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Engineers discussing notes on factory stairway

Be at the cutting edge of global innovation

With changing consumer and business demands bringing greater competition to global markets, companies in New Zealand’s engineering and manufacturing sectors must consistently evolve in order to win new business and succeed. A term that has saturated global markets for the last decade is Industry 4.0 – the digitalisation of manufacturing. What we are in fact witnessing is an industrial renaissance that is changing the way we do business through the unification of real and virtual worlds, laying the foundation for the future of manufacturing with platforms that enable data and digital continuity to maximise innovation, collaboration with the extended enterprise, and improve profit margins. This Industry Renaissance has enabled global connectivity on an unprecedented scale, which Invenio has witnessed in its network of dynamic New Zealand businesses of all sizes that enjoy success locally as well as globally. Taking advantage of this opportunity requires the right tools to be implemented, such as the Dassault Systèmes 3DExperience platform and modelling, simulation and collaboration applications such as Catia, Delmia and Enovia. The 3DExperience platform enables organisations to move from siloed designs and a document-based approach to a unified platform that is data-driven and model-based. Combining multi-physics, behaviour-modelling, big data analytics and social collaboration on a single, digital innovative platform, New Zealand businesses can quickly respond to a fast-changing industry landscape. Designers can bring their ideas to life with Catia applications, the world’s leading product design and experience solution including world-class 3D modelling performance and simulation capabilities. Information is communicated through the Enovia application data management platform, allowing designers to efficiently collaborate across departments. Finished designs can be fast-tracked towards production with Delmia’s digital manufacturing solutions, enabling manufacturing efficiency through the digital planning, simulating and modelling of production processes. Invenio’s partnership with Dassault Systèmes has also enabled the success of a number of […]

Collaborative robots set to change NZ’s manufacturing industry

Facteon’s new partnership with Universal Robots to benefit local manufacturers Global factory solutions specialist, Facteon, has announced its collaboration with Universal Robots – an international market leader in collaborative robots (cobots). The partnership, which will make cobots more accessible to the New Zealand manufacturing sector, is the latest move from Facteon and showcases the business’s commitment to delivering world-class factory technologies for the Internet Age. Cobots are a dynamic robotic technology that work safely alongside human operators to perform mundane, repetitive and dangerous tasks with accuracy and at speed. Unlike industrial robots, cobots can complete a variety of tasks and don’t require a robotics specialist in-house, making them a more affordable option for manufacturers. Nathan Soich, Head of Marketing and New Ventures at Facteon, says: “We are committed to making robotics accessible for manufacturers of all sizes. Cobots are a relatively new technology for New Zealand, but we’ve already experienced significant interest. “We’re looking forward to seeing how our partnership with Universal Robots will revolutionise manufacturing in a wide range of industries including the appliance, medical, pharmaceutical, automotive, food and beverage sectors. There are great opportunities for manufacturers in each of these areas to improve their operations through the integration of cobots. This is a logical first step for any facility moving towards automation.” Acting as a second pair of hands and eyes in the factory, cobots are flexible, reliable and safe. They can be quickly reprogrammed in-house to perform a variety of production tasks such as assembly, pick and place, packaging and palletising, quality inspection, machine tending, screw driving and fastening. Today, more than 37,000 Universal Robots cobots can be found operating in thousands of production facilities across the globe. While New Zealand and Australia have been previously underserved in the cobot space, businesses now looking to introduce cobots […]

McKechnie Aluminium signals long-term commitment to Taranaki

New Plymouth-based McKechnie Aluminium is now home to New Zealand’s largest and most technologically advanced aluminium extrusion press. The Italian press, named ‘Giulia’ literally means ‘youth’ and its broader meaning is ‘new’ and ‘prosperous’. McKechnie Managing Director Mr Pramod Khatri says: “This significant investment is part of our strategy to grow our business and futureproof our customer base, employees and local community. McKechnie has been manufacturing, exporting and creating employment opportunities in Taranaki for 60 years now. This investment will give us the opportunity to continue for another 60.” McKechnie also exports a sizeable share of its production to Australia and has been doing so for nearly 31 years. The sizeable investment is welcome news for the local economy, particularly in the wake of the Government’s 2018 announcement to cease offshore oil and gas exploration. “This state-of-the-art aluminium extrusion press is a very exciting addition to Taranaki’s, and New Zealand’s, manufacturing capability,” says Mr Khatri. The press has increased the plant’s capacity by between 30 and 40 percent. This has been done by enhancing the company’s capability to produce larger-sized products and complex profiles previously possible only through imports. “For our New Zealand customers, it means they don’t need to source some of the bigger products from overseas suppliers,” says Mr Khatri. The benefits for customers of having their aluminium product manufactured in New Zealand are multiple, including reduced working capital, shorter lead times, certainty of delivery, assured quality and high environmental performance. “Our product has the lowest carbon footprint of all aluminium extrusions produced in Australasia. McKechnie is the only aluminium extruder with a re-melt facility, which means a high proportion of our product is made from recycled content,” says McKechnie Chief Operating Officer Mr Scott Fuller. McKechnie’s New Plymouth plant is ISO9001 and ISO14001 quality and environmental certified. It is also the only Australasian aluminium extruder, and the world’s first, to have gained third-party CEMARS environmental certification, which is based on stringent European standards. Installation started in October 2017 and the first billet was produced in March 2018. Final performance handover from Italian supplier Turla was in July 2019. “After an intense period of commissioning, the new press is performing well. We’re looking forward to growing our business and continuing to provide our customers with high-quality, low-carbon aluminium products for their projects,” says Mr […]

Sustainability in 2019: The year in review

Barbara Nebel, CEO, thinkstep-anz This year has seen a significant rise in consumer concern around environmental and social issues, and a corresponding demand for better information about products and business practices. Colmar Brunton’s Better Futures report[1] in February found that New Zealanders had the highest levels of concern about climate change in a decade, but also that how companies talk about their social and environmental commitments is confusing. The In Good Company report[2] in November – commissioned by the Sustainable Business Council, Porter Novelli and Perceptive – found that New Zealanders wanted more transparent communication on sustainability from all industries and considered sustainability in their purchase decisions. It is more important than ever for manufacturers to be able to tell the story of product sustainability. We look back at how government and businesses alike have stepped up to this challenge. Government changes Single-use plastic bags were banned from July this year, signalling a watershed moment for plastics use. The Government has recently announced[3] the next steps to tackle plastic waste, starting with moving from single-use packaging and containers made of hard-to-recycle PVC and polystyrene, towards high-value alternatives like HDPE and polypropylene. In November, New Zealand made headlines overseas as the Climate Change Response Amendment Bill passed with cross-party support, committing the country to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050. The passage of this bill gives businesses certainty of the long-term framework for reducing emissions and will make it easier for them to plan their own transition. The Ministry for the Environment, accredited product stewardship managers and the Sustainable Business Network have collaborated on Fuji Xerox’s roadmap[4] to develop a product stewardship scheme. Companies and other organisations participating in accredited product stewardship schemes have diverted more than 1/3 million tonnes of waste from landfill to date. How are companies responding? […]

Highly trained staff crucial to success

Fiona Kingsford, CEO, Competenz 2019 has been a year of extremes in the manufacturing industry, impacted by both a skills shortage and a government reform that will reshape vocational education. New Zealand is facing its biggest skills shortage in decades. By 2024, more than 18,000 people will be needed to fill new roles and replace those leaving the manufacturing sector, many of which could be filled by apprentices. In August 2019, the Government confirmed the details of its overhaul of vocational education. Specifically, the disestablishment of all 11 Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) whose current functions will be undertaken by two new entities, Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) and the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST). By the end of 2022, WDCs will lead qualification development, standard setting, skills leadership, brokerage and industry advocacy, while the new national delivery agency, NZIST, will deliver all classroom, digital and on-the-job learning. The NZIST includes the merger of the 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics and the training functions of the ITOs. How this new regime will impact the manufacturing industry is unclear. What we do know, is that the government has committed to ongoing support of apprentices and trainees undertaking on-the-job training. So, there is absolutely no reason for employers to stop signing their employees into training for fear apprentices and trainees won’t be able to complete because of upcoming changes. All qualifications remain, and everyone entering one will be able to complete them. While the training delivery landscape is definitely changing, these changes will be progressively implemented by December 2022. Right now, there is no interruption to the services Competenz provides to our employers, trainees and apprentices. No matter what form the new structure takes and how it is rolled out, the future of work in the manufacturing sector will still […]

The year in focus for manufacturing

-By EMA senior policy analyst Michael Burgess Despite the economic predictions, manufacturers have concerns with finding skilled workers, the bewildering speed of technological change, and how to make investment decisions in light of low business confidence. Internationally and domestically, a number of factors have put the brakes on the New Zealand economy in 2019. Domestically, the feeling is downbeat, with low levels of business confidence appearing relatively deep-seated. A number of key indexes that the EMA monitors continues to highlight that slowdown, with GDP also slowing to just over 2.1 per cent year-on-year. The Performance of Manufacturing Index is at levels not seen since the Global Financial Crisis, with forward orders also at their lowest levels since 2019. The October PMI result raises the prospect of the manufacturing sector’s recent negative results coming to an end in the final quarter of the year. However, most international economic agencies have downgraded their growth forecasts. The latest J P Morgan Global Manufacturing Survey is also in negative territory, with optimism dropping to its lowest level since first tracked in 2012. Despite the economic predictions, manufacturers have concerns with finding skilled workers, the bewildering speed of technological change, and how to make investment decisions in light of low business confidence. The Employment Relations Amendment Act introduced new duties on employers. Employers with more than 19 staff can no longer use the 90-day trial provisions and must now use probationary periods. The Employment Relations (Triangular Employment Act 2019 will take effect in June 2020. This affects triangular relationships where an employee is employed by an employer, but performs their work for another organization which controls the employer’s day-to-day work. The Holidays Act review is ongoing, any substantive overhaul has been delayed because the government taskforce needs more time to run tests. It is […]

MaDE2020: Synergies in New Zealand Manufacturing, Design and Entrepreneurship

The Fourth National Conference for Innovation in Manufacturing, Design and Entrepreneurship is brought to you by the University of Auckland’s Innovative Manufacturing and Materials Programme. Dates: Monday 25 – Tuesday 26 May 2020 Venue: Cordis Auckland Abstract submissions are now open to local and international industry representatives and researchers, including post graduate students, who work in the manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship sector. The abstract portal closes on 14 February 2020. Registration will be open by 20 January 2020. Delegate prices are available online. Sponsorship and support: A range of standard and specific sponsorship opportunities are available, and these are designed to provide maximum leverage during the event. The MaDE2020 Sponsorship Prospectus and Application Form is available online. Join us in Auckland for MaDE2020 to learn about exciting, new manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship research and to be inspired through examples of positive collaborations between industry and researchers. Engaging, short TED-Talk-Type presentations from researchers, industry and government representatives will enable productive communication between delegates from different backgrounds. In addition, MaDE2020 will showcase industry/research work by way of Poster presentations, to be displayed in the exhibition and networking area; local and international Keynote Speakers will set the tone; Panel Discussions and Breakout Sessions will provide topic specific engagement opportunity; and our ticketed MaDE2020 Conference Dinner will be our gala event on Monday 25 May 2020. The MaDE Network is a cross-disciplinary community of New Zealand researchers in manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship that works in close collaboration with industry to envision and shape New Zealand’s future manufacturing economy. The MaDE mission is to develop expertise and capability in translational research, to grow New Zealand’s high-tech manufacturing economy. The MaDE vision is for New Zealand to be recognised as a leading, technology empowered economy driven by innovative, high-value, niche manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship. The previous […]

Think outside the loop: Beyond the circular economy

-Barbara Nebel, CEO, thinkstep ANZ We are hearing more and more about the circular economy as a way to reduce our impact on the environment by getting the most use out of materials. Steel is often cited as a great example of a circular product, due to its recyclability and the option to reuse elements when “design for deconstruction” principles are applied. The circular economy also has economic benefits – to reduce the need to produce new materials, and the associated cost, we can reuse what has already been produced. However, to truly reduce our impact on the environment, we need data to inform our decisions and must look beyond a purely circular approach and take other environmental impacts into account too. Comparing tomatoes with tomatoes Stepping away from the hard structure of steel for a moment to something much more fragile: the example I most often use, tomatoes, are often packaged in single-use plastic. A circular economy approach would first look at reducing packaging, or producing it using recycled materials. However, the purpose of the packaging is to reduce food waste. Companies like Tesco’s have introduced strips containing ethylene remover to reduce how fast the tomatoes ripen, extending their shelf-life further. While this introduces another packaging element, it also means that fewer tomatoes have to be produced to meet demands, reducing the resources such as water, energy and fertiliser required to grow them. If we calculate the overall environmental impact of producing packaging against the reduced food waste, we quickly see that removing packaging altogether would actually increase the overall environmental impact of tomatoes. If we then decide to produce the packaging using recycled materials, will we need to use more energy to manufacture the packaging, or more water to clean the plastic before it is recycled? Circular economy […]

Ideas can come from everywhere

-Gemma Stanbridge, ViAGO International Limited Are the managers in your company empowering employees to pursue their broader passions, skills, and experience? Or are they pigeon-holing employees into a box defined by their current job title, taking them at face value of their job title, and restricting further development? These latter rigid typecasting behaviours serve only to limit employees from reaching their full potential and they discourage initiative and innovation within a company. An artificial limit is imposed on the value an employee can provide because the additional strengths or skills the employee has which are not required for the specific position are overlooked. Jack Stack, author of The Great Game of Business, shares in his introduction to the new edition, a story of a company he worked for where a drill press operator was actually a self-made millionaire who had built his wealth through real estate investments. “Here was this incredible entrepreneur working under our noses and all I had this guy doing was drilling holes. What a wasted opportunity.” Stack and the company failed to use the drill press operator’s full range of talents, asking the operator to only think about drilling the perfect hole, not about how they could build a better company. Why did this happen, and why does this still happen today, over 20 years later? Managers or recruiters look for and hire people to do a specific job or position that needs to be filled. Upon employment, the employee is labelled with their specific job title and job description. Managers (and even other employees) are often blinded by job titles, only giving each employee as much information as they feel is needed for their respective job title. Typically, operational and strategic decisions are handled by the appropriate higher managerial function and so many employees are […]

Just the right chemistry

New Zealand family-owned and operated, Chemfreight is a specialised 3PL distributor offering the complete solution of hazardous, non-hazardous and separate dedicated food storage and chemical toll blending backed by a national transport network. Started in 1989, it was the brainchild of Harry Price who, having worked in the chemical industry for many years, saw an opportunity and industry need for the specialist third party storage and distribution of hazardous goods. Three years ago, his son Joseph Price, took the helm as General Manager bringing his well-rounded business experience following years in insolvency and accounting. The business has undergone substantial changes and almost doubled in size from a staff of 40 to 80, and 100 clients to 200. Chemfreight does not have a sales or marketing function and has used their reputation for operating class leading facilities and delivering an excellent 3PL supply chain service to attract new business and also retain their existing valued clients. With their Head Office in East Tamaki, Chemfreight operates three Major Hazardous Facilities with two state-of-the-art storage facilities in Auckland and a large storage facility servicing the South Island located in Christchurch. They process approximately 3000 inbound containers per year and store in excess of 20,000 pallets across nine warehouses. Next year construction is planned to commence on a specialised concrete walled and roofed store for flammable substances with a capacity of 5,000 pallet spaces. Low staff turnover Many of the staff have worked at Chemfreight for years, and it is very much a family focussed business. “There are some families where as many as three family members are employed here as part of our team,” says Joseph. In an industry that sees a high staff turnover, Chemfreight has very low turnover. “Finding high calibre skilled staff is a challenge,” says Joseph, “and we have […]

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