Events

Steel awards showcase local industry’s strength and innovation

Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ) is pleased to announce the results of 2023’s SCNZ Excellence in Steel Awards. The winners were announced on 27 October in Queenstown, where more than 200 structural steel industry leaders and specialists gathered to celebrate the best of the best at an event that showcases the sector’s commitment to innovation, best practice and collaboration. Each year, the task of judging becomes increasingly difficult. This year, 21 finalists were selected from a pool of 32 impressive submissions, which demonstrate the remarkable design and execution possible when steel is used as the primary construction material. “The high calibre of entries is testament to the industry’s ongoing commitment to raising the bar,” says SCNZ Chair David Moore. He notes there has been widespread emphasis on best practice amongst structural steel contractors and a drive to adopt global initiatives such as Industry 4.0. “Our local industry has also maintained its programme of investment in new cutting-edge plant, machinery and technology. These advances in technology have made it possible to construct highly complex steel structures that were previously out of reach,” says Moore. “The high standard of projects is also a reflection of the professionalism demonstrated by the fabricators, builders, architects and engineers that collaborate to bring these projects to life.” The 2023 winners are: Supreme & Over $3M Category Winner: MJH Engineering for One Whitmore Street Occupying a full city block, One Whitmore Street is a landmark 12-storey office tower in Wellington. The 17,500sqm building with its 1,420sqm floorplates and soaring three-metre-high ceilings will be the new home of the BNZ. The structure is designed to withstand Wellington’s unpredictable weather, with a convex profile and rounded corners that help to counter the city’s strong winds. The diagrid structure, with its diamond-patterned exterior, provides structural integrity while eliminating the need […]

Rise of the Machines – is technology really replacing humans?

– Catherine Lye, Head of Advanced Manufacturing and Export Communities, EMA As our Smart Factory Showcase continues building momentum in the Industry 4.0, manufacturing and technology space, it’s time to share some insights into what we’ll be covering during each session. Each Smart Factory Showcase covers several key areas of operation at Nautech Electronics. These include sales and planning, systems, connectivity, research and development, production, testing, facilities, smart business models and implementation strategies. Industry 4.0 and the showcase are all about highlighting how a range of digital technologies enhance manufacturing performance, output, monitoring and control, keeping businesses globally competitive. Today, we’ll consider the view that the adoption of new technologies could lead to the replacement of the human element required in manufacturing – or does it? Many of us have seen The Terminator film series where the artificially intelligent machines become self-aware and hostile with an aim to take over the world in a post-apocalyptic future. As Laurie Kubiak, CEO of Nautech Electronics assures us, people are always going to be necessary for the safe and successful operation of manufacturing machinery and technology. Adopting new technology is about making everyone’s lives easier, both for the company and its people. People are required for all parts of Nautech’s operations, particularly for forward-planning, scheduling, stock management, programming and much more. They cannot be replaced. Adopting Industry 4.0 and smart technologies actually has the potential to create more job opportunities, as people become vital in ensuring maximum machine efficiency, productivity, outputs and operation. Cobots (collaborative robots) are often used to take on certain repetitive tasks that humans could do, but they are able to maintain consistency and run for longer periods. They don’t need to work a standard shift or stop for breaks. Passing on these mundane tasks to cobots also has health […]

A breakthrough innovator in this year’s KiwiNet Awards

Is Johnathan Ring from Zincovery, University of Canterbury which is decarbonising zinc recycling. The award recognises an upcoming entrepreneurial researcher who is embracing opportunities to commercialise their research. Zincovery CEO and founder Jonathan Ring. Useful and ubiquitous, loved for its durability, galvanised steel has provided industry, homes, hospitals and critical infrastructure with an attractive, corrosion-resistant, hygienic material for 150 years. However, few have thought about the toxic environmental impact of this process or the cost of recovery. Fewer still have made inroads to a solution. That was until Jonathan Ring, Founder and CEO of Zincovery, developed a disruptive technology to recycle zinc from furnace waste. One of its key benefits is the ability to produce zinc with 70% less carbon emissions than the existing recycling process. Jonathan started the development of the ‘Zincovery’ technology during his Master’s project with Professor Aaron Marshall at the University of Canterbury. Jonathan is committed to fighting climate change and protecting the environment from pollution. Current zinc recycling methods result in large carbon emissions and significant material wastage; Jonathan is determined to change that. The Zincovery technology can recycle zinc and produce less than 1 tonne of CO2 per tonne of zinc (typically recycled zinc requires five or more) using an innovative, low-temperature furnace process. The technology has the potential to save isolated steel mills over $500,000 in transportation costs and reduce the landfilling of over 3 million tonnes of dust per year. The global market opportunity for the technology is estimated at over $10 billion per annum and growing. Jonathan has taken his Master’s project from the lab to a start-up company in just two years and now manages seven employees. Under Jonathan’s lead, Zincovery has secured significant private investment, was awarded the prestigious C-Prize in 2019/20 and has customers lined up across multiple […]

think step webinars

WEBINAR The EU, TCFD, and trade Thursday 28 October 2021, 3:00pm NZDT Hear from EU expert Caroline Lambert on what the European Union’s sustainable reporting requirements will mean and how they will impact non-financial reporting requirements in New Zealand in thinkstep-anz’s upcoming webinar. WEBINAR Planetary Accounting: Going beyond carbon Thursday 25 November 2021, 3:00pm NZDT How can we safely operate within the environmental limits without causing permanent harm to earth? In thinkstep-anz’s upcoming webinar, the Planetary Accounting Network Founding Director Kate Meyer and thinkstep-anz’s Technical Director Jeff Vickers will discuss how LCA and planetary accounting work together to minimise the causes of irreversible damage from our activities. www.thinkstep-anz.com

When EMEX 2021 comes to town

-Doug Green, Publisher, NZ Manufacturer In the 1860’s – way back then – New Zealand entered the world market as a trader, primarily through the agricultural sector. Growing things. Since that time, a lot has happened. Now, in 2021, we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of EMEX, the prime manufacturing trade fair in New Zealand being held at ASB Showgrounds, Geenlane from 15-17 February. Over those 40 years New Zealand manufacturers have appeared at the show all with enduring stories of success to share. These include Addington Engineering, Tait Electronics, Buckley Systems, Gallagher Engineering, Fletcher Steel, Brown Brothers Engineering, A & Price. Suppliers of equipment such as Techspan, Enerpac, Weldwell, Total CNC, Lucas Machinery, Tasman Machinery, Chevpac Machinery. Industry support has come from Callaghan Innovation, HERA, The Manufacturers Network, MBIE, EMA and the Chamber network. All groups working with the shared passion of making business better for their members. Exhibitors have come from Australia, Asia, Europe and the United States. Trade representatives from countries such as Australia, Germany and China work closely with XPO Exhibitions Ltd to share information and provide opportunities for trade between their countries. The strength of EMEX – apart from the enduring support of manufacturers and suppliers – is also seen in the speaker series which provide valuable insights and discussion into trends in the marketplace, regulations and assistance for manufacturers, forward thinking and vision- building pictures for the future (and direction) of manufacturing in New Zealand. And, of course, to inspire aspiration. In these times of the virus, we look at the future of manufacturing and what it means for a country like New Zealand, parked just above Antarctica and Stewart Island. It is essential that manufacturers, suppliers, decisionmakers have an EMEX to focus on, make business connections and working together to build on the […]

Relearning what it means to be globally competitive

Competition for talent has become just as important as competition for market share. -Dieter Adam, Executive Director, The Manufacturers’ Network The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) recently published an interesting paper on redefining competition. Many of us have already learned, painfully at times, that competition is not only about sales and market share. Increasingly, I hear that “we could sell more if we could make more, and we could make more if we had the (right) people for it”. In other words, competition for talent has become just as important as competition for market share. And, like the competition for market share, which is global for many New Zealand manufacturers who export much of what they make, competition for talent is global, because the skills shortages we experience are the same in most manufacturing economies. BCG are now taking us a couple of steps further in our thinking about the competitive strengths we need to maintain and expand if we want to remain globally competitive. The common thread behind all of this is that we live and operate in a world in which the rate of change has gone up and our ability to predict future states of the economic, social, cultural and even physical dimensions of that world has gone down – think trade wars, income inequality, digital natives and climate change as obvious examples. Five Dimensions of Competition How does this concept apply to New Zealand manufacturers? If we start with Rate of Learning, we are all familiar with the idea that as individuals we need to keep learning (faster) to keep up with the play, even though we don’t always create the space required to do so – “we’re just too busy right at the moment!”. But how well is our company equipped to learn, and what […]

The Manufacturers’ Network at SouthMach 2019

Dieter Adam, The Manufacturers Network The Manufacturers’ Network is coming to SouthMach 2019 in a new context. We have recently joined forces with the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and the EMA (Northern). To our members that means that they can now also access the wide range of services provided by these organisations. To us it means that we now have a much wider reach into the community of New Zealand Manufacturers. Apart from that, we’ll stay on-course with our own work. Our members are telling us that skills shortages and keeping up with the increasing rate of change in manufacturing technologies remain as key concerns, and that’s where our work is focused. SouthMach 2019 again is a great opportunity for manufacturers to gather hands-on experiences with new technologies. At our stand, we’ll be available to share with you our own impressions on where manufacturing technology is going, especially in the area of digital technologies / Industry 4.0. A number of our members have now started on their own journey towards harnessing the benefits of these technologies, and The Manufacturers’ Network provides a platform for its members to share their experiences with what works, and what doesn’t. When you visit our stand, we’ll also be able to tell you about other services the members of The Manufacturers’ Network enjoy, including our latest addition – the Productivity Benchmarking service. As well as holding a stall at SouthMach, we will be reporting on our recent work on getting a better understanding of current and future skills shortages in manufacturing in New Zealand. Come and listen to my presentation on Skills shortages and the move towards more advanced manufacturing technologies on Wednesday.

Total barcode solutions

Barcode Products, appearing on Stand 174, is New Zealand’s leading barcoding solution provider with tailored barcoding solutions and after sales support. The company is expert in automating and streamlining business process with barcodes, labels (Paper, Plastic, Metal and a lot more), hardware, software, mobility devices, computers etc. Existing customers include small businesses, medium-size businesses and big enterprises (Including government and privately owned) from an array of industries including warehouses, retail, manufacturing, health, education, trades, construction, food and wineries. A small business located in Christchurch, Barcode Products have been operating for 20+ years and serve NZ wide businesses. On a daily basis, we help customers with: Blank and pre-printed Labels, stickers, tags (paper, plastic, metal), Thermal ribbons and ink cartridges. Barcode scanning and mobility. Barcode and label printing. Warehousing & barcoding solutions. Retail and Point of sale solutions. Inventory, stock, and asset tracking solutions. Custom-built tracking software & solutions They listen to your requirements, workflow and how you imagine your proposed solution should work and then they customise the solution to meet your requirements which should help you to save time, money and become more efficient.

Apprenticeships vital to automated future

Now, more than ever before, it’s vital that school leavers choose a pathway that equips them to learn new skills for jobs that don’t yet exist in an automated future. And despite what many people think, automation is not a jobs killer – it’s creating new jobs and opportunity, says Competenz chief executive Fiona Kingsford. “Human jobs won’t disappear, they will change. The World Economic Forum predicts 75 million jobs will be lost in the next four years as companies automate, but at the same time, 133 million jobs will be created. “As parents and teachers, we are natural guides for our young people. But we need to accept the world of employment is undergoing a massive shift, and it’s happening right now. Our children must be equipped with the skills they need to meet change, and to find relevant, rewarding and adaptable jobs.” Outmoded thinking of what workplace learning and apprenticeships can deliver is an ongoing battle for Competenz, New Zealand’s industry training organisation for manufacturing and engineering. Modern food and beverage manufacturing plants, engineering workshops and other trades-based workplaces demand a high level of technical skill. Mechanical engineering apprentices are using artificial intelligence and robotics to facilitate the automation of a growing number of “doing”’ tasks. Today’s AI-enabled, information-rich tools are increasingly able to handle jobs that in the past have been exclusively done by people. “These shifts will produce massive disruptions to employment and, if we are going to meet this disruption and prosper from it, we need to address it now by helping our children choose the right learning pathway,” Kingsford says. The people needed for those 133 million new jobs will be responsible for gleaning insight and intelligence from the machines, fixing and maintaining them as well as quality assurance, among other things. “Various organisations have identified […]

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3D printing the next generation of machinery

By Ben Murton and Associate Professor Don Clucas, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury While metal 3D printing is regularly used for components such as brackets, rocket parts and turbine fuel nozzles, it is rarely used as the major manufacturing process for an entire mechanical system. In a world first, students from the University of Canterbury developed an operational 3d printed titanium ethanol fuel injected internal combustion engine, showcasing the possibilities and limitations for the process. The team took their engine to Singapore and won the innovation award at the Shell Eco-Marathon event, a global competition on for students to compete with highly efficient vehicles. This was all done in one academic year, so a highly accelerated design process was required. To test and visualise ideas quickly, concepts were modelled and refined using cheaper and easier to post-process polymer 3D printing. The titanium parts that were optimised for efficiency, not machining constraints, were then printed and post-processed. Post processing proved to be the biggest headache. It is often said that 3d printing can create anything, but in reality it has its limitations and drawbacks. An example is the almost organic shape of the cylinder head that required little post processing, while the rather basic cylinder required complex support material. Using a laser sintering process that melts and fuses layers of very fine titanium powder has its complications. Thermal contraction of thin features would distort the part, much like MIG welding distorts steel, so support material is required. Removing the support required many hours EDM wire cutting, machining, and finally sand blasting. Before and after cutting the part off the build plate, thermal stress relief was required. Good Design for Additive Manufacture, DfAM, was essential to avoid or reduce the support material, ease support material removal, and reduce distortion. […]

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