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Be the disruptor, not the disrupted

-Brian Low, HERA conference organiser. HERA to launch Future Forum series The third industrial revolution changed the way previous generations worked – and very soon, the fourth industrial revolution will do the same again for us. Inevitably, we’ll have the ability to access powerful resources previously unavailable or uneconomic. Our members in the engineering and manufacturing sectors now need to innovate and change to understand and counter or utilise those resources. Why the need to care? The rise of technologies – such as machine learning, automation, augmented reality and virtual reality looms over the horizon. In other words, ‘business as usual’ will soon be ‘business no longer’. But we get it. Some of these technologies seem too far out of reach to ever affect our industry. Or just plain overwhelming, expensive or impractical to uptake. And although innovation can be promising, it has several aspects which makes it challenging to be implemented in different systems or organisations. What we can say, is that Industry 4.0 and digitalisation are the future of manufacturing. Companies may not survive in a competitive and fast-changing market if they aren’t agile and flexible. That means understanding these concepts and eventually finding ways to adopt them is critical. Governments and some academic institutions are already struggling to keep up with the changes Industry 4.0 is bringing. In order to cope, our members need to step up and be more agile. Be they fabricators, consultants, product suppliers or services providers. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will affect strategies, structure, business models and operational processes in the engineering sector. Even we at HERA have aligned our vision and mission to keep up with changing contexts. Our structure, training and research have and will continue to adapt as well. Especially as we find ways to serve our membership meaningfully and […]

Fair Pay Agreements not suitable for New Zealand

BusinessNZ endorses the New Zealand Initiative’s report ‘Why Fair Pay Agreements would be bad for labour,’ and agrees that compulsory sector-wide bargaining would not be a suitable system for New Zealand. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope says the report accords with the employer views expressed during the Fair Pay Agreement working group. “Having Fair Pay Agreements centrally negotiated by unions and industry reps would mean businesses losing the freedom to set wage rates appropriate to their own workplaces. “This kind of approach in past years led to wage inflation, higher prices and strikes.” Mr Hope said the NZ Initiative report identified other policy approaches that would better serve productivity and growth and cost of living issues, including improving education outcomes, addressing housing affordability and continuing to make New Zealand an attractive investment environment. “As an alternative to Fair Pay Agreements, we would encourage the Government to consider these policy approaches.”

Central Innovation talks to us

Peter Ranyard, Country Manager New Zealand, Central Innovation How is Central Innovation finding the current business climate? The economic climate in New Zealand has remained stable on the back of a new government, after nine years of the previous body. Despite some recent slowing due to better design and strong innovation practices, the economic climate in New Zealand still shows steady growth. Having said that, a number of our clients are finding success in export markets such as the USA and Europe, even though, there has been some uncertainty with political and international factors like the Financial Services enquiry in Australia, Brexit, and the trade wars between the US and China. Where will future business opportunities for the company come from? Our goal is to continue to see our customers finding success in export markets, particularly with the USA and Europe. This should help drive more growth. We are also investing in new solution offerings for the manufacturing sector with our DataSuite solution for example, which helps manufacturers integrate their design, production and ERP systems to reduce inventory costs and improve their time to market. Is the growth in technology aligned with the market’s needs? Yes, we’re seeing an increasing demand for data generated from the design process and other business processes. One of the challenges we come across is that many New Zealand firms don’t have the ‘know-how’ technology to confidently choose a supplier that is well versed with the market and can surely support the business to see a solution implementation through to completion. This is coupled with an underlying need to have a ‘suite’ of solution-based products that makes business processes in design and execution more palatable and less onerous. How can governments assist businesses to get ahead today? Firstly, by providing stability and certainty which helps […]

Northland lifestyle a big plus

Regional development is a phrase that’s getting plenty of airtime these days, especially with Government’s Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) promising to pump billions of dollars into forgotten corners of New Zealand. It has been nearly 18 months since the first allocations were made, and while there’s plenty of debate about whether the Fund is achieving its objectives, it has certainly sparked greater awareness that regions can play a much bigger role in “New Zealand Inc”. And also sparked some regional leaders to think about whether the Fund is meeting specific regional needs. Take Northland, for example: local leaders in Northland are pretty happy with the attention the region is getting from the PGF. With $130 million-worth of projects announced there, including $30 million for roading improvements, and funding for two infrastructure studies – the Fund could dramatically improve the prospect of attracting more business to the region. The first study is examining the Upper North Island Supply Chain and has reported some early findings that highlight the potential for Northport, New Zealand’s northern-most seaport at Marsden Point, to help ease congestion at Ports of Auckland. The second study on the North Auckland Rail line includes a strategic business case for building a spur to Northport, and signals are positive that the work will go ahead. Chair of the Regional Transport Committee for the Northland Region, Councillor John Bain, says the impact of transport infrastructure improvements will be a game changer. “Not many would argue that, historically, Northland has had to work hard for its share of Government investment. Finally, it looks like we’re getting some traction. The local economy is going through a bit of a boom, and there’s real opportunities available for both locals and ‘imports’. We’re ready to make the most of it.” He muses that Northland has been left […]

Gamma helmets new benchmark for welder safety

Kemppi, has launched its new Gamma range of helmets for welders. The personal gear offers welders the best protection for the eyes, face and respiratory system, and it also integrates work lights for clear vision and safety in low light working conditions. The Gamma range reduces work fatigue, increases comfort, and helps guard against welding related health hazards. Designed to deliver maximum protection and safety for welding professionals, the Gamma family now sets the global benchmark. Intense light and heat from the welding and cutting arcs are known hazards in welding workshops. However, welding also contaminates the surrounding air. Welding and cutting fumes, which contain dangerous elements that are generally not visible to the naked eye, pollute the breathing air and can pose serious health risks. Typically, welders can breathe 4,000 litres of air in an 8-hour work shift, and if the lungs are unprotected, tiny fume particles can pass deep into the lung structure and can cause serious health risks through long and short-term exposure to the contaminated air. The new Gamma series protects welders from 99.8% of airborne fumes and particulates. ‘The Gamma series, when used together with the new powered filter unit, meets the highest European Total Inward Leakage (TIL) classification for respiratory performance, class TH3 as well as Australian and New Zealand standards,’ said David Green, Managing Director, Kemppi Australia. “This places the Gamma series in a category all of its own when it comes to delivering maximum overall protection for the welder.” Powered from either a battery powered filter pack or an airline breathing source, the Gamma GTH3 respirator models work on the ‘positive air pressure’ principal to exclude dangerous welding fumes, and supply clean and fresh breathing air into the breathing zone. These helmets ensure the welder enjoys a safe, cool and comfortable breathing […]

Smart technologies can improve safety in the oil and gas industry

By Gaurav Sharma, Head of Industries Business, ANZ, Cognizant Employee safety remains a key concern within the oil and gas sector. The nature of tasks and activities makes it a riskier industry than others. Workers’ fatigue is another factor increasing that risk. However, the oil and gas industry is in a prime position to take advantage of technologies such as robotics, wearables, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) to minimise some of the risks, as well as drive innovation. The risks of fatigue Fatigue is a major contributor to safety incidents in the oil and gas industry. An oil and gas worker’s job includes inherently risky routine and physically demanding tasks such as positioning heavy equipment, climbing on scaffolds, and physical inspections and maintenance. Characteristics specific to the oil and gas industry are also factors increasing that risk, such as fly-in fly-out and shift work conditions, dealing with time zone changes and 24/7 operations, handling hazardous chemicals or working in extreme weather conditions. Research indicates that the injury rate of Australian shift workers is two times higher than other workers, due to fatigue-related factors such as insufficient sleep, disrupted sleep patterns, and extended working hours. Using digital technologies to predict fatigue risk There is an increasing awareness across risky industries that digital technologies have an important role to play in improving work safety. Leading oil and gas providers are now looking to improve their current standards even further through data collection, monitoring, and automation. However, there is still a long way to go to full adoption, as estimates suggest that just one percent of the data currently captured by operators is being used for improvement purposes. These technologies can provide companies with better control on workplace hazards and better training, while improving onsite communications and overall workforce and business asset […]

Collaboration results in interleaving veils for composite toughening

New Zealand company, Revolution Fibres, has collaborated with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. to develop a next-generation nanofibre interleaving veil for improving the toughness of carbon fibre composites. The new nanofibre veil material, called Xantu.Layr XLB, has particularly strong application possibilities in the aerospace sector. Xantu.Layr XLB is made from Mitsubishi’s recently developed XD10 thermoplastic, bio-based polyamide resin, LEXTER. LEXTER is a xylylenediamine-derived polyamide resin that has been demonstrated successfully as a thermoplastic matrix for composite materials. It is tough, strong, and chemically resistant, and has the added benefits of being hydrophobic and highly compatible with epoxy resin when in the form of a nanofiber veil. These properties enable Xantu.Layr XLB nanofibre interleaving veils to improve the performance of thermoset composite laminates without being compromised by exposure to high humidity, gasoline or a range of other chemicals. Another benefit of this new nanofibre veil is the lower cost of manufacture, resulting in a lower sale price. Dr. Nobuhiko Matsumoto, a Research Manager at Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, said that they “were thrilled to see LEXTER in the form of a nanofiber veil and could see many commercial possibilities for applications.” Xantu.Layr is produced using a proprietary production method (Sonic Electrospinning Technology), and is an ultra-thin non-woven web consisting of kilometre long thermoplastic nanofibres, with each one around 500 times thinner than a human hair. When placed in-between the plies of carbon fibre in a composite laminate, Xantu.Layr significantly improves the fracture toughness (delamination resistance), compression after impact strength (damage tolerance) and fatigue resistance of the composite without adding any significant thickness and weight. Xantu.Layr nanofibre veils can improve composite materials by providing nano-scale reinforcement of the brittle matrix resin, resulting in a tougher resin (even when used with already toughened resin systems) which is less prone to micro-cracking when stressed or […]

Assisting product development with new mini aseptic solution

In today’s fast moving food and drink industry innovation is king. Everyone is looking for the next product to give their business the edge and food fashions and trends come and go with increasing speed. Food manufacturers often need to use seasonal ingredients, potentially offering limited edition flavours or varieties of key products: from herbal ice creams and summer berry drinks, to fruity condiments and vegetable smoothies. As a result, the life of innovative products is often shorter than has been seen previously and it can be hard for new product developers and marketers to pick which will survive in the market and which will fall away. All of these factors create challenges for operational factories and production lines. No business wants to invest in a fully-scaled line for a product that may have limited (albeit still successful) sales. The new HRS Asepticblock Mini Series allows manufacturers to produce new trial products with the minimum amount of product in a short time, reducing the unnecessary expense or wastage that can accompany full scale trials, and alleviating the need to suspend or interfere with the routine production of regular products. It allows the reproduction of a full scale final pack, but from as little as 20 to 50 kg of product. The Aseptic Mini Block Series was born from the need of many of small- and medium-sized customers to produce relatively small quantities of aseptic products, but who are prevented from doing so by high upfront capital costs and low return on investment. Traditional aseptic processing lines consist of two sections; one section is the steriliser or pasteuriser (based on a suitable heat exchanger according to the product type), and the other is the aseptic filler. The HRS Asepticblock Mini Series is designed for such producers working with a range of […]

Sistema Plastics awarded Epicor Technology Innovator of the Year

Sistema Plastics Ltd has won the Technology Innovator award in the third annual Epicor Customer Excellence Global Awards program. Epicor helps manufacturers harness data and automation to stay productive and profitable. The Technology Innovator Award category recognises customers who have used technology to drive innovation throughout their business to achieve measurable business growth. Sistema uses Epicor to automate processes such as Sales Order entry and Invoicing using EDI, job schedule optimisation through MRP and advanced integrations with 3rd party Warehouse Management Systems, driving down costs and helping to better achieve their revenue turnover goals. In its application Sistema had to demonstrate how Epicor’s technology has positively impacted its customers, employees, and the business as a whole. The complexity and results achieved for specific projects were also considered in the judges’ decisions. Drew Muirhead, Chief Executive Officer at Sistema Plastics says, “We are honoured to be recognised by Epicor with the Technology Innovator award. To be highlighted amongst our peers from around the globe is recognition of the hard work and pioneering spirit that flows through our business and team.” Sistema Plastics Ltd is a leading manufacturer of reusable, multipurpose quality plasticware. It ships from a single manufacturing plant in Auckland to over 90 countries worldwide. To be competitive at this global level its production techniques and systems must be lean. It achieves this with advanced robotics, assembly automation and a fully automated ASRS warehousing system. These are controlled by integrated software platforms including Mattec for machine monitoring, Epicor ERP for end-to-end business control and a WMS system for inventory management. Greg Heely, Chief Technology Officer at Sistema Plastics, says that due to its remote location in New Zealand, the company has high logistics costs that need to be offset as much as possible. “The Epicor ERP and Mattec MES systems have been […]

Climate change event in July

The Sustainable Business Council together with the Climate Leaders Coalition, EECA, Ministry for the Environment, and WWF New Zealand is holding a one-day event to empower business action on climate change. EMBARK is being held at SkyCity Auckland on July 24 and is designed to help businesses learn practical ways to reduce their emissions. “EMBARK is a one stop shop for businesses of all shapes and sizes who want to take action on climate change but don’t necessarily know how,” Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council Abbie Reynolds says. “The day is by business, for business. It will see those already on a low emissions journey share what they have learnt to help others make faster progress.” The morning will see speakers from the Climate Leaders Coalition, including Air New Zealand, NZ Post, Vector, Westpac, Z Energy, The Warehouse Group, SkyCity, Ports of Auckland, Meridian, and Fonterra talk about what they have done to reduce their emissions. They will also share practical tips to empower businesses to draw up their transition plans, measure their carbon footprints, set an emissions reduction target and finance it. The afternoon’s facilitated sessions will give businesses the opportunity to meet some of the providers of low emissions products and services who can help them make it happen. “Our aim is that by the end of the day attendees will come away with the building blocks of a great transition plan and will be connected with the people who can help them turn their plan into reality,” Ms Reynolds says. The event will also be used to celebrate the first anniversary of the Climate Leaders Coalition, including what it has collectively achieved over the past year, and the launch of a new statement. The event is certified carbon neutral. More information and registration is available […]

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