Developments

Young brains provide fresh business ideas

Businesses and organisations on the lookout for an injection of innovative ideas this summer have the opportunity to get some creative thinking done using brainpower from Victoria University. Victoria is on the lookout for companies, government agencies and professional groups which want to tackle projects they don’t have resources to complete themselves, while also providing summer holiday work for some of the University’s top performing students. In the eight years since it began, the University’s Summer Research Scholarships programme has given thousands of students rewarding and stimulating experience in a real-life business environment and encouraged many of them to embark on postgraduate study to further build their skill set. The programme is open to students who have completed two years of their undergraduate degree, as well as anyone studying at honours or first year masters level at any New Zealand or Australian university (although they are required to be enrolled at Victoria for study in 2016 prior to beginning their scholarship). Those who receive a summer scholarships will spend around 10 weeks carrying out a research project, and Professor Kate McGrath, Vice-Provost (Research) at Victoria, says it’s a fantastic opportunity for the students to really get stuck in. “These are senior students who are high achievers—they can bring lots of energy and some really ingenious perspectives. “It’s absolutely a win-win experience—organisations can gain a competitive edge by making the most of the student’s research skills, while students get a taste of what it’s like to do meaningful research. That experience often prompts them to enrol for further study, such as a Masters or PhD.” An additional benefit, says Professor McGrath, is that the programme establishes research relationships between Victoria University and external partners that can grow into long term collaborative research partnerships. This year Victoria is offering 300 summer scholarships, […]

New data shows Industry Trainees and Apprentices going strong

The Industry Training Federation welcomes new performance data showing industry trainees and apprentices gaining credits and completing programmes at higher rates in 2014. Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) education performance data shows: • 74 percent of industry trainees and apprentices completed their programmes in 2014, up seven percentage points from 2013, when 67 percent completed. • Credit completion has improved by five percentage points, from 71 to 76 percent. New Zealand’s 11 Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) are delivering industry-backed skills and qualifications across New Zealand’s major industries. “The trend of marked improvement in the industry training sector has wide reaching benefits for individual trainees and apprentices; their employers and industries; and our entire economy” says ITF Chief Executive Josh Williams. “ITOs are helping businesses large and small to manage their supply of skills, and improve productivity” Josh says.

Become a Market Leader – Part One

Katalin Csikasz, TechPro Plus www.techproplus.co.nz Is your company working on becoming an industry market leader or would you like to have a competitive edge with the product you supply? TechPro Plus, an Auckland based company could potentially help you with this. Specialising in engineering solutions from product design to manufacturing; we are experts at finding innovative and unique solutions to industry challenges which can increase your chances of becoming a market leader in your industry. TechPro Plus has been involved in many projects of this nature over the years with two specific projects being of particular significance. The first project involved providing the industry with a reliable in-ground corrosion control solution; with the second using innovative, outside the box design features resulting in a reduction in the installation cost and complexity of telecommunication columns. In the first project the solution was specified by local and government authorities as a preferred solution, giving the manufacturing company a competitive edge. With the second project, the, innovative design solutions were accepted as the standard industry design and were subsequently used by all telecommunication companies in their major rollouts. This created an industrial design market leader position for the manufacturer and as a bonus provided significant project savings and faster installation for the telecommunication industry. You can read about the second project in more detail in the next edition. Reliable in ground corrosion solution: In-ground corrosion is a major industry issue in New Zealand due to our soil, which is either volcanic or has corrosive volcanic traces. This can make in-ground asset protection extremely tricky from a durability point of view as the corrosion could compromise the structural integrity of the item. With no field proven practice available for this application in New Zealand, an industry need for an engineering solution to solve this […]

Building skills for the future

GOT A TRADE WEEK 2015 – 21-28 August – is part of a national campaign to raise awareness of on-the-job training and careers in New Zealand’s trades and services. It also celebrates the talents and achievements of Kiwis making headway in their vocation. New Zealand needs more skilled people in trades and services. The 2014 Talent Shortage Survey, conducted by Manpower Group, shows that engineers, technicians and skilled trades are among the top-five jobs employers have difficulty filling. Globally, skilled trades are the highest in demand. GOT A TRADE WEEK 2015 speaks to school leavers, as well as parents and teachers. More than 34,000 young New Zealanders, a fifth of people aged 16-24 years, are not currently working, studying or training. They are not developing the skills they need to compete in the workforce. “Only 20 percent of school leavers go to university. This event is about showcasing the opportunities that exist out there for the other 80 percent,” says Rachel Hopkins, chairperson of GOT A TRADE WEEK. “This is an important conversation for jobseekers, for educators and for whanau. Around the world, countries are looking to apprenticeships and on-the-job training to build the skills needed for the future. New Zealand needs this too.” The inaugural GOT A TRADE WEEK 2015 encompasses more than 50 events nationwide, providing school leavers and parents with a unique opportunity to get up-close and personal with on-the-job training in New Zealand’s trades and services. Trades and services typically refer to jobs that require practical skills and on-the-job training. This includes everything from construction, engineering and transport, to hairdressing, hospitality and retail. There are hundreds of roles to choose from and long-term career prospects for young people who are keen to work and willing to learn. Highlights of the week include: • OPEN DAYS, TOURS […]

The Evolution of the NZ Steel Industry: Innovation dinosaur or drosophila?

“Apple hasn’t so much invented new as they have innovated (to converge technologies into well-built and -designed packages).” David Reiss, Spark Digital. Dr Troy Coyle, Manager of Innovation & Product Development at NZ Steel. We have an image problem. In experimental evolution, Drosophila (the humble fruit fly) is often used to demonstrate evolutionary processes. It is used because genetic changes for the fruit fly can be observed very quickly in response to natural selection. In business, the equivalent of the fruit fly is the IT or information technology company, such as Xero or the Wynyard Group. IT companies form the bulk of case studies in management texts and innovation case studies because they are quick to respond to changing market conditions, and also quick to demonstrate these changes in the market. They are perfect examples of rapid innovation. In contrast, the steel industry is perceived to be traditional, slow to innovate and slow to respond to changing market conditions. We’re not rolled out as case studies for innovation and we are often relegated to the categories of at worst ploddingly ‘low-tech’, or at best masters of ‘incremental innovation’. We’re not attractive for Government funding either because we aren’t exciting in terms of being able to demonstrate rapid change, hi-tech outcomes or capturing public imagination. In other words, we’re “innovation dinosaurs”. The most public excitement we generate is speculation on whether or not we will die out or find a way to survive in the new world. There is no doubt that the world is changing and so we need to adapt and quickly. However, we are not going to turn into hi-tech, fast innovating firms any time soon. The question is how do we show the world we are adapting in a way that is meaningful and be excited about […]

Nationwide Fifa infrastructure build welcome challenge for Kiwi IT firm

It’s no easy task to deliver IT services for an international event on the scale of the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015, but it was a task that local company Origin was confident it could achieve to the highest international standards. The Auckland-headquartered company won the 22-day tournament tender over one of the biggest IT companies in New Zealand thanks to their “innovative approach, focus on customer experience, and technical excellence”, says Origin CEO Michael Russell. With the contract calling for planning and project management; delivery and installation services; IT communications, cabling, wifi, power, backup, hardware and wireless supply; and onsite support services at stadiums as well as remote helpdesk support for all technology services, it was a “huge and quite unique” project, says Origin project manager Matt Sellar. “While these are all services Origin already offers, many of our processes had to be adapted,” says Sellar. “Also, because specifics were still being worked through between FIFA and the LOC (Local Organising Committee), we quoted the project based on the best information we had at the time, but as it progressed the amount of changes and variations were immense.” Coping with changes to the initial planning proved to be one of the key challenges for Origin, according to Sellar. “We soon realised our usual variation process was too slow. Ordinarily we may get a few variations and hardware has already been procured, but during this project we ended up with over 100 separate hardware orders totalling well over 3000 pieces – each of which had to be tracked, reported, configured if required, and delivered to a tight schedule.” The company quickly implemented some new systems to deal with the orders, using a quick email system and Onenote notebooks to confirm the variations, and collaborating on spreadsheets via a […]

AutoMATE 7-Axis robotic machining cell – On show at SouthMACH 2015

The largest Nachi robot ever sold in New Zealand was on show at SouthMACH in July – in the form of a 7-axis robotic machining centre from NZ based robotic machinery builder AutoMATE™. Design Energy Limited, owners of the AutoMATE™ brand and NZ distributor for Nachi Robotics, have developed a robot machining centre based on the newly released Nachi SRA210 six axis robot. This particular system, for customer Cutting Innovations in Auckland, is equipped with a 7.5kW – 24,000rpm HSK tool-change spindle, rotary table and PowerMILL CAM software. The result is a system offering a machining envelope of 2.5m x 2.5m x 2.5m with +/-0.25mm accuracy. Mike Shatford, Director of Design Energy explains: “AutoMATE™ machining centres are highly adaptable, with robot and fixturing options available to suit a wide variety of machining requirements. The high level engineering used to develop each system structural loading of each machine is carefully analysed using FEA analysis. Providing high levels of rigidity and stiffness are key to successfully carrying out machining operations using a multi-axis robot.” The team at Design Energy are already considering producing further machining cells of various configurations and would be keen to hear from interested parties. Contact:info@designenergy.co.nz

Fluke 3000 FC Series Wireless DC Clamps improve productivity

New high current and 4-20 mA dc current clamps speed troubleshooting through collaboration, regardless of location. Now added are two new dc current clamps to the Fluke Connect system of wireless test tools: the Fluke a3003 FC Wireless DC Current Clamp and the a3004 FC Wireless DC 4-20 mA Current Clamp. Both fully-functional current clamps can wirelessly send measurements to Fluke Connect enabled master units as well as the Fluke Connect mobile app so users can view measurements from multiple devices simultaneously, review equipment history, and share measurements with other team members for faster troubleshooting. The a3003 FC Wireless DC Current Clamp measures up to 2000 A dc making it ideal for very high dc current measurements typically found in utility and dc machine controller applications. It features a large jaw size (64 mm) for clamping around and measuring on large, high current conductors. The a3004 FC Wireless DC 4-20mA Current Clamp measures 4 to 20 mA signals without breaking the loop so process control technicians can make accurate measurements without interrupting the workflow. It features a detachable clamp with extension cable for measurements in tight locations. Both current clamps can record and store up to 65,000 measurements with the logging feature to isolate intermittent events or record fluctuations without even being there.

New Zealand demographic trends leading to manufacturing skills shortages

The aging of New Zealand’s manufacturing workforce, a decline in school leavers, and a shortage of skilled people continue to challenge manufacturers to find new ways to bridge their skill gaps. “We talk to manufacturers across New Zealand every week,” says Andy Bunny, National Manager General Manufacturing at manufacturing industry training organisation Competenz. “They’re all telling us the same thing: it’s hard to attract and retain skilled people.” The manufacturing workforce is aging. In 2006, 55% of the general manufacturing workforce was aged 40 and over. In 2014 that figure was 64%. The trend is similar in specialised manufacturing industries too, like plastics processing and wood manufacturing. “These are big numbers,” says Andy. “And they bring with them big challenges. These older people have built up skills during their careers. Who’s going to replace those skills when they retire? Who’s going to mentor younger people? And, if you’re a small manufacturing business, who are you going to sell your company to, so you can enjoy a comfortable retirement?” He warns employers not to rely on school leavers to plug the gaps. “The number of young people leaving school is volatile: it’s fallen strongly since 2004 and that fall’s going to continue for a few years yet. And employers across New Zealand are competing for these people.” Bringing in skilled immigrants can help, but it introduces new challenges like language and a lack of familiarity with New Zealand practices. Poaching another company’s employees is self-defeating. “It becomes a vicious circle.” The solution? According to Andy, the manufacturing sector needs to look at this issue at an industry level and invest in technical and business skills for the long term. “Training is a sustainable way to lift productivity, quality and safety. It has lots of spin-off benefits too, like increasing your employees’ […]

Maintenance supervisors can boost productivity?

The job of maintenance supervisors is to get the maintenance work completed on time, on budget and safely! They can be popular. They can be great communicators. They can be inspired trainers. They can be great repair people. But these things alone do not make successful maintenance supervisors. They are not successful maintenance supervisors unless they can keep the machines running, the fleet rolling and the occupants warm in the winter. When does an active supervisor look like when he is no longer bogged down in an office doing paperwork? Active supervision occurs when a supervisor spends substantial time on the shop floor helping workers solve problems. As strange as it might sound, on the psychological level a supervisor might have to be both mother (nurturing and supportive) and father (strict and tough) to members of the crew. Active supervision encompasses several roles: • Ongoing performance monitor: The supervisor knows how long each job should take and checks it periodically throughout the day. A four-hour job issued in the morning should be done by the lunch break. When the jobs fall behind, the experienced supervisor thinks about how best to intervene. In some cases it might be logistical help, helping with equipment, or providing guidance about how to proceed. • Paperwork compliance officer: The accuracy of all analysis is derived from the work order. If the work order is complete and accurate then decision-making and root cause analysis become dramatically easier. Supervisors audit paperwork and return it when it is deficient. They should always look at work orders on the floor and ensure entries are being made at the same time as the activity occurs, not at a later time. • Obsessive-compulsive PM monitor: A supervisor reinforces the rule: “Do the PM as it is written.” A related issue is […]

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