Smart Manufacturing Today

City growth plans leave NZ’s manufacturing sectors in the cold

Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce calls for better consideration of commercial and industrial growth as part of city regional spatial planning in the next 30 years. The Hutt Valley is one of the largest manufacturing and technology engine rooms in New Zealand. The region has earned its name as ‘Technology Valley’ for being a hi-tech, innovative, and creative thinking hub. Boasting over four times the number of scientists, researchers, and technologists, per capita, when compared to the rest of New Zealand, the Hutt Valley is an incubator for innovative hi tech start-ups and advanced manufacturing. With a strong research and development community, motivated venture capital companies, a network of support agencies, including the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, Crown Research Institutes and the city councils, the region has become a desirable place to run a business, particularly for owner-operators in the manufacturing and technology sector. As many cities and regions throughout the country experience rapid growth, it is imperative the manufacturing and technology sector is seriously considered when spatial planning for the future. Helen Down, Chief Executive of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce said smart forward thinking spatial planning supports economic growth. “For example, one of the biggest challenges facing the region is a scarcity of quality commercial and industrial buildings with good earthquake ratings, as well as Greenfield and Brownfield sites which enable businesses to build to specific requirements.” High-tech company, Times7, specialises in the design and manufacture of specialised radio frequency identification antennas, known as RAIN (UHF) RFID. From their base in Alicetown, Lower Hutt, Times7 exports all over the world. It is a well-established brand in the global radio frequency identification market. The company recently consolidated their manufacturing back onshore in their Lower Hutt facility after also manufacturing in the United States over the last four […]

Women on a mission

By Femi Perumbally, thinkstep-anz Every woman in engineering and manufacturing has her own unique experience to share. To understand the role and experiences of women working in this area, ways of moving forward, and the benefits of diverse workplaces, we talked to some of the best sources we have: our female engineers at thinkstep-anz. Nicole Sullivan, Gaya Gamage, and Vi Kie Soo are three engineers from varied backgrounds who are applying their knowledge and experience to further sustainability efforts in New Zealand and Australia with thinkstep-anz. Women in engineering have struggled with many issues over the years, from unsuitable working conditions and unfair compensation, to limited recognition for achievements, and unequal advancement opportunities. Although women still face many of the same issues to a smaller degree, this is slowly changing over time, as mirrored by the experiences of our female employees. Nicole, Gaya, and Vi Kie have a combined experience in academia and industry, and in areas spanning civil, environmental, electrical, process, and chemical engineering. We look at their diverse experiences in occupying male-dominated careers and the sustainability glue connecting their narratives. Standing out in a sea of hard-hats Nicole joined thinkstep-anz in late 2020 as Head of Strategy and Impact, adding sustainability consulting to an already impressive list of roles. With a degree in Chemical Engineering and 18 years of process engineering experience, Nicole understands manufacturing at what she calls the ‘hard-hat level’. She also understands the experience of being the only woman in a hard-hat, having been in such a situation many times and in many contexts. Being the only woman among hundreds of people while working in environmental management on one of the biggest projects at BlueScope took this experience to another level. For Senior Sustainability Specialist Gaya, working with clients such as NZ Steel and Tasman […]

New interior separation for E4Q energy chain reduces assembly time

Universal separators and shelves with locking tabs ensure flexible and user-friendly e-chain assembly. For safe cable guidance in unsupported and long travels, igus has developed the E4Q energy chain which is available from Treotham. The bionically inspired design of the series saves weight, while a crossbar with locking tabs reduces the assembly time of the energy supply system by 40 per cent. To further facilitate cable filling, igus is now launching a new interior separation for the E4Q. Universal separators can simply be placed on the crossbars, shelves can be inserted from the left or right, either along the inner or outer radius. A mechanism in the separators automatically locks the chain when closing. Simple and assembly-friendly, these were the goals that the igus developers set themselves with the E4Q energy chain. The result is an energy supply system for unsupported and long travels that saves material and 10 per cent weight through a naturalistic design. At the same time, it is more robust than its predecessor series E4.1. The special feature of the energy chain: it can be opened and closed completely without tools with the help of a special crossbar concept, saving the user 40 per cent assembly time. A concept that convinced users as well as the jury of the German Design Award 2021. In order to be able to fill the E4Q with cables even faster, igus GmbH has now developed a new flexible interior separation in co-operation with its customers. The system consists of universal separators and lockable shelves. The cable-protecting separators have a grid for inserting the shelves. To assemble the interior separation, first place the separators on the crossbars. The shelves can then be pushed into the desired level from both sides. Double locked with slider and crossbar An integrated slider allows the […]

New appointments to KiwiNet board

Zoe Murphy Vignesh Kumar KiwiNet has appointed Vignesh Kumar to its board of directors as an additional independent board member. KiwiNet has also appointed Zoe Murphy as a board observer, a newly implemented role designed to foster capability and diversity within New Zealand’s research commercialisation governance and leadership. The Kiwi Innovation Network (KiwiNet) is a group of 18 universities, Crown Research Institutes, an Independent Research Organisation and a Crown Entity working together to transform scientific discoveries into new products and services. Together, KiwiNet members represent a total combined research expenditure of over $800 million and 80% of the publicly funded researchers in New Zealand. Engineering and technology professional Vignesh Kumar has over 12 years of experience in global technology design, manufacturing, and operations strategy across North America, East Asia, and the Asia Pacific. Before returning to New Zealand in mid-2018, he worked for Apple Inc. at its US headquarters as one of its Lead Enclosure Hardware Managers, actively sourcing and scaling science and engineering anchored innovations centred on improving the engineering and manufacturability of Apple’s consumer products. Prior experiences included business development at BHL Group in Papua New Guinea and product design in neonatal respiratory support at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. Vignesh earned an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, as a Wharton and Kaiser Fellow and a Fulbright Science and Innovation Scholar, and a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) degree in Biomedical Engineering and a Master of Engineering Studies (Hons) in Medical Device Design and Technologies from the University of Auckland. Vignesh is deeply involved in the local early-stage ecosystem. He also sits on the Return on Science investment committees and is an active venture investor in hardware-enabled software, deep tech, and health technology companies, via his role as a Partner at venture capital firm Global from […]

Outset, NZ’s largest deep tech hub gets new name

New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing hub for deep tech startups is getting a new name, with LevelTwo becoming Outset Ventures. CEO Imche Fourie (pictured) says the new name reflects the evolution of Outset Ventures into the country’s largest company incubating and investing in early stage ventures founded on science and engineering breakthroughs addressing global challenges. “We’ve grown beyond being a shared space on the second floor of a building to a place where entrepreneurs can grow their groundbreaking science and engineering innovations with us ‘from the outset’,” says Ms Fourie. “The new name speaks to our commitment to grow New Zealand’s flourishing deep tech entrepreneurial community, where founders can find support to fuel their global ambitions of curing diseases, slowing climate change, reversing pollution; and producing sustainable foods, fuels and space flights.” Previously the birthplace of Rocket Lab, LanzaTech and Mint Innovation, which once all resided on ‘level two’ within the Outset Ventures building, the company now houses commercial laboratory and workshop facilities, a six-month pre-incubation ‘Launch Lab’ programme, and a $10 million deep tech fund raised with Icehouse Ventures that will back 20-30 ventures over the next three years. Outset Ventures welcomed the third startup into its new Launch Lab programme last month; Dennisson Technologies, which has also received investment from the deep tech fund. The company is developing a soft, clothing-like exosuit as a low-cost, lightweight alternative to traditional medical devices used to help people unable to move their limbs without assistance. “We are thrilled at the massive support from Outset Ventures,” says CEO of Dennisson Technologies Anvil Bañez, who founded the wearable technology company last year with the aim of helping people like his father, who suffered from the effects of Polio, walk again. “The funding, Launch Lab programme, and new connections we are […]

New Zealand in the grip of a major skills shortage (With a wide range of industries struggling to fill key roles.)

-editorial, April issue NZ Manufacturer. www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz This from the Lead Article (Page 1) by David Downs, Chairman of the High-Tech Trust. And now Trans-Tasman flights have resumed, we are in danger of losing people with key skills which piles on more pressure. Overseas fruit pickers who have been here since last year now have a way of leaving us behind and going offshore to Australia, which has suffered shortages just as we have. This issue is addressed by Ian Walsh in his article in Business News (Page 7) “over the last few months, we’ve been made aware of the impending crisis in the horticultural sector – a crushing volume of produce languishing on the vine (or branch) due to a shortage of pickers.” Can you imagine putting all your energy, labour, fertiliser, sprays, pruning and thinning practices over a whole year and then watching helplessly as some, or even worse, most of your crop ends up as worm food? What an incredible waste, and yet this is what the industry has faced. David Downs is particularly concerned for the large part of our population cut off from training and upskilling, at a time when we have a matched skills shortage of 5,000 jobs in the digital tech space, with similar shortages showing up across the advanced manufacturing sector. Post-Covid-19 we need access to the widest set of skills we can, to transform our country and maximise the country’s potential. D & H Steel managing director, Wayne Carson in Company Profile (Page 5) says his company had to change its recruitment model, which combined some local training with sourcing skilled staff from offshore. The company is now even more firmly focused on its apprenticeship training programme and upskilling local people. “It is extremely hard to find the right people, so we […]

Asmuss talks to NZ Manufacturer

Interview with Dean Brown, CEO of Asmuss Steel & Flow Control What does your business do? Asmuss Steel and Flow Control supplies steel and flow control products to some of New Zealand’s biggest infrastructure and construction projects; Asmuss Steel supplies the construction and manufacturing industry through to a large array of Civil projects. Our dedicated team are adept at providing solutions in what is regularly a demanding environment, requiring tight lead times, material integrity and competitive pricing. Steel is procured from the most reputable mills around the world, to certify product quality and traceability. Asmuss Flow Control supplies to the water and wastewater industry; supporting water distribution, pump stations, treatment plants, reservoirs and irrigation, and to the industrial field; supplying to chemical processing sites, power and energy generation, pulp and paper, oil and gas sites. The Flow Control side of the business also supplies to the building industry for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, siphonic, sanitary, trade waste, chemical waste and fire protection. Every day we live out our purpose to create a stronger New Zealand by helping our customers, communities and people succeed. How long has Asmuss been in business? Asmuss is a 100 percent New Zealand-owned business, founded by H J Asmuss in 1920. It is one of the largest privately-owned companies in its field. Family-owned for four generations, with the fourth generation of Asmuss family members now shareholders in the business, the Asmuss family continue what their predecessors did – directing profits back into the business, making smart acquisitions and supporting the NZ economy. Asmuss is one of the few companies in New Zealand that holds such an intergenerational legacy and has stayed loyal to what it means to be a New Zealand owned and operated company. In 2020 we marked 100 years in business, however due […]

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igus robolink IP44: a robot that defies wet elements

igus has developed a low cost automation solution made of polymer and stainless steel for environments with splashing water. Damp and wet environments can quickly degrade the mechanics of a robot. This prompted igus to launch a Low Cost Automation innovation on the market, which can easily and cost-effectively implement simple tasks and at the same time be allowed to come into contact with splash water. The new robolink, available from Treotham, makes use of the advantages of two materials: stainless steel and high-performance polymers. For the first time in an igus robot, the joining links are made of V2 or V4 stainless steel and the joints of the proven lubrication-free tribo-polymers. The user does not need an expensive additional covering, because the absence of lubrication in the joints means that no grease can be washed out and escape into the environment. The new robolink meets protection class IP44 at least, and is therefore resistant to splash water. It can carry up to three kilograms, has a range of 790 millimetres with five axes and can make 7 picks a minute. Thanks to the use of motors with encoders of protection class IP65, the robot can also be easily used for outdoor inspection. Further application scenarios are possible, for example, in the food and beverage industry, in the chemical and pharmaceutical sector, or even for tank and container cleaning operations.

Sustainability tools for a circular economy

By Barbara Nebel and Caroline Noordijk, thinkstep-anz The business value of sustainability is well-known today, but the value of a circular economy is perhaps still less known and certainly less understood. Businesses can build resiliency against the volatility of raw material prices, supply chain risks, and changing legislation by creating circular products and services and moving towards a circular business model. The aim of the game is to move away from a linear economy to a circular one that ‘designs out’ waste and pollution — keeping materials in a continuous flow. A circular economy is designed to be restorative and regenerative. Following the strategic framework for a circular economy forces you to consider not just the impact of the product itself, but also the service it provides, the supply chain that enables that service, and even the broader economic, environmental, and social impacts of the whole system. Transforming the concept of circular economy into action can be achieved with help of circularity tools such as the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), and complementary life cycle based approaches, including: Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). There are many tools and many approaches to assess the sustainability of your products — it can be overwhelming to know where to start. The good news is that many of the methods and tools out there are related and often inform each other. Fit for purpose — strategy first Before you engage with any of these methods or tools, it’s important to set out your objectives and have a sustainability strategy in place. Understanding what is important to your business and to your stakeholders is critical. You also need to think about what sustainability issues might affect your business and what your greatest risks are. This will help you build […]

Solving the tech sector skills shortage – How diversity and inclusion benefit industry and the N Z economy

By David Downs, Chairman of the Hi-Tech Trust New Zealand is in the grips of a major skills shortage with a wide variety of industries struggling to fill key roles. A recent report from NZ Tech (the technology industry group) shows the technology sector has a matched skills shortage of approximately 5,000 jobs in the digital tech space, with similar shortages showing up across the advanced manufacturing sector. Availability of skilled staff regularly features as one of the top growth constraints for New Zealand technology firms. But despite this dire predicament, a large part of our population remains cut off from training and upskilling as they are unable to access, or afford, the training ‘on-ramp’ to the high quality jobs the tech sector can offer. Regional New Zealand, lower socio-economic groups, and in particular, Māori, Pasifika and women are most affected. It’s shocking how few people from these cultural and demographic backgrounds are represented in the tech sector, despite years of handwringing and efforts to address the issue. As well as being socially just, increasing access and diversity is also economically smart. All the evidence shows that talent is evenly distributed across the population – but opportunity is not. We need to address the issues which stop full participation in technology careers and to maximise the talent pool. Imagine if we have our next Ernest Rutherford, Beatrice Tinsley or Peter Beck, living in New Zealand at the moment – but he or she is blocked from ever realising that potential because they can’t afford childcare, or the bus fare. Post-Covid-19 we need access to the widest set of skills we can, to help transform our economy and maximise the country’s potential. To this end the Hi-Tech Trust is putting its weight behind the effort to significantly boost inclusion and diversity, […]

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