Smart Manufacturing Today

Improving workplace literacy skills: A key to unlocking staff potential and lifting productivity

From May issue, NZ Manufacturer magazine www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz -David O’Connor, Commercial Manager, The Learning Wave There is no shortage of evidence – both research-based and practical examples – that productivity continues to be one of the main challenges to the long-term growth and success of the Manufacturing sector here in New Zealand. Coupling this challenge with an aging workforce, and barriers to attracting new skilled labour means that many businesses have significant skills, capability, and capacity issues that are holding them back, or restricting their ability to adapt and respond to market opportunities. One of the constants that we hear from our clients is about how to address the underlying literacy challenges in both their frontline staff and supervisors. While many businesses might have ‘done’ literacy training (often in small numbers) in the past, they often have not seen the benefits of this training in terms of changes to the shop floor or seen any flow-on effect to productivity. Workplace literacy is more than just someone’s ability with basic reading and writing skills. Today’s workplace demands mean that workplace literacy needs to include comprehension of complex work instructions, critical thinking and problem-solving, strong verbal and written communication skills, numerical and analytical skills, and the growing need for everyone to have to digital mindset and skills to work in our ever-growing digitally rich workplaces. Misinterpretation of instructions, inability to comprehend safety guidelines, or errors in recording data can lead to costly delays and rework. Imagine a scenario where a worker misreads a critical measurement or mishandles a machine due to a misunderstanding of operating procedures. The repercussions extend beyond mere inconvenience; they affect the bottom line. According to the 2016 Survey of Adult Skills, around one in five people in the New Zealand Workforce have very low literacy skills and a further […]

Embracing the Future: How Digital Twin Technology Can Accelerate Manufacturing Operations

From May issue, NZ Manufacturer magazine www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz -Adam Sarman, Senior Partner, Dsifer In an industry in which flexibility, agility and innovation are no longer competitive advantages, but tickets to the game, the ability to make responsive, agile decisions, predict future requirements and innovate without impacting operations are critical. In this dynamic industry context, digital twin technology has emerged as an important but underutilised technology. Digital twins are software models that represent the attributes and operating behaviour of physical assets, product designs and/or processes. They support better decision making by simulating how these applications behave given certain inputs. A digital twin’s ability to enable progressive learning and capture tacit knowledge provides a key, differentiating benefit: it stores and structures information in a way engineers and operators can understand. Digital twins, are reshaping how products are designed, manufactured, and optimised across all process and design-drive industries. Three key applications of digital twin technologies are process optimisation through simulation, product design simulation, factory/operation design and predictive maintenance. Process Optimisation: Enhancing Efficiency and Accuracy Process simulation lies at the heart of manufacturing and supply-chain optimisation, and digital twins provide an unparalleled platform for achieving this. By creating virtual replicas of production processes, manufacturers can simulate and analyse operations in real-time, enabling them to identify bottlenecks, optimise workflows, and improve efficiency. For instance, in automotive manufacturing, digital twins are used to simulate assembly lines, allowing manufacturers to test different layouts and production scenarios before implementation. Moreover, by integrating IoT sensors and data analytics, manufacturers can collect real-time data from equipment and processes, feeding it into the digital twin for predictive maintenance and continuous improvement. Product Design: Accelerating Innovation and Iteration Digital twins play a crucial role in product design by enabling engineers to create virtual prototypes and simulate their performance under various conditions. This […]

The relentless pursuit of “Better, Faster, Smarter”

-Catherine Lye, CEO, Advanced Manufacturing Aotearoa Having arrived late to the viewing of the latest Netflix series, “Drive to Survive,” I couldn’t help but notice the striking parallels between Formula One and our manufacturing/engineering industry. Both embody precision engineering, composites, CNC Machining, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and, crucially, teamwork. Manufacturing is a team sport. Across manufacturing, achieving industry “fit for purpose” embodies the essential quest to align skills with the sector’s dynamic purpose-driven landscape. This necessitates a concerted effort towards upskilling the workforce, ensuring that competencies seamlessly merge with the industry’s fast-changing needs and objectives. Whether embracing advanced technologies, sustainable practices, or fostering innovation, being “fit” demands a workforce adept at navigating the intricate demands of a purpose-driven business. From mastering cutting-edge machinery to embracing sustainable production methods, the journey towards industry fitness entails a commitment to continuous learning and adaptation. Ultimately, by cultivating a workforce equipped with the right skills and mindset, manufacturing can assert its relevance, efficacy, and sustainability in fulfilling its broader purpose within the global economy – economic development, driving productivity, employment, a vehicle for social development, entrepreneurship and wealth creation. Fostering innovation and technological advancement, acting as a catalyst for progress across various sectors, driving growth and enhancing societal well-being on a local, regional and global scale. We must reimagine manufacturing for the next generation. They are the future drivers of our factories. Younger people are seeking problems to solve. You hear stories about them wanting to be YouTube SuperStars, Influencers, but they are just as serious as well as anyone else about earning good money and doing what they can to change and make a difference in the world. Manufacturing presents an intriguing and interesting career choice for them – a change to innovate and solve problems in new ways. To ensure industry competitiveness, […]

There are no silver bullets to sustained productivity

From May issue NZ Manufacturer -Ian Walsh, Argon & Co It’s great to see the recent upsurge in discussions regarding the need for New Zealand to be more productive. This discussion is long overdue. The problems with New Zealand’s productivity have been masked by employees working harder for longer hours, and a surge in immigration providing excess labour, rather than working smarter. This has kicked the productivity problem down the road, and masked the reality that almost all other countries in the OECD are more productive per labour hour than we are. It is a shame that we’ve waited until we’ve run out of levers to pull, the platform to burn, and for our economy to be in arguably its worst shape ever for us to confront this brutal reality. As ever in these situations there are many peddling solutions looking for a problem. They offer silver bullets with IT and digital solutions, which look great in demonstrative environments but often don’t deliver fully when implemented. With that said, this does identify a further problem – that we are behind in digital adoption, investment in R&D and technology. However, to suggest that by addressing the digital adoption gap we will also address the productivity gap is somewhat erroneous. Digital solutions aim to automate or improve the efficiency of existing processes and ways of working, and these tools can enhance productivity when successfully implemented with careful planning, training, and change management. However, to be effective these tools need efficient, consistent physical practices and operational processes to work alongside and model. This is where these solutions aren’t replicating the success of the demo environments they’re sold on – the real operations of our businesses aren’t the tidy and optimally-structured brainchildren of software developers. They’re chaotic factories, reactive back offices, haphazard warehouses, and […]

NZ made gantry mill cnc machine doesn’t cost the earth

DATUM Machines Ltd, who are exhibiting at EMEX 2024, have, over 18 months, designed and engineered the Series One Gantry Mill CNC machine from the ground up. The result is a rigid and versatile machine. A steel and composite core construction means reduced resonance and vibration giving better machining accuracy, excellent finish quality and a longer tool life across a wide range of materials including plastics, composites, brass, aluminium and steel. The DATUM DGM-S1 Gantry Mill design is unique in its class in New Zealand. Its material range and precision machining ability outperforms any locally available CNC machine of its size and price range. As Datum Machines Ltd uses their machines to make their machines, they know what the machines are capable of! The versatility of this Gantry Mill CNC machine, combined with its compact size and touch screen operation, makes this an ideal solution for a wide range of users such as, sole traders, artists, prototypers, designers and small manufacturers. The full enclosure for chip containment and operator safety means this CNC machine is also a suitable educational tool for high schools, technical colleges, and training institutions. Priced under $50K this is a reliable and affordable Aotearoa New Zealand made Gantry Mill machine for anyone wanting to add CNC automation to their production workflow and increase productivity. The DATUM DGM-S1 Gantry Mill machine will be on display at EMEX 2024 Visit them at Stand 4115. www.Datum-cnc.com

Development of Industry Brand Critical to Manufacturing Sector Growth – Expert

New Zealand manufacturers need to address systemic image issues to attract more workers to the sector, according to a marketing expert. The call comes following a recent Government study into the manufacturing industry which found the sector has a capacity gap of 17,000 roles – with the size of this gap likely to grow 38% to 40,000 workers within five years if action is not taken. Researchers found widespread agreement across the manufacturing, engineering, and food & beverage sectors the most effective way of reducing the future impact of skills shortages is to promote sector awareness to attract future talent. Mark Devlin, director at strategic communications and marketing consulting firm Impact PR, one of the more industry specialised PR agencies New Zealand manufacturers can utilise to grow their brand awareness, says the study’s findings show there is a growing need for the sector to reposition itself. He says the reputation of the sector is at stake due to a historical view that it is comprised of low-wage and low-skilled roles. “The research shows that the manufacturing industry lacks the aspirational appeal needed to attract and retain workers from other sectors of the economy that compete for the same skill set. ”This may be at least in part due to the fact many Kiwi manufacturers are primarily export-focused and have not seen the need to develop a local consumer-facing brand. “Since the pandemic, we have seen a seismic shift in demand for workers in the sector and with the growing realisation that these skills are highly transferable, they are now competing heavily with other industries for talent. Devlin, whose agency has represented dozens of New Zealand manufacturers over the past two decades, says the repositioning of the industry needs to be done at both a macro and micro level with individual […]

EMEX 2024 encourages manufacturing success

From May issue, NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz Brent Spillane, Managing Director, XPO Exhibitions Ltd. EMEX 2024, brought to the productive sector by XPO Exhibitions Limited, is with us at the end of the month, providing the ideal platform for manufacturing and engineering decisionmakers and visitors to sample technology and expertise to assist them on their company’s journey to success. In these challenging business times, EMEX 2024 provides us all with an opportunity to collaborate, share stories on the journey and even find cohorts to work closely with for a better business future. New Zealand, small country, end of the world, needs to be smart. We have plenty of talented people working with advanced technologies who know what they are doing and where the opportunities are – on local or export markets. However, not enough of our manufacturing businesses are using the tools of the day to assist them on this journey, their journey, to work smarter. The issue can be price, return on investment, not being competitive enough in the marketplace or no guarantee of ongoing contracts. Let’s change that thinking! Overall, Kiwis make great products. The expertise, the skill set is there. Determination to get ahead, to be more aspirational, is not the issue. EMEX 2024 is the one place – the only place in NZ – to see this technology under one roof. Learn from the show, ask questions, move ahead. -Doug Green, Publisher, NZ Manufacturer

What is machine learning?

Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence that is able to learn without explicit programming by a human. For most of our history, we’ve thought that learning—the ability to adjust our behaviour based on collected information—was something only humans did. The past few decades have changed all that. We now know that animals of all kinds learn from experience, teaching, and even play. But it is not only animals that learn: there’s increasing evidence that plants do,too . And if you’ve ever unlocked a phone with facial recognition, or interacted with a virtual assistant, you’ve experienced firsthand that machines, too, are capable of learning. Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that can adapt to a wide range of inputs, including large data sets and human instruction. Some machine learning algorithms are specialised in training themselves to detect patterns; this is called deep learning. The term “machine learning” was first coined in 1959 by computer scientist Arthur Samuel, who defined it as “a computer’s ability to learn without being explicitly programmed.” It follows, then, that machine learning algorithms are able to detect patterns and learn how to make predictions and recommendations by processing data and experiences, rather than by receiving explicit programming instruction. The algorithms also adapt in response to new data and experiences to improve over time. How did machine learning evolve into generative AI? Machine learning as a discipline was first introduced in 1959, building on formulas and hypotheses dating back to the 1930s. But it wasn’t until the late 1990s that machine learning truly flowered, as steady advances in digitisation, computing languages capable of greater nuance, and cheaper computing power and memory enabled data scientists to train machine learning models to independently learn from data sets rather than rely on rules written for them. The broad availability of inexpensive […]

How a data driven approach will achieve operational excellence

From March issue, NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz -Scott Adams, Managing Principal, Argon & Co Many Kiwis have good instincts, or just good common sense, for our decision making. We might not be experts in all fields but we’re good enough to get by, and with a bit of focus we can adapt. We are, for example, certainly quite expert at managing rugby games from our couch: what combinations work, how to play against the opposition, and how much the interference of the TMO is destroying the game. But it would also be generally true that we are not so good with facts and data, where we often have high levels of distrust combined with a generally low level of competency in creating and utilising data. Whenever my consulting firm, Argon & Co, is asked to help a company to improve operational performance we always ask for data: how many projects and what scale, how many different services and products, how much waste, and how much margin. Then we ask for more data, and we will keep asking for more data until we have a clear idea of how much work is ahead of us because it usually does not take long before the well of data dries up and this is especially so with operational performance data. This lack of collecting and utilising data is one of the direct causes of our very low position on the OECD productivity (GDP per hour worked) list. If I am asked by a manufacturing company what is the best digital solution for them, my response is that the first step is to use digital, or automated, methods to collect and manage operational performance data to pick up process throughput, waste, and speed to deliver. Though the world of digital is more exciting if […]

What does ‘sustainable manufacturing’ actually involve?

In April issue of NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz we talk with Emily Townsend, Services Director, thinkstep-anz. Emily’s spent her career working in manufacturing, and with manufacturers, in New Zealand and the UK. Emily, what does ‘sustainable manufacturing’ mean to you? It’s become a buzzword but I think it’s about change – incremental and major. Incremental change involves things like producing more efficiently and ensuring products create less waste at their end-of-life. Major change is about powering factories with renewable energy and moving to responsible procurement to avoid modern slavery in supply chains. People need manufactured products and it’s unrealistic to think those needs will go away. So the challenge for manufacturers is to reduce the impacts of your products. When did you get into sustainable manufacturing? At the start of my career (though it wasn’t called sustainability then!) In my first role I supported a bid to supply to the London Olympics. I had to find out what our business was doing to meet their criteria, then coordinate and communicate our work. I also helped measure the carbon footprint of the M25 motorway that circles London. I looked at options like recycled asphalt to reduce the footprint and produced a tool for the industry to assess options. I then worked in roles in lean manufacturing, measured products’ carbon footprints and reported on sustainability performance. When I came to New Zealand in 2015 I took up a sustainability role with Downer. (Sustainability was a term by then!) I joined thinkstep-anz in 2018. What does your current role involve? I support our thinkstep-anz team to deliver sustainability projects to clients, including many manufacturers. Are we meeting technical best practice? Delivering what our clients need? Linking our services for greatest impact? How do manufacturers benefit from becoming more sustainable? You’ll understand your product, […]

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