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Global Aerial Platforms builds scale into UAVs

Christchurch-based aviation manufacturer Global Aerial Platforms has begun developing construction of the largest unmanned aerial vehicles yet to be made in the country and they are expected to attract significant interest at the South Mach15 engineering, machinery and electronics exhibition in July. “The early history of drone aviation was linked to their military use but Global Aerial Platforms Ltd (‘GAP’) is focusing on the peaceful purposes to which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be put across the commercial, scientific, environmental and community spectrum,” said the company’s co-founder Graham Tully. Tully melded experience in advanced composites manufacturing with the electronics expertise of his co-founder Paul Hartley to form GAP in 2013. After hundreds of man-hours in the R& D phase, in association with a technology cluster of organisations, GAP successfully proved the flight worthiness of ‘proof-of-concept’ variants. GAP is capable of constructing airframes in multiple shapes and sizes range from 1.9 metres up to 7.5 metres in wingspan and even larger. “We welcomed Canterbury Coastguard encouragement to build UAVs able to handle the highly demanding requirements of search and rescue missions launched either from shore or from a fast-moving boat,” said Mr Tully. “We have built robust and durable UAVs that can be used repetitively in rapid response search & rescue incidents in both maritime and mountain environments, or in disaster management in the aftermath of storms, subsidences and seismic events.” Under the wing of Canterbury Coastguard, GAP showcased the larger scale fixed wing dual fuselage Global Ranger model at the World Drones For Peace competition in the United Arab Emirates in February. “Around this event we have been filmed by New Zealand and international television media. It is really positive for getting our confidence up but we need to also keep our feet on the ground. As we seek to […]

Get there in style

The Electric Self Balancing Dual Wheel scooter, the “Galactic Wheels 400” With 2x 200 Watt electric motors, generates enough power to propel you along at up to 10kmph and the 8000mAh batter provides enough juice for a range of 25 to 30km. If you don’t have a bus or car that can take you door to door from home to work or school then the “Galactic Wheels 400” is the option for you. Designed to fill the void in that last part of your journey it can turn a daily commuter in to a pleasurable fun experience. With speeds up to 10kmph and a range of 25 to 30km this 2 Wheel stand up electric rideable is the next step in personal transportation. With a futuristic look and smooth ride that’s powerful enough to conquer gentle inclines you can easily get wherever you’re going without breaking a sweat. There are two sensors under each foot plate that detect the difference in pressure from your feet when leaning forward or backwards. By simply leaning slightly you can effortlessly glide along in total control. Each wheel is driven independently by a 200 Watt electric motor so you can even pivot and turn on the spot. With powerful gyroscopes the “Galactic Wheels 400” dual wheeled electric scooter will keep you upright as you’re carried to your destination. Just like the Silver Surfers board this transportation device is like something out of another world, and will turn any mundane journey into an enjoyable and fun experience. The powerful 8000mAh battery can keep the Dual wheel scooter going for up to 3 hours and weighing a little over 10 kilograms it can even accompany you on the bus or metro so it makes a perfect environmentally friendly solution for that last part of your commute […]

Productivity across all sectors

Over the last couple of years I have been receiving information from Wal Mart workers in the USA about their conditions and terms of employment and salary. They have a very intensive campaign which continues their push for improved wages so they have a fair deal and can afford to pay their bills. So my ears pricked up here – naturally enough – when the plight of the takeaway workers became apparent with their employers over zero-hour contracts. At this time, let’s give some credit for the role of the trade unions doing the right thing by the above mentioned workers. Trade unions support workers, they want to see people getting a fair go and being able to feed their children and not left at the bottom of the pecking order. Trade unions are a compass to show the direction to better things. And even if you are not a member of a union you can still applaud their pro-activity for attempting to make life better for others. If we measure the take away worker on a low income as against, say, a tradesman the salary is miles apart. The take away worker is still productive, however, and through their efforts allows their employer to add to the nation’s GDP. Maybe less skilled but still a valued member of society, of a community and contributing in domestic and business environments. New Zealand is a high tech country. However, not all of our citizens are into hi-tech working at Fisher & Paykel or the Reserve Bank. We are all, though, the sum of parts that make up this country and contribute to our going forward. All countries are categorised as having blue and white collar workers. The colour of your collar is not what makes you a better person, is it? […]

Profile: TimberLab Solutions: innovation, versatility and quality bring firsts

When two of New Zealand’s leading engineered timber design and manufacture companies, McIntosh Timber Laminates and TimberBond Industries, joined forces in November 2012, TimberLab Solutions Ltd was created. Now with a combined Auckland workforce of 35 staff operating out of the old McIntosh Timber Laminates 3500m2 plant in Bostock Place, and over 76 years of experience; TimberLab Solutions has the best of both worlds, combining McIntosh’s extensive experience in manufacturing structural laminated timber for commercial use and TimberBond’s expertise in residential use of glued laminated timber (Glulam). The result has been a “greater perspective towards ways in which structural timber can be applied to all building situations”, according to Owen Griffiths, TimberLab’s Sales and Marketing Director. TimberLab Solutions “aim to be the best provider of innovative, cost-effective and customised engineered timber solutions throughout New Zealand and to offshore markets”. They specialise in providing complete design-manufacture-installation packages for a wide range of timber projects, from small one-off sculptures to large industrial buildings. Being New Zealand’s largest and most experienced manufacturer of Glulam building systems, TimberLab’s Bostock Place premises showcase some of the capabilities on offer with Glulam portal frames, Glulam gantry beams, and reverse-curved Glulam beams featured throughout. TimberLab Solutions also have a high focus on quality, which would usually make it more difficult to provide cost-effective customised solutions as set out in their mission statement. However, they manage to achieve these objectives through careful design work and quality control from start to finish. “You can have two solutions for the same building, but because the designer is unfamiliar with the product and what it can do, they tend to be conservative in their design; therefore more expensive. Because we’ve had experience, we can provide a better value solution. “It’s a matter of being able to choose the right solution […]

Steel construction: innovation and investment

By Alistair Fussell, Manager, Steel Construction New Zealand Structural steel is the material of choice in most of the world’s major construction markets, including the USA and the UK where the market share is approximately 60% and 70% respectively. New Zealand is no exception. Our diverse steel construction industry – comprising manufacturers of structural steel and steel products, distributors, fabricators, designers, detailers, galvanisers, and paint and building supply companies – has worked hard to grow market share. Today, structural steel’s market share is more than 70% nationwide; in Christchurch, due to the material’s proven seismic performance, steel has grown its share of the multi-level construction market to almost 80%, up from virtually nil prior to the Canterbury earthquakes. What’s behind this dramatic growth? Quite simply, it’s the industry’s focus on innovation and investment: innovation in seismic and fire design; and significant investment in high-tech fabrication technology. Since 2007, the New Zealand industry has invested substantially in new plant and technology: Grayson Engineering and D&H Steel in Auckland, and Pegasus Engineering in Christchurch, have all built new state-of-the-art workshops; and there are currently three new workshops under construction – Redsteel in Napier, John Jones in Christchurch and Calder Stewart in Milton. This commitment by New Zealand fabricators has boosted the industry’s capacity, efficiency and quality. Indeed, the industry is well placed to satisfy the high demand for prefabricated structural steel, which is now similar to the 2007 peak. What’s more, collaboration is playing a growing role in the successful delivery of structural steel projects. Christchurch is a good example of New Zealand fabricators working together to deliver structural steel projects. Compliance story The recent boom in construction activity, centred on Christchurch and Auckland, has seen an increase in the amount of imported prefabricated steelwork entering New Zealand. However, with this offshore product […]

SouthMACH 2015: The machinery of business

The South’s premier tech trade show has been reinvigorated for 2015, with new owners XPO Exhibitions working hard to ensure that visitors and exhibitors alike get great business value from the time they invest. International and local exhibitors will inform, delight, entertain and do great business deals with industry professionals from all over New Zealand – and some from abroad – and the close to sold-out event. Aad van der Poel, Sales Manager for the event, says SouthMACH is the South Island’s premier technology trade show celebrating the heartland of NZ Manufacturing. “If you are an engineer – mechanical, design, consultant, electrical; machinist; communications technician/manager; supervisor; technical operator; operations manager or similar, then SouthMACH offers the tools, technology and services to work smarter. “With one visit to this show you can see all the big names from your industry and can really weigh up the benefits of each before you make the big decision. You can then be sure you are getting the very best. There’s no charge to visit if you pre-register and, as a trade-only event, you can be assured that your time will be well invested. This biennial event gives you the opportunity to come face-to-face with the experts behind the key innovations entering the New Zealand market.” Aad notes that while there’s plenty of time for those in the industry to register, time’s running out for companies wanting to be seen at SouthMACH. “There aren’t many spaces left. If you want to get your products and services in front of thousands of people keen to find the best and latest, then you need to act now and give XPO a call.” One of the businesses that made sure it secured its spot is kanDO Innovation Ltd and its TV star robot Baxter which is featured […]

The Best We Can Be

We need to build a different world, where policy settings encourage productive activities here in New Zealand. -John Walley My time as Chief Executive of the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) has come to an end – it’s been a privilege to be part of this Association for 16 years. I want to thank all those who have helped me and been a part of the journey; not least the NZMEA Governance, Members, Associates and Affiliates, as well as NZ Manufacturer Magazine for giving me a platform to discuss the manufacturing sector and issues encountered by the members of the Association. It has not all been fun, but I have valued the opportunity to work with so many great business people in the effort to develop a culture and policy framework that supports manufacturing and exporting activities in New Zealand – I truly believe this is key for creating a sustainable and prosperous future for our country, and I have confidence in the NZMEA’s Governance, under the leadership of President, Tom Thomson, and new management to continue the debate and good work. The Association’s work is a journey not a destination; it was encouraging to see some policies we have long advocated for, debated, and adopted as policy during the last election, if only for a short time – in the future the NZMEA has a major role in keeping that debate alive. A few years ago I realised I needed to step away from the day to day demands of management responsibility, to make more time for my family, other governance roles and business projects. Stepping down early in the election cycle puts the Association in the best possible position to recruit a new CEO, giving time to make the role their own and build relationships before […]

Octopus inspired robot

In the picture:It has the ability to morph (change shape), propel itself and turn quickly in water (i.e. super-manoeuvrability) efficiently and silently, lending itself to future possibilities in surveillance and inspection. Scientists in Singapore have developed a new octopus-inspired robot which can zip through water 10 times its body length within one second, in an ultra-efficient manner. This first-ever ultra-fast propulsion and super-manoeuvrability demonstrated in underwater vehicles is unprecedented; and is the work of researchers and an engineer from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART). This ground-breaking research validates the physics of shape change (that forms the basis of jet propulsion of cephalopods) to give additional thrust to underwater vehicles. Inspired by the speed at which cephalopods like the octopus, flee from danger by inflating its mantle cavity with water to a bluff-body shape and then quickly expelling it to dart away, the researchers started building an octopus-inspired robot in November 2013. The end result is a polycarbonate 3D printed streamlined skeleton which had no moving parts and no energy storage device other than a thin elastic outer membrane. It works like blowing up a balloon and then releasing it to fly around the room. The 27cm long robot is inflated with water and once released, rapidly deflates by shooting the water out through an aperture at its base to power its propulsion. As the rocket contracts, it can achieve more than 2.6 times the thrust of a rigid rocket doing the same manoeuvre, while creating minimum turbulence – an important feature in underwater research / survey vehicles. The skeleton within the robot keeps the final shape streamlined, while fins at the tail, help in stabilisation. When a fish escapes by swimming fast, it bends its body and zooms through the water, losing some energy to the surrounding […]

HERA House Re-opened following extensive refurbishment

Guests at the HERA House re-opening HERA House, home of the New Zealand Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA), celebrated the re-opening of its refurbished premises, officiated by the Minister for Research and Innovation Hon Steven Joyce. The building’s refurbishment coincided with 30 years of service, and the Minister congratulated the Association on the impressive $2m face-lift of the metals engineering industry-owned facility. Acknowledging HERA’s role as an important non-profit private sector [WS1]industry body that acts as the resource centre for New Zealand’s metals-based engineering industry, Mr Joyce said that while there are very good CRI and university research entities, it is organisations such as HERA and sister associations like SCNZ (Steel Construction NZ), NASH (National Association for Steel-framed Housing) and Metals New Zealand that play an important role in growing the industries and sectors they represent. The Heavy Engineering Educational Research Foundation or HEERF is the owner of HERA House. A key objective of HEERF is to recognise individual and company excellence, and promote the careers and development of the engineering profession associated to the industry. This has been achieved in the funding of awards such as the annual sponsorship of final year student engineering project awards, the industry awards Innovator of the Year and Exporter of the Year, and the most prestigious award the Keith Smith Memorial Award for Distinguished Services to Industry. HERA Executive Chairman John Frear introduced HERA’s mission “to have an internationally competitive New Zealand Metals Engineering Industry. We want HERA to be the catalyst to achieve this through ongoing innovation. Therefore HERA’s mission is clearly to assist industry innovation in the provision of research, education, marketing and advocacy functions.” John also introduced HERA’s New Zealand Welding Centre, “The Welding Centre focuses on the key technology of metals based fabrication – […]

Farm technology among Hi-Tech Award finalists

For the second consecutive year, Hamilton-based Dairy Automation Limited (DAL) has been named finalist in two categories of the New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards. The subsidiary of farmer-owned co-operative LIC specialises in manufacturing sensor technology systems for the dairy shed, for real-time on-farm milk analysis. Its CellSense system is a finalist for the Endace Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product award, and YieldSense system is up for the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Innovative Agritech Product award. CellSense meters measure somatic cell counts for early detection of mastitis. It is the only fully automated in-shed in-line somatic cell count sensor in the world. YieldSense is a combined full flow milk meter and milk component measurement device for the individual measurement of cow milk in the dairy shed. The six-in-one sensor analyses yield, fat, protein, lactose, conductivity and plant wash. Both systems provide real-time results while a cow is being milked, that farmers can utilise to increase production, reduce treatment costs and make more informed herd management decisions. They also integrate with LIC’s Protrack automation systems, so any cows identified by the sensor systems as requiring closer inspection or further treatment will be alerted to the farmer and automatically drafted at the end of milking. The sensors are highly regarded by farmers in New Zealand and demand from farmers overseas is increasing too. Sensor technology has the potential to revolutionise traditional herd testing practices.

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doug

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