Innovators

Housing construction is becoming manufacturing

Manufacturing is usually associated with making parts and assembling them. Manufacturing complete houses is a relative new concept in the history of the industrial revolution. We are on the verge of the next step, making the complete structure for a house out of only one material, foam concrete. Recent developments have made it possible to make foam concrete to high specifications, good thermal and acoustic insulating properties and reasonable strength compared to “normal” concrete. We are talking here about foam concrete that is half the weight and has more than five times the thermal insulation factor. On top of that it is more flexible, so it can withstand earthquakes better. If you are in a war zone it can protect you from flying objects, as it has a high energy absorption rate. All this creates a comfortable, healthy and safe home for a reasonable cost.Aaldert So why is everyone not using it? Mainly because the mortar mixes do have a few more ingredients in it, and the ratios of the components are critical, in addition you need a foam making machine to make the foam, and then mix it in with the mortar. All of this together puts people off using it as it is more complex than making “normal” mortar. In a factory environment it is easier to control the production process, including the curing. As with all concretes the “drying” time and conditions have an influence on the end result, the final strength and flexibility. On-site it can be difficult and costly to maintain the ideal conditions, keeping it wet and at the ideal temperature. Manufacturing foam concrete products in a special designed facility has many benefits, good control over the delivery and storage of the raw materials, use and maintenance of the equipment, labour input, less skilled […]

Armoured wetsuit made of aluminium platelets

Australian global manufacturer Sevaan Group was handpicked by an innovative company to help create an armoured wetsuit for protecting commercial divers, Scuba divers, free divers and those into serious spear fishing. Known as ironskinn, the armoured wetsuit is made of extremely tough aluminium platelets held together by an elastic in-form setting. Sevaan Group was chosen for various reasons ahead of sizeable international competition, with one reason being its ability to interpret the requirements and set up CAD and manufacturing sequences to make the concept a physical reality. As ironskinn Managing Director Mr John Sundnes explains, Sevaan Group was very inquisitive about what was required and were excited about making a significant part of that product. “We are making the entire suit in NSW, so Sevaan’s Sydney base was a good start and ultimately as a company they showed patience as this was something that was never made before,” said Mr Sundnes. “A lot of finetuning was required and they were up for it; unlike other companies we approached whose attitude was ‘when you have a need for 100-offs then call us’. “It took probably 4-5 months because we had some tooling we needed made and Sevaan Group had good contacts to make that tooling a reality. “The platelets have a particular shape and particular curvature; thin metal can behave in unexpected ways so that part may come out a little differently compared to its CAD so we needed expertise to handle that.” The ironskinn protective dive suit is designed to protect divers from an unexpected shark bite, as well as to protect from other marine hazards such as oysters, mussels, barnacles and rotten metal from boats when working on them underwater, therefore offering a wide range of applications of material. Currently, the suit is on a pilot program with some […]

Swisslog’s islands of automation signpost the future of automated processes

Swisslog’s logistics automation technologies look at end-to-end supply chain and how to optimise product movement through the system, while maintaining reliability and traceability. Islands of automation are offering a solution to problems bedevilling automated processes across a broad range of industries, such as pharmaceutical, warehousing, engineering, logistics, materials handling, food and beverage and transport. Global robotics and logistics automation technology leader Swisslog has found that as automation accelerates, a common concern is that if a machine goes offline, the entire system suffers. But this is becoming less and less of a problem through the use of islands of automation, explains Jamie D’Souza, Swisslog Pharmaceutical Consultant, Jamie D’Souza, who has more than 8 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical logistics industry. Mr D’Souza’s expertise focuses particularly around the megatrends driving digitalisation and industry 4.0 – such as urbanisation, ageing society, increased health focus, e-commerce, increasingly digital lives and regulations – and how industry can best utilise technology to optimise supply chains and achieve tangible benefits. Islands of automation “The concept of islands of automation means can have several automated processes working in isolation, which can be linked up with Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), with end-to-end integration,” says Mr D’Souza. The major benefits of this approach include: • Redundancy – if one cell goes down, there are several others accessible, or use of a temporary manual cell. • Flexibility for growth with additional cells, and ability to grow in specific areas • Full integration of robots and AGVs Swisslog is currently working on a major logistics automation project in Australia with a leading bio-pharmaceutical company, where islands of automation are being utilised to optimise flexibility and redundancy. This advanced solution involves Swisslog’s robotic palletising, shrouding, wrapping and labelling technologies, linked with platform AGVs on two levels to manage all pallet logistics. Crucially, there […]

Innovate or Die

Hamish Whyte, CEO, Furnware. Innovation is the buzz word these days, but how and what to innovate in your business or product range is often a difficult decision. Two things stand out; asking questions and listening to the answers of course. And passion, as you will find out in the interview I had with Hamish Whyte CEO of Furnware, a school furniture manufacturer with less than 40 employees when they started the innovation process. Q What was it that sparked the quest for a new design? Furnware was very aware that humans as a whole were all changing physically. We knew that students were bigger and taller than they used to be. Avoiding the race to the bottom (of price and quality) we wanted to create a differentiation of product from the market – NZ economies of scale cannot compete with larger economies. We wanted to create a product that had an emphasis on: Design – that was fit for purpose, school furniture to assist with teaching and learning and children’s development. Quality. Q What were the first steps you took? Furnware owner Hamish Whyte travelled the world, attending international furniture shows to learn what the world is doing We discovered furniture trends and were confident that we were as close, if not closer, to customers than most companies and as a result we didn’t feel intimidated by international design. We liaised with academia, including Unitec industrial designer Murray Pilcher. The rest is history. Q What convinced you that you were onto something good? Murray asked us, “Tell me about your customers” – and we realised that we had their customers all wrong. It wasn’t about the teachers, it was about the kids. This question started a journey to true student-centric thinking. To answer this question, we realised we needed […]

Engineering a new career for young women

Welding, polishing and sand blasting were among the daily activities for a group of young women during a recent work placement at Hamilton-based manufacturer, Longveld. The placement is part of a unique training course offered by Wintec and Longveld, aimed at getting more women into engineering. Sixteen young women from Waikato secondary schools are enrolled in the programme, which is in its first year. They visit Wintec’s workshop one day a week, where they train in fabrication and engineering while gaining credits towards NCEA Level 2. They then spend one week at Longveld working alongside staff, rotating between activities including stainless steel sheet metal fabrication, waterjet profile cutting, welding, grinding, sand blasting and computer-aided (CAD) design. As part of their activities, they produced name plates and miniature stainless steel house frames. This, along with the rotation system gave them a chance to experience first-hand what it means to work on individual manufacturing and fabrication components that would ultimately contribute to the creation of a larger project such as a milk tanker, farm vat or dairy factory. Shawnee Dixon from Hamilton’s Fraser High School says: “It was a great experience, with friendly staff at Longveld who taught us a lot and were always there to help. It was a really good opportunity and a great experience”. Wintec youth pathways manager, Johnny Gordon, says the course is a good way of encouraging women into what is traditionally seen as a male-oriented industry. “The programme provides the opportunity for women to learn in an environment where they’re not the only female in the room,” he says. “It’s been great to see their confidence grow throughout the programme and in particular during their time at Longveld. Towards the end of the week they had become a group of self-assured young women, one step closer […]

Steel construction: innovation and investment

By Alistair Fussell, Manager, Steel Construction New Zealand Structural steel is the material of choice in most of the world’s major construction markets, including the USA and the UK where the market share is approximately 60% and 70% respectively. New Zealand is no exception. Our diverse steel construction industry – comprising manufacturers of structural steel and steel products, distributors, fabricators, designers, detailers, galvanisers, and paint and building supply companies – has worked hard to grow market share. Today, structural steel’s market share is more than 70% nationwide; in Christchurch, due to the material’s proven seismic performance, steel has grown its share of the multi-level construction market to almost 80%, up from virtually nil prior to the Canterbury earthquakes. What’s behind this dramatic growth? Quite simply, it’s the industry’s focus on innovation and investment: innovation in seismic and fire design; and significant investment in high-tech fabrication technology. Since 2007, the New Zealand industry has invested substantially in new plant and technology: Grayson Engineering and D&H Steel in Auckland, and Pegasus Engineering in Christchurch, have all built new state-of-the-art workshops; and there are currently three new workshops under construction – Redsteel in Napier, John Jones in Christchurch and Calder Stewart in Milton. This commitment by New Zealand fabricators has boosted the industry’s capacity, efficiency and quality. Indeed, the industry is well placed to satisfy the high demand for prefabricated structural steel, which is now similar to the 2007 peak. What’s more, collaboration is playing a growing role in the successful delivery of structural steel projects. Christchurch is a good example of New Zealand fabricators working together to deliver structural steel projects. Compliance story The recent boom in construction activity, centred on Christchurch and Auckland, has seen an increase in the amount of imported prefabricated steelwork entering New Zealand. However, with this offshore product […]

Injection moulding machines

Now more than ever before, Engel offers it’s customers clear advantages, in terms of innovative injection moulding machines, automation, processing technology – and value for money ! Engel injection moulding machines are offered in a range of sizes, from 25 tonne to 5,500 tonne clamp force. The machines are modular, and injection and clamp units can be configured to meet the requirements of the customer’s application. Fully hydraulic, hybrid, and fully electric machines are offered, as well as automation and ancilliary machine equipment, all supplied from one source. Engel is well known and respected for innovative design and engineering solutions. Engel’s tie-bar-less clamping system has been phenomenally successful. The tie-bar-less system is the ‘standard’ clamping system on the small to medium size Engel machine range. The tie-bar-less clamping system means complete freedom from traditional tiebars, enabling use of the entire platen area, unhindered access to the mould area, and easy clear access for robot and automation solutions. Engel’s continuous growth of market share in all clamping force sizes is based on the launch of new products and product lines. The introduction of the new Viper robot series has enabled Engel to secure further market share in automation. Almost every second automated manufacturing cell sold by a European injection moulding machine manufacturer is now supplied by Engel. Engel is also clearly the global leader in injection moulding machine automation. One in four robots sold to the European injection moulding industry is now manufactured by Engel. Since the launch of the Viper robot series – a growing number of Engel robots is also being sold on machines of other manufacturers… With the extension of the Engel duo pico series from 350 to 700 tonnes clamping force, Engel has substantially increased its global market share. In the past five years the market share […]

IronCAD – Limitless Design Dexterity

IronCAD XG is a productivity leader when it comes to moving creative ideas into full production-ready 3D reality. IronCAD is the pioneer of a breakthrough Creative Design approach that delivers a level of design freedom unmatched in the industry today. It is the tool of choice for design engineers when deadlines are tight and a high degree of unanticipated change is to be expected. ÊIt provides a revolutionary replacement to today’s history-based parametric-only systems. IronCAD empowers end-users with design agility like never before; you are no longer bound by constraints imposed on you by traditional 3D applications. Now with IronCAD XG, you are in total control of your design and engineering experience with virtually no restrictions. IronCAD allows you to choose from parametric, explicit or a combination of both modalities on demand in a single environment. Also IronCAD, is the only solution in the world to deliver Dual Kernel Collaboration Technology. By having the leading two modelling engines, ACIS and ParaSolid, working in harmony together, your ideas can become limitless without regard of kernel limitations. ItÕs like having a team of engineers versus being alone to solve a problem. IRONCAD has harnessed the power and now has unleashed it to you. What you do with the power is now entirely up to you! Fluent modelling environment IronCAD has always delivered a clean and simple approach to design allowing engineers to really think in 3D and create models dynamically on screen without having to pre-plan and map out the concept in advance. IronCAD’s seamlessly integrated design tools are intuitive and user friendly. Design the way you want The combination of IronCAD’s Innovative design environment with the more conventional history-based structured design environment, allows users to choose, at an individual part level, which process is most appropriate for the particular part […]

Manufacturers always needed

By Tom Thomson, Managing Director, EPL. Sitting here in Christchurch in my Portacom office planning a new factory to replace the one I lost recently, IÕve been following all the instant experts from the economist section pontificate on the relevance or otherwise of the manufacturing sector. I found one NZIER ‘expert’ attributed with the following statement – “People glorify manufacturing as something special and different from other parts of the economy but that’s not necessarily the case’ Having spent over 40 years in the plastics manufacturing sector I found this statement hit a raw nerve. I began to wonder what ‘special’ would look like for our wise think-tank economist. I wondered how often he has faced the flames of international business with his money and his family jewels on the line. The government in its latest progress report on export markets clearly sees a need for a strong niche-manufacturing sector in resource-based and high-tech areas. Perhaps that does not make it special but it does make it a desirable goal for any modern economy. The big problem that I see is the time, money and effort required to start these export focussed manufacturers from scratch. * The time it takes to reinvest capital earned from business growth into innovative technology that will allow our non-special manufacturer to strut his or her stuff on the world stage. * The time it takes to get critical mass that will absorb the hits as we embark on export market development. * The time taken to get international sales efforts bedded down and become effective is a large investment for a modern business. * The time it takes to develop a technologically trained staff with high standards of quality is not something that can be underestimated or achieved over night. Our non-special business will have to […]

Primero Profiles cuts and folds it with the best

Vaughn Clark, owner manager, Primero Profiles Ltd. By Kevin Kevany Primero Profiles Ltd positions itself as New Zealand’s newest and most dynamic plate processing company, selling cut-to-size and folded steel shapes, and specialising in high-quality plate-cutting from 2-150mm thick; quick turnarounds; and high-speed production press braking. “If it’s solid advice you’re after, and a unique attitude to customers’ needs, we’re your guys,” adds Vaughn Clark, the youthful, dynamic owner manager. But don’t be fooled. He’s anything but a novice, having done 13-years in the cut and fold business since leaving Howick College; working on the floor, running a full range of machinery, advanced CAD draughting and pounded the pavements for sales. He’s not without ambition, and was prepared to take risks to deliver on that – to become the major independent in the industry within five years. Just six months into the game, he’s adding a new four-torch profile cutting machine which will double the existing cutting capacity of the firm. The staff complement has grown quickly to seven split over two shifts and continues to grow. And, he admits, he is a careful researcher who took his time checking his options before setting up Primero, undaunted by the recession. “From the start, we committed to having the leading skills in the industry; the best machinery; the latest software; and the best operators and located near our customers. If you put that in place with an enthusiastic ‘can-do’ attitude, you quickly attract a large and loyal customer base. He effortlessly fields customer orders as we move around the workshop, prices and scheduling at his fingertips. Almost on a weekly basis, top machine operators drop by to check on vacancies or to go on a list for future jobs linked to expansion. ‘Energy’ too would be a major requirement […]

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Innovators