February 2015
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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
FUTURE OF 18 THE MANUFACTURING
SouthMACH 2015 an event to look forward to.
What does 2015 hold for NZ ICT exporters?
Baskiville unveils nonflammable medical-grade materials for silicones (Methven, NZ) Baskiville.com Ltd. has unveiled two new products that have the potential to substantially improve the safety, environmental protection and clinical performance of medical devices and related products made in New Zealand. Baskvilles have been appointed by MicroCare Corp., a U.S.A.-based supplier of advanced precision cleaners, coatings and lubricants, to serve as the authorized source for both a new Universal Carrier Fluid and a unique SwellEx(r) silicone assembly fluid from MicroCare. With these two new products companies in New Zealand will have important new manufacturing choices that will result in more competitively-priced products that out-perform the competition. The first innovation, the MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid, is engineered as a drop-in replacement for flammable, smelly and toxic carrier fluids. The product is a custom-formulated, nonflammable carrier fluid optimized to dilute and apply medical grade silicone liquids to medical devices. This new formula provides a safe, reliable and nonflammable alternative to older, flammable carriers such as hexane or toluene carrier fluids. The SwellEx assembly fluid is a smart, efficient answer to a different but
troublesome problem. Many medical devices require leak-free seals on connections between devices and tubing. Because the fit needs to be tight, assembling those devices can be extraordinarily labor-intensive. The SwellEx fluid accomplishes what the name implies: it swells the plastic tubing, allowing for fast and simple assembly. Then the fluid evaporates and the plastic tubing shrinks back to the original size and strength, forming perfect seals. “Silicone has a long history as one of the most trusted biomaterials in the healthcare industry,” notes Ian Fowler, Managing Director of Baskiville. com Ltd. “Now these two new fluids make using silicone parts or silicone lubricants far easier, safer, faster and ultimately less expensive. It’s a win-win for New Zealand industry.” About the Universal Carrier Fluid Silicone-fluid lubricants are commonly used to coat the disposable needles that are used for delivering or withdrawing fluids, and for suturing after surgery. The lubricious coating allows the needle to penetrate skin more easily, making the treatment less painful for the patient. However, silicone lubricants usually are very continued on page 8
31 REAR VIEW
Markets are born at the Intersection.
Creating high – resolution 3D videos Three-dimensional (3D) movies, which require viewers to wear stereoscopic (i.e. Related to the technique of creating an impression of depth by showing two slightly offset flat images to each eye) glasses, have become very popular in recent years. However, the 3D effect produced by the glasses cannot provide perfect depth cues. Furthermore, it is not possible to move one’s head and observe that objects appear different from different angles — a real-life effect known as motion parallax. Now researchers have developed a new way of generating high-resolution, full-colour, 3D videos that uses holographic technology. Holograms are considered to be truly 3D, because they allow the viewer to see different perspectives of a reconstructed 3D object from different angles and locations (see image). Like a photograph, a hologram contains information about the size, shape and colour of an object. Where holograms differ from photographs is that they are created using lasers, which can produce the complex light interference patterns, including spatial data, required to re-create a complete 3D object. However, generating high-resolution, moving holograms to replace current 3D imaging technology has proved
A new way of streaming high-resolution, full-colour full-parallax three-dimensional (3D) hologram videos.
difficult. To enhance the resolution of their holographic videos, Xuewu Xu and colleagues used an array of spatial light modulators (SLMs). “SLMs are devices used in current two-dimensional projectors to alter light waves and generate projections,” explains Xu. “In a 3D holographic display, SLMs are used to display hologram pixels and create 3D objects by light diffraction. Each SLM in our system can display up to 1.89 billion hologram pixels every second, but this resolution is not high enough for a seamless large video display.” To address this challenge, Xu and his team divided every frame of their hologram video into 288 sub-holograms. They then streamed the sub-holograms through 24 high-speed SLMs stacked together in an array. This technique was continued on page 8
NZ Food Manufacturer N e w s – De v e l o p m e n t s – Op p o r t u n i t i es
the m o r F
e To t h
NZ Food Manufacturer brings you all the latest news and developments in food manufacturing For further information and to advertise visit
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
3
CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 5 BUSINESS NEWS
ADVISORS
5
Larry Wiechern
Cool comfort technology with desert hot application.
Is the Manager of the Maintenance and Reliability Centre, Manukau Institute of Technology.
6-9 MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
Okuma machining centre means jobs done faster. FeatureCAM includes Vortex milling calculator. SouthMACH 2015 an event to look forward to.
10 ANALYSIS
Managing communication through product recalls.
6
Craig Carlyle
Is Director of Maintenance Transformations Ltd, an executive member of the Maintenance Engineering Societyand the Event Director of the NationalMaintenance Engineering Conference.
11-12 DEVELOPMENTS
Developer co-funds ‘essential” roading. State of the Nation and Housing. Labour’s new tilt for growth.
13 ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
11
Catherine Beard
Is Executive Director of Export NZ and Manufacturing, divisions of Business NZ, NewZealand’s largest business advocacy group, representing businesses of all sizes.
Manufacture Success through Environmental Management. Making waves with lasers.
14-15 NZ MANUFACTURER IN 2015 18 THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING Unmanned aerial vehicles at Wings over Wairarapa. What does 2015 hold for BZ ICT exporters?
Brian Willoughby
Is Senior Vice President of the NZ Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Managing Director of Contex Engineers and Plinius Audio.
18
19 ANALYSIS
Lewis Woodward
Maintenance for mine profitability.
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.
20-22 WORKSHOP TOOLS
tna to showcase at AUSPACK 2015. Ideal plate and section bending. Austech 2015 – leading machine tool builders under one roof.
19
24 FOOD MANUFACTURING
Proven waste water technologies double environmental benefits.
Dr Wolfgang Scholz
Is HERA Director and a Fellow of the Institute of Professional Engineers NZ.
24
29 BUSINESS NEWS
Calibre Consulting increases capacity an innovation.
30
DEVELOPMENTS Robots learning to cook by watching YouTube videos.
31 REAR VIEW
Markets are Born at the Intersection.
30
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 February 2015
EDITORIAL
Don’t You Wish You Were an All Black?
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There’s the Cricket World Cup, Tony Abbott, Andrew Little, John Key…and manufacturing. Across ‘The Ditch’ he’s doing it tough and a lot of it Is because Abbott is not explaining to the Australian people how he is going to bring about economic growth and renewed prosperity. He is carrying a lot of the conversation around in his head and not even sharing the revelations with his colleagues in the Liberal Party… especially the backbenchers. Over here – where we are about second favourite for the Cricket World Cup – Andrew Little has spoken on economic growth and John Key is sitting around smirking at him. Neither releasing their vision on where the jobs are going to come from. They may not know? So back to The Cricket World Cup. We have in Australia and New Zealand two very good teams – one of whom may ‘just pull it off’. They are led by highly competent captains. In Australia, the captain of the Australian cricket team is the second most powerful person in the country after the prime minister. Although after the latest shenanigans the batting order may just well have changed!
Cricket in New Zealand and Australia is currently a business success story. Businesses doing well with the right staff in place. Business needs to provide incentives for people to want to work. This includes a decent pay packet for the effort put in. Business also needs to grow so that positions are available.
Business needs to provide incentives for people to want to work. Our nation’s vision cannot be left to politicians. Planning ahead for future generations can’t be left to Wellington. Our politicians’ vision really boils down to ensuring the incentives are in place for business success. Think tax incentives, business allowances, streamlined export regulations and reduced costs on components. All to lead to enhanced working conditions and an environment where we get as much of a cheer for our productivity as Brendon McCullum does for hitting a boundary.
In these two teams we have a good example of the private sector doing well. The players are focussed and driven by success.
Doug Green ASIA
MANUFACTURING NEWS
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important. -Bertrand Russell.
5
BUSINESS NEWS
Cool comfort technology with desert hot application Technology devised in Christchurch to help improve comfort in outdoor urban settings, is now being used in the Middle East for the exact opposite reason from that originally intended - to keep people cool in the scorching desert environment, rather than warm in New Zealand’s more temperate climate.
and mitigate against cold areas, was now being used on the other side of the world for the opposite reason. “Spurred by the opportunities with the redevelopment of Christchurch following the earthquakes, we created an urban comfort model that could help in the design of a building or
larger precincts and its surrounding areas to indicate the level of comfort people would experience when visiting that area. “It gave us the ability to quantify changes in comfort levels should mitigation techniques such as changing the angle of the building or if different
types of landscape architecture is undertaken. “When we were creating this model we were focusing more on protecting people from the cool winds often experienced in New Zealand, rather than the searing 50ºC plus continued on Page 11
Engineering firm Aurecon has created an urban comfort assessment model where they are able to predict the combined influence of wind, sun and shade, sun angle, solar radiation, temperature and humidity in outdoor areas in and around urban precincts to give an overall assessment of comfort across an area. They have already undertaken urban comfort assessments in Christchurch of The Terrace entertainment and office development on Oxford Terrace and the new central Bus Interchange, and are now commissioned to undertake a study on a proposed shopping complex in Abu Dhabi. Mike Green, Engineering Meteorologist for Aurecon, said that there was a certain irony in that the modelling tool developed to identify
Commercial & industrial growth
The chilled water fountain is centrepiece of this artist’s impression of the outdoor shopping centre. The floor colours represent thermal comfort, green being ideal, orange warmer and red uncomfortably hot.
Employment growth
Economic output
Crime rate East Tamaki is the largest industrial precinct in Auckland with 2000 businesses and a growth rate higher than the regional average. getba.org.nz
getba
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Greater East Tamaki Business Association Inc.
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
Don’t start a company unless it’s an obsession and something you love. If you have an exit strategy, it’s not an obsession. -Mark Cuban
Okuma machining centre means jobs done faster Since its establishment in 1868, A&G Price has always been meeting technical challenges with innovative solutions and unsurpassed attention to quality. A fully in-tegrated company offering state-of-the-art foundry, machining and fabrication capabil-ities, it services among others, the mining, forestry, steel, transportation, petrochem-ical, pulp and paper, energy and defence industries in the Asia Pacific region. “Throughout the years, we have seen changes in the industries we have been serv-ing and we have always met those changes head on, especially when they involve melt-ing and machining metals to high-quality products,” general manager Nick Box says. The heart of A&G Price’s operation is the company’s large, total capability foundry, which has an electrical melting capacity of 6 tonnes gross in steel, 10 tonnes in iron alloys, and up to 2500kg in specialised stainless steels and 1300kg in non-ferrous materials. The foundry is supported by some of the world’s most advanced modelling, finite element analysis (FEA) and thermal casting analysis software to create robust and effective engineering solutions that often exceed international standards. The company uses computer-based man-agement tools for production planning, job scheduling, cost analysis and customer liai-son as well as for gathering and analysing data from the metallurgical laboratory and elsewhere to ensure compliance with its QA programme. A&G Price’s machine shop offers a
comprehensive range of services, and is supported by a dedicated tool room for making and maintaining specialised tools. It is fully equipped for large CNC machining jobs and gear cutting, and can accommodate workpieces up to 40 tonnes, 6.3 metres in diameter and 10 metres long. Among its equipment are CNC milling ma-chines, including an Okuma MX 60 HB and a MA 60 HB horizontal machining centres. It also has CNC horizontal and vertical lathes, and boring, planing, grinding, drilling and gear cutting machines. In July 2014, A&G Price upgraded its ma-chine shop capability with the installation of a new Okuma MA 600 A & G Price says MA 600 Hll helps with faster delivery times. HII, a second gener-ation horizontal machining operations that weren’t and with a few changes in how we machining centre. necessarily the best tool choice for machine it, we were able to reduce The acquisition of the Okuma MA 600 the spe-cific application as the tool floor-to-floor cycle time on it by 63 HII is in response to developments in changer was full. We were also per cent on average. This has come the mar-ketplace, Mr Box says. “The unable to add sister tooling into the from reduced setup times, faster marketplace is continually demanding mix to run ‘lights out’ as again, the table rotation times, quicker tool quicker turnaround times for orders. limited tool space would not allow changes and a massive increase in Product mix has changed as well. it.” Okuma New Zealand general machine rigidity allow-ing for many High volume, easily manufactured manager Fred de Jong says the new of the tools to be fed faster,” Mr and machined castings have long MA 600 HII has a 6-pallet changer Tyrrell-Baxter says. gone to Asian manufacturers. Our work station and large 171-tool customer base is now dominated Operating the new Okuma was not robotic tool changer. by industries that demand a very an issue for A&G Price. Having had high degree of technical compliance “The pallet has a work area of two Okuma CNC machining centres involving safety critical components.” 630mm by 630mm and can take work before acquiring the MA 600 HII, 10 Machine shop manager Jacob pieces with up to a diameter of 1m of its operators are “very famil-iar” Tyrrell-Baxter says the MA 600 HII is and a maximum load of 1200kg, with how an Okuma works. a valuable addition to A&G Price’s which suits the types of jobs A&G “We had three of our operators existing range of CNC machines. “As a Price, as an experienced international trained for the newest machine predominately jobbing machine shop heavy engineering works provider, is on site when the ma-chine was this acquisition offers us increased known for,” Mr de Jong says. commissioned. The training really versatility of work types as well as Since the installation of the MA600 came down to what the operators increased produc-tivity,” he says. HII, A&G Price has seen a notable needed in terms of the new “Our dominant limiting factor increase in operational efficiency functionalities the ma-chine came previously was lack of tool carousel and improved delivery times, Mr with because they were already capacity. We were often finding that Tyrrell-Baxter says. fully-trained on the two Okuma we had to use tools to do multiple “We went from a two-pallet machine machining centres. It was a straight to a six-pallet machine and we got forward transition for them,” Mr Box a lot of ben-efits in that. It allowed says.
General Manager Nick Box with machine shop manager Jacob Tyrrell-Baxter and machine operator Orrin Bergersen (middle).
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us to have more jobs setup on the machine at any one time than we have previously been able to on our ex-isting machines,” he says.
He says that given the company’s additional machining capability, A&G Price can fur-ther advance its excellence in mechanical engineering.
The ability to have multiple jobs setup on six machine pallets at once and have an opti-mum tool selection for each job, including the sister tools required to allow for lights out machining, have resulted in increased machine capacity, better reliability and faster turnaround in machined components.
“As engineers to the world, we already have extensive engineering capability – from the manufacture of discrete componentry to the refurbishment of heavy machinery and the design, building and installation of complex, large-scale turnkey plants. With the Okuma MA 600 HII, we have become more respon-sive to the marketplace and have created the ability to further expand our customer base.”
“We have been able to move several of our production jobs off one of our other machines onto the MA 600 HII,
NZ Manufacturer February 2015
7
A consultant is someone who takes the watch off your wrist and tells you the time. -anon
FeatureCAM includes Vortex milling calculator The 2015 R2 release of Delcam’s FeatureCAM feature-based CAM software incorporates a milling calculator to help users obtain the maximum benefit from the Vortex high-efficiency area-clearance strategy. Other enhancements, among the 280 customer-requested improvements since the initial 2015 release last September, include the ability to create multi-tool blocks within machine designs, better control over toolpath output and more efficient automatic selection of tools. FeatureCAM was the world’s first feature-based programming software when it was launched in 1995. Constant development since then has ensured that the system has retained its leadership in programming speed and ease of use, while an increased range of strategies has been added to provide more efficient toolpaths that give greater productivity on a wider range of machinery, including mill-turn machines, five-axis mills and wire EDM equipment. The Vortex area-clearance strategy in FeatureCAM produces safe toolpaths with a much deeper cut by using a controlled engagement angle that maintains the optimum cutting conditions for the whole toolpath. As a result, higher feed rates and material-removal rates are possible,
making the cutting time shorter by as much as 70%. In addition, cutting is undertaken at a more consistent volume-removal rate and at a near constant feed rate, so extending tool life and protecting the machine. The radical nature of Vortex can make it difficult for users to set the optimum parameters when they first apply the strategy. To overcome this problem, Delcam has added a calculator that provides an easy way to maximise productivity and efficiency with Vortex. The calculator uses control of the maximum chip thickness to calculate the appropriate feeds and speeds that will minimise the cutting time while maintaining a consistent load on the cutter.
the dialog for output options. This allows the user to view the toolpath points and check that their distribution is compatible with the machine-tool controller. As machines have become more sophisticated, accurate simulation has become increasingly important before toolpaths are passed to the machine. In FeatureCAM 2015 R2, multi-tool blocks can be created within machine-design files. Tool blocks can be developed with a list of tool locations and then the attributes can be specified describing the type of tool to be held in each location. The blocks can then be used in the simulation of the movement of the part being
machined towards the various tools. The programming time for drilling has been reduced significantly in the new release. Specific pecking depths can now be allocated to drills on a tool by tool basis. This change means that there is no longer any need to update the global pecking defaults after the creation of features needing to be drilled. In addition, the exposed length of all tools is now checked as part of automatic tool selection. The check allows tools to be verified against the depth of the feature or the set-up depth so that potential collisions can be avoided.
A new development in the Vortex strategy itself will make it more efficient when machining flat areas or open pockets. In both cases, Vortex now allows the cutter to approach from outside the stock rather than having to make a helical entry move into the stock. Both Vortex and other two-axis toolpaths have new output options. These give control over point filtering and arc fitting, both of which can contribute to smother machine motion and, therefore, to better surface finish. In a related development, toolpath points can now be displayed by using
FeatureCAM 2015 R2 includes the Vortex milling calculator to help users obtain the maximum benefit from the high-efficiency area-clearance strategy.
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
Don’t be threatened by people smarter than you.
MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
- Howard Schultz
continued from page 1
continued from page 1
Baskiville unveils nonflammable medical-grade materials for silicones
Creating high – resolution 3D videos
thick and viscous, so they need to be diluted prior to being applied to the metal surface. Until recently, the most common carrier agents were flammable and odiferous. In contrast, the MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid is nonflammable, high-purity carrier fluid with excellent materials compatibility and superior handling characteristics. This makes it a drop-in replacement for the flammable carrier fluids commonly used in the thin-film siliconisation of glass, metal, plastic and rubber surfaces. Because the new product is nonflammable and odor-free, using it converts a complex process into a simple one with minimal hazards. This also makes it a technique that is easy to validate when coating glass, ceramic, metal and plastic surfaces. “The MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid saves engineers time and money because it offers easy process validation without new equipment or different process controls,” said Tom Tattersall, chief operating officer of MicroCare. “It also gives engineers peace of mind from a health and safety perspective because the carrier fluid is stable and nonflammable.” Another benefit to the MicroCare Universal Carrier Fluid is that it is available in several package sizes. It ships and stores as a nonhazardous, non-regulated liquid. The Fluid is compatible with all grades of stainless steel, brass, carbon steel and most nonferrous metals as well as most common plastics including nylon, HDPE, LDPE, PPE and PTFE. Elastomer compatibility also is excellent. Silicone Swelling The economic and physical properties of silicone relatively low cost, resistance to antimicrobial growth, low extractables and easy sterilization -make silicone a desirable choice in the medical industry. However, working with silicone tubing or molded parts is not without dif?culties, especially the challenges of attaching silicone tubing to molded or machined parts. Silicone tubing is prone to tearing, it does not expand or stretch without assistance, and it has a tacky, sticky surface. These three factors make fitting a silicone tube over a barbed ?tting nearly impossible.
agent.” These are fluids that can be absorbed quickly into the tubing, expanding it and softening it reliably and predictably. This allows the tubing to easily accept the ?tting or rigid part. Once the part is in place, the fluid evaporates, and the silicone returns to its original size. This creates a tight and robust mechanical connection. The MicroCare SwellEx fluid is based on volatile methyl siloxane (VMS) chemistry. VMS solvents are chemically similar to silicone tubing, which enables the product to quickly swell silicone while ensuring the physical properties of the silicone remain intact. The selection of this chemistry makes the attachment process simple and quick. In fact, because the silicone only needs to increase in size by 1-2% in most cases, the entire swelling process can take less than one minute.
combined with optical scan tiling, which uses a scanning mirror to combine the signals from the SLMs, thus filling in any gaps in the physical tiling array. Finally, the researchers sped up the full-colour video playback using powerful graphics processing units. This combination of technologies produced one high-resolution, full-parallax moving hologram displaying 45 billion pixels per second. “We increased the resolution of the holographic display system by 24 times,” states Xu. “The full-color 3D holographic video plays at a rate of 60 frames per second, so it appears seamless to the human eye.”
When the silicone tubing is inserted in the fluid, swelling begins immediately and at a very precise rate. The degree of swelling can be timed accurately in high-volume operations to ensure that ef?ciency is maximized.
Potential applications of the new technique include 3D entertainment and medical imaging. However, new SLM devices with a smaller pixel size, higher resolution and faster frame rate are required before large-scale 3D holographic video displays can become reality.
Once the part is removed from the ?uid, the swelling solvent evaporates and the part returns to its original state. The entire silicone swelling process, from start to finish, can be very quick when compared with other methods.
SCREW
SwellEx fluids provide several advantages for companies. The most common class of silicone swelling agents - hexane solvents - have higher costs than SwellEx(r) fluid because hexane is highly flammable and needs special handling for safety. Also, hexane is an extremely aggressive solvent, so materials compatibility becomes a concern (hexane will remove ink markings, for example). Hexane also is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that contributes to ground-level smog. Hexane solvents also can affect the long-term elasticity of the material, making the silicone part brittle. Lastly, hexane has a very pronounced and annoying aroma.
One effective solution is to use a “silicone swelling
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An expert is someone called in at the last minute to share the blame. -anon
9
MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
SouthMACH 2015
an event to look forward to SouthMACH 2015 is the South Island’s largest trade only exhibition and 2015’s must attend event for anyone in the Manufacturing, Engineering, Machinery & Electronics industries. Free to all registered visitors, SouthMACH will be held at the Horncastle Arena, Addington, Christchurch over two days from 22-23 July 2015 showcasing the latest innovations, equipment, technology, services and products to industry professionals, supported by educational and professional development seminars and workshops. NZ’s largest Trade Show organiser, XPO Exhibitions (XPO), are the proud new owners of this event and are delighted to be charged with rejuvenating and growing SouthMACH at a time when the manufacturing industry is taking off. With over 30 years experience and organisers of the very successful EMEX industry event, XPO knows there is no better way to reach your target market to Showcase your product or services, Educate your customer on
best practice, and to Sell directly to a quality and qualified visitor. This year’s event is forging ahead with strong exhibitor bookings and development of key features from some of New Zealand’s newest manufacturing and engineering companies and who are leading the world in technology advancement and innovation. A full seminar program over the two days will provide a forum for education, discussion and the sharing of knowledge and expertise, critical in the sustainability and growth of the industry. This, combined with VIP programs, a greater marketing investment and strong support from the nation’s leading industry partners including NZMEA, Engineering News, NZ Manufacturer, Demm, IEDA and MetalsNZ, this year’s SouthMACH will be Bigger, Better and Stronger than ever before. Not to mention there will be many great visitor prizes up for grabs including the chance to win a brand new Ford Transit Custom. SouthMACH 15 will provide an effective, engaging and dynamic
forum allowing those in the industry to connect and grow, and in doing so, foster the growth and development of many of the South Islands and New Zealand’s manufacturing, engineering and technology associated businesses. If your customers are manufacturing or processing goods or services, using General Engineering, Machine and Metalworking Technology, Plant Automation & Maintenance, Engineering Software & Computerisation, Welding, Cutting & Plastics Engineering, Fluid Engineering or measurement, Control & Instrumentation, SouthMACH 2015
offers opportunities you can’t afford to miss. Don’t miss out on this exciting and exclusive opportunity to grow your business through engaging directly with 2500+ industry professionals and decision makers.
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
People rarely succeed unless they are having fun in what they are doing.
ANALYSIS
-Dale Carnegie
Delcam announces new Leadership Manufacturing software developer Delcam announces that Pete Baxter has been appointed to lead Delcam in the new role of Vice President. Pete joins Delcam from its parent company, Autodesk, Inc, where he was a Vice President of Sales and served as the country manager for Autodesk in the United Kingdom. “I’m thrilled to announce the appointment of Pete Baxter as Vice President, Delcam Ltd.,” said Buzz Kross, Autodesk senior vice president, Design, Lifecycle and Simulation. “In his new role, Pete will be responsible for managing the global Delcam business, and for leading the company in the next stage of its growth. Pete brings to Delcam extensive leadership experience and knowledge, critical in helping Delcam develop closer connections to Autodesk, to the benefit of both organizations and our customers.” “I am delighted to be joining Delcam, and helping create the next generation of manufacturing software,” said Pete Baxter, Vice President, Delcam, Ltd. “The company has an unrivalled reputation for the support and industry-leading
products it offers to manufacturing companies around the world. I look forward to working with Delcam’s staff and reseller channel to accelerate the growth of the business and to deliver an even better manufacturing experience to our customers.” Pete joined Autodesk in 2004, most recently serving as a Vice President in the Autodesk Worldwide Sales organization. Prior to that, he held a number of other sales and management roles, including head of sales for Northern Europe, where he was responsible for sales across the Manufacturing, AEC, Media and Entertainment industries. Previously, Pete held management positions at companies including Revit Technology Corporation, Bentley Systems and PTC.
Pete Baxter will lead Delcam in the new role of Vice President.
Managing communication during product recalls media attention and public enquiries in a situation like this, says Impact PR director and marketing expert Fleur Revell. “That means when it does occur, people can find themselves put on the spot and ad-libbing without thinking,” says Revell, who has advised numerous Kiwi companies on crisis planning and brand management. “Being totally unprepared can result in even more damage to the reputation of a business,” Revell says. Here, she details some key steps to handling a product recall or brand crisis. Be Prepared
While no one likes to think about the worst case scenario, things can go wrong without warning. An unforeseeable product fault becomes apparent only after it’s already on the shelves, or an imported product that seemed reliable turns out to be problematic, and suddenly your company is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. For many businesses and manufacturers operating in New Zealand, there is no clear protocol to manage the inevitable
Ensuring products are safe and not likely to bring a brand into disrepute is a fundamental part of good business, but it’s also essential to be ready for the unexpected. “A plan on how to manage communication if there is a product recall situation or a brand crisis should be part of every company’s strategic planning,” says Revell. “That plan should cover things like which channels will be used to communicate with customers and the general public, who will speak to the media if there are interview or information requests, and
what part social media might play.” Revell says this will give senior leaders a clear direction and starting point. “Whether it’s developed in-house or with your PR representatives, it should be comprehensive and kept up-to-date at all times.” Choose the right spokesperson If a company finds itself needing to explain a product issue to the media or the general public, Revell says it is important the right person steps up. “In most cases, the CEO should be the one who appears in interviews and is quoted in any communication,” says Revell. All requests for interviews or information should be handled by that one senior team member to ensure a consistent message is communicated at all times. “This shows the issue is being handled by a person with the ability to change or fix processes that need to be addressed,” she explains. “However, if there are more technical aspects to the situation, consider including a team member who can clearly articulate these.” Clear and concise messages As quickly as possible after an event occurs, the key messages that need
to be conveyed to the media and customers should be decided, written down, and form the basis of all communication. “Reporters and customers are all busy people, and don’t want to have to sift through a lot of information to find out the need-to-knows,” Revell explains. Choosing the three or four most important pieces of information, making them the first things you say, and explaining them clearly and concisely means they will be easily understood by all interested parties. Honesty is always the best policy “No matter what the situation, be direct and honest in all communication,” says Revell. Whether it means admitting fault, or explaining behind-the-scenes processes, responses and explanations need to be truthful so there are no hidden surprises that could compromise the brand further down the track. “A product fault or problem may not look great in the short term, but it can usually be dealt with swiftly if it’s addressed immediately and the flow of information is clear and consistent,” explains Revell. “And if you handle the situation well, that will ultimately reflect positively on your business.”
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
For maximum attention, nothing beats a good mistake. -anon
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DEVELOPMENTS continued from Page 5
Cool comfort technology with
desert hot application temperatures experienced in the Middle East and the application of our software in relation to an outdoor shopping centre,” he said. The brief from the Middle East developers to Aurecon was to know whether, by introducing shading and mechanical cooling, they could make outdoor conditions comfortable during the hottest times of the year, which meant having conditions that felt more like 38ºC rather than 50ºC.
Developer co-funds “essential” roading and work is underway Multi-million-dollar roading and infrastructure projects are finally underway at the State Highway 6, new Eastern Arterial Road (EAR) and the State Highway Glenda Drive intersections in Queenstown, to the relief of Shotover Park developer, the Porter Group. Porter Group CEO Alastair Porter said that after so many years the wider community would be delighted to see these roading projects getting underway. “It’s been a case of working with the New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) and the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) for many years to finally achieve this,” he said. The new roading will access a new 8,000sqm Mitre 10 Mega store scheduled to open in spring 2015 and a future PAK’nSAVE supermarket. “In addition to these there’s approximately another 30 commercial industrial adjoining sites on the Shotover Park development that have been sold to predominantly Queenstown businesses, many of which are very keen to geton with their development,” said MrPorter. “This is wonderful news for Queenstown because it will significantly expand affordable living opportunities and broaden the range of products and services which are desperately needed to underwrite Queenstown’s continued rapid growth.” Mr Porter said the State Highway 6 Eastern Arterial Road roundabout project was “long overdue”. He said NZTA had made it clear that a private funding contribution was essential for this project to proceed. For this purpose the Porter Group had arranged funding for two-thirds of the required private contributions.
There’s around approximately another 30 commercial industrial adjoining sites on the Shotover Park development. Also to ensure that a connection between Glenda Drive and the new EAR could be open before next winter 2015, the Porter Group let a contract to Fulton Hogan in November to undertake pre-road earthworks and underground services. “The whole community is aware of the number of accidents there have been at this intersection, let alone congestion problems,” said Mr Porter. “For this reason we make no apologies for constantly lobbying for many years for this work to be done.”
The shopping centre is designed to create an outdoor, open-to-the-sky retail/dining destination, replicating the “souk” atmosphere in a modern aspect. It will accommodate a total retail area of around 30,000m2 and will be divided into three modules of approximately 10,000m2. “Our solution is a mixture of building angle and positioning, landscaping considerations supported by mechanical solutions such as retractable shading and chilled waterfalls and walls. “The pedestrian streets in the mall are oriented in a north/south direction to maximise shading from buildings, the piazzas are in a rhombus or diamond shape also to achieve maximum shading, and a retractable shading system installed above each piazza are needed to provide the amount of sun protection in the hot season. David Haylock, Mechanical Engineer with Aurecon, also located in Christchurch, said that they have incorporated several methods to cool the outdoor areas such as cooled walls and floor slabs, and it was found that with chilled water fountains we could get lower temperatures without the need to worry about condensation. The fountain will be chilled to around 7ºC and will provide a film of water over the face of a perspex waterfall. “The water will provide a high level of radiant cooling as well as evaporative and convective cooling,” he said. The pedestrian main streets, oriented in their north/ south direction, open on to the large piazzas. Cafes and restaurants can be extended to the exterior sidewalks, allowing outdoor dining with scenic views to the chilled water features that will provide a sensation of coolness and tranquility to these places. Mike Green said that while it is good to have received this international recognition, they still see their greatest opportunities are here in New Zealand anywhere there is a new development that involves enjoyment for people. “If, in the design process, we are able to identify and create areas that people find comfortable, they are more likely to be more attracted to that particular area and will stay longer. If you are in retail and hospitality, you want to know where these places are or how to create them. More people, staying longer, generally means more business, more turnover, more profit, greater success. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
DEVELOPMENTS
Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles. - Steve Jobs
State of the Nation and Housing
Labour’s new tilt for growth
John Walley, Chief Executive, New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association
By Bruce Goldsworthy
The political year was back in full swing when National and Labour leaders delivered their state of the nation addresses - both different in their content and stated purpose. Andrew Little’s speech aimed to set the direction of the party going forward, while staying away from policy detail. The focus was on jobs, claiming “the next Labour government will make sure that New Zealand has the lowest rate of unemployment in the developed world.” He tried to connect with business, emphasising the importance of business and government working together, in particular small business’s role in creating jobs and growth. Inequality was another theme, pointing to the OECD report which claimed our growth had suffered due to growing inequality. Rising inequality has a wider effect on everyone, and targeting this can improve growth and importantly for business, increase the level of skills and education in our workforce. He also talked about the need to create highly skilled jobs, while committing to removing zero hour contracts if in Government. He reiterated Labour’s focus on the manufacturing sector, and plans to expand on this in upcoming speeches. We hope they will continue to consider the recommendations from the Manufacturing Inquiry in 2013 in their policy platform. Lack of policy makes this speech hard to judge, but it has a lot of the right sentiment; in the end what matters is how the policy develops. John Key focused on housing, providing some details of their plans to increase the stock of social housing, through selling Housing New Zealand stock and enabling more community housing providers - 1,000 to 2,000 houses will be sold over the next year, leaving open the possibility for more sales in future. They are extending income-related rent to include community providers, where a person pays a percentage of their income (usually 25%) and government pays the difference, aiming to increase the number of subsidies by 3000 by 2017/18. They will be reviewing 5,000 Housing New Zealand tenancies over the next two years, aiming to move many who can to private accommodation. He discussed new housing developments to increase supply but under a more www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
diverse ownership model, saying the changes will increase social housing availability in Auckland. The housing issue is more connected to conditions for manufacturers and exporters than you might think. Currently our overheated housing market is keeping interest rates far above the rest of the developed world, putting pressure on manufacturers and exporters through a higher exchange rate reducing margins and competitiveness and increased borrowing costs for investment. In normal circumstances, if an economy has inflation below their target over the medium term the decision to cut interest rates is relatively simple. However, if at the same time the housing market is overheating, cutting interest rates can add fuel to the fire and form a bubble that can threaten financial stability; an outcome which has been witnessed many times around the world.
However, if at the same time the housing market is overheating, cutting interest rates can add fuel to the fire Our situation has contradictory aims: the need to hold or raise interest rates to deal with housing and asset price inflation, on the other hand needing to cut interest rates to correct our high exchange rate and boost growth. These two aims cannot be addressed by interest rates alone. The issue requires a multifaceted approach from both the RBNZ and Government. National’s social housing policy could be a positive contribution if it succeeds in increasing the supply of housing for those in need, reducing pressure in the market. However the Government needs to do more to address asset speculation and tax treatment, in addition to increasing supply. Finally, the RBNZ can use other interventions to directly curtail lending, as they did with the LVR policy. Tackling the housing issue is vital, not only for everyone who needs an affordable home, but also due to its effect on our whole economy.
Many commentators didn’t score Andrew Little’s State of the Nation speech on January 28th very highly. But its very early days for the new Labour leader, and his speech was all about scene setting for the party’s future. However, some things left unsaid will give manufacturers serious misgivings. Dr Oliver Hartwich of the NZ Initiative noted that Little wants to see his party on the side of those creating wealth, jobs and income, and his is a truly progressive vision. Importantly Little acknowledged “wealth had to be created first before it could be shared.” When has a Labour leader ever said out loud such a thing? Its especially good news for manufacturers. Little was quick to reference his own background in the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union, and draw on his experiences with the likes of Fitzroy and Fonterra. He stated the economy is all about jobs, what is required to make higher paid jobs, and what works to keep jobs in New Zealand. To grow the pie, (before seeking to redistribute it) Little said he will shortly be discussing measures that create wealth across: • How to harness the power of small businesses. Small, nimble, flexible, innovative businesses are to be placed at the centre of growth and job creation. • Getting serious about housing affordability. • Ensuring Auckland operates as an internationally competitive city, breaking the gridlock holding it back. • Developing a manufacturing sector fit for the 21st century.
To spur R&D and innovation though, Labour will likely re-introduce tax credits. Then there was an intriguing statement that incentives will be introduced for companies wanting “to diversify their offerings” because they are always better when they don’t have all their eggs in the one basket. What this may mean is anyone’s guess. However the Labour leader’s speech was notable for what was left unsaid. For example what might happen to the 90 day employment trial periods and the Starting Out wage? While quick off the mark regarding “the alarming spread of zero hour contracts. Little said: “Under Labour, those contracts will spread no more. They will be gone.” Nothing else was mentioned about employment law changes though everyone knows union expectations for change will be irresistible. We also know business support for employment trial periods is firm. 67 per cent of businesses in a recent EMA survey said they have used the 90 day employment trial periods with many commenting they want them extended to six months or more. Virtually all agreed the trial periods meant they hired a person whereas without it they would have left the position vacant for longer, or re-advertised. Few said the recent changes to employment law affected them, just 9-12 per cent, and only 10 per cent have ever used the Starting Out wage. Such findings might give the new Labour leadership cause for pause in developing new policies. Meanwhile voters will weigh up a party’s whole policy package – are the policies more valuable than those that disadvantage them?
Here we start to come unstuck. In noting 41 per cent of the jobs created last year were in firms with fewer than 20 employees the question inevitably arises: So 59 per cent were created in larger firms?
Many erstwhile centre-left voters also work in the private sector and are keen to get ahead financially; they well know “a good quality of life needs a strong economic performance.” Little has at least got their attention.
The Little vision will also focus on reducing red tape for small business owners and for new business owners to access more training. More investment capital than ever would be made available to support small businesses through the participation of such as the NZ Super Fund to support promising local start-ups. Nothing earth shattering here.
But the devil of the detail is still to come. The Labour leader’s first major outing set the scene but the business jury will be out on the substance for a long while yet. *Bruce Goldsworthy is Manager of Manufacturing and Exporting for the Employers and Manufacturers Association. Bruce.goldsworthy@ema. co.nz
NZ Manufacturer February 2015
Speak the truth, but leave immediately after. -anon
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ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
Manufacture Success through Environmental Management Environmentally proactive manufacturers are demonstrating good business sense as well as a moral advantage Most of us would be sceptical if we were promised the chance to improve business operations, achieve efficiencies, save money, and receive market advantages all through one tool. Such a promise seems too good to be true. But in fact, these linked benefits are possible when you have a system to manage environmental impacts. Environmental impacts may include energy and fuel use, waste, travel, water, chemicals, ingredients, supplies, as well as health and safety. Chances are, many of your key business costs are linked to these components, so by managing them carefully your organisation can indeed improve operations, achieve savings, and ensure market access. The best way to tackle environmental impacts is with an environmental management system (EMS). An EMS is a tool that allows your business to understand, engage and reduce impacts across all parts of the business. An EMS is tailored for your specific organisation, meaning you don’t waste effort on details that don’t apply to you and you can ensure that your plans and goals are customised for your needs. A manufacturer with a robust EMS can anticipate and address risks before they become a problem, and these reduced risks save time, money, and provide assurance to your partners
and customers. This can include risks within the organisation, such as health & safety or waste impacts, but also supply chain risks such as material access or disruption to supply.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
Such a comprehensive and beneficial tool doesn’t have to be complicated and daunting, however. Programmes such as Enviro-Mark® certification are suitable both as an entry-level tool and for those ready to achieve ISO 14001 certification. There are five levels of Enviro-Mark certification: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. Businesses can work through the successive levels at their own pace and stop at whichever level is the most appropriate for their needs. Further, Enviro-Mark provides all the tools and expert advice needed for any business, big or small. For specific examples of achieved benefits, including cost savings and tendering success, look at the case studies on enviro-mark.co.nz. One key advantage of Enviro-Mark certification is the independent verification of your work. The Enviro-Mark programme provides third-party audits annually to help ensure your work is correct and on the right track. This independent verification allows you to confidently and credibly claim to be an environmentally responsible manufacturer, backed by independent certification. This independent certification is especially helpful under the Fair Trading Act, which requires an environmental claim to be verifiable and transparent. And because more and more purchasers are asking
Show the world that your organisation is truly committed to environmental action with certifications from Enviro-Mark Solutions. Independent certification proves that a company or product is taking the right action for the environment. Learn more about what it takes to get these marks of approval and who is already committed.
Managed and offset carbon footprint
Managed carbon footprint
Managed energy use
Managed environmental impacts
0800 ENMARK ENVIRO-MARK.COM for environmental credentials in the tendering process, credible environmental certification makes that aspect of procurement easy. If you don’t yet have an easy, credible process for managing impacts across
your business, look at getting an environmental management system in place. Credible environmental work not only demonstrates commitment and responsibility, the range of benefits means it is good business sense.
Making waves with lasers Laser processing produces deep ripples in silicon over a wide area – something that could enhance solar cell efficiency.
However, many laser processing methods are limited: they can process only small areas and shallow ripples.
A*STAR scientists have produced a uniform nanoscale ripple pattern over a wide area on a silicon surface by scanning a femtosecond laser beam across it. Given that a rippled surface is much less reflective than a smooth surface, this simple innovation could enhance the efficiency of solar cells by boosting their ability to harvest more sunlight.
Now, Xincai Wang and co-workers from A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Nanyang Technological University have successfully addressed these limitations. They demonstrate the potential of their technique by using it to produce a uniform ripple pattern on a silicon substrate (see image) over a large area of 30 millimertes by 30 millimetres, with an average ripple depth of 300 nanometres — about three times greater than that of other techniques.
The use of lasers to produce periodic surface structures is currently an area of intense research. Laser processing has the important advantage that it heats only the surface of a material, leaving underlying structures unaffected.
“This increase in depth can substantially reduce light reflection
and improve the light-trapping ability of the ripple structure,” Wang notes. “Hence, if the structure is used in photovoltaic devices, more light will be trapped within the structure, thereby enhancing the device efficiency.” Straightforward and inexpensive, the technique simply involves using a cylindrical lens to widen a femtosecond laser beam to a width of 50 micrometres and then scanning the beam across the surface. As the energy of the laser’s photons exceeds the bandgap of silicon, the photons excite electrons from the valence band to the conduction band. Such electrons would usually relax by transferring their energy to the atomic lattice, thereby heating it. However,
the extremely short pulse durations mean that instead they generate an electron wave on the surface. This in turn produces a light wave, which interferes with the incoming laser beam. The silicon is removed in locations where the incoming and outgoing light waves constructively interfere with each other, giving rise to the valleys in the ripple pattern. The researchers found that on rippling the average reflectance of a silicon surface dropped from 39.7 per cent to 12.5 per cent, which meant light absorption was enhanced by 41 per cent as a result of strong scattering by the ripple structure. This effect could be exploited to manage photon behaviour in solar cells and light-emitting diodes. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
NZ Manufacturer Editorial Calendar 2015 February
title
Deadline allfrom copy three evils: boredom, vice, Work sparesforus 20th month prior and need.
April
March
May
June
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Technology -
Technology -
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Technology - CAD CAM text
Technology -
Technology -
Advanced Materials
Control Engineering
3D Manufacturing
IoT
Lean Manufacturing
Composites
Additive
PLM
Agricultural
Manufacturing
Supply Chain
Manufacturing
Advanced Materials CNC Tools Food Manufacturing
Environmental Technology Energy Report The Future of Manufacturing
Energy Report
Energy Report
Export
– Voltaire
July
Manufac
Technolo
Control Eng
Marine In
Aviati
Environm Workshop Tools
Technolo
The Future of
Success
Manufacturing
Human Resources
IoT -‐ Connecting Everything
In Focus
2015 2015
austech 2015 26-29 May
Preview
Preview
Melbourne
SouthMach 2015,
SouthMach 2015
Christchurch
22-23 July
Show Ed
SouthMach
In Each Issue Analysis
The Interview
Developments
NZM - Success Through Innovation
www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
Business News
Opinion
Rear Vi
y
cturing
ogy -
NZ Manufacturer February 2015
Work spares us from three Doug evils: boredom, vice, Green publisher@xtra.co.nz and need. – Voltaire
August
title Manufacturing
September
October
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
text Technology -
Technology -
Technology -
gineering
Software
ndustry
Workshop
ion
Technology
mental
ogy -
Hi-Tech Machines
Agricultural Supply Chain
Property Report
Machinery Energy Report
Export
The Future
Success
of Manufacturing
November Manufacturing
December/January 2016 Manufacturing Technology -
Technology -
IoT-Connecting Everything
Control
Automation & Control
Engineering
Workshop Technology
Food Manufacturing
Supply Chain
Workshop Tools
Human Resources
The Year in Review
Industrial Safety
dition
Preview
h 2015
National
iew
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Maintenance Engineering Conf. Opinion
Export Success
The Bottom Line
New Products
www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. – Voltaire
www.caracinternational.co.nz • carac@xtra.co.nz • +64 6 764 8254 Carac Couplings was established in 1988 by John Burling (Managing Director) to produce his own innovative range of patented trailer couplings. This quality range increased over the next few years to cover agricultural, road and boating related couplings and components. Many of New Zealand’s leading boat and trailer manufacturers use Carac components daily to complete their products. In 2000 Carac began the process of modernising its manufacturing plant. Today Carac Couplings is home to the world’s fastest fiber laser cutter and offers a wide variety of services and capabilities including Amada laser cutters (one with a rotary cutting head for pipe and hollow section), high precision Omax abrasive Water Jet cutter with 5 axis and rotary cutting, a high definition CNC Plasma with gas cutting creating large capacity profile cutting, CNC turret punching machines, CNC Press brakes, CNC Lathes, CNC Mill, many fully automatic robot welders, over 60 mechanical and hydraulic power metal
presses 1 ton to 500 +, over 25 auto drilling and tapping machines, fully automatic bandsaws, pipe and solid rod/bar bending machines, CNC guillotines, bead blasting rumbling. RHS and Pipe Rolling and now zinc plating are all in house. Due to this diversification, Carac has been able to expand its client base and now produces components for the automotive, agricultural, marine, engineering and utility industries within New Zealand and around the world.
is now one of New Zealand’s most advanced cutting shops and won’t be beaten on quality at the best prices. A key strength of Carac’s service is a fast turn around for one off and sample/prototype parts from time of order placement. With energetic and knowledgeable staff being the biggest asset a company can have, Carac is confident in saying that we have a wide range of skilled people able and willing to help our customers create
and design manufacturing solutions at competitive pricing. John and the company over the years has received a number of business and innovation awards, the latest being the new patented TrackGrip for diggers and dozers with exceptional sideways traction.
Operating the world’s and New Zealand’s fastest and most powerful Trump Fiber Laser, along with our CO2 laser we are able to offer exceptional laser cutting capabilities for cutting intricate shapes across a broad range of materials including aluminium, copper, brass, stainless steel and mild steel. From high volume to one
off prototype parts the machine is designed for speed, accuracy and fast set-up times. Fitted with shuttle tables for faster production, cut parts can be removed and a new sheet loaded while the laser continues work on the other table. We can also cut square or round tube.
Carac Manufacturing is a family owned business with John and Yvonne’s three children now fully involved.
Carac International prides itself in its ability to adapt to suit customer requirements as they arise. Carac
The World’s & NZ’s Most Powerful Fiber Laser Cutter
Waterjet Machining Centre Carac Couplings WaterJet has one of the most powerful and accurate waterjet machining centres and the only five axis machine in New Zealand with rotary cutting that is able to cut tapered holes up to 60 degrees in material such as, mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, wood, tiles (flooring and wall), glass, brass, copper,
titanium, plastic, granite, rubber, polystyrene and more. Pipes can be cut up to 800mm in diameter at 4m long and 600mm in diameter at 8m long. Waterjet cutting offers a new range of available options for redesigning products and processes and takes advantage of the powerful clean cut and accuracy of our machine.
NEW ZEALAND’S MOST ADVANCED CUTTING, CNC & ENGINEERING SERVICES www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
NZ Manufacturer February 2015
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Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. – Voltaire
www.caracinternational.co.nz • carac@xtra.co.nz • +64 6 764 8254
Plasma & Gas Cutting Where economy is required and for thicker plate, our high definition plasma cutter takes over from our laser.
Cheaper to run and able to handle thicker material, the plasma trades accuracy and surface finish for speed and economy. Our plasma cutting machine is one of the new generation high definition machines with precise
servo motors to position the head and a high power Hypertherm cutting torch. Our machine is also fitted with a gas cutting torch capable of cutting thick plate 150mm.
TrackGrip Range of Patented Products The TrackGrip range of patented products will significantly improve traction, stability and safety for diggers, bulldozers and all tracked vehicles with its exceptional sideways protection. TrackGrips are multifit or can be custom made for every make and model and come in a range of styles to handle all terrain conditions where adhesion is a problem including
farming, drain work, papa, mud, clay, sandstone, snow and ice. TrackGrip is the greatest safety and traction enhancement attachment available for use on all tracked vehicles and there is nothing comparable on the market today. The pay back from reduced machine downtime plus the huge increase in operator safety makes having a set of TrackGrips an
absolute necessity! TrackGrips are easy to fit on and off and with no drilling or welding and come with a complimentary spanner. TrackGrip is now global with product in the USA, UK, Canada, Scotland, Malaysia, Hawaii and Australia where its unique traction enhancement is recognized. Visit the new website and online store for further information
Come an d see us at th Mystery C e reek Fieldays site J27 a
nd J29
Carac International offers a free, no obligation quoting system. We will find out your requirements and deliver a proposal in a timely manner. Our experience within the industry can assure you that we won’t be beaten on price or quality.
Come an d see us at the Central District F ieldays site E
33 for amazing giveawa ys and spe cials
PROVIDING ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S MOST ADVANCED CUTTING SERVICES & WON’T BE BEATEN ON QUALITY OR PRICE www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
If you’re competitor f
THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING
Unmanned aerial vehicles take off at Wings over Wairarapa ‘’Aviation NZ is delighted with the success of the first UAV Symposium and Trade Show as part of Wings over Wairarapa’’ said Aviation NZ CEO Samantha Sharif. “As safety, operational and privacy concerns regarding UAVs take centre stage, the pivotal role of UAVNZ in developing a world-class NZ UAV industry cannot be underestimated. UAVNZ is developing Codes of Conduct for UAV operators - and these will go a long way to ensuring we have a safe and professional UAV industry” she added. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are one of the fastest growing sectors of the aviation industry with significant economic potential for New Zealand. This event provided a key opportunity for us to promote the benefits of UAVs to businesses and the general public. The Shared Skies Symposium was a huge success with over 230 attendees including UAV suppliers, service companies, end-users, research groups and government agencies. Highlights included an address by the Director of the Civil Aviation Authority, Graeme Harris, on future policy development, and the Associate Minister of Transport, the Hon Craig Foss, on government initiatives to support innovation and business growth.
The UAVNZ industry association (a division of Aviation NZ) has been formed to maximise the benefits from UAV technologies and develop a world-class commercial UAV industry in New Zealand by:
remotely piloted aerial vehicles. They are used by commercial operators as well as aviation and technical enthusiasts.
* Connecting: suppliers and customers, hosting forums and networking events.
These terms are used interchangeably. RPAS means a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System and is a relatively new term that has been adopted by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) to encompass an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and everything involved in their operation including software, aircraft, and operation procedures. UAS means an Unmanned Aerial System and includes software and the aircraft vehicle. The term Drone is often used when referring to military use.
* Promoting: UAV companies and services, the benefits of UAV technology, and safe and professional operating practices. * Supporting: companies by providing templates and standards, engaging with the CAA and the wider aviation industry. It’s a critical time in the industry as many businesses discover the potential of UAV technology to reduce costs and increase productivity, but unsafe practices still capture the headlines. Join UAVNZ now to keep the momentum going and create a safe and sustainable commercial UAV industry in NZ. Join now by visiting admin1@aia.org.nz. Key Facts About UAVNZ UAVNZ’s purpose is to maximise the benefits from UAV technologies and develop a world-class UAV industry in New Zealand. UAVs are an emerging industry of
What is the difference between the terms RPAS, UAV, UAS and drone?
Aviation New Zealand Aviation New Zealand exists to lead, inspire and grow the New Zealand aviation industry. It was established in 1950 to encourage the safe growth of the aviation industry in New Zealand. In more recent years, it has also become involved in helping the international development of its members. o Aviation New Zealand has over 1000 members and stakeholders o Members
include
agricultural
companies, air operators (fixed wing and rotary), aircraft designers and manufacturers, airports, aviation trainers, emergency and medical services companies, helicopter companies and parts manufacturers. Key facts about aviation in New Zealand An ‘early adopter’ in aviation terms first international customer for Boeing; first pilot training school 1916; first airmail 1919; and quick appreciation of the suitability of aviation for agriculture, tourism and forestry. 4502 aircraft in New Zealand, one per thousand people, giving New Zealand one of the highest aircraft per capita ratios in the world. Decades of policy innovation to support competition, safety and growth; 30m km≤ of safely managed airspace; and exports to over 80 countries on all continents. Aircraft fit-outs, new aircraft (including UAVs), GPS track and tracing systems, high precision processes (for example bait and fire fighting), composites, titanium powders, and aviation industry business and operational systems are just some of the exciting technologies and practices developing in New Zealand which set the scene for growth in the next 100 years.
What does 2015 hold for NZ ICT exporters? By James Harbidge, Business Development Manager, London While the weather in London may not match that in sunny New Zealand, there is certainly a bright outlook for the year ahead in the ICT business world here in the UK. It’s a good time to be planning and assessing what 2015 might bring and there is no shortage of predictions and commentaries looking to identify what will define this year for the ICT industry. Last year, there were many suggestions that 2014 would be the ‘year of the Cloud’, ‘the year mobile payments really take off’ or even ‘the year wearable tech becomes mainstream.’ The extent to which these were realised can be debated, and 2015 is awash with similar thoughts. Indeed, at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas recently the tech world large and small gathered to pick out the latest innovations – and, crucially, to pick out those that can be commercialised. Here are a few of my thoughts about the coming 12 months for New www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
Zealand’s ICT exporters: ‘ Big data’ and the ‘Cloud’ Tired terms, but more relevant than ever. There is much fatigue with these labels in the ICT world as they have been around for years, often thrown about with limited substance. However, what they represent is central to the ICT industry – particularly the exporting New Zealand ICT industry – as cultural acceptance of Software-asa-Service business models grows across traditional industries such as banking and utilities. Opportunities continue to scale in the rapidly growing digital content space where small, flexible companies can compete on the world stage.
bullet. This is where the largest ICT companies are focusing and searching – and all other ICT companies need to be speaking that language. Cyber security This is certainly a hot topic right now after the Sony affair and this will continue into 2015. Expect large corporations to take extra precautions in their IT infrastructure and governments to double their efforts. Security has long been highlighted
as the barrier to adoption of cloud services and the industry will need to move quickly this year to address all concerns – both real ones and rumoured ones. Social media Social media has been around a while now, but we are increasingly seeing it become a core marketing strategy rather than just a ‘nice to have’ on the fringes of the business. 2015 will continue this and all our companies.
The ‘internet of things’ This was a major buzz at CES this year (as it has been for several years). The idea is nothing new – but the commercial value proposition of the ever increasing number of interconnected devices in and out of the home is a much sought-after silver
An attendee at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show checks out Belkin’s display of WiFi integrated products for the home.
NZ Manufacturer February 2015
focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing something. Being customer focused allows you to be more pioneering. - Jeff Bezos
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ANALYSIS
Maintenance for mine profitability Mining operations and manufacturing facilities rely on the continued safe operation of vehicles and machinery to maintain profitability. Any equipment failure can be expensive in terms of lost production and cost of repairs. An estimate for the cost of lost production for a single dragline is $8000 per hour in Australia making any breakdown very costly when it might take weeks for a replacement part to be available. One way to minimise losses is to continually monitor plant and machinery using non-destructive testing (NDT) methods to ascertain component health, and monitor mechanisms for damage. Phased array ultrasound can enhance day to day inspection of surface mining equipment, thereby improving safety and keeping critical equipment operational. However, it is important that inspections are performed with minimal down time, so need to be planned and coordinated to ensure that critical parts are available when the maintenance is carried out. As part of the technical programme at the recent Australian Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (AINDT) Conference in Brisbane, Nicholas Bublitz, a Global Product Support Specialist with Olympus Scientific Solutions America (OSSA), reported on how the use of phased array ultrasonics could improve surface mine profitability. NDT is a group of techniques used to detect discontinuities in materials or components without causing damage or permanently altering the article being inspected. The AINDT Conference provided opportunities for NDT and maintenance professionals to meet and discuss the latest advances in NDT from around the world. Leading corporate members of the Institute, such as Olympus, displayed and demonstrated some of their innovative, precision analysis instrumentation and applications supporting NDT. “NDT methods like ultrasonics, eddy current and radiography-along with condition monitoring techniques
such as oil and vibration analysis-play an important part in predictive maintenance programs and help reduce unexpected expenses,” Bublitz said. Outage and emergency repair costs can be a significant percentage of the total operating cost of a mine. Finding a crack and repairing it before failure, or monitoring it until it needs replacement and ensuring that parts are ordered to arrive in time for the maintenance work, saves both time and money. Bublitz is responsible for the global support and industry advancement of all NDT equipment produced by Olympus and is a regular visitor to Australia. Joining the company more than nine years ago after obtaining an Associates in Applied Science Degree in Non-destructive Testing Technology, Bublitz has held positions ranging from Technical Support, Sales Management, Technical Support Management, and Global Technical Support focusing on phased array, Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) and automated system technology, he is now involved in many aspects of marketing, business development, product development and technical support across all industries. He is also active with professional bodies including ASNT, ASME and AWS. Conventional ultrasonic testing methods use a single element transducer that produces a beam either at a fixed angle or perpendicular to the surface. This method is sufficient for many general weld and component tests with unobstructed access and relatively simple geometry to allow probe movement. Phased array ultrasonics began with the development of transducers with multiple elements that can be individually excited but work as a group. The sound waves from each element join to form a dominant wave, the direction of which is controlled by the firing sequence and timing. In this way it is possible to electronically sweep through a range of angles and display the results as a composite picture-this is known as phased array and is a similar technique to ultrasound used in medicine.
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Since being introduced in the 1990s, the cost of phased array inspection tools has steadily decreased making the technique accessible to more companies and industrial sectors. As technology has advanced, the
.The size of the problem...NDT technicians inspecting a large scale mining equipment part.
capabilities of the equipment have increased, while set-up and operation has been dramatically simplified. Machinery used to access, remove and haul away coal and other mineral resources at mine sites is often used during every shift and is under constant operational stress due to the sheer weight or the rotation and vibration of components and engines. Draglines and shovels are two key pieces of operating equipment where there are many beneficial applications for phased array inspection and analysis. There are many shafts, pins, bores and lugs on these machines, all of which present excellent opportunities to benefit from phased array inspection. In addition, the benefits of phased array in weld inspection are well documented and are equally applicable in mining applications. One example Bublitz presented at the AINDT conference was the checking of dragline swing shafts, which are often long with variable outside diameters. Cracks commonly occur at the transition or taper down areas.
Often two or more ultrasonic angles are chosen and multiple manual conventional ultrasonic inspections are performed where the probe can be applied to the shaft. He showed that the application of phased array simplifies the inspection, and provides better identification and sizing. Phased array imaging helps identify geometric landmarks to help define the location and importance of any discontinuities. The overall probability of detection is greatly increased using the comprehensive visual representation. Data capture even allows for further off-line analysis. The result is more dependable, accurate and faster assessment of potential failure sites. The benefits of phased array have been proven by more than twenty years of use in other industries and can now be shown to benefit typical mining applications. “The use of multiple angles and imaging increases coverage, reduces scanning times, and provides better detection and characterisation capabilities especially
Olympus Omniscan SX and probe being used to analyse a mining machine component. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
WORKSHOP TOOLS when monitoring crack growth,” Bublitz stated. “Phased array can add a huge benefit to mine predictive maintenance programs and in turn increase profitability.” The latest generation of phased array equipment from Olympus is designed to make the technology accessible and economical to use, thus negating any objections to it being adopted by the mining and related industries. Cost, ease of use, portability and resistance to operational climatic conditions have been greatly improved. The same instrument, such as an Omniscan SX, can be used for both phased array and conventional inspection. In addition, the availability of training has greatly increased over the years and the pool of accredited technicians continues to grow.
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Nowak also presented a seminar about and demonstrated the Nortec N600 Eddy Current flaw detector and the use of Eddy Current Array for stress corrosion crack detection. Nowak also assisted ATTAR (Advanced Technology Testing and Research) in one of its NDT workshops by lending a RollerFORM corrosion wheel probe and showing how easy it was to set up. “With state of the art technologies and a comprehensive range of instrumentation available, we can supply equipment for a wide range of non-destructive testing applications to a variety of industries,” Nowak concluded. “We are committed to the development of new technologies, products, and services that offer the best solutions to meet the needs of our customers.”
tna to showcase complete solutions at AUSPACK 2015 Integrated packaging and processing solutions provider tna will highlight its flagship high performance packaging and distribution systems at this year’s AUSPACK exhibition. Visitors to the stand will be able to learn more about the tna robag 3ci high speed bagger, as well as the tna roflo 3 horizontal motion conveyor. Experts from tna’s global team will also be on hand to demonstrate how its automation and controls capabilities can help manufacturers maximise performance, as well as showcase the benefits that tna’s acquisition of FOODesign can bring to its customers. Delivering unrivalled throughput of up to 250 bpm, the tna robag 3ci high speed vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) packaging machine offers production flexibility in a compact, easy-to-clean system that is suitable for a wide variety of products. This cutting edge system provides up to a 30 per cent improvement in performance in terms of output and reduction in rejects, while achieving unprecedented throughput rates. With innovative features including the patented tna hyper-detect metal detector, tna intelli-read bar code verification scanning system and the tna intelli-scan visual print code verification system, the tna robag 3ci provides manufacturers with a complete packaging solution. In addition, tna has made it even easier to operate the machine by simplifying the film system. The new tna auto-splice www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
-Marco Rubio
automatically changes film reels when one is finished, increasing packaging efficiency and product throughput by reducing the need for manual intervention. Also on show is the tna roflo 3 conveyor, a horizontal motion distribution system whose low force operation minimises product loss, offering speed and direction control to optimise performance. Particularly suited to heavy coated products as seasoning does not build up on the pans, the tna roflo HM 3 has an easy-to-clean design to help manufacturers reduce waste and comply with strict HACCP and QA standards. Alongside its existing portfolio of packaging, seasoning and distribution solutions, tna now offers a variety of FOODesign’s world leading fryers and cookers, including batch fryers, continuous fryers, baking and toasting ovens, and speciality roasting equipment. These systems are suitable for use across a wide variety of applications including meat, poultry, seafood, bakery, confectionery and snack foods.
An Omniscan SX being used to analyse a mining gear shaft.
Ideal plate and section bending Ideal for cones and cylinders for offshore projects, architectural structures, machine constructions, fuel depots, is the plate bending machine PB3-18-10 from SchwarzeRobitec.
With an initial performance of 3,000 x 28/31 millimeters and a round bending performance of 3,000 x 45 millimeters, the PB3-18-10 is the ideal solution for bending particularly thick plates.
With the PB3-18-10, the toll manufacturer specialised in plate and section bending, has a powerful machine with a high level of torque, a cone bending device and hardened rollers for bending stainless steel plates.
This is enabled through the roller diameter of 460 millimeters and the integrated lever arm system. The latter takes care of an available contouring force of up to 255 tons.
With an initial performance of 3,000 x 28/31 millimeters and a bending performance of 3,000 x 45 millimeters, the PB3-18-10 is the ideal solution for bending particularly thick plates.
NZ Manufacturer February 2015
Move fast and break things. Unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough. -- Mark Zukerberg
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WORKSHOP TOOLS
AUSTECH 2015 – The world’s leading machine tool builders under one roof Those who walk through the doors of Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26 to 29 May 2015 will have a world of manufacturing opportunities open before their eyes. Of course it takes all areas of manufacturing to come together, including tooling, workholding, software and systems integration, to create a complete solution, but machine tools are one important piece of the manufacturing puzzle. This year, Australia’s premier advanced precision manufacturing and machine tool show will once again host all the world’s leading machine tool builders under one roof, showcasing the latest machine tool configurations and also stylings that are notably different and fresh. The slowly recovering but still very challenging conditions of the Australian market for machine tools and other equipment makes AUSTECH of keen interest to local suppliers. “Given the current conditions inside Australia’s metal manufacturing sector, it’s important that business owners and operators can examine the next investment steps in manufacturing technology they must take to rebuild their competitive position in the global arena,” Phil Hayes, Managing Director of Okuma Australia & NZ comments. “The machine tool field has been somewhat difficult for the past three years but that has not prevented us from making available the very latest, market-leading and innovative technology from Okuma.” Okuma will showcase three levels of new technology, including 5-axis machining, Phil Hayes explains. “New advanced technology machine models of 5-axis milling with turning and 10-axis turning with milling, amazing advances in the user-interface of Okuma’s own OSP controller technology and packaged, kit-style automation solutions. These are central to the technology investments Australian manufacturers must make to keep pace with overseas manufacturing trends that are well advanced.” Rebuilding a competitive position requires local manufacturers to do several things: Investing in new and highly-efficient equipment. Automating. Training and retraining. One of the recent major trends in
machine tool technology is 5-axis machining. Now, many manufacturers might think they don’t have 5-axis work. And yes, very often 3-axis machining or machining cells of several more affordable machine tools might be more efficient, depending on the job. However, every shop has work that would benefit from a 5-axis machine, as a 5-axis machining centre also facilitates 5-sided machining, for instance. Even if there are no parts requiring simultaneous 5-axis work, such as impellers or turbines, the parts produced on 3-axis machines can be more profitable when 5-sided machined on a 5-axis machining centre. Automation solutions and efficient and innovative control systems are indeed important pieces in the manufacturing puzzle for those who want to stay competitive. And there are amazing developments happening. Today, CNCs used to run machines are morphing into units that imitate our mobile phones, tablets and other portable devices, for instance. DMG MORI, for instance, has recently released its innovative user interface CELOS®, which provides a uniform user interface for all new high-tech machines from DMG MORI. A unique 21.5” multi-touch screen displays all CELOS® APPs, which provide the user with integrated management, documentation and visualisation of order, process and machine data. Additionally, machine operation is simplified, standardised and automated. At this point, AUSTECH organiser AMTIL does not know whether CELOS® will be on show in Melbourne, but we are sure many of our local manufacturers have already seen this innovative technology at overseas shows such as IMTS in Chicago last year. Of course, 5-axis machining, mill-turn or turn-mill machining are just one example of considerations manufacturers can take into account when thinking about increasing their shop’s efficiency to remain globally competitive. Companies like Alfex CNC, John Hart, Amada, Headland, GWB, Techni Waterjet or Stratasys will show how we are shaping workpieces with additive processes, subtractive processes, and both processes on the same machine. They show how we use
lasers, waterjets, ultrasonics, electrical discharges and vibrations to shape and change materials. Exciting technologies not to be missed! “As Australia’s premier manufacturing technology event, AUSTECH provides Australian industry with a local opportunity to view and assess new and emerging global technologies
with a view to keeping their businesses lean, efficient and competitive,” is how John Hart’s Mark Dobrich put it when asked why companies should visit the show. AUSTECH will be an important event in Australian manufacturing, in the sense that it will be an indicator of the shape manufacturing is in. We look forward to welcoming you to our show.
297 words Lightweight materials excel in underground applications
Conveyor rollers are a prime application of Duromer FRAS-approved products
A range of tough lightweight FRAS-approved materials and engineered solutions are used for underground and confined space applications.. The corrosion and chemical-resistant nylon-based products – including two material grades approved to MDG 3608 relating to non-metallic materials for use in underground coal mining – are suitable for materials handling components including conveyor rollers, roller compeonts and conveyor accessories. Available either as off-the-shelf product or custom-engineered solutions to individual needs, the material is also suitable for a wide range of materials handling and process engineering components including pulleys, brackets, diverse rollers, elevator buckets and pull switch accessories such as “Pigs Tails” In prime applications such as coal, these FRAS-approved and MDG 3608 compliant materials have significant advantages in addition to high performance and durability in aggressive environments. These include weight savings, cost savings and flexibility in manufacture. As a replacement for metal, their FRAS rating and resistance to chemicals and corrosion make them suitable for use across a range of confined spaces applications and a broad range of industries.
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
WORKSHOP TOOLS
When you’re first thinking through an idea, it’s important not to get bogged down in complexity. Thinking simply and clearly is hard to do. - Richard Branson
Clean green plastic cribbing for weight-bearing consistency A new generation of recycled plastic cribbing system tested to be consistent with internationally recognised Australian Standards is being introduced throughout the Asia-Pacific. The lightweight, splinter-free, non-absorbent and environmentally sustainable Dura Crib ranges of blocking and cribbing products from the Cribbing and Matting Co have been engineered for maximum durability and tested under the guidance of AS1170 to ensure optimum safety and risk management when stabilising heavy loads. “We believe this compliance is a first for high-performance plastic cribbing and a major safety benefit. Unlike other cribbing or blocking products, the Dura Crib range has a published Working Load Limit so users can safely and confidently use do their jobs without the worry of wondering if their blocking system is up to the job. This sets a new benchmark of quality, high performance and consistency of supply for safety-conscious industries,” says Cribbing and Matting Co Pty Ltd Managing Director Mr Tony Brooks. Such safety assurance, risk management and established continuity of supply is widely sought by industries dealing with heavy loads, such as mining and energy, oil and gas, construction and building, rescue and recovery, food processing, manufacturing and materials handling, industrial maintenance and safety, road and rail transport, ports and shipping and water, waste water and infrastructure. Within the Dura Crib range there are blocks suitable for supporting weights of up to 110,000kg with a choice of high visibility yellow or ultra strength black. • High-visibility safety yellow, with Working Load
Ball valve stabilisation, left, and fork lift stabilisation, right
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Dura Crib systems – 50 year warranty against splitting, rotting, fluid absorption, termites and mould
Limit of 36kg/cm2 at 25oC • Ultra-strength, optimum performance black, with Working Load Limit of 60kg/cm2 at 25oC Both types feature a globally proven, consistent and repeatable formulation with a 50-year warranty against splitting, rotting, absorption, termites and mould. The lightweight, splinter free, high performance Dura Crib range was developed to replace older, weaker wood cribbing systems (below) with constant cracking and varying and unpredictable load-bearing capabilities. “The use of wooden cribbing is declining in many industries throughout Australasia and South-East Asia,” says Mr Brooks. “Not only is wood impossible to authenticate for Working Load Limit, but also wooden cribbing requires ongoing replacement involving extensive handling, consumption and disposal of a finite resource. “In addition to wastage of scarce hardwoods, there are disposal problems with tons of wooden cribbing that soaks up oil, chemicals and hazardous waste products that abound on maintenance, fabrication and worksites. Such hazardous substances contained in waste wood cannot be dumped into landfill, where they can find their way into the water tables of rural and urban communities.” Dura Crib systems have been extensively proven under some of the world’s toughest safety regimes in the United States of America. A major advantage of Dura Crib is that it is a complete system of
integrated products that can be combined to provide comprehensive solutions across a wide range of industries. Dura Crib offers complete solutions and continuity of supply for particular applications, rather than piecemeal product ranges and erratic availability. Benefits of the re-engineered plastic cribbing and blocking systems include: • Working Load Limit for confidence and safety in use • Splinter free, reduced risk of injury • Outstanding strength – Ultra strength, black, ranges are stronger than oak, with high stability and repeatability • 100 per cent recycled plastic construction for optimum durability and environmental sustainability • Resistant to gas, oil, chemicals and organic substances such as blood • Laboratory tested, with consistent repeatable formulation and performance • Suitable for both active cribbing, where a person is working nearby, and for passive cribbing, where cribbing is used to keep material off the ground to allow a forklift to operate. “This is a truly durable and sustainable system, whereas the only guarantee with wood is that you will eventually have to replace it,” said Mr Brooks. “Dura Crib provides an engineered and easily handled system and is the fastest way to stabilise loads, including machinery and vehicles ranging from cars to heavy trucks. By ensuring stability quickly
Rail car maintenance, left and hi-rail stabilisation centre and right
Introducing
Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. – Voltaire
title text
NZ Manufacturer February 2015
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
FOOD MANUFACTURING
Going from PayPal, I thought: Well, what are some o future of humanity?’ Not from t
Proven waste water technologies combine to do
There’s money in waste – sludge such as this produced by DAF plants can be transformed into green energy using anaerobic technology
Dissolved
Air
Flotation
is
a
tried and trusted treatment of industrial wastewater effluents produced by food, beverage and primary processing plants that are integral to the economies of many countries
in
Australasia,
Asia,
Africa, America and Europe. DAF’s great strengths as a primary treatment include relative simplicity in installation and proven cost-efficiency in separating oil and suspended solids from wastewater in applications as diverse as dairy, beef, pork poultry, grains, cereals and crops such as beets, cassava, potatoes, soy, wheat, corn and sugar cane. Compact and robust DAF systems reduce Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) loading by the removal of high COD contaminants including fats, oils and greases, colour, organic matter and colloidal material. A reduction of up to 70-80 per cent COD and suspended solids can be achieved in some instances with chemical addition. But impressive as these results are, they may not always be enough. As environmental and cost-efficiency demands increase on food, beverage and primary processing plants – and as such plants increasingly overlap with expanding urban areas – they face the twin pressures of achieving ever-higher waste water discharge and waste disposal standards while also achieving greater cost-efficiencies. Neighbouring communities these days won’t tolerate ground water pollution and air pollution in the form of smells form piles of rotting www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
sludges and by-products. Shareholders, meanwhile, demand that any solution be ecologically sustainable and highly cost-efficient. These twin demands used to present a virtually indissoluble dilemma, a real paradox, because better environmental technologies cost more, not less. But not anymore. Because proven DAF technologies can be very profitably combined with the latest anaerobic waste digestion technologies which not only extract very high levels (up to 90 per cent) of harmful COD contaminants from waste water streams and sludge by- products, but also convert them into profitable green energy. The sludge floated in the DAF process can be anaerobically digested thus eliminating a sludge dewatering and sludge disposal issue. Anaerobically digested sludge produces methane which can be used to fuel boilers. This biogas (methane) can be used to fuel boilers and heat processes, replacing costly and polluting fossil fuels. Or, if there is enough biogas, then it can be fed to generators for conversion to electricity that can be fed back to local grids and used to achieve carbon credits or pollution reduction credits. The UN has backed this method of achieving localized and highly efficient sources of electricity, which don’t suffer from the same energy losses as centralised electricity systems and do benefit their local communities. “DAF and anaerobic digestion are very complementary technologies, which offer double benefits in the
form of far cleaner effluent and green energy (methane biogas) to cut fossil fuel bills and pollution,” says an authority on both technologies, Mr Michael Bambridge. Mr Bambridge is Managing Director of CST Wastewater technologies, which has installed DAF systems for numerous primary producers and food processors in Australasia over the last 20 years as well as advanced anaerobic digestion systems.
years through gas purchase savings amounting to many millions of dollars – then continue to deliver benefits and profitability virtually in perpetuity, says Oakey Beef Exports Pty Ltd General Manager Mr Pat Gleeson. Adoption of the technology is the result of an exhaustive selection process and the committed alliance to the environment of Oakey Beef Exports and its owners Nippon Meat Packers, says Mr Gleeson.
CST Wastewater Solutions is also Australasian regional representative of the advanced anaerobic technologies of Global Water Engineering, headed by Founder and Chariman/CEO, Jean Pierre Ombregt, a green energy pioneer whose technologies have been proven over 35 years.
2. Dairy and Potato
GWE has completed more than 300 such installations in Asia, the Americas, Europe and Asia, with scores of them producing biogas to turn a former problem into a bottom-line profit in virtual perpetuity.
Examples of anaerobic benefits 1. Livestock One of the most recent projects undertaken by CST Wastewater solutions is the GWE COHRAL(TM) Covered High Rate Anaerobic Lagoon at Oakey Beef Exports on Queensland’s Darling Downs, which will extract green energy biogas from its waste water streams to replace millions of dollars worth of natural gas currently consumed at the abattoir. The plant is expected to repay its cost of construction inside five
Another outstanding example of the efficiencies of anaerobic technologies is provided by Remo-Frit, in Belgium, which has demonstrated the environmental and economic benefits of converting waste products into green energy, transforming a potential problem into a sustainable solution offering greater profitability. Out of a 3,300 m³ digester for the potato peels and primary sludge, GWE is able to produce up to 14,150 m³ of biogas per day from ± 230 Ton of organic residues per day (potato peels + primary sludge). On top of that, the anaerobic wastewater treatment plant produces another 3,350 m³ of biogas per day. Together, this amount of biogas is equivalent to 8,410 kg or 9,834 l of light fuel oil per day or 3,106 tons of fossil fuel a year, worth nearly Euro 3 million or nearly $US 4 million. Energy savings produced by biogas production at Remo-Frit are achieved in perpetuity, with fossil fuel equivalent savings totaling $US40 million (nearly Euro 30 million) in the first decade at today’s prices
NZ Manufacturer February 2015
of the other problems that are likely to most affect the the perspective, ‘What’s the best way to make money? - Elon Musk
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FOOD MANUFACTURING
ouble green energy and environmental benefits digestion process for cassava pulp – not only greatly reduces leftover pulp, but boosts the plant’s existing biogas production to replace fossil fuels and to generate electricity. The latest technology installed at Chok Chai Starch helps the factory achieve a minimum of 80 per cent conversion of the organics present in the pulp to biogas (methane), treating a maximum of 370 tons a day of wet pulp containing 68,700kg a day COD (chemical oxygen demand). Daily biogas production exceeds 30,000 Nm3 at 60 per cent CH4 content. Conclusion
Remo-Frit plant featuring Global Water Engineering technology
3. Dairy One of the United States’ newest dairy processing plants features advanced anaerobic waste water treatment technology that not only radically improves biomass recovery and effluent quality, but also harnesses green energy from waste streams to drive production processes and reduce its carbon footprint. The Cayuga Milk Ingredients (CMI) plant in Auburn, NY – which is scheduled to commence production this northern summer - will manufacture a wide range of dairy products, such as pasteurized cream, whole milk powder, liquid permeate, condensed milk, skim milk powder, non-fat dry milk and milk proteins. Cayuga Marketing LLC – a collective of dairy farmers in the Finger Lakes Region, NY – decided to construct their local processing plant to reduce their milk-hauling costs while also greatly reducing transport emissions and carbon footprint as a result of the shorter transportation distances involved.
To achieve optimum environmental and efficiency benefits, CMI further decided to implement an anaerobic treatment process for their wastewater treatment facility, seeking to simultaneously achieve the most environmentally effective, energyefficient and cost-efficient solution.
4. Starch Similar success extracting biogas from both waste water and waste pulp has been achieved at the Chok Chai cassava plant in Thailand, a finalist in the energy category of the prestigious 2014 IChemE global awards run by the Institution of Chemical Engineers representing 40,000 members across 120 countries. Chok Chai uses GWE’s groundbreaking RAPTOR™ anaerobic waste water technology with ANAMIX™ thermophilic digester for the processing of waste cassava pulp and its conversion into biogas. Chok Chai Starch’s Thermophilic RAPTOR™ – the world’s first plant to incorporate the thermophilic biological
Community and Government demands for clean water and renewable energy are expanding globally, while tolerance for ground and air pollution is disappearing fast.
In all of these areas, DAF primary treatment technologies and anaerobic secondary technologies offer widely proven means by which to cost-efficiently achieve environmental objectives and to boost profitability. However, it is often no longer simply a choice of one or the other: the best results will be had from a combination of both, engineered to the needs of particular industries. Combined DAF and Anaerobic plants - including breweries, fruit, food waste, agro industries, and energy crops including corn – employ proven technologies to open the door to major environmental and production efficiency gains globally.
However, few technologies are available to simultaneously to offer efficient primary and secondary processing of compounds commonly encountered in the food and beverage industry (table one below), while also providing green energy to offset and ultimately totally eliminate the cost.
Compounds
Sources
Examples
Carbohydrates, sugars, starch, cellulose
Beets, corn, potatoes, maize, straw, grass
Sugar beet and starch processing waste, manure, harvest remains
Proteins
Animals and animal products
Milk and dairy processing waste
Fats
Animals and animal products
Slaughterhouses, rendering plants
Volatile fatty acids
Fats, oils, grease, evaporation condensate
Slaughterhouses, rendering plants, oil mills
Cayuga’s completely enclosed GWE SUPERFLOT-BIOGAS™ system for high efficiency removal of anaerobic biomass www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need.
C o n n e c t i o n Te c h n o l o g i e s
– Voltaire
title text
GEL termination blocks February 2015 Items & Products Etelec Harting ODU
GEL filled termination block comes in a wide range of sizes, for single cables up to five cables, all providing an IPX8 protection to the joint. Suitable for direct burial and up to 1 metre under water, the SHARK product can be used for straight jointing or branch jointing of cables .
## Call us to check out the stocked range of sizes. ##
Weicon
MPGel, supplied in two bottles allows you to mix your own sealing GEL and seal your own enclosures. Mix the amount you need and within 5 minutes the job is done. Unlike hard setting resins, components and joints can be removed from the GEL with no damage to the cable or joint. Ideal for sealing PCB’s as used in wet environments. EX STOCK
NOTE: Check out our new website, still under review but feed back appreciated. www.connectors.co.nz
NEW Check this out!!! WEICON No 5 Cable stripper.
The best ever German made cable stripper you will ever own. Self sensing for wire size, 0.2—6mm. Lightweight and easy to use.
P.O.Box 39340 Wellington Mail Centre 59 Marsden Street Lower Hutt Ph 4 5665 345 Fax 4 5665 347 www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
More tools over page
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
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Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. PAGE 2 – Voltaire
WEICON TOOLS CONTINU ED;
title No 7F for TPS
HA R T I NG MO D U LA R
Harting industrial connectors have an increased range of inserts as used in their modular product. Everything from control signals to power, RJ45, USB and air can now be used in the well known and hardy standard housings. Check the range of stocked options.
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Other tools in the Weicon range includes a cable stripper No7F for TPS flat cable, removes the outer jacket then separately remove the insulation off all three conductors in a single squeeze of the handles. For those using bootlace ferrules, the DUO300 will cut, strip and crimp, all in a light weight tool.
MARKET COMMENT Christmas has come and gone and I hope everyone is back, rested and ready to forge on into a new year. Whilst certain politicians are claiming a “rockstar economy”, the news we find in the electrical/electronics industry is quite different. It is readily accepted that unless you are in the building industry in Christchurch or Auckland, many business’s are in reality struggling to survive. There are several very innovative business’s out there but what is becoming a sad fact is that the moment they stick their head over the parapet they are snapped up by an American company keen to avail themselves of the innovative design and work of kiwi designers. The out come is that design may remain in NZ but manufacturing moves to China or Mexico and opportunities for employment in the assembly market further disappears along with the opportunities for local suppliers of all the support materials. It is a fact we live in a global market and suppliers from outside NZ want a share of our business but I really do think it time for politicians and business to look a few years forward and ask themselves, what are their grandchildren going to do. Not all people can be computer wizz’s, not everyone can set up a business and be an exporter, there is a need to NZ to maintain it’s own support infrastructure across all levels of the economy and each industry. In too many cases it is fine to purchase product from an overseas website but you must first know what you need and this information invariably comes from the local supplier. At Connection Technologies we inquire as to your aims, learn the environment where your design must work and then offer a product which best fits the application. Our people have a goal of wanting your product to be the best and so become part of your team helping your company achieve it’s bottom line by ensuring you have the right product.
New Zealand distributor for ;
ODU offers connection solutions for a wide range of applications including the transmission of power, signal, data and media. Modular connector systems are also available for a combination of power, signal, data and fluid contacts in one connector system.
Lewis Woodward Managing Director. The S4-28 WEICON cable stripper won a design award in Germany for it’s design, With the Health and Safety people coming down hard on the use of box knives for stripping cable, these are the most obvious alternative . Available in a range of sizes for handling cables up to 50mm diameter cables, the cutting blade is adjustable and is self rotating to allow for circular or longitudinal cutting.
. S4—28 Stripper
CALL TODAY TO CHECK OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. -Maya Angelou
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BUSINESS NEWS
Mark Campbell.
Calibre Consulting increases capacity and innovation The Christchurch rebuild and subsequent earthquake strengthening regulations, town planning and wider infrastructure projects have all placed huge demands on New Zealand’s surveying and engineering sector. To help meet that demand, one of New Zealand’s oldest engineering, project management and surveying consultancies has expanded its capacity. Rebranded as Calibre Consulting, the new business combines the former Spiire from New Zealand and Brown Consulting from Australia and Singapore, to produce a team of 600 professionals.
“Our team is firmly focussed on New Zealand first, but having our colleagues in Australia and Singapore means we have the resource and access to leading edge development from throughout the whole of the business,” Mr Campbell says.
He was national Business Development and HSEQ manager for Brown Consulting in Australia before being seconded to New Zealand after Brown’s parent, Calibre Group, bought the former Spiire from Downer EDI earlier this year. ASX listed Calibre Group reported revenue of A$709 million for the year ended June 30, 2014, with net profit after tax (NPAT) of A$24.4 million.
A former Royal Navy helicopter pilot who has an engineering degree and an MBA, Mr Campbell was a Lieutenant Commander and the chief operations officer for a 400 person naval squadron before he was entice back to his engineering roots.
“The New Zealand business has a fantastic history, starting as Duffill Watts & King more than 65 years ago,” Mr Campbell says. “These days we have also developed some niche areas of expertise too, such as biological process design. Our waste
In New Zealand Calibre Consulting’s Executive General Manager Mark Campbell heads up a team of 130 spread across eight offices.
technology, for example, has helped expand the lifespan of some New Zealand waste water plants, meaning some local government councils have been able to stretch their capital expenditure programmes.” Calibre Consulting’s New Zealand team also contributes to international aid. Pamela Arconado, an engineer from the Auckland office, has just left for a three month stint working with Red Cross in the Philippines. She will be a technical adviser and project manager tracking NZ Aid funding to that country after the destructive Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and subsequent devastating floods.
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
DEVELOPMENTS
Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. – Voltaire
Robots learning to cook by watching YouTube videos In the hierarchy of things that I want robots to do for me, cooking dinner is right up there with doing the laundry and driving my car. In the hierarchy of things that I want robots to do for me, cooking dinner is right up there with doing the laundry and driving my car. And writing all my articles. For now, the best we can do is just watch progress being made toward getting all of these things to work reliably (and affordably). We’ve seen plenty of examples of robots that can cook, but generally, they’re all following some level of www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
pre-programmed instructions. Telling robots what to do and how to do it is one of the trickiest things about robotics, especially for end users, so it’s a good thing we can all just sit back and let them learn things by watching videos on YouTube. This project is taking place at the University of Maryland, and this video does a very good job of not really saying all that much over the course of 2 minutes, but here it is anyway: The research we’re talking about here is from a paper titled, “Robot Learning Manipulation Action Plans by ‘Watching’ Unconstrained Videos from the World Wide Web.” The paper is really about visual processing: watching a human interacting with objects in a video, and then figuring out what that human is doing and how they’re doing it, with a final step of replicating those actions using the manipulation capabilities of a robot (Baxter, in this case). The University of Michigan has a dataset called YouCook, which consists of 88 open-source third-person YouTube cooking videos. Each video was given a set of unconstrained natural language
descriptions by humans, and each video also has frame-by-frame object and action annotations. Using these data, the UMD researchers developed two convolutional neural networks: one to recognize and classify the objects in the videos, and the other to recognise and classify the grasps that the human is using. While object recognition is a familiar thing, recognising grasps is important because the robot may have different end effectors that it uses for different grasping purposes, and different grasps can also provide hints about what actions might happen next. From the paper: The grasp contains information about the action itself, and it can be used for prediction or as a feature for recognition. It also contains information about the beginning and end of action segments, thus it can be used to segment videos in time. If we are to perform the action with a robot, knowledge about how to grasp the object is necessary so the robot can arrange its effectors. For example, consider a humanoid with one parallel gripper and one vacuum gripper. When a power grasp is desired, the
robot should select the vacuum gripper for a stable grasp, but when a precision grasp is desired, the parallel gripper is a better choice. For this particular case, grasps were divided into six types: power grasps and precision grasps, each for a small object, large objects, or spherical object. Objects, meanwhile, were divided into 48 classes, ranging from “apple” to “whisk.” Based on the YouCook data set, the overall recognition accuracy that the system demonstrated was 83 percent, with a 68 percent success rate at translating the grasp and object combinations into commands that a robot could then execute. In future work, the researchers would like to develop finer grasp categorisations (more than just the six based on object size and whether power or precision is required), and then use those categorizations to better predict what action is happening in the video, or (ideally) what action is probably going to come next. By that we think the researchers are saying they’re scouring YouTube for a meal that they can sit back and watch their robots cook for them.
NZ Manufacturer February 2015
To get GoPro started, I moved back in with my parents and went to work seven days a week, 20 hours a day. I wrote off my personal life to make headway on it. - Nick Woodman
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REAR VIEW
Markets are Born at the Intersection Nick Inskip, HERA Industry Development General Manager
According to Matt Roberts, Executive Director of the Energy Storage Association in the USA, “markets are born at the intersection of policy, technology and opportunity.” This is a simple but fairly profound statement and highlights what should be obvious, which is that policy, technology and opportunity working together make things happen. It’s a bit like a three-legged stool - if one leg is missing the stool falls over but with all three in place, it is a solid platform on which to build a market. We don’t have to look far for examples of this. The policy in Norway to not tax electric vehicles and to offer free parking and use of bus lanes for them has driven the uptake of electric vehicles. The policy was there, the technology was there (electric cars), the uptake was there which was the opportunity, and the market beyond the obvious of sales and servicing of electric cars is the installation of charging points in both homes and public places. Taking
a
longer-term
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is the smart grid potential of using stored energy in cars to iron out peeks in demand for electricity, thereby providing another market. Another example is marine energy and the UK/ Scottish experience. Scotland has a 100% renewable electricity goal by 2020, and have a series of policies from feed in tariffs to investments in dedicated infrastructure at ports and universities in support of achieving the goal. So the policy is there, the technology has been carefully nurtured with research and development funding over the last two decades, which means the technology is there, while the wave and tidal characteristics, particularly around Scotland, means the opportunity is there. The market comes from the need for industry to support development, deployment, operation and maintenance of the marine energy devices and providing the services around them, from grid connection to wave forecasting and environmental monitoring. These are both examples of a joined-up approach to development and they are not unique. There are also myriad examples of where one or other of the ‘legs’ are missing, as in the case of the New Zealand Marine Energy
Deployment Fund. This government programme established several years ago was welcomed by industry; however, in terms of technology development, it was probably five years too early and it didn’t link to other policy enablers that would have generated demand once technology was demonstrated. The opportunity is certainly here in that New Zealand has some excellent wave and tidal resources. But for wave and tidal energy to develop a market, it needs all three legs working in concert with joined up strategies. Joined-up strategies mean strategies worked out between industry and Government and other key stakeholders that might include universities. While we have seen some efforts to set research priorities in New Zealand through detailing research challenges, the links to technology, which typically means industry, and to opportunity is a little less clear. Perhaps a better approach might be to identify the opportunity and technology, then develop the policy to support them and thereby create a market. Not that this is easy, but it just won’t happen if we don’t have exceptional co-operation between industry and Government in a climate of a positive development focus to
ensure markets are born. HERA is a strong advocate for this approach and applies the industry end with enthusiasm that has resulted in the successful Above Ground Geothermal and Allied Technology (AGGAT) programme, which is built on market opportunity, technology development, and supported by Government. In a similar way, HERA in conjunction with Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association (AWATEA) have been working for the past four years to realise an opportunity to develop New Zealand as a key player in the marine energy space, with government support pending, so industry is doing its bit to find the opportunities and develop technologies, all we need now is a joined-up strategy to make sure we are a success.
NZ MANUFACTURER • MARCH 2015 Issue • Features
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NZ Manufacturer February 2015
Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need. – Voltaire
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