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Invert Robotics partners for better aircraft inspection

NDT Solutions, a long-established USA aerospace non-destructive Testing (NDT) service group, has teamed with innovative Invert Robotics company from Christchurch in a joint venture certain to change the process of aircraft inspection at the In-Service, OEM and Maintenance levels. Invert’s remotely controlled robot employs a patented suction mechanism that adheres and traverses a range of aircraft surfaces made of aluminium, carbon or glass-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP and GFRP). This unique process allows the technician to scan both the upper as well as the lower fuselage/wing surfaces from the remote location in both wet and dry environments. Currently the robot is equipped with a high-resolution camera to visualise and document surface conditions by transmitting video images to a ground-based screen for analysis by the technician. This process facilitates efficient inspections that can be shared immediately with an offsite engineering team. NDT Solutions will extend the capabilities of the robot by adding NDT functionality such as Ultrasound, Eddy Current, Thermography and will continue research on other inspection modalities. These enhancements will reduce the labour, improve safety and minimise tedious inspection processes allowing the skilled aircraft technicians to focus on more complex tasks. NDT Solution’s COO Larry Culbertson comments; “Our team is constantly looking for ways to improve inspection services and reduce the costs to our customers in this highly competitive industry. The unique technology that Invert brings is the ideal automated delivery platform for many of the NDT technologies already in use manually. “Time savings mean cost savings and our aerospace customers will have their aircraft returned to service sooner utilizing this cost-effective inspection approach in a safer environment. Recording the state of an aircraft proves the quality of our work and allows more accurate scheduling of required maintenance. We are excited to be part of this partnership that we believe will have […]

Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce - Chief Executive Leeann Watson

Twelve months of steady evolution

-Leeann Watson, Chief Executive Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce The last year has been– not quite the transformational 2019 that many expected – but as we head into 2020 and the general election, I think that will likely change. There was the release of a Government Budget focused on wellbeing, as well as the announcement of a $7.5 billion surplus, which may well be called upon – at least in part – as the political parties start to ramp up activity before the voting booths open. There was also the reversal on the tabling of a capital gains tax. There were various changes to employment legislation, with Fair Pay Agreements one of the more highly publicised issues through the year. Immigration too was in the spotlight with changes to employer-assisted temporary work visa settings to help address skills shortages, which are particularly prevalent in the regions. There were also the local body elections in October, with some level of movement across most electorates. Hopefully this will result in a fresh burst of energy for Councillors to really gain traction on key local issues to help enable our business communities. In the vocational education sector, the big news was the launch of the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) – one of the most significant changes in education for some time, which will redefine roles for industry bodies and education providers and establish a unified vocational education funding system. It was also good to see the Government’s support of literacy and numeracy training in the workplace through a new funding commitment of $14.5 million over four years – meaning the Government will contribute nearly $45 million to the employer-led workplace literacy and numeracy fund between 2019 and 2022. I am optimistic that this sector shake-up will encourage collaboration between the business community […]

Exporting New Zealand agri-technology to Ireland

When Hamilton manufacturer Innovative Dairy Systems (IDS) won a Euro 4.5 million contract to deliver a cheese making machine to a large food manufacturing company in Ireland it encountered a significant challenge. The challenge wasn’t a technical one, even though the buyer wanted a machine with the capacity to produce up to eight tonnes of cheese per hour – that’s the equivalent of four hundred 20kg blocks of cheddar, gouda or mozzarella! IDS had already provided a similar cheese making machine to this buyer, who was now building a new site to become one of Europe’s largest diversified cheese manufacturers. Instead the challenge related to funding this large project, over several months and involving key sub-contractors. For example, IDS sub-contracts the stainless-steel fabrication, and the manufacture of conveyor belts and valves to local Hamilton-based companies, who all require advance payments. IDS negotiated a 30% (Euro 1.4 million) advance payment from its Irish buyer to assist with its working capital. In return, the buyer required IDS’ bank to provide an advance payment bond that matched this amount. An advance payment bond is an on-demand financial guarantee which allows a buyer to have its deposit fully indemnified in the event its supplier fails to properly perform its contractual obligations. “An advance payment bond is a reasonably common requirement where a higher deposit is sought on a project, “explains Phil Quinn, NZEC Senior Business Originator. “Because it’s on-demand, a bank will require tangible security from their customer. This can be a challenge for many small to medium enterprises, particularly for larger contracts.” When IDS encountered difficulty providing its Bank with security for 100% of the value of the advance payment, they both approached NZEC for its General Contract Bond Guarantee support. “New Zealand Export Credit performed due diligence on our company and financials, […]

Renewable energy skills from Canterbury to benefit Bhutan

New Zealand expertise in renewable energy will be put to good use in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan when a University of Canterbury (UC) engineering student returns to her homeland. Sonam Zam is a new graduate of UC’s Master of Engineering Studies (Renewable Energy) programme in the Civil and Natural Resources Engineering department. Her travel to Christchurch and study at UC was funded through a New Zealand Scholarship provided by the New Zealand Government. The scholarships are aimed at providing tertiary students with vital skills and knowledge to promote development in their home country. Sonam, who graduated top of her 2012 civil engineering class in Bhutan, says she has learnt a huge amount from the UC master’s degree which will have practical application when she returns to her role at the state-owned Druk Green Power Corporation in Bhutan, which operates and maintains hydropower assets. “What I’ve studied in New Zealand is renewable energy, hydro, solar and wind and I’m hoping I can apply these back at home. In some remote areas of Bhutan, hydropower isn’t viable so solar and wind-generated energy would be more practical options. I was completely new to those when I came here.” Sonam says the UC degree provided an up-to-date world view of climate change. “It also covered what can be done, not necessarily a solution, but a way forward.” “My Master’s project was focused on pumped hydro which will be important in Bhutan because at present we don’t have reservoirs for storing water.” She and several other international students awarded New Zealand Scholarships to study at UC, including people from Brazil and Zimbabwe, took part in a completion ceremony in November before returning to their home countries.

ABB powers with manufacturing management technology

The Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) software suite powers production for increased productivity and profitability, enabling seamless plant orchestration. The new version will offer an extended range of capabilities and new digital applications. This flexible and secure software platform with a broad suite of industrial applications gives operators, supervisors and plant managers the visibility and insights to take the right actions for increased productivity, quality and compliance. Features in the enhanced manufacturing operations management platform include: Enhanced user experience based on new HTML 5 web client; A new smart interactive dashboard application that provides greater visibility and collaboration; A new statistical process control (SPC) application, to determine if each process is in a state of control; A new Batch Compare application – for advanced batch analysis Manufacturing Operations Management is a comprehensive, scalable and modular software suite that optimises visibility, knowledge and control throughout the operations domain. This release provides a range of rich new functionality and a new enhanced user experience that enables operations to become more productive and responsive.” Manufacturing Operations Management is designed to simplify production management by enabling performance monitoring, downtime management and maintenance support, as well as providing statistical production analysis tools. It provides solutions and tools to facilitate the collection, consolidation and distribution of production, quality and energy information via the plant’s web-based reports, trends, and graphs. A new, self-service dashboard application promotes increased collaboration, providing visibility from shop floor to top floor and spanning IT and OT environments. It increases data connectivity to all apps and modules within the MOM suite, combining historic and manufacturing data and providing the user with improved customization capabilities. Dashboards can be shared amongst users, further promoting collaboration between teams. Trends and events are displayed together, which enables customers to identify issues and opportunities enabling informed and timely decisions. The new common services platform […]

Engineers discussing notes on factory stairway

Be at the cutting edge of global innovation

With changing consumer and business demands bringing greater competition to global markets, companies in New Zealand’s engineering and manufacturing sectors must consistently evolve in order to win new business and succeed. A term that has saturated global markets for the last decade is Industry 4.0 – the digitalisation of manufacturing. What we are in fact witnessing is an industrial renaissance that is changing the way we do business through the unification of real and virtual worlds, laying the foundation for the future of manufacturing with platforms that enable data and digital continuity to maximise innovation, collaboration with the extended enterprise, and improve profit margins. This Industry Renaissance has enabled global connectivity on an unprecedented scale, which Invenio has witnessed in its network of dynamic New Zealand businesses of all sizes that enjoy success locally as well as globally. Taking advantage of this opportunity requires the right tools to be implemented, such as the Dassault Systèmes 3DExperience platform and modelling, simulation and collaboration applications such as Catia, Delmia and Enovia. The 3DExperience platform enables organisations to move from siloed designs and a document-based approach to a unified platform that is data-driven and model-based. Combining multi-physics, behaviour-modelling, big data analytics and social collaboration on a single, digital innovative platform, New Zealand businesses can quickly respond to a fast-changing industry landscape. Designers can bring their ideas to life with Catia applications, the world’s leading product design and experience solution including world-class 3D modelling performance and simulation capabilities. Information is communicated through the Enovia application data management platform, allowing designers to efficiently collaborate across departments. Finished designs can be fast-tracked towards production with Delmia’s digital manufacturing solutions, enabling manufacturing efficiency through the digital planning, simulating and modelling of production processes. Invenio’s partnership with Dassault Systèmes has also enabled the success of a number of […]

McKechnie Aluminium signals long-term commitment to Taranaki

New Plymouth-based McKechnie Aluminium is now home to New Zealand’s largest and most technologically advanced aluminium extrusion press. The Italian press, named ‘Giulia’ literally means ‘youth’ and its broader meaning is ‘new’ and ‘prosperous’. McKechnie Managing Director Mr Pramod Khatri says: “This significant investment is part of our strategy to grow our business and futureproof our customer base, employees and local community. McKechnie has been manufacturing, exporting and creating employment opportunities in Taranaki for 60 years now. This investment will give us the opportunity to continue for another 60.” McKechnie also exports a sizeable share of its production to Australia and has been doing so for nearly 31 years. The sizeable investment is welcome news for the local economy, particularly in the wake of the Government’s 2018 announcement to cease offshore oil and gas exploration. “This state-of-the-art aluminium extrusion press is a very exciting addition to Taranaki’s, and New Zealand’s, manufacturing capability,” says Mr Khatri. The press has increased the plant’s capacity by between 30 and 40 percent. This has been done by enhancing the company’s capability to produce larger-sized products and complex profiles previously possible only through imports. “For our New Zealand customers, it means they don’t need to source some of the bigger products from overseas suppliers,” says Mr Khatri. The benefits for customers of having their aluminium product manufactured in New Zealand are multiple, including reduced working capital, shorter lead times, certainty of delivery, assured quality and high environmental performance. “Our product has the lowest carbon footprint of all aluminium extrusions produced in Australasia. McKechnie is the only aluminium extruder with a re-melt facility, which means a high proportion of our product is made from recycled content,” says McKechnie Chief Operating Officer Mr Scott Fuller. McKechnie’s New Plymouth plant is ISO9001 and ISO14001 quality and environmental certified. It is also the only Australasian aluminium extruder, and the world’s first, to have gained third-party CEMARS environmental certification, which is based on stringent European standards. Installation started in October 2017 and the first billet was produced in March 2018. Final performance handover from Italian supplier Turla was in July 2019. “After an intense period of commissioning, the new press is performing well. We’re looking forward to growing our business and continuing to provide our customers with high-quality, low-carbon aluminium products for their projects,” says Mr […]

Sustainability in 2019: The year in review

Barbara Nebel, CEO, thinkstep-anz This year has seen a significant rise in consumer concern around environmental and social issues, and a corresponding demand for better information about products and business practices. Colmar Brunton’s Better Futures report[1] in February found that New Zealanders had the highest levels of concern about climate change in a decade, but also that how companies talk about their social and environmental commitments is confusing. The In Good Company report[2] in November – commissioned by the Sustainable Business Council, Porter Novelli and Perceptive – found that New Zealanders wanted more transparent communication on sustainability from all industries and considered sustainability in their purchase decisions. It is more important than ever for manufacturers to be able to tell the story of product sustainability. We look back at how government and businesses alike have stepped up to this challenge. Government changes Single-use plastic bags were banned from July this year, signalling a watershed moment for plastics use. The Government has recently announced[3] the next steps to tackle plastic waste, starting with moving from single-use packaging and containers made of hard-to-recycle PVC and polystyrene, towards high-value alternatives like HDPE and polypropylene. In November, New Zealand made headlines overseas as the Climate Change Response Amendment Bill passed with cross-party support, committing the country to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050. The passage of this bill gives businesses certainty of the long-term framework for reducing emissions and will make it easier for them to plan their own transition. The Ministry for the Environment, accredited product stewardship managers and the Sustainable Business Network have collaborated on Fuji Xerox’s roadmap[4] to develop a product stewardship scheme. Companies and other organisations participating in accredited product stewardship schemes have diverted more than 1/3 million tonnes of waste from landfill to date. How are companies responding? […]

Highly trained staff crucial to success

Fiona Kingsford, CEO, Competenz 2019 has been a year of extremes in the manufacturing industry, impacted by both a skills shortage and a government reform that will reshape vocational education. New Zealand is facing its biggest skills shortage in decades. By 2024, more than 18,000 people will be needed to fill new roles and replace those leaving the manufacturing sector, many of which could be filled by apprentices. In August 2019, the Government confirmed the details of its overhaul of vocational education. Specifically, the disestablishment of all 11 Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) whose current functions will be undertaken by two new entities, Workforce Development Councils (WDCs) and the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST). By the end of 2022, WDCs will lead qualification development, standard setting, skills leadership, brokerage and industry advocacy, while the new national delivery agency, NZIST, will deliver all classroom, digital and on-the-job learning. The NZIST includes the merger of the 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics and the training functions of the ITOs. How this new regime will impact the manufacturing industry is unclear. What we do know, is that the government has committed to ongoing support of apprentices and trainees undertaking on-the-job training. So, there is absolutely no reason for employers to stop signing their employees into training for fear apprentices and trainees won’t be able to complete because of upcoming changes. All qualifications remain, and everyone entering one will be able to complete them. While the training delivery landscape is definitely changing, these changes will be progressively implemented by December 2022. Right now, there is no interruption to the services Competenz provides to our employers, trainees and apprentices. No matter what form the new structure takes and how it is rolled out, the future of work in the manufacturing sector will still […]

MaDE2020: Synergies in New Zealand Manufacturing, Design and Entrepreneurship

The Fourth National Conference for Innovation in Manufacturing, Design and Entrepreneurship is brought to you by the University of Auckland’s Innovative Manufacturing and Materials Programme. Dates: Monday 25 – Tuesday 26 May 2020 Venue: Cordis Auckland Abstract submissions are now open to local and international industry representatives and researchers, including post graduate students, who work in the manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship sector. The abstract portal closes on 14 February 2020. Registration will be open by 20 January 2020. Delegate prices are available online. Sponsorship and support: A range of standard and specific sponsorship opportunities are available, and these are designed to provide maximum leverage during the event. The MaDE2020 Sponsorship Prospectus and Application Form is available online. Join us in Auckland for MaDE2020 to learn about exciting, new manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship research and to be inspired through examples of positive collaborations between industry and researchers. Engaging, short TED-Talk-Type presentations from researchers, industry and government representatives will enable productive communication between delegates from different backgrounds. In addition, MaDE2020 will showcase industry/research work by way of Poster presentations, to be displayed in the exhibition and networking area; local and international Keynote Speakers will set the tone; Panel Discussions and Breakout Sessions will provide topic specific engagement opportunity; and our ticketed MaDE2020 Conference Dinner will be our gala event on Monday 25 May 2020. The MaDE Network is a cross-disciplinary community of New Zealand researchers in manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship that works in close collaboration with industry to envision and shape New Zealand’s future manufacturing economy. The MaDE mission is to develop expertise and capability in translational research, to grow New Zealand’s high-tech manufacturing economy. The MaDE vision is for New Zealand to be recognised as a leading, technology empowered economy driven by innovative, high-value, niche manufacturing, design and entrepreneurship. The previous […]

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