Developments

Defining High-Tech Manufacturing- Does it Matter?

By Dieter Adam, Chief Executive, New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association. I recently spent time in Wellington, meeting members and officials from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Callaghan Innovation. It was interesting to discuss MBIE’s recent Sector Reports, and to see how government defines and views manufacturing, in particular high-tech manufacturing. There are still misconceptions on what manufacturing is, and what should be considered high or medium-technology manufacturing. High-tech manufacturing is often touted by government as an important source of growth and innovation for our country. But it does not capture all the high value-added activity happening across manufacturing businesses, and focusing only on what is defined as high-tech can lead to missing and undervaluing all the innovation and growth that is created in other parts of the sector, just because they do not fit a specific definition. The definition used for high-tech manufacturing in the Sector Reports covers those manufacturers who spend greater than 8% of revenue on research and development (R&D). By this definition, the high tech sub-sectors of manufacturing are: pharmaceuticals, aircraft manufacturing, professional and scientific equipment manufacturing and computer and electronic manufacturing. Medium-tech manufacturing is defined by R&D expenditure of between 2% and 8% of revenues, and sub-sectors listed as medium tech are: Chemical manufacturing, transport equipment manufacturing and machinery and equipment manufacturing. It is important to note that these definitions have been created by the OECD and are used so to allow international comparison. One issue is that any definition based on R&D expenditure relies on such expenditure being captured reliably by the accounting practices used by the companies in question. We know that this is often not the case, as doing so introduces additional complexity in accounting methods without any immediate benefit to the firm. Moreover, accepted definitions of ‘R&D […]

New Speedglas welding helmet Series 9100XXi

Represented by AWS Pty Ltd www.awsi.com.au the new Speedglas auto-darkening welding helmet series 9100XXi from 3M is built on 30 years of expertise and sets a new benchmark in welding helmet technology. The 3M Speedglas 9100XXi series is designed for professional welders who require optimum comfort, trusted protection and ultimate performance. The new top-of-the-line series features the largest Speedglas welding lens available. The Speedglas welding lens 9100XXi when combined with the peripheral Speedglas SideWindows gives welders the largest viewing area amongst auto-darkening welding helmets currently available on the Australian & New Zealand market at the time of printing. The new “True-View” lens delivers a greater degree of definition and natural colour. Shades of blue and red as well as contours and edges are more visible due to improved welding lens optics. The new “Grab-and-Go” motion detector senses movement and instantly activates the welding lens to the welding setting that was last used. A “One-Touch” external button activates grind mode. Another quick push reactivates the auto-darkening welding settings. Just like the programmed pre-set stations on a radio, the new “Set-and-Forget” feature allows welders to pre-set their most frequently used welding helmet settings. By holding down the external button, welders can seamlessly switch between different welding applications without having to re-set the welding helmet. Each memory mode has an individual setting for dark shade, switching sensitivity and dark-to-light delay. For example, by holding down the external button, the welder can switch between low-amp TIG and high-amp MIG welding in a matter of seconds. The new 3M Speedglas Welding Helmet Series 9100XXi is available with flip-up functionality, head protection, hearing protection and with powered or supplied air respiratory protection. Featuring Speedglas’ legendary comfort and performance and the new True-View, Grab-and-Go, One-Touch and Set-and-Forget features, the Speedglas Welding Helmet Series 9100XXi is in a […]

Leussink distributor for Faro Edge ScanArm + LLP Scanner

Leussink Engineering, appearing on Stand 112 at SouthMACH 2015, is the new Faro metrology distributor for New Zealand. Australian engineering design and refurbishment specialist Leussink Engineering has added Faro Metrology technologies equipment to their portfolio of engineering capabilities & distribution within New Zealand. The latest Faro Edge ScanArm is a portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) that allows manufacturers easy verification of product quality by performing 3D inspections, tool certifications, CAD comparison, dimensional analysis, reverse engineering, and more. The all-new FARO Edge is the most advanced, state-of the-art Faro Arm ever produced. With the Edge ScanArm, the addition of the Faro Laser Line Probe to the Faro Arm adds unparalleled noncontact 3D scanning capabilities for detailed measurement of surface form, making the ScanArm the perfect combination of a contact and non-contact portable CMM. The Faro Laser Tracker is an extremely accurate, portable coordinate measuring machine that enables you to build products, optimise processes, and deliver solutions by measuring quickly, simply and precisely. Customers around the world trust the Faro Laser Tracker to solve their everyday measurement challenges as well as their most complex problems that simply weren’t previously possible. Companies are saving millions of dollars by completing jobs faster, reducing downtime, eliminating costly scrap, and getting accurate, consistent, and reportable measurement data. Key features of Faro Edge ScanArm and Vantage Laser Tracker include: • Accurately performs measurements within many refurbishment applications • Operates in real time • Particularly effective in measuring alignment and providing proper trending and distortions • Allows complex geometry, surfaces and feature positions to be compared to nominal data without any need to relocate the part to a fixed inspection tool • Provides full volumetric accuracy tests and verifies dimensional integrity and repeatability

NZ clean technologies exported to Asia

Two clean-tech investors, London-based ETI Dynamics and Auckland-based Greenhouse Capital, have joined forces to invest $100 million in exporting New Zealand clean technologies into India, Asia and Africa. The partnership was announced at the pair’s first bi-annual clean tech investment forum in Auckland today, which included discussions with companies seeking funding for offshore growth. Greenhouse Capital will also be a key partner for one of eight regional cleantech innovation hubs that ETI Dynamics is setting up. The partnership was a step forward for the kiwi cleantech sector and trade relationships with India, Greenhouse director Duncan Stewart said in a statement. He said ETI Dynamics had a large portfolio of projects in India and other regions could benefit from New Zealand’s technologies in this area. ETI Dynamics has released a prototype solar electric hybrid scooter in India which can travel 50 kilometres on a single charge at a top speed of 45 kilometres per hour. The company has said it’s planning to extend the concept to auto-rickshaws, buses and golf carts. In March, ETI Dynamics, whose technology and engineering hub is in India, participated in two roadshows in Auckland and Christchurch as part of a trade and investment delegation. It’s website says it signed eight memorandums of understanding on that trip with various kiwi organisations including Lincoln University and the Canterbury Development Corporation. It signed an MoU with Intelligent Green Energy NZ to develop utility-based and community oriented projects in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands in energy, drinking water, sanitation, and waste management. VR Power Dynamics, a joint venture between ETI Dynamics and VR Group, is also said to have signed an MoU with the Auckland company to provide green micro and mobile renewable energy solutions. The website also said that ETI Dynamics develops infrastructure projects through extensive use of […]

Emissions target challenging but achievable

New Zealand’s new target for emissions reduction is challenging but achievable with collective effort says BusinessNZ. The new national target of 30 percent less emissions than 2005 by 2030 will not be easy to achieve, but many businesses are already showing leadership in moving in that direction, BusinessNZ Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly said. “Business will want to engage with Government over how to deliver these reductions and more. “Our unique profile, with unusual predominance of agricultural and transport emissions, means we must be deliberate about how we achieve reductions without harming the economy. “Key to this will be a balanced outcome for all countries taking part in forthcoming negotiations in Paris, facilitating investment, technology development and access to markets in a way that provides New Zealand businesses with the confidence to invest in low-carbon solutions for emission reductions over the long term.”

Making the most of connected machines

By Ian Raper, Regional Vice President, Riverbed Australia & New Zealand Automation and the rise of smart, Internet-connected manufacturing equipment (known as M2M or the Internet of Things depending on the device) stand to deliver previously unimaginable productivity gains and cost-savings. While these new technologies promise to simplify the production process, this influx of connected machines and devices also complicates the network used to deliver these efficiency gains. With each new machine connected to a network, finding faults and troubleshooting application performance issues when they occur could be like finding a needle in an ever-increasing haystack. A major source of delay in the troubleshooting process can be found in the way IT teams are structured; specific parts of the infrastructure (e.g. network operations; server operations; application operations) are run by different groups. Each of these teams has visibility into a different part of infrastructure and, traditionally, has had no way to share information effectively. This siloed approach means that the first step in the troubleshooting process is usually a counterproductive round of finger pointing between groups as none have visibility of the whole. But it doesn’t need to be like this. The key to effective, real-time performance optimisation and troubleshooting is visibility. If each of these teams has a deep, end-to-end view within and across the complex networks and applications that make up the modern manufacturing process, any performance issue can be quickly resolved. In fact, these issues can even be fixed before they have an effect on the production line by using the same automation that is becoming prevalent on factory floors. At Riverbed, we’ve developed solutions to minimise downtime in the production environment and avoid potentially devastating disruptions that can reverberate through the supply chain. Clearing the fog of war The first strategy is to have the right […]

Delcam webinar on PowerMILL Advanced Simulation & Verification now online

In the picture: The Advanced Simulation & Verification module in Delcam’s PowerMILL provides comprehensive checks on machine-tool projects. Delcam has made available for download its recent webinar on the Advanced Simulation & Verification module in the 2015 R2 release of the company’s PowerMILL programming software for five-axis and high-speed machining. To download the webinar, please go to www.delcam.com/software/powermill/webinar/index.asp The webinar demonstrates how PowerMILL can undertake complete verification of a project for machine-tool issues such as collisions, rather than having to undertake verification of each individual toolpath in turn. Comprehensive verification is shown, including how to ensure that the machine tool is capable of running the proposed strategy, as well as methods for checking for both machine-tool collisions and tooling collisions, during cutting moves and all leads and links, including machine-tool movements as tool changes are executed. PowerMILL generates a detailed list of any problems found for the complete project so that these can be fixed on a case-by-case basis. As well as highlighting potential collisions, warnings can also be flagged for near misses. The user can specify a clearance value and, when the machine tool comes within this value, it will turn yellow in colour to highlight a near miss. The clearance distance is shown in the display so that a decision can be made on whether to keep or change the toolpath. Also demonstrated are a new PowerMILL dialogue that can be used to track and adjust the position of the machine tool, and the special toolbar to simulate and adjust the configuration and tool axis of a 3+2 machine or any equipment with incremental rotary axes. The dialogue presents data on the position of the machine tool, together with the limits set for each axis. It includes a slider to jog the machine components into position during the […]

Manufacturing qualifications help leading winemaker build team’s skills

In the picture: Members of the Matua team learning on-the-job at the company’s Matua Marlborough site. For national winemaker Matua Wines, supporting 73 employees working through nationally recognised certificates in competitive and core manufacturing on-the-job last year is a part of a training journey that has added training awards to the trophies it regularly wins for its wines. “It’s been a hugely rewarding process,” says Matua Health, Safety and Environment Coordinator Paula Langford. “Over the year the company’s seen significant improvements in competitive manufacturing, with our employees actively seeking out opportunities across our business.” The journey to Matua’s success started in 2012 with a tailor-made training programme, Raising our Glass, which builds on the company’s ways of working and strong safety focus. The programme also helps empower employees by building confidence and communications skills. Training to the national qualifications industry training organisation Competenz supports plays an important part. “Our team really value the chance to gain a qualification that’s recognised nationally,” says Paula. Paula appreciates the way these qualifications can be flexible and tailored to Matua’s needs. “Working with Competenz we’ve built training programmes that retain our training style and methodology – and that’s important to us. As well as rewarding staff, the programmes maintain Matua’s safety-first focus and ensure our team is competent to industry standards.” Matua’s global parent Treasury Wine Estates recognised the New Zealand business’ success with a major award in 2013. Matua has been a finalist for other national awards for the role their training plays in lifting staff engagement. In the spirit of continuing to build nationally recognised skills, the Matua team is currently playing a leading role in helping Competenz launch New Zealand’s first national cellar operations qualifications.

Increase revenue by increasing productivity

The increased revenue from increased productivity will come from being engaged in the question, how can we come up with one product fitting all our different customer’s needs? -Katalin Csikasz, TechPro Plus Interested in increasing revenue by streamlining, mass-producing and increasing production volume through your factory all in once? If the answer is yes – stay tuned. TechPro Plus, an Auckland company specialising in solutions for manufacturers, specialises in this. One project they took on started out as a product QA and compliance enquiry and ended up with streamlined production, increased productivity and revenue plus an opportunity and possibility of new markets. TechPro Plus was invited to quality check a product that was supplied internationally and there were various installation complaints from the end customers in NZ. After inspecting the product, they found that the product was slightly outside of the NZ requirements. While the overseas manufacturing partner was fully on board to be part of the solution, TechPro Plus had to be realistic, as they were able to manufacture the whole yearly NZ order requirements in just one day. The manufacturer was not going to invest in a different die for NZ production, given the small volume, so to find the solution TechPro Plus had to be creative and look outside of the box. TechPro Plus first provided remote consultation to save costs. Later to fast track the project, a visit to the overseas factory enabled hands on consultation. After walking through the production line, and gathering all the necessary information, TechPro Plus found that the overseas company, the manufacturer, has always looked at ways to enter other countries with their product, but was held back with the significant capital expenditure for building different expensive dies for each country; and also with the stand down period for changing the […]

Delcam launches FeatureCAM for feature-based programming

In the picture: Turning-head holders have been added to the range of machining accessories supported by FeatureCAM. Delcam has launched the 2015 R3 release of its FeatureCAM feature-based CAM software. This includes a range of enhancements to give high-quality results on all types of machine tool, including complex mill-turn equipment and five-axis machining centres, while retaining the rapid programming times for which FeatureCAM is renowned. FeatureCAM was the world’s first feature-based programming software when it was launched in 1995. Constant development since then has ensured that the system has retained its leadership in programming speed and ease of use, while an increased range of strategies has been added to provide more efficient toolpaths that give greater productivity on a wider range of machinery, including mill-turn machines, five-axis mills and wire EDM equipment. The most significant new option is the ability to duplicate the physical constraints of the machine tool in simulations in FeatureCAM. Machine-tool limits can be added to the models to be used in the simulation for three-, four- and five-axis milling machines, for turning equipment, and for mill-turn machines, including those with multiple turrets and/or multiple spindles. It is then possible to check that the chosen machine tool is capable of completing the proposed program for all types of equipment, from the simplest lathe to the most complex multi-tasking machine. The simulation will pause whenever the program attempts to move the machine beyond the specified limits. In many cases, simply changing the position of the part on the machine bed will allow the whole operation to be completed. Alternatively, modifications to the fixturing or to the length of the cutting tools may be required. Whatever changes are made, the computer simulation can then be repeated to check that the modified program will run successfully. Proving out the program on […]

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