Business News

It is just coming up to two years since Nautech experienced an unforeseen event which resulted in a substantial loss of business. Through no fault of the company the business lost revenue amounting to around 35% of annual turnover. Once the dust had settled Nautech set about re-inventing itself to transform its business in to becoming New Zealand’s leading contract manufacturer of electronic and electro mechanical assemblies through the adoption of lean manufacturing principles combined with investment in advanced manufacturing technology in the form of robotics and automation. The strategy has paid off and in the intervening period the company has grown substantially, winning new customers both at home and overseas. Today this transformation continues, to date this year Nautech has invested in robotic manufacturing, automated optical inspection and the most recent purchase is a turnkey X-ray inspection system that has been necessitated by the increasing use of “Ball Grid Arrays” BGA’s “Quad Flat No-lead” QFN’s and a range of similar components that are difficult if not impossible to inspect using conventional technology. Investment in both technology and people is set to continue, combined with innovation, it is the way the business differentiates itself from competitors both at home and overseas. Nautech’s core business is supplying electronic and electro mechanical assemblies to some of New Zealand’s leading technology exporters. It is well documented that the only way to grow a manufacturing business in New Zealand is through developing export markets. The competitive advantage gained through investment means that Nautech is now able to sell its services further afield. Over recent months Nautech as successfully competed for business in Australia and is now actively looking at other geographic markets. R & D features heavily in Nautch’s strategy, in terms of both process and production innovation and offering the capability to develop […]

The Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics are transforming the manufacturing space; and data is the new currency. Currently, human intervention is needed for logical and reasonable decision making; however, with the rise of cognitive technologies, machines will be empowered to detect constantly changing manufacturing scenarios and respond in real time with minimum human intervention. To be successful, manufacturers need to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) technology to improve plant efficiency and productivity, and build partnerships and collaborations that drive data-driven intelligence. “The automotive industry will lead in terms of the adoption of cognitive technologies in manufacturing,” said Frost & Sullivan Industrial Automation & Process Control Senior Research Analyst Nandini Natarajan. “With vehicles turning autonomous, the industry’s focus will shift to technologies like machine vision and predictive analytics. These technologies will be widely used to predict dangers and prevent road accidents.” The Dawn of Artificial Intelligence—Foreseeing Manufacturing in the Cognitive Era, part of Frost & Sullivan’s Industrial Automation & Process Control Growth Partnership subscription, finds that the development of smart and safe robots using machine learning techniques will continue to remain a prime area of focus for cognitive factories. The global industrial robotics market is expected to double in and value to reach $70.26 billion by 2023, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1 percent. The study gives a detailed account of cognitive computing, its application in manufacturing, and the competitive landscape through proven use cases such as IBM supercharging operations for Schaeffler, Google’s use of AI to optimise energy savings, and FANUC’s futuristic factory with NVIDIA’s AI platform. AI will be a critical catalyst in overcoming current manufacturing challenges such as security concerns, lagging government initiatives, and a slowdown in cognitive technology growth due to conservative manufacturing mind-sets. Key trends in cognitive manufacturing include: A […]

And what a show it was! The second time for SouthMACH under new ownership of XPO Exhibitions was a ‘blockbuster’ in 2017. Held at the Horncastle Arena, Christchurch on the 24th and 25th of May, the Mainland’s largest event for the manufacturing, engineering and technology industries has been deemed a great success by both visitors and exhibitors. Here are just a few comments; “2015 was great but 2017 even better full credit to all organisers, Well done” “Great show good to see it changing with the times” “SouthMach was a great show and we had excellent sales from it, so thank you!” (3D Printing Systems) “We really enjoyed the show and are happy with the results” (Global Shop Solutions) “Thank you and your team for delivering another good show” (Baskiville) Attracting more than 100 international and local exhibiting companies across a range of industries and a strong attendance of industry visitors, SouthMACH 17 has once again proven the South Island “Heartland of Manufacturing” is in good shape. Exhibitors, although still following up on their leads have acknowledged the high calibre of the visitors with genuine buying interest. The organisers advise that audited visitor numbers of trade attendees will be available in a week or so from the Circulations Audit Board – however it’s the excellent quality of visitor that has resonated with exhibitors. The show delivered a broad spectrum of new products and innovations – a mix of kiwi made/designed and/or internationally sourced. On display was a showcase of the latest in CNC machinery (and of particular note this was the highest number of CNC machines ever seen at the show), Industrial Automation and 3D printing technology. A very busy industry led seminar program touched on all the current worldwide industry topics from Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things […]

Mark Cooper is a person who gets on with things. Mark was a shepherd and began coming up with ways which would allow him to still use a ute. He needed a hoist to get his electric wheelchair into the restricted space in the back, but could find nothing available which met his needs, so he made his own device. He designed and built a large arm which lifts his chair neatly into the back cabin, just above where the sheepdogs fit. Mark faced another issue with the ute, however. He needed to be able to easily access the vehicle cab when he left his chair, but most off-the-shelf solutions required extensive modifications to the ute, which he wanted to avoid. With the help of an engineering firm in Nelson, he solved that problem too. He came up with another design utilising a support platform which fits into the seat frame, allowing him to get in and out of the driver’s seat. But he didn’t stop at the ute. Mark has designed a wheelchair hoist for his jetboat too. With no engineering background he has gone through a process of trial and error, with some help from the professionals. Mark is hoping to move into a rural valuation, rural banking or consultancy role when he finishes his studies, though his hoists suggest a future in design. He is doing engineering as part of his degree, but has no special projects lined up, and does not see any commercial potential in the things he has made so far. They were all made to meet specific needs. However, if those needs change, or he has new ones and can’t find anything that meets them, who knows what else he might come up with?

By Mark Champion, General Manager Advocacy and Industry Relations, EMA About 1500 metres into a hillside on the West Coast northeast of Greymouth, at 3.44pm on the afternoon of November 19, 2010, a methane explosion, followed by a series of other blasts, took the lives of 29 miners. The tragedy has forever changed the lives of the families and communities of those miners, but as a result of those deaths there is now a legacy – the tragedy has forever changed the landscape of Health and Safety practise in New Zealand. In the same month as the deaths of the 29, Prime Minister of the day, John Key announced the Government would conduct a Royal Commission of Inquiry – a tool rarely used, but generally aimed at delivering fundamental change. The Commission’s final report was released nearly two years after the tragedy, in November 2012. It found the disaster was a preventable tragedy, and whilst it could not pinpoint the actual cause of a series of explosions, it slammed the mine’s management for not properly assessing health and safety risks its workforce was facing. And it highlighted the Department of Labour’s parlous record as the former regulators of health and safety in New Zealand. The lawyer representing the dead miners’ families said the tragedy was also a result of the failure in the way the legislation had been applied and a failure of the Department of Labour in its inspectorate role. The report found the mine’s board of directors ignored health and safety risks and should have closed the mine until they were properly managed. The Government moved quickly: The work of the Department of Labour was transferred to the then new Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. A dedicated inspectorate for high-hazard industries, mining and petroleum was quickly established […]