Business News

Objective3D appoints new Technical Service Manager

Objective3D, the leading provider of Stratasys and Desktop Metal 3D Printers has announced the appointment of Arron Jack as the new Technical Services Manager. Arron, a highly experienced technician will be working with the Objective3D technical services team to empower its customers by more efficient usage of their Professional 3D Printers as well as to strengthen Objective3D’s drive and growth for greater market share in both Australia and New Zealand. Arron is well known to product designers and manufacturers across Australia and New Zealand having spent almost two decades in a variety of technical roles in the 3D printing industry, the most recent with Fuji Xerox Australia. Objective3d Managing Director, Matt Minio, said: “We’re very pleased to have Arron join our team. Arron’s technical experience spans the wide range of 3d printing technologies including Stratasys FDM and PolyJet. “After sales service and support for professional 3D printers are critical. Arron with his detailed knowledge and experience will assist in keeping our growing number of customers’ equipment operational. This will further strengthen our close relationships with our customers and enhance our potential for developing other opportunities.”, added Matt Minio. “Arron is an integral leader in our service team”, added Objective 3D Technical Director, Darryl Wootton, “We have been benefiting from his extensive background in a number of ways. He hit the ground running and immediately began contacting our customers and undertaking both onsite and over the phone. Arron’s appointment is already resulting in more timely resolutions to customer technical service issues which is a key requirement in the market.”

Law changes to watch out for

-Dieter Adam, CE, The Manufacturers Network The Government has launched a couple of working groups which will be critical over the coming years in the area of employment law and regulation. We already have the Employment Relations Amendment Bill, to which we submitted and presented our comments to the Select Committee, and now there is a review of the Holiday Act 2003, as well as a Fair Pay working group. After a number of high profile cases of underpayment of holiday entitlements by some employers (both private and public sector), the Government is reviewing the Holiday Act 2003. The review group will include representatives from Business NZ, Unions and Government, and will be chaired by Gordon Anderson, law professor at Victoria University. The group is set to report back in 12 months, though any legislation changes will likely be two or three years away, depending on political movements. In terms of detail, so far, we have a Cabinet Paper outlining the terms of reference, which include key objectives of the review to develop options that: make the provision of, and payment for, entitlements to holidays and leave simpler and more readily applicable to the range of working arrangements in the labour market provide clarity and certainty to employers and employees so that employees receive their correct entitlements and employers’ indirect compliance costs are reduced aim to protect the overall entitlements to employees are easy to systematise and implement in payroll systems One example of the issues in the current act described in the Cabinet Paper is the definition of a working week, when hours may be variable, or a company’s roster and production cycle does fit into a weekly cycle – the act does not provide clear guidance and simple rules for how to deal with such a situation. […]

Modern workplaces need fit for purpose legislation

– Leeann Watson , Chief Executive, Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce Parliament’s Education and Workforce Select Committee has now completed its hearings on the Government’s Employment Relations Amendment Bill. Hopefully, the Committee will take on-board the strong feedback from the business community that any legislative changes need to be fit for modern workplaces and a high performing economy, and not based on failed approaches from the Seventies. The Government has stated that is aspires to create a high wage, high productivity economy, a goal that we all strongly support. However, I am concerned that this Bill will not deliver those goals. Four aspects of the Bill are especially worrying: Employers with 20 employees or more will lose the right to include trial periods in employment agreements. Trial periods have given many employers the confidence to take on people without experience. 80% of employers used a 90-day trial period in the last year. This clause will discourage New Zealand’s larger employers from doing this and make it harder for young and inexperienced people to enter the workforce. Allowing union reps access to workplaces without any permission. This caused issues in the past. Thankfully, employers and unions today have mutually respectful relationships, and we expect most unions would still provide notice regardless of legislation. So why return the country to an “us-vs-them”, anti-growth mentality from the 70s? Forcing businesses to settle collective agreements even if they don’t or can’t agree. The right for either party to opt out of the bargaining process is fair and equitable. Removing this right from employers creates an uneven playing field, which is not only unfair but also a recipe for bad agreements created under duress. Not allowing businesses a choice to opt out of a multi-employer collective agreement. This compels businesses to join […]

New book an insight into NZ businesses

BusinessNZ is welcoming a new reference book that offers an insight into the New Zealand business scene. 100% Kiwi Business: 9 Kiwi Success Navigators is authored by Executive Director of the Buy NZ Made Campaign Ryan Jennings, and has been written for those growing their business or starting a new one. It contains interviews with 100 business owners and CEOs across a range of industries. “BusinessNZ is committed to New Zealand’s success through advocating for thousands of businesses across New Zealand,” says Chief Executive Kirk Hope. “The businesses in this book are representative of our broad membership, from those just beginning their journey to others at the pinnacle of their success. “The lessons and learnings in this book will be of relevance and benefit across the entire business ecosystem and, I hope, provide encouragement. Successful business helps to make New Zealanders better off. “ The book, which was a two-year labour of love for Mr Jennings, reveals two very Kiwi traits – creativity and pragmatism. “Kiwis are wired to give things a go purely due to where we are situated in the world,” says Mr Jennings. “We’re a long way from where the hubs are, which requires us to be creative. It’s something we’re great at and which the rest of the world values. “The focus of this book is on businesspeople who are currently on their journey, rather than being a retrospective study of business success. There are a lot of conversations about where NZ is heading, but Kiwi business owners are just getting on and doing it.” The book identifies nine success navigators, ranging from exiting the business – always begin with the end in mind, says Mr Jennings – to creating and capturing value. And it contains two further revelations. “The first is around failure, which […]

Old world thinking wont deliver high growth economy

EMA is asking the coalition Government MPs to explain how the old world thinking of the proposed Employment Relations Amendment Bill will deliver the productive, high growth economy they say they want. Via an advertising campaign using outdoor billboards, press and digital advertising it is asking Government MPs to “Please Fix the Bill”, at the same time encouraging its members to ask the same of the coalition Government. This is a national campaign involving all four members of the BusinessNZ family (EMA, Business Central, Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce, Otago Southland Employers Association). “We wholeheartedly agree with the Government’s goal of developing a modern, nimble and high performing economy, however we would like to understand how labour laws of yesteryear will enable this to happen,” says Kim Campbell, CEO, EMA. “We are deeply concerned that what is being proposed in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill 2018, plus a raft of other related legislation in the pipeline, is old thinking for a modern world. “New Zealand First MPs have the chance to modify parts of this legislation and work with small business to deliver an industrial relations framework that will help them grow their enterprises. “Let’s be clear. We are not against reform. But we are against poorly drafted legislation that has been cobbled together in a hurried manner. What we want is for the Government to pause, consider what the impacts of these changes could be, have an honest conversation around how placing more compulsion into the workplace will drive a modern, nimble economy and reflect on how we can work on this together in a constructive manner. “The Future of Work Forum has yet to convene. And this is the proper forum to nut out the answers to many of the above questions. Therefore it seems out of kilter […]

Call to end lubricant packaging waste

Major lubricant industry brands are calling on importers and distributors in the market to join them in tackling the issue of millions of lubricant packages being discarded every year. A Waste Lubricant Container Product Stewardship Scheme has been established with the aims of exploring recycling options for lubricant containers. It is estimated that around 7 million (20 litre and under) lubricant and grease containers, plus an unknown number of 200 litre drums, are sent to landfills each year. The scheme will aim to “close the loop” on lubricant packaging and contribute to the development of a Circular Economy in New Zealand, with a focus on supporting the development of processing capacity and end use markets. “Considering that most lubricant containers are manufactured from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) or metal, both highly recyclable after pre-treatment, this provides the ideal opportunity to capture these resources onshore,” says Adele Rose, Chief Executive of 3R Group, the project managers. To achieve this, members intend to work together as part of a voluntary, industry-led scheme to recover, reuse and recycle waste lubricant containers for urban and rural customers. This will maximise the number of containers diverted from landfill and reduce the need for virgin resin imports. “The scheme is focused on creating an environment for market pull through of the collected material, supporting the economy through improved resource use and employment opportunities. The scheme will create a united industry position that will help bring positive behavioural change to the way that waste lubricant packaging has traditionally been disposed of,” Adele says. 3R began working with the industry after being approached by Z Energy Ltd earlier this year to facilitate an industry working group to develop stewardship for waste lubricant container recycling. Initial meetings with the industry made it clear a nation-wide solution was needed. Z […]

Women in Engineering

Sulo Shanmuganathan, Technical Director, Holmes Consulting LP, New Zealand. Why do you do what you do and do you enjoy it? As a Technical Director at Holmes, I do many things ranging from meeting with our customers and understanding their priorities for solving infrastructure challenges, to helping colleagues develop technical solutions for some of these challenging infrastructure problems. In between the two, I do a lot of tasks to deliver our projects effectively and efficiently. What I do might be a small contribution towards improving our living standards and enhancing the infrastructure that would serve for present and future generations. Of course, I enjoy every single bit of my work otherwise I would not be doing what I do for the last 30 years. When I began my career in engineering the big and challenging projects lured me. As I grew older and became a bit wiser, I realised that even a small contribution has a huge impact collectively. I started to appreciate the human values and team dynamics to achieve the best for the project and ultimately for communities to which the infrastructure serves. The job I do now is more about how we can work collectively with other disciplines and professionals to bring about enhancements to our existing infrastructure and improving living standards. Greatest challenges? Personally, I like to convert my challenges into great opportunities for learning and growth. I was born in Sri Lanka and spent the first 25 years on the beautiful island of the Indian Ocean. So, when I first went to “Bonnie” Scotland, the biggest challenge was the communications with the Scots, who have big hearts, warmth, and great hospitality. It did not take long to settle down and learn Scottish (I mean English). Jokes aside, living in a foreign country can be […]

Swisslog’s islands of automation signpost the future of automated processes

Swisslog’s logistics automation technologies look at end-to-end supply chain and how to optimise product movement through the system, while maintaining reliability and traceability. Islands of automation are offering a solution to problems bedevilling automated processes across a broad range of industries, such as pharmaceutical, warehousing, engineering, logistics, materials handling, food and beverage and transport. Global robotics and logistics automation technology leader Swisslog has found that as automation accelerates, a common concern is that if a machine goes offline, the entire system suffers. But this is becoming less and less of a problem through the use of islands of automation, explains Jamie D’Souza, Swisslog Pharmaceutical Consultant, Jamie D’Souza, who has more than 8 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical logistics industry. Mr D’Souza’s expertise focuses particularly around the megatrends driving digitalisation and industry 4.0 – such as urbanisation, ageing society, increased health focus, e-commerce, increasingly digital lives and regulations – and how industry can best utilise technology to optimise supply chains and achieve tangible benefits. Islands of automation “The concept of islands of automation means can have several automated processes working in isolation, which can be linked up with Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), with end-to-end integration,” says Mr D’Souza. The major benefits of this approach include: Redundancy – if one cell goes down, there are several others accessible, or use of a temporary manual cell. Flexibility for growth with additional cells, and ability to grow in specific areas Full integration of robots and AGVs Swisslog is currently working on a major logistics automation project in Australia with a leading bio-pharmaceutical company, where islands of automation are being utilised to optimise flexibility and redundancy. This advanced solution involves Swisslog’s robotic palletising, shrouding, wrapping and labelling technologies, linked with platform AGVs on two levels to manage all pallet logistics. Crucially, there are no major […]

Accelerated computing powering world’s fastest supercomputer

Call it the most powerful scientific tool ever built. Call it a new paradigm of computing. Just don’t call it slow, because whatever number you look at, Summit — which made its debut at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory — is flat-out fast. This massive machine, powered by 27,648 of Volta Tensor Core GPUs, can perform more than three exaops, or 3 billion billion calculations per second. That’s more than 100 times faster than Titan, previously the fastest U.S. supercomputer, completed just five years ago. And 95 percent of that computing power comes from GPUs. Built for the U.S. Department of Energy, this is a machine designed to tackle the grand challenges of our time. It will accelerate the work of the world’s best scientists in high-energy physics, materials discovery, healthcare and more, with the ability to crank out 200 petaflops of computing power to high-precision scientific simulations. This is, literally, a scientific time machine. The story behind the story: The team at Oak Ridge was the first to realise — almost a decade ago — that a new kind of computing was needed. The old paradigm of piling one transistor on top of another wouldn’t deliver the efficiency they needed. They took a risk and built Titan in 2012, the world’s fastest supercomputer, with one GPU in every node. That courage paid off. Now over 550 HPC applications are accelerated with GPUs, and all of the 15 most widely used ones. Their work reshaped supercomputing. Writing Computing’s Next Chapter Summit is the next chapter. Not just for ORNL, but for all of computing. The research team has been working with the DOE for more than 11 years on advanced technologies, including the Volta GPUs and NVLink high-speed interconnect technology at the very heart of Summit. Instead of one GPU per node, Summit has six Tensor Core […]

Government right to signal need for change in NZ agriculture

Senior lecturer in Agribusiness Management at Lincoln University, Dr Nic Lees, said intensive dairying is currently profitable only because it is not bearing the full costs of its production systems. “It is not paying the cost to the environment of its production. We are all picking up the tab, and especially our children for the impact on our waterways and climate,” he said. “Currently intensive dairy farming is addicted to high production per cow. This means adding in concentrated feed such as palm kernel and high levels of nitrogen fertiliser. This increases costs, which means these systems are only profitable with high production and high commodity prices.” Dr Lees said this shows New Zealand’s future is not in maintaining our position as the lowest cost producer of meat and dairy products. He said the Labour Government is clearly signalling New Zealand’s future is not in commodities. However, there is potential for the horticulture sector to increase the value of our exports. The horticulture industry already produces $5.6 billion in exports from just 200,000 ha. This is in comparison to the dairy industry producing $13 billion from 2.4 million ha. Dairying can also learn from the sheep industry. “NZ reached peak sheep at 60 million in 1984. Now we have only 30 million but produce the same volume of lamb at significant higher value. Less animals means less greenhouse gasses, and reduces nitrate leaching. There is the potential to see this happen in the dairy industry also.”

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