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Smart Manufacturing Today
Increasing investment in advanced technologies a priority for manufacturing
Catherine Lye, EMA’s Head of Advanced Manufacturing & Export Communities The Advanced Manufacturing Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) recognises the essential role manufacturing plays in the New Zealand economy, for jobs and communities. The draft plan, released for public consultation in June 2022, attracted hundreds of participants to workshops and 60 written submissions that helped identify some key priorities for the ratified plan. “Increasing investment in advanced technologies and processes to lift productivity and wages, and improving the understanding and perceptions of advanced manufacturing to attract more people into the sector will be the initial focus based on the feedback received,” says Brett O’Riley, EMA Chief Executive and Co-Chair of the Advanced Manufacturing ITP Steering Group. Manufacturing plays an important role in creating jobs and is the second largest employer of Māori and Pacific peoples in the country. The plan identifies ways to help manufacturers acquire more skills and embrace the low-carbon, sustainable economic growth it offers. “One of the keys to accelerating growth will be the investment in new plant, new technology, and new skills, something the EMA will continue to work with the Government on,” Mr O’Riley says. Rachel Mackintosh, fellow Co-Chair of the Advanced Manufacturing ITP Steering Group and Vice-President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and Assistant National Secretary of E Tū, agrees. “We want to transform the industry so that people will choose to work in advanced manufacturing for generations to come. We have the opportunity to harness the creativity of the diverse manufacturing workforce to develop a sustainable industry, where people can build their skills and enjoy decent work and decent wages. To do that we need cooperation across workers, employers, communities, and the government,” she says. The ITP brings together a raft of elements – skills, sustainability, carbon neutrality […]
Women in Engineering: Ankeeta Karmakar
Most of the programmes that I found were master of civil and/or structural engineering, so when I discovered the University of Auckland’s Master of Earthquake Engineering programme, I just couldn’t think of any other school.
Clean Planet manufacturing healthier and safer cleaning solutions
-Rebecca Reed Clean Planet is a nationwide health and sustainability focused cleaning and life services franchisor, established in 2008 by a passionate bunch of New Zealanders who recognised the need for healthier, greener cleaning solutions. It is also the first cleaning company to come up with their own locally formulated and manufactured range of sustainably sourced, health-focused products. Chief Executive Tony Pattison says the founders decided they wanted to develop, formulate, and manufacture their own range of cleaning products from the beginning so they knew what works and what doesn’t. “We wanted to establish an ethical cleaning company that is kinder to both people’s health and the health of the planet. Since then, we’ve been getting rid of toxic cleaning chemicals in Kiwi homes and workplaces by using our own brand of cleaning products we formulated to achieve this. Our range of healthier, environmentally kinder cleaning products do not contain chemical culprits such as bleaches, EDTA and phosphates, yet work for domestic and commercial cleaners just as effectively as conventional cleaners.” Clean Planet outsources the manufacturing to local business AWS Group who operate out of a factory in Penrose, Auckland, only a few minutes away from Clean Planet’s Head Office. The company manufactures a core range of 10 cleaning and santising products for Clean Planet which they then supply to their 240 franchisees to use nationwide. “We have a strong relationship with AWS Group, they have excellent facilities and are BioGro and Organic certified which aligns with our brand values and goals.” Once manufactured their products are then packaged to Clean Planet’s warehouse nearby in Penrose where they package it up and ship it out to their franchisees. “We are proud to have introduced recycled packaging for several of our products made out of recycled milk bottles. I believe our […]
Company Profile: Exxovantage
The business has expanded to Australia, the USA, Africa and Singapore, with bold plans to become the global leader in wearable robotics technology.
RS PRO & Engineers Without Borders announce winners of student design competition
RS PRO & Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) have drawn the winners of their recent student competition, awarding three winners in Australia and New Zealand. The three winners were commended for their socio-technical skills, sustainable design and social impact of their designs. The first winner, Luke Nelson studying at ANU, is building a seed sorting robot which is a shaker-table based device which aims to address the significant time and labour challenges associated with sorting native grains. The real world application has been tested through an Indigenous owned organisation working to develop a native grains industry for the benefit of First Nations people. Maja Ranzinger who studies at Auckland University is currently developing a prototype design for an autonomous apple picker. The body is a thin, electrically motorised four-wheel system that fits within the orchard lanes. Maja’s project aims to lower the production cost whilst solving the problems of labour shortages in this industry. Lastly, Patricia Wang-Zhao at ANU is developing a local design summit which is a collaborative platform whereby student and professional engineers engage with local First Nations people. The summit aims to explore opportunities in engaging with Indigenous knowledge for economic and environmental benefit. RS Pro and EWB are supporting these winning submissions with product packs worth $3,000 which includes RS PRO components, tools, and accessories tailored to the projects. The competition criteria included: Socio-technical skills. Sustainable design skills, including the environmental, economic and social impacts. The demonstration of effective communication skills through the design pitch application whilst articulating teamwork skills of the project. A demonstration of how the fund will help the entrant achieve positive social, economic, and environmental impacts. Scott Philbrook, Managing Director ANZ for RS, the parent company of RS PRO, says he is looking to support future generations of engineers through programs like […]
Eagle Protect ensures high-performance disposable gloves
Christchurch-founded company, Eagle Protect, is challenging the disposable glove industry by bringing transparency to its supply chains through the launch of “Delta Zero”, the multi-layered proprietary glove quality testing program. As the world’s only B Corp certified company in the sector, Eagle Protect is on a mission to provide Kiwis and those across the globe with access to high-quality disposable gloves which are safe, durable and free of contamination. The global industry’s supply chains are plagued with malpractice such as reject quality, counterfeit and already-used disposable gloves being repackaged and sold to end-users as brand new, all of which can often lead to breakdowns in infection and hygiene control. Eagle Protect’s five-year microbial analysis study revealed the widespread risk of contamination within the disposable glove industry, with independent lab testing uncovering 50% of new and unused gloves analysed had human faecal indicators. To combat these issues Eagle Protect is establishing the global industry standard for compliance, providing a method for ensuring that vulnerable industries, including food handling and healthcare sectors, have access to clean gloves, free of harmful toxins and contaminants. “In the effort to mitigate glove contamination risks to multiple industries and glove users we’ve spent the last few years refining our Delta Zero verification process,” said Steve Ardagh, CEO and co-founder of Eagle Protect. “It’s a proprietary, multi-layered, five-point testing process that ensures Eagle gloves strictly adhere to the industry’s highest level of safety and performance.” Though most of the general public remains unaware, New Zealand relies on the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for the quality assurance of food handling gloves. However, there are significant limitations within the FDA’s current food glove compliance requirements. The FDA’s own code for imported gloves (FDA Title 21, Part 177) does not specifically require them to be intact, […]
Circular economy: so much more than recycling!
Article: Part one The circle has been an important symbol since early times. To many ancient Eastern and Western civilisations, it represented unity, balance and stability. Fast forward to 2023 and the circle is the most talked about shape in sustainability. Why? Because it’s time to get serious about the circular economy and the business, environmental and social benefits it offers. What is ‘circular economy’? Circular economy (CE) is an economic system that can help your manufacturing business reduce risks and costs, become more resilient and build your brand. It can also help you identify new income streams. CE decouples using resources from economic growth. It recognises that the ‘linear’ economic system we use to produce and consume goods and services – ‘take-make-dispose’ – cannot go on forever. As manufacturers, you know that the resources you use are finite (‘take’). You may be facing shortages or skyrocketing prices, particularly with critical materials like lithium. Many of you will be looking for a more sustainable way to manufacture your product (‘make’). You may be concerned about what happens when consumers dispose of your product (‘dispose’). Are you contributing to landfilled waste? Could you be liable? Enter circular economy and solutions to these problems. Circular economy is based on three principles Principle 1: keep products and materials in use Circulating products and materials means keeping them in use at their highest value. It avoids the costs of extracting and creating materials, and of disposing of waste. A circular product is one that consumers can use for as long as possible (e.g. it is easy to repair). When the product wears out, its parts can be reused, or the product remanufactured (remade). At the end of the product’s life, its raw materials can be fully recycled. Principle 2: design out waste and pollution […]
Hutt Valley manufacturer saving lives and expanding globally
-Rebecca Reed “I am proud to have spent more than 40 years of my life manufacturing products that save lives. I am proud that my company has remained competitive against international suppliers and most of all that we have managed to create products that add value to New Zealand.” Poignant words from the owner of award-winning high-tech manufacturing company Pertronic Industries, David Percy. What started with one person in Ngauranga Gorge, Wellington, has turned into quite the success story for Hutt Valley manufacturer Pertronic Industries. Fast forward forty years later, the company now employs 140 people and proudly operates out of a 6,000 square metre factory site in Wingate, Lower Hutt. Pertronic Industries manufacturing business, designs and makes fire detection systems that it sells to installation companies, who fit systems in commercial and industrial buildings such as hotels, hospitals, high-rise office blocks, schools, tunnels, and shopping malls. The company, founded by electrical engineer David Percy in 1982, has grown to be the largest manufacturer of fire detection systems in New Zealand. At least 50% of its business is now in Australia where it has offices in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. They have exciting plans in the pipeline to launch in the US market. “We are in the process of getting a product certified for sale in the large USA market. We have a small team of people based in the US who have been working tirelessly on our first US product which has been going through R&D / Certification to meet the local requirements. The opportunities in the US market are significant. With our recent investment in new technology and ongoing R&D, we are setting ourselves up for growth in the US market.” Investing in R&D and new technology With an eye to the future, David says the […]
The Interview: Caroline Su, quantity surveyor
Share what you actually do? I came to New Zealand as an international student and am currently a quantity surveyor at Bettabuilt, which is part of the Brosnan Construction Group of companies. I am working closely with the project team and key project stakeholders, managing the carpentry contract from project commencement through to completion. My duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, assessing payment claims and variations, enforcing adherence to contractual terms and risk management. I also manage relationships with clients, main contractors, and key project stakeholders, along with the project team to ensure all financial deliverable and outcomes are achieved. What drew you to your profession? I came to NZ just after the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake. The first time I went to the town centre I saw lots of damaged buildings and containers, hoardings and safety nets everywhere. Which potentially brought my interest in construction and thoughts of rebuilding Christchurch. Is this a field many women are working in? There were not many, but now there are more! I remember when I first became an intern I was asked if I minded being the only female in the office. That was in 2017-ish. Now, in my office, we have nearly half females and the percentage is increasing! How do you enjoy your work? My day to day work is not just using the construction knowledge that I have learned, we also have a lot happening on site every minute. I enjoy problem solving every day, which brings the joy of success. Is there a specific project you have enjoyed being part of? I am quietly enjoying my current project: UC Psychology Staff Building Refurbishment. How do you deal with issues like climate change…and what needs to be considered for the future? For construction, climate change will possibly affect […]