Editorial

RAM3D is 3D printing titanium implants for veterinary surgery

Kora is a Land Search and Rescue (LANDSAR) dog ‘in training’ and her owner and handler is Nick Petry, a volunteer with LANDSAR in Tauranga. For over five years he’s offered his specialist skills as a highly trained volunteer to the public 24/7 as an Operational Field Member. Initially he worked without a dog and 18 months ago decided to get his own dog. This formidable team have been training hard with the aim to get Kora certified as an operational search dog. Like all LANDSAR Search dogs, she has the perfect nature, is friendly with everyone and has no aversion to anyone. All LANDSAR Search dogs that are certified in tracking, need to be able to follow ground scent where a person or persons has walked, and that scent can be a few hours or days old. They are also expected locate any articles, e.g. hat, backpack, wallet by indicating with a trained response (i.e., down stay/down stay bark/re-find). Kora was getting close to becoming certified when Nick noticed her performance had dropped off and she was a bit lame. In Nick’s own words “like any performance athlete, injury for a working dog is a high probability”. After a visit to the vet, Nick was told she would need some surgery on her lower back; the damage was done between the last disc of her spine and sacrum. Over the years RAM3D, a metal 3d printing bureau based in Tauranga have been working with Massey Vets in Palmerston North and have been 3D printing titanium parts for large numbers of dogs and cats and were asked to print the implant for Kora. The surgery was a success; Nick was surprised she walked out of the clinic straight after her operation and even though she was a bit sad and […]

Empowering the manufacturing workforce to survive the pandemic and thrive beyond it

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, labour flexibility, digital transformation and operational excellence were key pillars of an emergent Fourth Industrial Revolution. Now, these areas provide vital lifelines to build resilience during the crisis and beyond. There is now more global recognition of the need for ongoing agile operations to accelerate the adoption of modern digital tools to improve the status and proficiency of frontline work. The industrial companies that take bold action to shore up their workforce and technology investments will emerge more resilient, and more likely to succeed no matter what uncertainties come their way. Ten months ago, the first cases of Covid-19 were detected. In the time since, companies, supply chains and entire economies have been disrupted and forced to adapt to a “new normal” where change is constant, and agility is critical. More than 48% of respondents in a recent survey of the world’s top risk experts said they were most worried about a disruption of global supply chains. Another report states that the Covid-19 crisis has impacted more than 75% of the world’s manufacturing outputs. As important as it is to address immediate needs and concerns while Covid-19 case rates fluctuate around the world, manufacturers must prepare for recovery and the Great Reset ahead. “Now more than ever, industry leaders have realised that they need to transform towards agile and sustainable manufacturing. Companies must be ready for a skill shift with a rising demand for technological, social, and higher cognitive skills.” — Valérie Ferret, 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Vice President, Dassault Systèmes Even before the pandemic, labour flexibility, digital transformation and operational excellence were key pillars of an emergent Fourth Industrial Revolution. Now, these areas provide vital lifelines to build resilience during the crisis and beyond. A profound sense of urgency has organisations seeking more pragmatic solutions and approaches to identifying the skills, […]

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Podcast with Pru Gordon and some of Australia’s biggest trade deals

All’s fair in trade and war: The latest episode of digital trade platform TradeWindow’s new podcast features trade guru Pru Gordon sharing a behind the scenes look at some of Australia’s biggest trade deals. A behind-the-scenes glimpse into game-changing trade deals is explored in the latest episode of Redefining Trade, the podcast by digital trade platform TradeWindow. Pru Gordon, whose trade experience spans 25 years, revealed to podcast host and TradeWindow Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Peter Foyston a handful of highlights in her career, including seeing former trade representative for the United States (U.S.), Michael (Mike) Froman, grapple with Andrew Robb, Australia’s former Minister for Trade and Investment, over the controversial issue of biologics in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Negotiations between Australia and the U.S. centred around the protection of data used to determine the ethics and effectiveness of biologic medicines, which Gordon said was a make-or-break issue in the partnership for several countries, including Australia which came under significant pressure to shift its position. “It was fascinating to see Mike Froman – who is an unbelievably articulate and impressive person – come up against Andrew Robb, who is equally impressive with his own set of skills, but quite different,” Gordon recalled. “Andrew Robb absolutely understood the importance of those negotiations and the number of other countries in the TPP who were really relying on Australia to hold the line on this issue. It was fantastic to see the dynamic, and the different personalities of the two key negotiators and how that influenced the dialogue and way the issue was negotiated.” Another of Gordon’s most memorable moments was at the 2015 Nairobi Ministerial Conference, when World Trade Organisation (WTO) members agreed on a historic decision to eliminate agricultural export subsidies – the most important reform of international trade rules in agriculture […]

RCEP: A trading world of increased possibilities

-Doug Green, Publisher NZ Manufacturer – www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz Editorial – November issue. Important, I think, to make this Editorial about the RCEP Agreement which will open up more opportunities for New Zealand businesses. New Zealand is a member of the world’s largest free-trade deal, representing 30% of GDP, which aims to boost imports and exports with lower tariffs across 15 Asia-Pacific countries. This is a big deal and the largest free trade deal so far. At the (virtual) ASEAN Summit, held Sunday last, ministers from 15 countries signed a mega-trade agreement after eight years of negotiations, which started in 2012. Known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, once ratified, it will form the largest-ever regional free-trade bloc. Countries who signed were China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The 15,000-page agreement outlines tariff reductions of about 90% on traded goods and services. On top of goods and services, the agreement covers investment, economic and technical cooperation, new rules for e-commerce, intellectual property and more. When finalised, the main benefits for businesses will be: One set of rules for accessing lower tariffs in any of the 15 RCEP markets; New trade opportunities in telecommunications, professional and financial services; Improved processes for tackling non-tariff barriers such as customs procedures; Greater investment certainty; New rules on e-commerce to make it easier for businesses to trade online; A common set of intellectual property rules; and A new rules of origin agreement to boost inputs in production chains. These new measures are expected to come into effect once the majority of participating countries ratify the deal over the next two years. As I said, this is a big deal.

Question everything, nothing is off the table

Simon Ganley, managing director, Ganley Engineering Over the past three decades I have been at the sharp end of process control. Mostly with multi-national manufacturers both in NZ and internationally. This has involved a wide variety of applications in a large number of factories. I have made a lot of very useful contacts with a lot of very clever people. I have seen a lot of amazing solutions and have also seen a lot of dumb stupidity that has cost a lot of money. So, what do the top players do with the new waves of technology becoming available because of quantum developments in computing, optics and machine control? For a start they question everything. Nothing is off the table. They only buy the best equipment available with the lowest cost of ownership. Anything bought is thoroughly tested and dissected long before it gets anywhere near a production line. They sell what they make for top dollar and have built their reputations on quality. They hate waste and they watch their costs. A lot of them have process control sensors specifically developed for what they do with custom filters and algorithms. This enables them to go to places no-one has been before with consistently made new products. And it enables us to build these new technologies into our new analysers and control sensors. It is a symbiotic world for us. Now what they do and a lot of industry doesn’t is to control what they make to the top of the specification as they make it. Probably the biggest cost to manufacturing is the price of energy. If someone is running a fluid bed drier, a tunnel oven, a fryer, a drum drier or anything that uses energy with no controls is probably over drying/ cooking and giving away enormous […]

Industry 4.0 Mobile showcase to launch at EMEX 2021 in February

Callaghan Innovation has confirmed Beca and The Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) as official partners to deliver the Government’s Industry 4.0 Demonstration Network – an initiative that will grow uptake of new technologies in the manufacturing sector. The partnership will bring to life a nationwide showcase of Industry 4.0 technologies that are delivering vast improvements and resilience for businesses in many sectors. This will involve real-world demonstrations of how the fusion and application of advanced technologies from robotics and automation to data analytics, mixed reality and artificial intelligence can drive productivity and enable new business models. The Government committed funding over four years to roll out the initiative. The Industry 4.0 Mobile showcase will launch at EMEX 2021 in February. Paul Linton, Callaghan Innovation’s General Manager Research & Technical Services and Commercial Businesses, says it will include a mobile Industry 4.0 showcase along with a network of site visits and ‘smart factory’ tours which will demonstrate Industry 4.0 in action. “Our aim is to help New Zealand manufacturers to transform and increase their resilience and competitiveness through the adoption of new technologies. Raising the value of their activities and businesses is especially important during times of economic uncertainty and recovery,” says Mr Linton. “This partnership is a great example of the Government working with industry experts to create exciting new opportunities for business growth and economic development. It will help prepare the country for a world where increased digital capability is key to lifting our productivity and make us more internationally competitive and future-relevant.” Industry 4.0 in action Beca will deliver the mobile showcase and bring Industry 4.0 technologies to the doorstep of manufacturers and educators across New Zealand. The EMA, part of the BusinessNZ network, will deliver a network of site visits and smart factory tours by manufacturers to […]

X5 FastMig for arc-welding productivity

Kemppi, has released its new X5 FastMig multi-process welding system for MIG, DC TIG and stick welding (MMA) as well as gouging. Designed in conjunction with professional welders specifically for steel welding, the X5 FastMig delivers a range of features to help significantly enhance arc welding productivity. Built using energy-efficient inverter technology, the X5 FastMig offers faster welding and quality welds thanks to Touch Sense Ignition, effortless operation, excellent welding ergonomics and flexible equipment setup. Faster welding, better quality welds Built to perform, the X5 FastMig features the latest in ignition technology – Touch Sense Ignition – as standard in all available models. When combined with WiseSteel software, which also comes as standard with every model, the X5 delivers precise ignition capability and stable arc control. It tackles the challenges of globular arc by alternating between short arc and spray transfer. In short-circuit transfer, it improves the arc stability adaptively, provding better out-of-position steel welding capabilities. In spray transfer mode, micropulsing of the current and voltage increases travel speed significantly. In doing so, the X5 helps to minimise the spatter produced by a traditional globular arc, as well as the need for post weld cleaning, saving the welder both valuable time and cost, while helping to deliver better quality welds. For more challenging applications, the arc control can be further optimised with optional welding programs and Wise special processes. Effortless operation Designed to be hassle-free, the X5 FastMig is very easy to operate. It features a large, graphical and impact-resistant TFT display panel that illustrates all the required information clearly and without the use of abbreviations. Welding parameters are set automatically when the user adjusts the wire feed speed. And memory channels are also available to customise and save personal settings. Easy to use, the operating basics of the X5 […]

Circular product stewardship: Starting with design

By Barbara Nebelwww.thinkstep-anz.com/ In the transition to a circular economy, New Zealand first needs to address its continued reliance on a linear take-make-waste model. For organisations looking to take meaningful action, taking responsibility for the end-of-life of their products with product stewardship can be a key part of the solution. With proponents ranging from successful businesses to new industry and governmental initiatives, it is safe to predict that product stewardship is here to stay and ready to play a pivotal role in the circular transition. Starting with the waste problem during this process is a common tactic but the best approach starts at the beginning with product design. In fact, UK based Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) found that 80% of the environmental impacts of modern products are determined during product design and development. Incorporating product stewardship into product design will provide more circular solutions for end-of-life decisions, minimise waste in the process and ultimately, speed up the transition to a circular economy. This is exactly what Utility Electric Vehicle (UEV) company UBCO has set out to do. Starting with product stewardship Focused on a largely electronic product with a high capacity lithium-ion battery, UBCO identified end of life processes and product stewardship as their defining sustainability issues. For UBCO, tackling these issues head on starts with design. UBCO’s product design approach utilises life cycle thinking to consider the entire value chain – from the raw materials and the energy used to create the product, through to the packaging, distribution, use, maintenance, and eventually recycling, reuse, recovery, and final disposal. “It would have been easiest to have battery and electronics in a big block of resin to make it waterproof – but that would prevent any product stewardship approach in future”, says Timothy Allan, CEO and Managing Director of […]

ABB Ability Liquid Routing Library launched for food and beverage production

Process automation technology provides customers with optimal routing and ‘cleaning-in-place’ to increase efficiency and reduce costs. ABB has launched ABB Ability Liquid Routing Library which is a control engineering inventory for food and beverage manufacturers and those in other liquid related industries, including tank farms, pharmaceuticals and chemical resin plants. The new digital application draws on ABB Ability System 800xA, the most powerful Distributed Control System (DCS) automation platform in the market and will support routing and cleaning in place (CIP) functionalities needed for liquid-led production. It can be used wherever products are transported, stored or processed in tanks and lines and is particularly relevant to dairy, brewing, sugar, mills and edible oil application programming. Ready-made objects including libraries, typicals, and templates for product routing, with recipe-based CIP, track and trace, preventive plant maintenance, Excel-based bulk data tools are made available for customers through the library. Functionalities include alarm handling, alarm propagation between different units, queue handling for online production changes, control and supervision of process objects, interlocks and transfer of product and equipment settings like product codes, unit names and unit states. ABB Ability Liquid Routing Library will support food and beverage customers in their digitalisation journey. Customers are driving innovation in process automation, digitalising their production sites for greater speed, consistency and quality and Liquid Routing Library is an important piece of this jigsaw. Having a complete library for product routing, with ready-made objects and templates will allow users greater visibility and understanding of what is happening at each stage of the process. We know that routing and cleaning in place support are vitally important in food and beverage plants. This is built-in and at-any-stage ABB support from experts or additional documentation is available. Operators will be able to diagnose issues quicker than before and have solutions ready, […]

How RAM3D became the largest independent metal AM service in Australasia

New Zealand company operates seven metal AM systems Though it may best be known for the Kiwi bird, Lord of the Rings and its inspirational Prime Minister, New Zealand has another claim to fame in the additive world: it is home to the largest independent metal 3D printing service in the Southern Hemisphere: RAM3D. Founded in 2008, the Tauranga-based company has had an interesting journey over the past decade, partaking in metal AM’s transition from a one-off custom prototyping solution to an industrial production process. This journey in itself is interesting, as RAM3D played a vital role in the evangelisation of metal 3D printing in its part of the world—a role that many service providers have played. In short, 3D printing metal parts for customers was only part of its job in its earlier years, it also had to focus on raising awareness of AM, educating on DfAM and facilitating the shift from prototyping to production. “In our very early days the perception of 3D metal printing really was that it was just for one-off, custom part prototyping,” explained Gilly Hawker, RAM3D Marketing Manager. “Its real benefits, in terms of improved part functionality, part integration, weight reduction, cost effectiveness and so on, just weren’t widely recognized. We did have to play our part in improving general market awareness and helping to rectify any misconceptions.” One of the big milestones in the company’s evolution has been its partnership with Renishaw, which began in 2014, when the UK-based metal AM company supplied its newest system to RAM3D. At the time, the machine provided the flexibility and openness that RAM3D was looking for, as it had the skills to optimize the AM process for its customers’ applications. “We had lots of ideas of our own on optimising our manufacturing process, and this machine gave us the freedom […]

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