Product News

Peter Rocque is one of those increasingly-rare active, Kiwi craftsmen – “a toolmakers’ toolmaker” – deeply concerned that with the decline in local manufacturing has come the devaluing of the tool-making trade. “And this represents a dire threat to any prospect of New Zealand re-establishing itself as a manufacturer of anything other than milk and agricultural products. Because there will not be anyone left to build the prototypes, to give practical input at the conceptual stage, since even that aspect of the process will have gone with the last of the craftspeople,” Rocque says. “I believe it is up to us in the manufacturing industry to take matters in hand and avoid this imminent crisis. No one is going to do anything to fix this killing-off of an essential skill, if we are even to retain basic niche manufacturing to complement the celebrated ‘innovation’ which seems to be the focus of all funding and support. “With that, innovation will also disappear offshore; prototypes will be made there; and with that, even the IP will dissipate. A sorry state, but one which has been coming at us, with a vengeance, ever since that disastrous day Helen Clark decided to shake hands with the Chinese,” he says. Peter Rocque came to this country 30-odd years ago, a graduate of the then global centre of tool-making, Stockport, part of greater Manchester. Recruited to New Zealand by the legendary Rex Manufacturing company, he worked his way up and once he had sussed the scene, decided to go on contract and work for himself. “I’d got the confidence to do that having been given the kind of break I’m suggesting our industry gives to qualified fitters-and-turners, who’ve done a bit of this and that, after graduating from our local training institutes. While none of us […]

From humble beginnings almost 100 years ago, Scott Technology has evolved into a publicly listed automation business, and a world leader in several niche markets. Located in Dunedin, this specialist engineering firm is investing heavily in R&D to support new product development and its expansion into new export markets, says Managing Director Chris Hopkins. Today the company operates in several sectors, however its main success has traditionally been in the appliance industry, where it designs and builds automated production lines for the world’s leading whitegoods manufacturers. “Over the past several years we have also invested heavily in research and development in the meat industry and in other areas of our business. This has seen our international revenue grow dramatically and our opportunities and potential increase significantly,” says Mr Hopkins “Our extensive R&D programme in the meat processing side of the business means we now have 11 patents either pending or granted, plus international trademarks and design copyrights. “This R&D has produced technology that is aimed at large volume lamb and beef processors within New Zealand and Australia. Our innovations potentially can offer significant value to customers in automating what to date has largely been a manual process. We have few competitors in this new field of automation and robotics within the boning room of our major customers.” In the mining market, Scott Technology has developed a small range of standalone equipment used by on-site mine labs and commercial labs as part of the sample preparation process. More recently it has leveraged off its automation expertise to expand further into providing automated systems that process samples ready for analysis. In the industrial automation side of the business Scott partners with companies to take on the role of their in-house engineering department to design and build automation or production solutions. nextSTEP Visit:www.scott.co.nz

This expression has never been more apt as more companies are realising that there really is hidden value in wastes.  Recovering solids or liquids from your waste stream is no longer the domain of the “environmental greenies’ – it actually makes a great deal of financial sense! By assessing the opportunities within your processes to recover valuable solids and liquids, not only can it lead to major cost reductions in chemical and water usage, it can significantly reduce your overall waste disposal costs. Quarries, mines, concrete products, metal processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, beverage production and a host of other industries have the potential to better manage their wastewater to protect the environment and reduce operating costs. However, selecting the right dewatering equipment for your process can be a complex decision, and depends on several factors, including waste volume, solids content and particle size, chemical composition, ultimate disposal or reuse, and liquid quality. Jonassen Industrial Projects Ltd (JIPL) are experienced Wastewater Treatment engineers and can evaluate the technical issues and costs to determine the optimum sludge dewatering process for your specific needs. Tradewaste Consent limitations and charges offer up a whole raft of challenges to many industrial operations, but the modern versions of one of the oldest dewatering technologies, the filter press, now offers a truly cost effective and highly efficient option for most operations. JIPL has successfully completed a number of wastewater treatment systems utilising quality filter presses, not only solve particular wastewater discharge problems, but also allow for substantial recycling, removal of solids and reductions in chemical treatment to meet Discharge Consent limits.  The filter press provides the highest solids contents and the cleanest filtrate of any wastewater treatment system available. A filter press will reduce operating costs by: – Removing solids into solid cakes for re-use, or landfill – Recovering valuable […]

Clear and reliable portable light is essential to safety and precision in confined spaces. Inside pipes, tanks, pressure vessels and silos, the last thing any maintenance worker needs is bulb or battery failure. GO Distribution has introduced rugged portable LED worklights designed to provide 10 years or more of optimum clarity and reliability, or 50,000 hours of outstanding illumination. The cordless Hemipro high power worklights incorporate the first use of high power LEDs in work lights originally designed for the professional automotive repair market, making them ideal also for use in a broad range of resources, industrial, construction, energy, engineering, water, waste water and safety tasks. Using either two or three High Power LEDS, the Hemipro 2 LED and 3 LED work lights provide exceptionally powerful beams which, respectively, equal or exceed the light area intensity of a 60W or 75W beam. What really sets the Hemipro lights apart, however, is the uniquely engineered hemispherical lens design, which refracts the LEDs into an exceptionally clean, bright and wide beam.  The highly modified lens design captures and transfers the powerful LED light into a super-wide 70 deg beam, while also eliminating hot spots, dull areas or irritating halo rings. Designed to provide high performance for 10 years or more of normal use, Hemipro incorporates a super strong NiMH 2500 milliAmp hour battery with a life expectancy of three years under normal use.  It can be used up to five hours between charges. The 3 LED is good for three hours between charges. Both feature non-slip grip and shockproof housing. Further enhancing service life, the  battery, lens shield and 360¡ swivel hook can be replaced. Designed by the international Cliplight Manufacturing Company, which is now in its fourth decade of producing top quality worklights, HEMIPRO complements an innovative range of HVAC products […]