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Advanced Manufacturing for SMB: The path to smarter, modern and better operations

From NZ Manufacturer, December issue, focussing on ‘The Year in Review’ Catherine Lye – CEO, Advanced Manufacturing Aotearoa If you hate the phrase ‘we’ve always done it this way’ and lead your business/team with ‘we’re going to try different, we’re going to try this, we think this will be a better way to improve quality & efficiency’, then you may identify more readily with advanced manufacturing. After all, manufacturers are all about advancing their business every day and trying to find the next thing that will make them better, faster, more competitive. It is, however, important to recognise that not all small medium sized businesses (“SMB”) in New Zealand’s manufacturing sector may readily identify with the term “Advanced Manufacturing”. The majority of New Zealand’s SMB’s may be operating with traditional methods and technologies that have been effective for their specific needs. Factors such as limited budgets, resistance to change, distractions with a global pandemic or not knowing where to start with integrating Advanced Manufacturing tools and techniques can contribute to this reluctance to adopt – after all there is a lot that you could do but what should you do? In the context of a small to medium sized business (SMB), advanced manufacturing embodies a transformative approach that simply translates to “Smarter, Modern, Better” operations. “Smarter Manufacturing” entails harnessing data analytics and automation to make informed decisions in real-time, optimising resource allocation, and reducing waste. The higher value of thinking is around the integration of tools, knowledge, and data. The challenge is finding easier ways to manage and extract data in an easy-to-understand report for everyone. It can make your eyes bleed figuring out what’s going on with 10,000 rows of daily data – you can chart it one way and it is meaningless, chart it another way that […]

“Can my business benefit from networking and word of mouth?”

As a business owner, you’re constantly on the lookout for marketing strategies and platforms that can elevate your brand and generate more opportunities, right? What if we told you LinkedIn is one of the most underutilised tools for businesses like yours? Following feedback from many business owners like you, I’m pleased to introduce and invite you to participate in a complimentary Maximize Your Impact: The 5-Day LinkedIn Mastery Challenge for Entrepreneurs If you are not yet sure if LinkedIn is for you there is only one question you need to answer to gain certainty: “Can my business benefit from networking and word of mouth?” If the answer is YES then you know that building a strong network takes time and you’d better start right now. Curious to find out more? Book HERE to receive a special invitation to a private LinkedIn Group where this 5-day Challenge starts on Monday 11th of Dec 2023 Don’t let this opportunity pass you by – it’s time to make LinkedIn work for your business!

A Step Forward in Safety – The New Rules for Smoke Alarms

New Zealanders’ homes are set to become safer with the implementation of a Building Code update by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. From 01 November 2024, it will be mandatory for all new homes to have a Type 1 Smoke Alarm System. C1-C6 Protection from Fire – Acceptable Solution C/AS1, published by MBIE on 02 November 2023, requires that “each household unit shall be provided with a minimum of Type 1 domestic smoke alarm system in compliance with NZS 4514.” What is a Type 1 Smoke Alarm System? A Type 1 is a smoke alarm or multiple interconnected smoke alarm devices, each containing a smoke detector and an alarm sounding feature. According to MBIE, interconnected smoke alarms alert occupants in residential fires faster and provide occupants more time to respond and escape from a fire. Where does NZS 4514:2021 require smoke alarms to be installed? Smoke alarms are required in all bedrooms, living spaces, hallways, and landings within the building. How Do Interconnected Smoke Alarms Work? Interconnected smoke alarms work by sending signals between the smoke alarms in a house. This means that if one smoke alarm in a particular room detects a fire, all the smoke alarms in that house will activate and sound an alarm – adding an extra layer of safety by letting everyone in the house know about a fire at the same time, even if they are further away or sleeping. Transition Period Changes From 01 November 2024, previous versions of acceptable solutions and verification methods will no longer be deemed to comply with the Building Code. For new buildings, a hard-wired interconnected smoke alarm system can be installed during construction while the house is being wired. For those who wish to upgrade to the new Building Code requirements in the course […]

The Interview: Heidi Hannonen, Vice President, Markets, Kemppi Oy

How do you define success? I define success as being able to offer a solution to a customer need or problem that exceeds their expectations. Tell readers about your role at Kemppi? As the Vice President of Markets, I am responsible for global sales here at Kemppi. How is everything at Kemppi, what does tomorrow hold? Kemppi is doing well and we are quite happy about how far we have come. Next year marks our 75th birthday and it has been a journey filled with both challenges and rewards. We are now at the start of a new strategic period where we can take stock of our core competencies and build on these. We are also fortunate to be able to partner with world-class dealers and distributors to sell our innovative, top quality welding equipment and safety gear, so the future looks very positive in our eyes. How is Kemppi finding the present environment for doing business? As with any other company at the moment, Kemppi recognises the volatility within today’s markets. Europe is struggling to produce growth and the slowdown of the Chinese economy is also of concern. However, Kemppi is still recording healthy growth figures and these remain sound for 2024. Where are growth regions for Kemppi? Well, we have had very strong growth figures in Australia and New Zealand in recent years. The United Kingdom, Norway and Poland have also been doing really well, thanks to active investment schemes in these markets. Technology – how does it assist with better products? Technology assists with the development of better products in so many ways. It propels the continuous development of better hardware which is more precise, reliable and efficient. It has also given rise to welding software which can be combined with hardware to ensure quality welding processes […]

New venture to tackle waste in trillion dollar drinks industry

From November issue NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz “When water is literally on tap in your kitchen, it seems crazy to ship it around the world.” A new startup launched by the founder of NZ’s largest regenerative beauty product export business is set to cut the global use of single-use plastic drink bottles by tens of millions every year. Brianne West stepped down as Ethique CEO earlier this year, a decade after starting the $100 million business in her kitchen as a 24-year-old biochemistry student. West’s new social enterprise aims to take on the $1.44tn beverage market which produces over 583 billion single-use plastic bottles annually, with less than 10% of these recycled. The new venture will produce concentrated effervescent drink mixers in the shape of a circular tablet which on contact with liquids such as water dissolve to release flavouring. Each ‘Incrediball’ makes up the equivalent of a 350ml beverage and can be added to both alcoholic and non-alcoholic hot or cold beverages to enhance the taste. West says the product will be the world’s first effervescent drink tab in fully home compostable packaging and could prevent over 10 million single-use bottles from entering the waste stream every year from 2030 and expects this to grow significantly over time. She says while effervescent concentrates in this form usually require plastic wrapping, they will launch new technology within the tablet to protect the product from moisture before use. “When water is literally on tap in your kitchen, it seems crazy to ship it around the world. “Incrediballs is designed to address this – we are looking to transform the traditional model under which drinks are sold in their ready-made form by allowing consumers to purchase the flavouring component in a concentrated format that can be added to sparking, still, hot or cold […]

Structural engineering quality concerns “systemic”

Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau released a report recently that says quality in structural engineering designs has, at times, been compromised due to insufficient checks in the building system. Chief Executive Dr Richard Templer says, “New Zealand engineers do great work every day. However, this report shows our building system is not always catching significant quality issues before designs are built.” He says issues are “systemic”. “This is a concern to engineers because everyone wants confidence that buildings are robust and safe,” he says. The report comes in response to a series of high-profile failures in structural design, some of which are used as case studies. It focuses on the role of engineers in assuring quality but, Templer says, “All players in the building system have a role in ensuring quality outcomes.” This includes firms, councils and Government, and Templer is “looking forward to talking with the next Government about its role assuring quality within the built environment.” Templer says engineers have a duty to be competent and diligent in their work but, occasionally, “negligence, a lack of competence, or human error can lead to quality issues being introduced”. Engineering New Zealand has already made changes to improve rigour in the profession, including strengthening its assessment and complaints processes within the Chartered Professional Engineer system and carrying out a desktop review of structural design for 20 warehouses across the country. Templer says another challenge is the nature of a competitive industry. “There are pressures to keep costs down and it can mean quality assurance can be compromised,” he says. Templer would like to see things change. “We know our engineers in the building system are deeply committed to understanding and learning from issues, and taking action to fix gaps and raise standards,” he says. The report makes […]

Manufacturing continues to be critical to NZ economy, but changes needed if we are to unlock the sector’s potential

From NZ Manufacturer magazine, November 2023 By Brett O’Riley, EMA Chief Executive and Co-Chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Industry Transformation Plan Steering Group Last month, the Technology Investment Network (TIN) released its inaugural Advanced Manufacturing Report 2023. Commissioned by MBIE, the report compares national data with the results of a survey of the top 400 manufacturing companies by revenue and employment, providing a comprehensive picture of New Zealand’s manufacturing sector. Importantly, it includes benchmarks that will be used in future years to measure the health of manufacturing in New Zealand. This makes the report an important read for anyone with even a passing interest in manufacturing. The key takeaway is that manufacturing remains critically important to the New Zealand economy. It contributes more than $23 billion to our economy, or about 10% of GDP. It also accounts for 60% of the country’s exports and employs 12% of our workforce. In fact, the number of New Zealanders employed in manufacturing increased by more than 4% last year, reaching over 222,000. Manufacturing isn’t just concentrated in one part of the country. It plays a critical role in almost every one of our regions – accounting for than 10% of jobs in most regions. It is a large employer in Northland, Southland and everywhere in between. The report outlines some real positives that we need to be celebrate. Between 2018 and 2022, the sector increased research and development from $728m to $886m and reduced carbon emissions by more than 2000 kilotons. By 2024, it is projected the manufacturing will drop behind households to become the country’s third largest emitter. Despite this, there are some worrying trends identified in the report that we need to address if we want manufacturing to continue to be a cornerstone of our economy and drive our future […]

AoFrio named winner in BIER’s global ‘The Cool Challenge’

Paving the way for a more sustainable commercial refrigeration industry AoFrio, a global technology company headquartered in New Zealand, has been named the winner of the ‘Incremental Change in Energy efficiency’ category at The Cool Challenge, an initiative led by the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER). This achievement marks an important milestone for AoFrio, a global leader in creating and manufacturing cutting-edge and sustainable Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and high efficiency motors for commercial refrigeration. BIER is a coalition of leading global beverage companies working together to advance environmental sustainability within the beverage sector. Its new initiative, The Cool Challenge, invited innovators to revolutionise commercial refrigeration related to chilled, canned, or bottled beverages at their point of sale, and shape a sustainable future for the industry. AoFrio entered the ‘Incremental Change in Energy efficiency’ category, which required applicants to present solutions which optimise energy efficiency by leveraging existing compressor technology and pushing boundaries. Entries were judged by global sustainability leads amongst the likes of Heineken, AB InBev, and Coca-Cola. AoFrio received the win for its solution ‘AoFrio Inside’, which showcased the energy efficiency savings its customers can achieve if they implement the breadth of its hardware and SaaS offering in their coolers. AoFrio can reduce its customers’ energy-use by an average of 54% when compared to a basic cooler of the same capacity*. AoFrio Inside is a complete refrigeration solution that combines the best of hardware, software, and cloud-based services – it includes the following: AoFrio ECR 2 motor – a high-efficiency motor that uses significantly less power than shaded pole motors, saving energy and money. AoFrio SCS controller – a smart IoT controller that connects your cooler to the AoFrio ecosystem and enables you to monitor and control the cooler’s temperature, locations, sales, power consumption, and operational effectiveness. […]

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 […]

Helping Proline Steel gain new sustainability certification

www.thinkstep-anz.com The challenge Proline Steel was seeking to become one of the first businesses to be certified by the Australian Steel Institute (ASI)’s new Steel Sustainability Australia program (SSA). They approached the thinkstep-anz team knowing that they had helped ASI develop the new program. About SSA certification SSA certification independently verifies a company’s social, environmental and health processes. The certification, which replaces the ASI’s Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC), recognises fabricators that have lower environmental impacts, are reducing carbon emissions, are transparent about their supply chain, respect human rights and are moving towards circular solutions. About Proline Steel Proline Steel fabricates structural steel in their factory in Padstow, New South Wales, and has nine staff. The manufacturer is a member of ASI. The company wanted to gain its first SSA certification to support its construction customers in the green building market. The certification contributes points to rating tools like Green Star. It also wanted to maintain industry leadership. As a smaller business, Proline needed help to document the good work it currently does, refine some of its processes and show it complies with SSA requirements. What thinkstep-anz did They worked with Proline to develop systems that support good business governance and manage its Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) activities. They held two workshops to help Proline document these systems and also helped the business better understand its supply chain. thinkstep-anz then worked with the Proline team to develop ten documents that met the SSA requirements. Once the documents were complete , they supported Proline with its submission to the SSA, and guided the company on how to best present the information to the assessor. Proline received the Level 1 SSA certificate in May 2023. It will aim for Level 2 next year. Helping Proline Steel to succeed sustainably thinkstep-anz’s work is helping […]

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