Smart Manufacturing Today

Blank conveyors on a blurred factory background. 3d illustration

Automation rises due to worker shortage

Faced with a growing shortage of workers, many business owners in New Zealand are looking towards automation, something of an irony after years of concern about the risks of structural unemployment. The national labour shortage looms as the most significant risk to our booming manufacturing sector. The latest Bank of New Zealand Performance Manufacturing Index (PMI) for July increased to 62.6, the second highest recorded, but also cited labour issues as the primary concern to industry players. Caleb Nicolson, General Manager of TMX New Zealand – Asia-Pacific’s leading business transformation consultancy – says the combination of a local worker shortage, an inability to bring in seasonal migrants during peak season, and increasing labour costs in New Zealand were making the business case for supply chain automation more attractive to a broader group of businesses. “These types of facilities are common-place overseas, in the US for example approximately 70% of new major warehouses are automated. New Zealand has been relatively slow to take up these smart technologies, until now. The labour shortages are challenging businesses to look differently at their supply chains and we’re now seeing even smaller companies starting to investigate automation, despite the relatively high upfront investment cost.” Many local businesses are looking at automating operations to create high speed, low-cost and higher capacity operations. COVID has undoubtably amplified the requirement to deliver operations with less human contact, automation provides a logical way to reduce this risk to your business model says Nicolson. To ensure businesses move with the times, Nicolson urges them to consider getting independent advice in relation to automation and make it a priority to consider the different software solutions and automation options that are available. Similarly, seeking advice on the procurement and implementation process can make a huge difference to business productivity. TMX has been […]

RMIT welcome RS Components as racing partners

RS Components are proud to announce their support of the RMIT Electric racing team in the legendary Formula SAE competition this year. Originally started by the Society of Automotive Engineers student branch at the University of Texas, Austin, in 1980, the Formula SAE competition now sees over 500 teams from universities worldwide, design, build and compete in their own Formula-style open-wheeled race car. The vehicles are judged on dynamics, design justifications, costing strategies and business presentation and apply rigorous STEM concepts to the build and design process. As the brightest young minds compete annually around the globe, the boundaries of innovation, technology and engineering are constantly redefined. The RMIT Electric Racing team took the competition to the next level in 2008, and entered the first-ever electric vehicle. They were confident they could produce a simple, electric counterpart for the combustion vehicle competition. Every year since, Formula SAE has seen a rapid growth in the number, competitiveness and performance of electric vehicles against their combustion rivals. A fact the RMIT Electric Racing team are infinitely proud of. Managing Director of RS Components ANZ Scott Philbrook said, “We are proud to support the next generation of innovators with the quality products RS Components has to offer. The team and I at RS wish these bright minds the best of luck in this year’s race.” Today the team counts over 50 passionate students across a dozen faculties who demonstrate innovative thinking, initiative and commitment to the real-life commercial project. And it’s little wonder the Formula SAE graduates are often headhunted for their unique combination of technical skills, strong communication abilities and project management skills. Christopher Carr, Business System Head for RMIT Electric Racing said, “Our project is dependent on the valuable investment by our sponsors who allow us to advance the research and […]

WRONZ launches Wool Source

Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand Inc (WRONZ) has announced its world-class research initiative with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to explore new uses for New Zealand’s strong wool has led to the development of unique wool particles, powders and pigments with global export potential for applications as diverse as cosmetics, printing, luxury goods and personal care. WRONZ unveiled the innovative wool products at an event to celebrate the achievements from its New Uses for Strong Wool programme, supported by research, industry and funding partners. WRONZ also announced the launch of commercial development company Wool Source to develop the new products and assess market demand for the strong wool innovation. WRONZ further announced the completion of its pilot production facility to manufacture its first deconstructed wool ingredients from 100 per cent biodegradable, renewable and sustainable New Zealand strong wool. The launch event also provided the opportunity to announce investment from the Ministry for Primary Industries to fund further product lines and commercial development as part of the wider New Uses for Strong Wool programme. MPI is contributing $1.95 million via its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund alongside $2.92 million from WRONZ. The three-year programme aims to prove the commercial viability of the new deconstructed wool particle products. The goal is to develop more sustainable product ingredient alternatives for global manufacturers and consumers – while revitalising New Zealand’s strong wool sector, creating new value for our economy and communities. Additionally, The Strong Wool Action Group (SWAG) announced it was jointly funding Wool Source’s market engagement alongside WRONZ. SWAG chief executive Andy Caughey says, “We’re providing support for Wool Source to undertake a deep dive project into particles, powders and pigments markets to assess the scale and viability of the commercial opportunity. “New Zealand’s wool […]

Lubrication-free igus spherical balls from Treotham

In the picture:The lubrication-free and cost-effective solution: igubal spherical balls made of maintenance-free high-performance plastics in low-cost sheet metal housings replace metal bearings. Heavy dirt accumulation, dust and swarf are commonplace for pillow blocks and fixed flange bearings. Constant lubrication and maintenance is therefore necessary. With the injection-moulded igus spherical balls, customers can resort to a lubrication-free and maintenance-free solution for their metallic pillow blocks. igus has now developed new spherical balls made of the high-performance plastic iglidur J, specifically for cost-effective sheet metal housings. Metal and lubrication are found close together in mechanical engineering. igus proves that this does not always have to be the case. The motion plastics specialist has developed its igubal exchangeable spherical balls especially for pillow blocks and fixed flange bearings with metallic housings. These consist of the high-performance polymer iglidur J, which reduces costs since lubrication and maintenance are eliminated. The use of polymers prevents dirt and dust from settling in the bearing, which additionally reduces the sealing and prevents an unplanned machine downtime. The use of exchange bearings is also suitable in agriculture and farming, in the food industry or in plant and mechanical engineering. The igubal spherical balls come directly from injection moulding and are therefore cost-effective. Within a few seconds, they can be mounted in place of ball bearings in existing classic metallic pillow blocks and flange bearing housings and now also in low-cost sheet metal housings. The bearing system consisting of sheet metal housing and igubal spherical ball is available from Treotham. The plastic spherical ball has a high durability and its service life can be easily calculated online. Lubrication-free operation thanks to iglidur J The spherical balls made of iglidur J are not only cost-effective, but also have a very low coefficient of friction in dry operation. The […]

Inflation pressure triggers uncertainty and volatility for manufacturing sector

-Rebecca Reed Rapidly rising costs for businesses, a lack of skilled and unskilled workers, increasing inflation and shipping delays are putting huge pressure on New Zealand’s business environment and the consumer is about to feel it. The latest Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Confidence Survey found inflationary pressure is increasing and between a third and a half of all businesses are expecting to increase their prices in the next 3 to 12 months. It also found more than half of all businesses are expecting increased costs, yet less than 25% are expecting increasing profitability. Covid-19 economic impacts, growing concern around government policy and labour shortages are holding businesses back nationally. The survey shows labour shortages as the single biggest barrier to business for more than 60% of businesses. This is at unprecedented levels. “The business environment continues to be increasingly difficult – while the economy has rebounded strongly and demand continues to be strong, the ability for firms to deliver is fraught with a wide range of risks and cost increases. “These cost increases and risks are more widespread across business type and size as all companies try to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment,” said Helen Down, Chief Executive of Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce. Down says she is hearing from businesses unable to commit to fixed prices or a delivery timeline due to the totally uncertain environment. “This time last year our survey found business owners were experiencing small increases in costs and holding prices but now costs are increasing rapidly, and the consumer is only just starting to feel it. The situation is set to deteriorate quickly when businesses are forced to not only increase prices but not even commit to a set price in the next six months,” said Down. The Wellington Electric Boat […]

Gold Coast trade soars in NZ

A unique bond between New Zealand and Australia’s Gold Coast is flourishing as demand for trans-Tasman trade builds on the back of the quarantine-free travel bubble. Capitalising on this relationship are local Gold Coast businesses accelerating the city’s economic recovery. In 2019-20, Gold Coast exported $4.88 billion in products and services internationally, led by the rapidly growing manufacturing, health care, transport and education sectors. “Our city’s economy is driven by small businesses with around 66,000 registered today,’’ Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said. “New Zealand is an attractive market for many businesses. We share so much through sport, education and social connectivity given the high New Zealand ex-pat population here in our city.” Trade and Investment Queensland Director Business Development New Zealand, Richard Simpson, said the Gold Coast was an attractive trade destination given its diverse range of businesses and industry sectors. “Market diversification is critical. There are tremendous opportunities coming out of Covid that can be capitalised on,” Simpson said. “As a result of the close, long-standing relationship between New Zealand and the Gold Coast, the economic opportunity has never been greater. “Collaboration is key, and there are programs and initiatives here on the Gold Coast and across Queensland that can help businesses break into the New Zealand market.” Senior Business Development Manager at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Philippa Hawken, said there were unique benefits for Australian businesses looking to trade with New Zealand.“A long-standing free trade agreement signed in 1983, and the subsequent single economic market agenda, allows Australian products to enter duty free – a huge financial incentive for Australian businesses trading to New Zealand,” said Hawken. “Australia and New Zealand have a mutual recognition of skills and occupations, so there’s no need to retrain or practice in the same skill or occupation in New […]

A manufacturing first: how the pandemic has paved the way to a flexible work model

By Kevin Piccione, President, Sealed Air Asia Pacific Flexible working is here to stay, and it doesn’t discriminate by industry. In fact, recent research by Microsoft estimates that, across a range of industries in APAC, 73 percent of workers want flexible remote work options to continue, while 67 percent are craving more in-person time with their teams. A flexible set-up is all well and good for those of us tethered to laptops, but not necessarily an option for those in industries like manufacturing, right? Not quite. The Covid-19 pandemic forced non-location dependent peoples across Asia Pacific and the world into their homes for months. This created a need for all businesses, including those that provide essential goods and services, to swiftly adopt a new way of work where adaptability – and sometimes ingenuity – has been a means to survive and provide business continuity. Re-thinking factory work The pandemic has caused businesses at large, including manufacturing companies, to rethink location-dependent work versus non-location dependent work. The contract between employer and employee has fundamentally changed and companies that fail to rethink the workplace risk being left behind by employees in pursuit of a more flexible arrangement. From the office to the shop floor, businesses are experimenting with new operating models that do not require everyone to be physically present. Many companies eased into the transition by implementing temporary flexible work options, with long-term arrangements that prioritised and normalised flexibility. This requires a shift away from the time and attendance tradition toward more performance-based work. Where and how the agreed upon output is delivered is now open to discussion. Employees are more empowered to meet set workplace expectations and adjust schedules to better manage their own work and personal lives. For some companies, that decision is a bit more nuanced. At Sealed Air, for […]

Transforming plant maintenance with laser cleaning

If you have seen clips of lasers removing rust on YouTube you probably found them quite compelling to watch – it’s almost hard to believe. Read on as we de-mystify laser cleaning technology and give you a sense of where it can be a helpful option for plant maintenance. Portable lasers have only recently become commercially available as a tool for surface cleaning of rust, oxides, and films such as grease and oil. A focused beam of light vaporises the surface contaminants while leaving the main substrate such as steel, aluminium or stone intact. The laser can remove paints but it does depend on the paint colour and type of coating. There are different power and optical patterns that influence how the laser performs. Lasers are well suited to heavier castings but can transfer some heat into the substrate so care is required on thinner surfaces. Heat transfer can be managed by adjusting the power of the laser and how quickly it tracks across the item. The package of equipment required for laser cleaning easily fits within a van and can be wheeled into site relatively easily. The laser is a hand-held gun at the end of a long flexible hose which makes it versatile within a variety of spaces. Relative to other cleaning options the laser is very safe to use with only ventilation, laser safety glasses and gloves required during operation. A helpful aspect of the laser is light conforms to the surface where it is pointed making it a lot easier to clean complex shapes with a lot of angles and curves. Importantly laser cleaning minimises secondary effects associated some surface cleaning options. There is no blast media or chemical residue to contend with. The vaporised contaminants are simply captured by a vacuum system alongside the laser […]

Hey Yabble announced at Techweek 2021

Hey Yabble is an artificial intelligence-powered super engine, revolutionising the speed and efficiency by which data is transformed into rich insightful knowledge. Comprised of cutting edge AI tools and algorithms, the New Zealand-made market research insights product allows businesses to save hours in data analysis, dramatically improving productivity and allowing them to use their data smarter. Hey Yabble was announced at Techweek 2021 by co-founders Kathryn Topp and Rachel O’Shea, whose vast experience in research and marketing include the successful innovative market research digital platform Yabble which launched in 2017 and connects with over 62 million consumers worldwide. The Yabble team used their deep research domain expertise to create this new transformational market research insights product. CEO of Hey Yabble, Kathryn Topp commented: “Hey Yabble is a “disruptive” market research tool, changing the way we traditionally approach market research. “By combining five different technologies and more than 20 years of market research expertise amongst our team, we are extremely proud to have been able to deliver a first-in-class AI powered insights generator that will impact the industry and businesses, both big and small, around the world.” On average, an expert coder would take approximately 3.3 hours to handle 1000 survey responses. Hey Yabble can process the same data in just 47 seconds and provides a full analysis of the coded data with an insight report of its findings and actionable priorities. Hey Yabble is currently in the last phase of a closed-group BETA release that includes Sky New Zealand. Sky’s Customer Experience & Insights Manager Jeremy Duffin said: “We’ve been really impressed with the new Hey Yabble tool, it’s incredibly fast and accurate. “In comparing Hey Yabble outputs to those created by our insights team, we were able to confirm the accuracy and speed of analysing complex questions, as well […]

Where are our world class companies?

-Ian Walsh Some of you may have read the NZ Productivity Commission’s report into frontier firms (the top 10% most productive firms in New Zealand) and compared our productivity to other Small Advanced Economies (SAEs) such as Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden. This is great research with various studies and benchmarks, and I highly recommend a read. The findings of the research were that our most productive firms have operated at around 53% of the best performing firms of those listed countries for over a decade, and there are no signs of this changing. The report identified several drivers behind this, including that we inefficiently utilise our allocations of labour, and that we don’t see benefits from technology diffusion (awareness and access to best technology that then diffuses through our markets). Contributing factors include our geography, lower levels of international trade, weak innovation system or low capital intensity to name a few. So what are the other countries doing that we are not? What can we learn from them? Firstly, they focus on internationally oriented companies, as they have a small domestic market, they are more focussed on growing and supporting organisations that are focussed on international trade. Secondly, they encourage and develop clusters of firms organised around areas of strength and capabilities. These clusters of related capabilities create scale, efficiency, and productivity gains, but more importantly they enable the innovation engine to develop. Consequently, this capability then attracts international engagement, which contributes to overcoming the technology diffusion issue. Thirdly, they invest in research and development. Most countries invest twice what we do each year as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) into R&D. New Zealand is the third-lowest R&D investor of all SAEs, which correlates with us sitting in the bottom three for productivity. New Zealand […]

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