for its ability to cope with variable renewable generation,” said Mr Pyle. “New Zealand needs to take steps to catch us up with countries like the USA and Germany, who are building renewable plant even in a flat demand market.”

Just as New Zealand is attracting investment in the oil and gas sector – even with difficult geology – we could be attracting more investment in renewables, if we had investment grade policy supporting the sector.

Currently New Zealand ranks in the top 15 countries for favourable oil and gas policies[ii] but has slipped out of the top 40 for renewables policies[iii].

“Some large multinational companies have committed to renewables in New Zealand and more will do so if the policy settings are seen as investment grade,” said Mr Pyle. “There is bipartisan support for the country reaching a target of 90% renewable generation by 2025, but we have no roadmap that will provide certainty for investors. Greater certainty reduces the cost of capital and will lead to cheaper electricity.”

“A stronger renewables base in New Zealand would also enable companies to participate more effectively in the global renewables market, which is worth hundreds of billions of dollars per year.”

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.

– Henry Ford

25

SUPPLY CHAIN

Crane maintenance of the future – a window on safety

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he world’s largest crane service organisation, Konecranes, says future crane maintenance technologies, focusing on realtime monitoring enable owners to be pro-active in ensuring costeffective practices, safety and traceability.

The Konecranes Group – which has more than 420,000 cranes of all makes under service contract worldwide – is currently introducing its most advanced family of remote service technologies, its TRUCONNECT Remote Services for enhanced safety, reliability and efficiency.

Konecranes this year achieved NATA accreditation for its programme of crane inspections, achieving compliance with NATA Accreditation Requirements which include AS/NZS ISO/IEC 17020 and field-specific criteria.

Konecranes third party inspections are also of a type required by the latest Australian Standards (including AS 1418.1 and AS 2550.1 (2011)). These outline the safe use of cranes and maintenance requirements as well as adding a new Section that specifies methods to monitor design duty and introduce the concept of design working period.

Never before have crane owners and CRP (crane responsible people) been able to take advantage of such a new array of brilliant technologies that enable them to look inside their cranes in real time and see problems, identify opportunities and correct deficiencies before they arise.

These new technologies give crane owners a huge advantage in being able to undertake smart planning through informed decisions that prevent downtime and optimise lifespans, while elevating cranes to a higher level of safety and productivity.

The knowledge gained by Konecranes in monitoring tens of thousands of cranes in real time globally is built into its periodic and ongoing inspection services and its Crane Reliability Survey (CRS), which employ RailQ and RopeQ technologies along with a variety of distinct remote services, ranging from periodic data reporting to periodic diagnostics, technical support and production monitoring.

RailQ and RopeQ focus on crane componentry vital to reliability and safety, including laser alignment verification of the rails or runways, on which overhead cranes must run smoothly and safely, and real time monitoring of the wire ropes vital to the safety and reliability of all lifting equipment.

The TRUCONNECT Remote

TRUCONNECT Remote Services Technology

Monitoring and Reporting service provides users with a clear view of their crane’s usage through continuous data collection. For the customer, this means improved safety and higher efficiency because crane maintenance can be planned according to the crane’s actual usage.

Usage data is collected from the crane through a remote connection and compiled into web views and customer reports that are available through a secure online customer portal.

The portal offers easy access to the historical data of the crane involved, with important crane-specific key figures collected in real time.

TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring and Reporting offers three distinct benefits for users: - 1 Overloads, emergency stops and other safety issues are captured and clearly brought to the user’s attention for possible corrective actions, such as operator training to improve the safety and productivity of the worksite.

so they can plan and budget crane maintenance actions with greater confidence.

As an additional value-added service, safety alerts, such as hoist overloads and other safety-related information, can be delivered to the customer by email or text message shortly after each occurrence.

CAPABILITIES

Using TRUCONNECT technology, cranes can monitor their own performance, usage and condition, with sensor arrays providing feedback on key safety and operational aspects including: Load spectrum, DWP, Starts, Emergency Stops, Hoist motor over temperatures, Overloads and Brake wear as well as Fault history.

Maintenance activities are planned by actual cranes usage and condition, not by calendar, saving money by ensuring that the right

amount of maintenance is done at the right time. Remote data monitoring for cranes provides information that tells users in advance when maintenance is needed and parts need to be changed. Repairs can be performed during inspection visits, which may save unexpected service calls and production interruptions.

TRUCONNECT allows users to see how their hoist is actually used.

They can accurately establish the remaining design lifetime of the hoist and its components and can also evaluate how differences in production have changed the design lifetime of the hoist.

This enables users to plan and budget their hoist modernisation and maintenance needs in advance.

Design working period trends are presented in a manner that enables users to evaluate the impact of process throughput on the hoist lifecycle.

- 2 It helps to optimise the right maintenance at the right time, based on real crane usage.

- 3 The user is able to see how the crane is actually used and what is the estimated remaining service life of certain components www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

EXPORT ANALYSIS

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The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency.

– Bill Gates

Taiwan - a golden opportunity

NZTEC the economic cooperation agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei) - came into force on 1 December 2013.

Taiwan is already New Zealand’s 8th largest export market, and with the tariff advantage ANZTEC delivers, it promises to become even more important, giving New Zealand companies a significant advantage over other international exporters to Taiwan.

Chinese Taipei is the name used

by Taiwan in the World Trade Organisation. While New Zealand does not have government-togovernment relations with Taiwan, New Zealand and Chinese Taipei (as a Separate Customs Territory) are both WTO members, so we had a platform from which to negotiate and sign a trade agreement.

It is high quality and Taiwan’s first with a developed country, and it has received a lot of media attention in the market. It also makes New Zealand the first country to sign agreements with China, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei. This is a remarkable achievement.

Closer consideration of the market and its position in the region suggests that there may be even more strategic potential to this relationship, not least as a launchpad to success in China.

Market profile

Taiwan is a significant market of 23 million people, but, like Japan, Taiwan has historically protected its domestic market, particularly in agriculture and horticulture.

Before ANZTEC, only 25% of New Zealand’s trade entered Taiwan duty-free. Assuming the same composition of trade, within three years and one month, 99% of these tariffs will be phased out.

Although it is an affluent market, it is not a luxury market. New Zealand doesn’t sell expensive lobster or wine to Taiwan; instead it is a large market for our mid-market products such as beef, kiwifruit, cherries and dairy products. Not surprisingly, food dominates New Zealand’s exports to Taiwan. Taiwan imports up to 70% of its food and New Zealand is one of its top six suppliers.

With a unique history of migration from all over China and close people-to-people links with the US and Japan, Taiwan is positioned at a cultural crossroads. Its history has helped Taiwan emerge as a regional trendsetter, especially in China.

Chinese tourists have only been allowed to visit Taiwan since 2010, www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

which has added to its mystique.

There were no direct flights between Taiwan and Mainland China in 2009, now there are over 600 per week, and Taiwan has become a popular tourist destination with significant influence over China’s movie, fashion, and music industries.

Taiwan has long been an active investor in China. Initially these investments helped establish China as a manufacturing powerhouse, but as China has evolved, so has the type of Taiwanese investment. Taiwanese companies are now investing in new brands and distribution channels, and it’s estimated that there are up to one million Taiwanese passport holders living and working in China, and another two million that visit for business reasons at least once per quarter.

The food connection

Many of our exports are ingredients used in Taiwanese cuisine, popular in China. From pineapple cakes to beef noodles to bubble tea, Taiwanese food products and restaurant chains are spreading across the Mainland. And many of the Taiwanese food companies fuelling that expansion may see ANZTEC as a reason to source more New Zealand ingredients. This represents an interesting longerterm opportunity for New Zealand if we can position ourselves to grow with them as they expand beyond Taiwan. For example we can supply butter customised for pineapple cakes!

Taiwan is, however, a very competitive and price sensitive market. In US dollar terms, Taiwan’s GDP per capita is less than New Zealand’s, but on a purchasing power parity basis it is roughly on par. This means Taiwanese consumers are used to getting value for money, and as a consequence buyers are tough negotiators.

This reflects a competitive market and for those who aren’t deterred and think they can command a premium, then Taiwan can be a good market to refine product pricing, positioning and brand stories, and to learn from.

ICT prowess

However, there is more to the Taiwan story than just food. Taiwan’s trade profile is heavily weighted towards the high tech sector and tech companies dominate its stock exchange. From semiconductors to branded consumer electronics, its companies are key players across the ICT hardware value chain. More recently, Taiwan has emerged as a serious player in medical devices, biotechnology, and

It is a large market for our mid-market products creative media. Taiwan is important from both a technology market and design perspective, and also because of the quality of engineering talent available.

New Zealand tech companies with a presence include Rakon, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Next Window and Dynamic Controls.

Recognising Taiwan’s partnering potential for New Zealand technology companies, the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) has jointly launched a US$160m venture capital fund with Taiwan’s National Development Fund. This is the first partnership of its type for NZVIF and over time it should help make more growth capital available to New Zealand start-ups. It should also become a foundation stone to help pave a more robust growth path for New Zealand technology companies into and through Taiwan.

– Liam Corkery,

Director of the New Zealand Trade Development Centre in Taipei.

Cost advantage

Taiwan has a discerning upper middle class market with a population greater than Australia’s.

It’s a sophisticated high tech market with solid IP protections and it can be an excellent place to find regional partners. It has also become a viable location for a regional office as there is talent, convenience, and, in some cases, cost advantage. Taiwan is a small island, while China is vast.

If you are targeting the China market, then you ideally need to be honing your focus down to the provincial or even city level. When you’re focused at this level, then Taiwan starts to stack up quite well.

Margin is a good reason to talk to Taiwan, but because New Zealand was the first developed country to sign a trade agreement with Taiwan; you may find Taiwanese customers and potential partners see you as a friend.

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well.

– Alan Greenspan

T

27

DEVELOPMENTS

Power women halve home energy use

en Sydney women have joined forces to make savings on their energy bills that would be enough to power four average family homes for a week.

Many of the women exceeded their 20 per cent target and reduced their energy usage by more than half, providing them with significant financial savings in the lead up to Christmas.

The three-month Women Power pilot was made possible by a City of Sydney environmental grant to 1 Million Women, an organisation of women taking action on climate change by changing the way they live.

Katie McSweeney, who lives in the inner west, said her journey as a power woman was educational and enlightening and she is reaping the rewards of reduced power bills.

“I really started paying attention to my power usage patterns, which allowed me to identify simple ways to cut my energy consumption,” Ms McSweeney said.

“My technology-loving partner has dozens of chargers and appliances around the house. By switching them off when not in use, I was really able to cut energy consumption.”

Ms McSweeney cut her energy consumption by 41 per cent, doubling the target set for her by 1 Million Women and said she was surprised at the significant difference achieved through simple measures.

“Most of my energy consumption came from my hot water heating and

Katie McSweeney.

charging of electronic appliances such as tablets, laptops and phones.

“I was able to cut down my energy consumption dramatically by turning them off as well as turning off unnecessary lights and taking short showers. My power bills are now down to about $12 a week from $21 which is a fantastic result.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the pilot was a great example of women harnessing their economic power to make smart choices and save energy and power bills.

“Everyone can play a part in

saving energy and taking small steps to introduce energy and water saving measures at home can make a real difference to our environment.”

1MW Founder Natalie Isaacs said the pilot was a fun and rewarding way to show householders across Australia that it’s easy to significantly reduce energy usage.

“Our Women Power pilot shows that big, bold energy saving targets and behaviour change are attainable,” Ms Isaacs said.

“We challenged our ten participants to save 20 per cent of their home electricity use, and they

responded by absolutely smashing the target with an average saving level of nearly half their electricity use.”

“If a million women in a million households all cut 20 per cent of their home electricity consumption, we could collectively save at least $240 million a year and remove the need for two small coal-fired power stations.”

The collective rate of savings by the 10 participants during the measurement phase of the pilot was enough to provide electricity for a further four family homes.

Manufacturer honoured for 25 years of steely business

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ohn Cook, the founder and managing director of Hamilton manufacturing company Stainless Design, will receive an honorary fellowship from Wintec (the Waikato Institute of Technology) for 25 years of business excellence in the Waikato.

Cook’s long history of building his stainless steel and aluminium fabrication company into an exemplar of best practice, lean manufacturing and continual improvement will see him awarded Wintec’s highest honour next year.

On accepting the news of his Wintec fellowship, Cook says: “It is a great honour to receive this award and to become part of Wintec’s esteemed group of honorary recipients.”

“It was an easy decision to accept this award based on the respect I

have for Wintec and the pride I have in what they are doing for our young people in the Waikato and beyond.

I have worked with Wintec on a personal and professional basis over a number of years, and intend to continue this in future.

“I’m proud of what we’ve achieved at Stainless Design, and I feel especially privileged that this recognition comes as we celebrate our 25th year of business.”

Wintec Chair of Council, Mary Cave-Palmer says: “John has poured his heart and soul into his company which delivers at an exceptional standard.”

“Thanks to John’s passion and drive for his people and products, Stainless Design conveys excellence in all facets of its business. In particular, his dedication to lean manufacturing is commendable

and well-recognised nationally and internationally.”

The honorary fellowship will be conferred during Wintec’s School of Engineering, Science and Primary Industries graduation ceremony in March next year.

Wintec awards fellowships and degrees to people who have made a significant contribution to Wintec, the region or the nation through innovation in industry or business, scholarship and research or enhancing New Zealand society.

Honorary fellows and degrees are approved by the Wintec Council following recommendations made by the Honorary Degree Nominations Committee which annually reviews honorary nominations from Wintec staff and council members.

John Cook. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING

The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.

– Peter F. Drucker

3D Printing, Robotics and the Future

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magine a manufacturing floor making sophisticated products through the use of 3D printers being overseen and fed by robots. That’s a frightening scenario for the worker employed in manufacturing. In the face of this unfolding, never-before-witnessed scenario, the manufacturer must constantly be on the leading edge of technology and the worker must constantly update his or her skills.

The potential of 3D printing and robotics is nothing if not inspiring, but it’s difficult even to imagine the extent of the inroads they will make in our manufacturing base or the myriad products they’ll eventually produce.

People currently employed in the manufacturing segment could very well be displaced because of the growing ubiquity of 3D printing and robotics.

I wonder how many of us know that 3D printers are currently able to make things like dental braces? Braces have traditionally been manufactured by dental labs that make them fitted for each individual. This has typically been a slow process because of the exact tolerances required of such a product.

Imagine, however, a dentist being able to take an impression of a patient’s teeth and transfer that impression electronically to a lab, which can easily create the required braces via a 3D printer. What does this do to the traditional lab? How can it possibly compete with such a seamless and easy process?

We now have robots that are so sophisticated that they can be programmed on the manufacturing floor.

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

There’s also been quite a bit in the news about 3D printable handguns.

And people responsible for posting online blueprints of a handgun had to remove them from the Internet.

From braces to handguns to hammers and screwdrivers, the sheer variety of products that can be created is mind-boggling. There is no doubt that this variety will continually expand into a broader and broader spectrum.

Saving Time and Money

There are a plethora of uses for this type of technology, each driven by cost and time incentives. For example, automakers should very well be able to quickly manufacture, via the 3D process, replacement tools and parts when they break down.

This would eliminate the waiting time required for the auto manufacturer to order such parts and tools. Both time and expense would be saved.

What about the military?

Wouldn’t it be ideal for the military not to have to place equipment out of service and just manufacture the needed part itself?

Then there’s the handyman who wants to make his own tools without having to go out to a hardware store.

A 3D printer is now no longer out of reach price-wise for the everyday person. The cost of such printers is continually coming down.

What’s a Manufacturer to Do?

The challenges for today’s manufacturer are to stay on the leading edge of technology and ensure that its prices are competitive, its product line is of high quality and its delivery service is rapid.

Fortunately, there is always patent protection that can ensure, to some extent, that others aren’t “knocking off” cheap copies of what a manufacturer has worked so hard to produce. Although patent protection is never 100 percent assured, it certainly goes a long way toward insulating a manufacturer

from unfair competition.

The drug manufacturer comes to mind in this regard. It might have spent millions to create and manufacture a life-saving drug.

This up-front investment is usually protected, to some extent, by the drug manufacturer’s patents.

The manufacture of a drug is somewhat similar to the manufacture of other sophisticated products.

Once the formula, or specifications, are revealed, the floodgates of competition are opened, save for the protections that a company’s patents may achieve.

Economies of scale can also help a manufacturer and offer some insulation against the competition.

In such cases, the product becomes cheaper as production increases, making it difficult for a competitor to survive operating on a smaller scale.

Robotics’ Key Role

We now have robots that are so sophisticated that they can be programmed on the manufacturing floor. This means that goods that ordinarily would be manufactured by cheap foreign labour are now capable of being manufactured at a competitive price in the home country.

Add to that the proximity of the manufacturer to its customers and it becomes more and more attractive to start bringing some of that manufacturing back to our shores.

That’s the good news resulting from robotics. However, if you start thinking of a manufacturing floor where much of the manufacturing is done by robots that are assigned to 3D printers in order to supervise the manufacture of products that are capable of being produced by such

NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

The only way around is through.

– Robert Frost

THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING

e of Manufacturing

From page 1

Telarc improves market share

NZM: How do you see the current business climate in NZ?

THE BUSINESS climate in New Zealand is buoyant with many of our clients busy and focusing on growth. Many companies have full order books but lack a decent return.

Another significant risk facing New Zealand businesses is health and safety.

Changes in legislation now represent a key risk for many organisations. Telarc has solutions to reduce this risk through its health and safety audit programmes.

NZM: Are you picking up the markets positive outlook for 2014?

YES – FEEDBACK from our clients indicates a positive outlook for 2014. The challenge for most is improving productivity and bottom line results.

NZM: How do you relax?

I ENJOY playing music - Guitar (played in rock bands off and on all my life), riding motorcycles (not a born again biker I have own bikes since I was a teenager!) and working on my lifestyle block growing olives.

NZM: Favourite book?

printers, we have an entirely whole new set of dynamics going on.

A Frightening Scenario

Just imagine a manufacturing floor making sophisticated products through the use of 3D printers being overseen and fed by robots! This creates a frightening scenario for the worker employed in manufacturing.

29

In the face of this unfolding, never-before-witnessed scenario, the manufacturer must constantly be on the leading edge of technology and the worker must constantly update his or her skills to keep up with the seemingly endless changes.

3D printing and robotics will be of long-term benefit to society. If I were at university or an EIT today technology and science would be among my top career choices.

ENJOY read Sci-Fi – Currently reading “On the Steel Breeze” by Alastair Reynolds

NZM: Quote that inspires you the most?

SO MANY quotes that are great

but like Walt Disney’s “If you can dream it you can do it”

NZM: Professional challenges that keep you awake at night?

PROFESSIONAL challenges that keep me awake at night are an aging workforce. We are lucky to have a very professional and experienced team; however, the challenge will be to introduce new younger staff into the certification industry to ensure its ongoing sustainability in the future.

It is essential that we establish a career path for young people within the certification industry in New Zealand.

NZM: Do NZ businesses understand what Telarc is trying to achieve?

BUSINESSES in New Zealand that use our services understand its purpose. However; there is much work needed to promote the value of third party audit services to businesses in New Zealand.

Many of our customers require our services through regulatory or customer requirements, the challenge will be to ensure New Zealand businesses understand that our certification processes are largely based on business improvement.

This can represent improvements in processes and bottom line results for an organisation. It would be great for New Zealand businesses to understand that certification to standards is an improvement tool not a regulatory requirement.

E-mail: acsdesign@maxnet.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

MARKETS

In business, I’ve discovered that my purpose is to do my best to my utmost ability every day. That’s my standard. I learned early in my life that I had high standards.

– Donald Trump

Experienced advisors help companies accelerate growth

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ew Zealand companies looking to expand into the Australia market will have access to high-level decision makers, key influencers, and business leaders as part of an expansion to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE)’s Beachheads Advisor network.

Michelle Templer, NZTE Australia and Pacific Director, says Australia is a critical market for New Zealand when it comes to achieving our economic growth targets, including lifting exports and building more internationalised firms.

“New Zealand’s export profile to Australia is significantly more diverse and higher value than any other trading partner. Australia is our biggest trading partner, accounting for a fifth of our exports

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and 16 percent of imports.”

Templer adds that while Australia is a natural extension to the domestic market for many New Zealand companies, it is important to recognise significant key differences that are critical to ensuring success.

“Size, labour market conditions, the regulatory environment and business culture are different and companies can make the mistake of underestimating the complexity and competitiveness of the market.”

Beachheads Australia will connect New Zealand companies with successful senior business executives who will offer valuable insights and knowledge.

“These executives understand the realities of doing business internationally and are committed to

sharing their knowledge, experience and networks for the growth of New Zealand. This will enable New Zealand companies to fully exploit market opportunities of scale and realise market expansion through identifying new channels, new niches, new partners and new equity.” says Templer.

NZTE’s Beachheads was launched in 2002 to accelerate companies’ growth in international markets. It is delivered by NZTE in partnership with private sector individuals and aimed at highgrowth New Zealand businesses looking to grow internationally.

The Australia Beachheads Advisory Board is the 10th to be established by NZTE and will be chaired by Penny Flynn, an Executive Director of Client

Relations at BDO Australia, one of Australia’s largest associations of independently owned accounting practices.

“My vision is to see New Zealand companies expand in the market armed with full knowledge of the Australian landscape and how to do business successfully, both in terms of corporation law and governance, and finding their point of difference,” says Flynn.

Fellow board members include David Clarke, the former Chief Executive Officer of Investec Bank (Australia) Limited, Alan Munro, former Managing Director of Lenovo Australia New Zealand, Bev Booker, Group Company Secretary for Australand, and Ian Foote, Investor and Executive Chairman of Stridesports.

strategic approach.

And the savings tell the story.

Since putting in place its group-wide energy management plan, ANZCO has already clocked up 8.4GWh in energy savings.

ANZCO Managing Director, Mark Clarkson says the energy management programme has changed the way employees think about how energy is used.

“We now have a strong culture of good energy management where energy is seen as an opportunity to look for efficiencies and make savings, rather than simply as a fixed cost.

“This has led to a further 6GWh of energy savings being identified over and above those already identified as part of the programme – for me

that’s exciting.

Part of these savings will come from a new heat recovery ring main, which uses heat generated by the rendering plant to use in other parts of the site.

It is expected to generate annual energy savings of about 5GWh at ANZCO’s Canterbury processing facility.

Mark Clarkson says senior management buy-in has been key to their success.

“From day one we’ve had the full support of our Board and senior management team. This has really helped to make the way we use energy a top priority across the company.”

ANZCO started out with a groupwide energy management plan that

included all its plants.

They then set up energy management processes, which included energy audits at each site, and incorporated energy management fundamentals into business plans across the group.

“Now that good energy management is a part of day-to-day business at ANZCO, we can maintain our energy performance even if we have changes in key personnel.”

After getting their plans in place, ANZCO went about getting baseline energy readings, to establish a benchmark for individual site energy use across the group.

Then, with strong Board support, they identified and implemented energy efficiency opportunities.

Group-wide energy management pays for ANZCO

ne of New Zealand’s biggest meat exporters is making significant, on-going cost savings through a group-wide energy management plan put in place only a year ago.

ANZCO Foods’ nine plants are involved in everything from gourmet food manufacturing in Taranaki to traditional meat processing in Canterbury.

For business groups like ANZCO, improving energy use can be difficult, especially if different technologies, equipment and business processes are used across sites.

With some help from EECA BUSINESS and energy management experts Deta Consulting, ANZCO is meeting these challenges by taking a

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

No enterprise can exist for itself alone. It ministers to some great need, it performs some great service, not for itself, but for others.. or failing therein, it ceases to be profitable and ceases to exist.

– Calvin Coolidge

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REAR VIEW

Sticking to the Knitting!

e need to join the dots and properly recognise opportunities and support them... sticking to the knitting implies that you keep doing what you are used to doing and if that is working for you and giving you success then that is an OK strategy, especially because doing what you are used to usually means not taking any risks and not requiring any extra effort.

But what it isn’t is a recipe for getting anything other than what you already have and to expect otherwise is at best delusional, or as Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Do we need different results?

Do we want higher paid jobs for our people? Do we want a higher standard of living? Do we want a better environment? And if we do, whose job is it to deliver those things?

If we look at successful small economies about the same size as ours there is no question that government has the key role in delivering those results and given the lack of large companies in New Zealand to share the load of driving development, the responsibility rests even more on the shoulders of

government.

We might ask why Iceland is so recognised for their geothermal capability when they are a small country even when compared with New Zealand? Or how did Denmark become well-known for wind energy development? Or the UK for wave and tidal energy?

The thing all these countries have in common is government as an early sponsor and facilitator, and a joinedup approach across government that also includes involving large corporates as early or lead users in the development and deployment of technologies.

So why isn’t every country doing the same? The answer increasingly is they are. The process is simple; it doesn’t mean spending lots of

It doesn’t mean spending lots of new money, just making sure you apply what you have to where the emerging opportunities are.

new money, just making sure you apply what you have to where the emerging opportunities are, then making sure that all the supports needed are in place and aligned to create an ecosystem for the innovation and development.

As a small economy, we can stick to the knitting which might be

NZ MANUFACTURER • Editorial Calendar 2014

By Nick Inskip,

HERA comfortable but if that isn’t giving us want we want, we need to do things differently. Identifying and backing opportunity areas works for others, so why not for us. All we need is a little leadership and some joined-up thinking.

Doug Green, Publisher: words@xtra.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer December 2013/January 2014

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