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Q&A: David Moore, Managing Director of Grayson Engineering

HERA member Grayson Engineering is a recognised market leader with over 50 years in the steel fabrication industry. From large-scale stadiums to sculptures, bridges, towers, industrial sheds and everything in between, the organisation has completed a wide range of projects while continually investing in CNC equipment and technology. HERA spoke to Managing Director, David Moore (left), about the future of steel, the impact of Industry 4.0 and some of the challenges and opportunities the company is facing. How are you finding current business conditions? We are busy. We’ve got a lot of work locked in for this year and next year, but, like everyone in the industry, the price of steel is increasing and ongoing global supply chain issues are proving challenging. While there is a lot of construction activity, one of our biggest challenges now is ensuring we get what we need as every service provider, from steel merchants to paint suppliers, is having their own supply impasses. We’re optimistic that it won’t get worse, but realistically these pressures are here for a while yet. If you asked me before the war in the Ukraine, things were starting to stabilise, but now we are seeing prices on the move again. How much has your company been impacted by the pandemic? If we have an outbreak in our office-based team, they can work from home if they’re well enough. Our team can’t do what they do in the workshop at home – and just about everybody in our workshop caught COVID-19. It hit our business hard, particularly as the level of assistance from the Government was really limited to the wage subsidy. As other businesses know, there are fixed overheads that must be paid even when no revenue comes in during lockdowns. It will probably take two or three years […]

Kemppi Australia launches Art of Welding Competition 2022

Kemppi Australia recently announced its Art of Welding Competition for 2022. The competition showcases “welding art” which can take the form of a welded sculpture, pattern design, a motif or an object. The welding process involved to create the art piece can be manual or use more advanced techniques such as robotics, lasers or friction welding. Now in its third year, the company has been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and creativity from both professional artists and amateurs for the competition. “Whether the entrants are welders, apprentices, teachers, hobbyists or professional metal artists, the flair and quality that we have seen over the last two years has been impressive and we are delighted to be able to once again run the competition,” said Paul McVicar, Managing Director, Kemppi Australia. This year, the competition will again feature a dedicated amateur category. Entrants can win from a pool of four great prizes that include Kemppi welding equipment, helmets and clothing. The competition will run until Friday 30th September and is open to anyone in Australia and New Zealand over the age of 18. For more information on how to enter visit the Kemppi Australia Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn pages or message Kemppi Australia’s social media pages directly. Alternatively, email skettos@skettos.com.au for a copy of the competition flyer.

Luminescence sensors get a performance upgrade

New generation, new features: Treotham’s photoelectronic luminescence sensors by Wenglor combine innovative features and proven performance values for reliable detection of luminophors. In addition to an IO-Link interface, the two new models P1PA001 and P1PA002 also have a teach-in button for intuitive configuration. New features at a glance. The world speaks IO-Link – and the new Wenglor luminescence sensors from Treotham are no exception. The standardised communication interface makes it easy to configure parameters, output intensity values, operate condition monitoring or set on and off delays. Simply via IO-Link. But the sensor housing has also been given a functional facelift: A central teach-in button and two LEDs on the top of the sensor ensure a simple operating concept. If the button is held down for two or five seconds, objects can be taught in statically or dynamically. To teach in the sensor remotely, you can use the intuitive wTeach2 configuration software. “This makes the entire installation, configuration and maintenance easier”, says Wenglor product manager Stefan Reetz. “There are fewer elements on the sensor than before, and they can do more. Everything else can be conveniently adjusted via IO-Link 1.1.” The technology is housed in Wenglor’s tried-and-tested 1P housing (50 × 50 × 20 mm). An extended working range of between 30 and 90 mm and a small light spot diameter, combined with a high switching frequency of 2,500 Hz ensure an enormous performance range. Receiving ranges between 420 and 750 nm (P1PA001) and 570 and 750 nm (P1PA002) round off the new generation. Making the invisible visible Luminescence sensors emit UV light at a certain wavelength. If the emitted light strikes a luminescent object, it reflects within a visible wavelength range in accordance with the luminescent substance mounted. The sensors use this effect to make markings on labels visible, for example. Your advantage: These markings remain invisible to the human eye. Particularly when packaging […]

Multi-Million dollar decarbonisation initiative set to boost wool exports

A new multi-million dollar decarbonisation initiative at one of the country’s largest wool product manufacturers is set to reduce emissions by up to 30% and help boost wool product exports. According to EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority), industrial heat processes accounts for around a third of New Zealand’s overall energy use. An estimated 60% of production heating is fossil-fuelled.[1] The sustainability initiative is part of a multi-year programme to reduce production related carbon emissions and improve operating efficiency at wool carpet manufacturer Bremworth. The first stage of the decarbonisation pathway is a $2.1 million project for the Napier wool yarn spinning plant to transition from natural gas process heat to electric heat pump technology. The initiative is designed to improve the energy efficiency of manufacturing processes, by detailed process heating measurement, minimising waste heat and optimising the heating system configurations and technology to meet future production volumes. Production efficiencies from the use of the technology in the yarn making process are expected to help boost exports for markets where demand for New Zealand made wool carpet attracts a premium price point. The project will also reduce emissions at the facility saving up to 1,500 tonnes of CO2 per annum. Scientific estimates suggest a radiata pine tree absorbs one to two tonnes of CO2 in one year – meaning 800-1500 trees would be needed to match the annual emission savings from the installation of the new technology.[2] Greg Smith, Bremworth CEO, says the increased efficiency of the new technology will help lower operating overheads, as well as boosting production and exports. He says the design of the technology will require a specialised team of engineers and contractors to build and then install high temperature heat pump technology of up to 800kW capacity at their Hawke’s Bay facility over a […]

Zero carbon steel on market

“What Gets Measured Gets Managed” – Peter Drucker By Dr Troy Coyle, CEO, HERA In Aotearoa New Zealand, there are a lot of conversations being had around carbon in the built environment, with our Ministry for Business, Innovation and Enterprise having developed two emissions mitigation frameworks under the Building for Climate Change Programme. These include proposed requirements in the Building Act and Code relating to carbon reductions. From this month, certified zero carbon steel will be available in the New Zealand market through a robust offsetting program. The program, Hōtaka Whakakore Puhanga Waro, has been independently developed and is based on verifiable data. HERA is the facilitator of the program and has partnered with social enterprise Ekos, a leader in environmental financing, to administer the offsetting process. The program will give the option for specification and use of zero carbon steel through offsetting determined on the basis of a robust underlying carbon calculator. New Zealand has committed to a net zero carbon target by 2050. Steel and iron production is the single largest industrial source of CO2 emissions in New Zealand, representing 55% of industrial emissions and around 5% of total gross emissions[1]. As we are all aware, carbon is primarily used in the steel-making process as a reductant, rather than an energy source – counter to how steel is often portrayed in the media. Although there is research into alternative reductants (e.g. hydrogen), currently no commercially viable alternative exists for coal, so until an alternative is developed, offsetting plays an important role in steel’s decarbonisation journey. The zero carbon steel program has been developed to provide independent and robust carbon offsetting rules and a preference for the offsets to be focused on the planting of native trees to provide additional biodiversity and human capital benefits to New Zealand society. […]

EMEX is back!

It’s been a while for a trade show that has so much history. Through determination and persistency, the organisers, XPO Exhibitions and the loyal exhibitors – some who have been coming to the show for years – have put their foot down and made the 2022 version possible. As a visitor, you will be sharing in the 40th anniversary of the show. Technology changes so quickly, 40 years seems a long, long time ago. At EMEX 2022 you will experience the best of manufacturing technology equipment and services to assist your company in its growth, future development. And of course the industry seminars, well worth a visit to the show alone. Discussions and buying decisions around Industry 4.0, Lean Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Supply Chain, Machine Tools, Cyber Security, Renewable Energy, Robotics & Automation, Additive Manufacturing will be made. All key areas for manufacturing businesses and their way ahead. Some of the exhibitors include on Stand 3021 Eurotec Ltd who have been supplying and supporting premium European technology solutions to the New Zealand Industrial, Electrical, HVAC, and Refrigeration industries for over 36 years. The Eurotec team will be exhibiting the Orbis range of Electric Vehicle Chargers, Eaton Variable Speed Drives, the Testo range of measuring instruments and Infrared Technology. Materialise’s software solutions for Metal 3D Printing will be on display on Stand 1037. Treotham will be presenting their new range of products for the first time on Stand 2048, The whole range is suitable for a variety of industry sectors – from mining to railways and theatres. The diverse range includes flexible cables, accessories, chains, bearings, connectors, flexible conduits, safety products, sensors, position controls, gear boxes, linear units vacuum technology, clamping systems, pneumatics and conveyor components. Whether you are an engineer, consultant, fitter and turner, business owner or production manager, EMEX […]

Business book shows how to take advantage of international marketplace

Expanding internationally might feel like a pipe dream for many businesses, but despite Covid-19 there’s a global marketplace ready right now – you just need to know how to do it well. In the new book, Business Beyond Borders: Take Your Company Global ($33.95), international business specialist Cynthia Dearin, Founder of Dearin & Associates, provides a step-by-step, accessible guide for business owners and entrepreneurs who want to amplify their impact on the international stage. Drawing upon decades of experience in international business, including extensive stints working abroad in global roles, Dearin brings a unique perspective on international expansion, and guides readers on how to execute the right strategy to ensure their success. In the book, readers learn: Why you need an international strategy … even now Mistakes to avoid when selecting international markets How to find your ideal international clients The key to bridging the cultural divide & building trust The rules of international marketing & pricing Filled with real world case studies, tips and action points. Business Beyond Borders provides business owners and entrepreneurs with the tools to map out their international vision, take the first steps on their international journey and begin the adventure of going global. Author Cynthia Dearin is an international business strategist and lawyer, and the founder of Dearin & Associates. With 23 years of international experience, she is on a mission to empower business owners and CEOs to scale internationally and amplify their impact in the world. An Australian-qualified legal practitioner, Cynthia worked in the UK, US, Europe and Middle East, as an Australian diplomat and as a management consultant. She also spent three years as the CEO of the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Cynthia is proficient in Arabic and French, both of which she uses professionally. Her previous book is […]

IoT helps glass manufacturer disrupt industry with four-day supply delivery

New Zealand glass manufacturer, Architectural Glass Products (AGP), has deployed Internet of Things (IoT) technology from Pollin8 and Thinxtra for around-the-clock tracking of its products and delivery trolleys, ensuring it avoids losing assets, and bolstering its industry leading customer service. AGP was founded in response to market demand for high quality glass that can be manufactured and delivered in short timeframes. Established in 2019, the company has become the nation’s largest manufacturer of insulated glass units (IGUs). It currently operates a four-hectare, highly automated factory in Hautapu on the North Island. AGP owns over 1,750 purpose-built delivery trolleys, worth NZ$3,000 each, to transport its fragile, high-value glass products. To reduce the risk of these assets going missing and ensure their efficient return to the facility, AGP installed low-cost IoT tracking devices from NZ’s Pollin8, which communicate over Thinxtra’s 0G Network. This allows the manufacturer to track assets in real-time so they can be retrieved efficiently to maintain its four-day order-to-delivery service. “Before AGP came to market, the time from ordering the glass to delivery was unpredictable, and customers never quite knew specifically when their products would arrive. We have completely disrupted the market by delivering in four days,” said Gene Sanford at AGP. “Having Pollin8 and Thinxtra’s joint IoT solution in place from the start has proved central to our ability to deliver this level of service. Rather than resorting to the time consuming task of counting assets on a map with a basic GPS solution, we have a dashboard and data that inform us which customer has the trolleys and how long they have had them, enabling us to quickly take action to maintain our high service levels. “Our customers’ cash flow can be improved significantly knowing their supply will be delivered on time; getting our assets back quickly […]

Checkmarx launches supply chain solution

Checkmarx, has launched the Checkmarx Supply Chain Security solution to identify suspicious and potentially malicious open source packages across the modern application development lifecycle. Attackers are shifting their attention to the software supply chain by abusing open source software ecosystems, which have traditionally been trusted by the worldwide developer community. Checkmarx is bringing a developer-first approach to detecting supply chain attacks in code packages, leveraging a comprehensive suite of threat intelligence, behavioral intelligence and machine-learning models. Supply chain security research and thought leadership Over the past few months, the Checkmarx security research team has identified hundreds of malicious open source packages. Research articles highlighting three main types – dependency confusion, typosquatting and chainjacking – are available in the Checkmarx blog. Working in concert with Checkmarx Software Composition Analysis (SCA), Checkmarx Supply Chain Security identifies anomalies in the health and security of open source projects, analyses contributor reputation and also directly interrogates the behaviour of packages via analysis within a detonation chamber. The result is full-spectrum software supply chain insight and analysis that closes a significant gap in organisations’ application security. Current solutions in the market are reactive in that they rely on community feedback to detect vulnerable code and analyse the code, but not the person behind it. The Checkmarx Supply Chain Security solution is built on the principle of ‘don’t take code from strangers’. Checkmarx Supply Chain Security enables organisations to accelerate modern application development using open source software safely and securely through a full suite of critical capabilities: Health and Wellness and Software Bill of Materials (SBOM):Provides knowledge of the open source package and community, combined with SBOM creation. Malicious Package Detection:Detects dependency confusion, typosquatting, chainjacking and other malicious activities and packages. Contributor Reputation: Restores trust in the provenance of open source packages by eliminating the need to manually analyse contributor activity across all projects that could impact an organisation. Behaviour […]

Control what is made

-Simon Ganley, Ganley Engineering Have you ever wondered how manufacturers control what they make so they produce everything to the top of the specification and only use the minimum amount of energy to achieve that? Well, most bulk manufacturers of food and industrial products use sensors that sit in or on the line that measure what is being made to automatically control the process. And world-wide, NDC Technologies have grown to become the largest suppliers of this technology. There is a limit to how long any manufacturer can afford to fill up the scrap bin with substandard product, how long they can waste money on power consumption and how long they can compete with companies who do things properly. So, some of the things we do in NZ and elsewhere, is control the moisture and resin in MDF and particle board. This is done with a succession of sensors that control up at the wet-end and provide total control at the finished product. We control sugar moisture on-line and new developments will see the control of colour and lactose where degrees of brown have been an issue. Developed in NZ, most biscuits are now automatically process controlled with colour and moisture which saves huge amounts of energy, staff time and ingredients. The world’s largest French fries maker controls the moisture, oil, colour, bed depth and temperature at the fryer. Other makers produce anything at all. The same goes for potato and corn crisps. The big producers became big because they control what they make. Controlling production provides a fast payback. For confectionery, we control the layers of syrup when it is sprayed in the pan to make up hard-shell products and for chocolate the top producers control the moisture and cocoa butter. For milk powder, pharmaceuticals and other products made […]

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