Developments

How are you going for serious news?

-Doug Green This latest noise going on about Campbell Live has, quite rightly, a lot of people up in arms. The show is a bastion of strong support for community and political issues and of John Campbell keeping an eye out for the little guy. The program has never pretended to be anything else and has tackled some pretty large issues such as the Christchurch earthquake for the common cause. When insurance companies are slow paying and builders take too long putting up, Campbell Live informs and forces the protagonists to face the antagonists and stand to attention. What TV3 management does with its programming is its business. If they want to make an ill-considered opinion to get rid of the show they have the right to do so. If they want to have egg all over their face and make a silly decision that is also their right. But they must remember the viewer, the public way out there in the suburbs, is quite capable of switching off – or switching over – when palaver ruins their evening. If no decent current affairs is available – or to be replaced by some variety show or the second coming of the man or woman looking for a partner- then forget it. The public is not going to stoop to that level and, who knows, may switch over to SKY News Australia, the BBC, Fox News or CNN where there are plenty of current affairs shows run by decent presenters like David Speers and Megyan Kelly who discuss the same issues (as John Campbell does). In case you think I’m rooting for John Campbell and ‘a lefty’ I am merely looking for a sense of fair play, a balance. There are ‘blue’ voters in NZ and there are ‘red’ voters in […]

ManufacturingNZ and ExportNZ welcome increased funding in R & D

Executive Director of ManufacturingNZ and ExportNZ, Catherine Beard welcomes the increase in R&D funding from Government. “We have been urging the Government to keep on increasing investment in R&D. It’s one of the key ways our businesses will be globally competitive. New Zealand has lagged behind in this important area compared to other OECD countries, both in terms of government investment, and private sector investment. “We are in catch-up mode and it’s great to see the Government recognising this will add value to our exports and grow bigger and more sustainable companies. “The latest statistics show that between 2012 and 2014, business investment in R&D has increased by 4%, with a big increase in services (19% increase), and of that category, computer services have increased investment by a massive 41%. “Statistics New Zealand reports that the main motivation for undertaking R&D for business is entry into new markets. “In a country of small to medium sized firms that are doing battle with much larger competitors in overseas markets, one way to stand out from the competition is through innovation. Innovative products can also command a price premium which is increasingly important with a high NZ dollar.”

Sustainable development for a sustainable world

PICTURE:Sustainability concept in chemistry involves replacement of toxic chemical components with bio-compatible analogues in attempt to produce environmentally friendly materials and technologies. Principles of Green chemistry and Sustainability concept have largely influenced research and development in chemical sciences. These principles include convenient degradability and minimised toxicity. It is a well-known fact that common chemicals are mainly based on toxic, bio-incompatible substances, which are dangerous for the environment. On the contrary, natural components are biocompatible and have no toxic effects. Nowadays, chemists undertake numerous efforts to replace toxic substances with corresponding natural analogues, and fortunately, change of just one component sometimes does increase environmental compatibility and reduces harmful impact. This approach has been used in attempt to create biocompatible ionic liquids. Ionic liquids, also called molten salts, liquid electrolytes, or ionic melts, are salts, which are liquid at temperatures below 100ºC. Spatial directionality and segregated nano-structuring found in ionic liquids provide them with unique properties, one of the most startling of which is the possibility of ‘fine-tuning’: each ionic liquid consists of cation and anion moieties, and by varying them, individually or together, certain properties of the IL can be changed. Being non-volatile and non-flammable substances, ionic liquids were believed to become a replacement to traditional volatile and flammable organic solvents, and have found application in such various fields of modern chemistry and technology as organic synthesis, catalysis, electrochemistry, nuclear fuel processing, and others. Originally, ionic liquids were considered as ‘green’ chemicals; however, their biological potential has quickly become evident. Now it is established that ionic liquids may affect life at all levels, from single biomolecules to whole ecosystems. The authors tested a series of common and amino acid-based ILs and showed that ionic liquids containing anions or cations based on the amino acids Glycine, Alanine, or Valine generally demonstrate cytotoxicity […]

Inaugural lecture to explore organisational challenges in an outsourced world

A Victoria University of Wellington professor will provide insights from over 25 years of research into how information technology has changed the way we view and work in organisations, in his upcoming inaugural lecture. Professor of Information Systems, Benoit Aubert, says the trend of organisations contracting some of their services to an overseas supplier or opening their own offshore branch (offshoring) or contracting local suppliers for aspects of their business (outsourcing), has led to changes in the way that organisations are defined and how they innovate. “Outsourcing in recent years has challenged our understanding of supply chain, country of origin and business relationships,” he says. “For instance, supply chains are becoming very difficult to track. Labels telling you what country a product is made in simply refer to the last step of production but do not reflect reality. Almost everything we buy has been manufactured in multiple steps, in numerous different countries.” Professor Aubert will discuss challenges that managers need to consider when transferring part of their business activities overseas. “Relentless market pressure increases companies’ use of outsourcing and offshoring to lower costs. Offshore activities are especially difficult to monitor. This makes it more difficult to always adhere to socially responsible practice and can lead to reputational damage. Companies are at risk of seeing their product and image associated with questionable practices.” It is harder to maintain control in such a decentralised environment, Professor Aubert says. At the same time, the trend is unescapable. “Managers need to identify ways to innovate at a much faster pace than before. To do this they need the knowledge and skills of outside partners. This creates a more complex environment. “It’s important that managers keep a broad view of their company’s activities, including what’s happening in other countries, and monitor and track everything to […]

Octopus inspired robot

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 water and […]

Thickness gauge has many features

The RFG-1000 Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge is packed with features including a large backlit LCD display, auto linear compensation and sound velocity measurement. The full kit includes an aluminium carry case with foam insert, stainless steel calibration block and 10mm 5MHZ transducer with couplant. This item which will serve basic thickness gauging applications very well.

Smart standard drives provide servo dynamics and precision

Teamed with advanced inverter electronics for smart control functionality, standard asynchronous motors providing IE2 or IE3 efficiency and permanent-magnet IE4 synchronous motors can deliver servo-level dynamics and agility. Based on state-of-the-art frequency inverters for motor-mounting, wall-mounting, or cabinet installation, Nord Drive Systems implement highly precise positioning tasks, safety applications, and sophisticated functions such as synchronisation, coordinated multi-axis operation, winding control, and flying shear. These systems are significantly more economic than conventional servo technology solutions since the purchase costs are much lower and since there is a much larger variety of available system components, including a very versatile gear program that allows for a wide range of custom-specific configurations. The frequency inverters feature a real-time microprocessor (cycle time 10 ms) and support free programming of drive-related functions according to IEC 61131 to relieve the workload of external PLCs. 200% overload reserve capacity ensures high operating safety, for instance in crane and hoist systems. Employing field-oriented control technology, these controllers achieve excellent consistency under flexible loads and from near standstill up to the motor´s rated speed, even without an encoder. Furthermore, the drives provide high starting torques and speed feedback can also be implemented. The top-of-the-range frequency inverter SK 540E from the control cabinet line integrates a universal encoder interface for SSI, BISS, EnDat profile 2.1, and Hiperface. Nord´s line-up of distributed inverter technology covers the performance range up to 22 kW, while cabinet devices range up to 160 kW. The German drive expert provides full-scale mechatronic drives, manufacturing geared motors and electronics units and programming logic functions in-house.

Projecta streamlines solar charge controllers

While solar panels can provide free power it’s necessary to have good quality charge controllers to maintain the performance of the storage batteries. The solar charge controller regulates the power collected by the panels to avoid damage to the battery through excessive charge or discharge at night. The best solar charge controllers can add as much as 30% to the life of a battery if they perform their job well. Leading battery accessory company, Projecta, has been at the forefront of this technology in New Zealand and Australia and it has now upgraded its range so they look as good as they perform. The new Projecta 20-Amp and 30-Amp solar charge controllers have been re-designed in a new all-white casing that blends into any caravan, motor home or boat interior. And, now included as part of the range is a remote control that allows the user to monitor and control their solar power system away from the controller. Ideal for automotive and deep cycle batteries, the streamlined Projecta solar controllers continue to feature 3-stage charging, which maximises battery life and performance. The in-built temperature sensor adjusts the output, guaranteeing a thorough charge in all conditions, preventing over-charge or discharge, thus ensuring the battery is always ready for use. The controllers are designed to be left connected to the battery indefinitely to keep them fully charged, monitoring its condition and performing a process called ‘float’ charge to maintain the battery in optimum condition. The convenient ‘low voltage disconnect’ function will disconnect the DC load before the battery voltage falls too low, preventing damage resulting from over-discharge. Once the battery is recharged, the DC load will automatically reconnect. Featuring ‘load control’ users can switch the DC load on/off without having to physically disconnect the load or appliance. When switched to ‘off’, the […]

Increasing Number Of Ermaksan Machines Installed

An ever increasing number of Ermaksan cnc sheetmetal machine tools are being installed in New Zealand engineering workshops. Recently CNC Guillotines have become popular because of the ease of quickly setting the cutting parameters to produce a cut with the minimum of burr and twisting. The blade gap, blade rake, backstop, and cut length are set automatically from the information that was entered through the keypad or touchscreen into the controller. Compared to an NC guillotine the CNC system offers more graphical information and easier program creation, storage, and retrieval. Compared to nc systems, cnc controls also have better fault finding diagnosis information that is presented on the graphical display so servicing can be quicker and less costly for a trained maintenance engineer The Ermaksan cnc guillotines that are recently installed have been into jobbing sheetmetal workshops that need quick and accurate setup of their machines by any member of the staff. As the cnc interface is clear and easy to understand there is little training required for staff to produce the required accurate cutting results. CNC Pressbrakes have also been a popular Ermaksan machine tool in New Zealand as they are accurate, quick to setup, and repeatable. These features are critical to jobbing workshops who need to be able to rely on their staff to produce the required work correctly and with minimum involvement from the management. Ermaksan recently has moved all their Pressbrake production to cnc types so that the entire Pressbrake range has either Delem or Cybelec cnc controllers. The current popular Pressbrake cnc controller is the Delem DA66T with touch screen and continues a long history of reliable and accurate cnc controls from the Netherland cnc system manufacturer. CNC CAM Software for sheetmetal profiling, punching, and folding is promoted by Revolution Precision Machinery to increase the […]

The Interview: Stephen Snedden

New Zealand Manufacturer recently asked Stephen Snedden, the inventor, where he finds his inspiration and when it all began. NZM: When did you become an inventor? SS: As a young boy tinkering in my father’s shed with go carts and motor bikes and school projects. Dad was always working out solutions for problems as a self-employed electrician in his good old kiwi Shed. NZM: What was the first thing you made? SS: At high school doing workshop technology I was encouraged to do night school Jewellery class with Peter Hook. During the School C year we had to make a flint lock pistol, a knife, and pouch and brass cannon. It became a competition between all the class mates to do the best job. I managed to get top in my school for the School C year for workshop technology and technical drawing must say the ability to investment cast small parts helped a lot, NZM: What is your latest project? SS: My latest project is a rotational mould for a boat trailer body that can carry my boat but is also multi use as it can be used for a Jet Ski trailer or as a kids Slide on the water’s edge. It can float and be used as a floater to play with or for accessing boats on the water. It has 500 kg of flotation and can easily carry 3 paddlers, as a canoe. I have noticed after researching that no one’s supplying floating jet ski trailers worldwide so I’m going to see if I can make the market, NZM: What are you passionate about? SS: My family. I’m passionate about being able to create what we can dream of, being able to vision a product and draw it and then simply apply this to make it […]

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Developments