Solutions | Ashhurst Engineering
Tackling any challenge… There aren’t many businesses in New Zealand that can say they’ve been offering quality services and products for 125 years. But Ashhurst Engineering, founded in 1875, is one of them. Originally it was a blacksmith shop doing engineering work for the local agricultural sector, but today it’s a successful engineering business which manufacturers and delivers nationwide, as well as exporting to more than six countries. Its recent projects portfolio reads like a list of large scale infrastructure projects around New Zealand. For example, Ashhurst Engineering has just completed work on upgrading the Wellington tunnels, to ensure an horrific fire would not take place here, as it has so disastrously in some tunnels overseas. This challenging project involved creating a purpose built movable platform (roughly 10m square) that would enable the Wellington Tunnels Alliance to safely remove the ceiling sections at night but leave two lanes of the motorway open during the day. The platform, as well as the drive units and jacks, were transported to Wellington in three main sections. It was specially designed so it could be manoeuvred down the tunnel and raised and lowed as required; and then with the handrails, collapsed and stored against the ceiling during the day to allow traffic to pass. “This project was on a very tight time frame,” Ashhurst Engineering managing director Dave Hoskin says. “For the install we worked from seven at night right through to six the following morning. During this time State Highway One was closed to all traffic. Failure was not an option as the road had to be reopened the following morning.” Another recent project was manufacturing an entire new recycling plant for the Palmerston North City Council and integrating it into the
Ashhurst Engineering working on the refurbishment at Whakamaru Power Station. current building. The Awapuni Recycling Centre opened successfully at the end of last year and has been managing the region’s waste sustainably ever since.
what goes in and how much we throw out or recycle. There is no question we live in a world with limited resources and we need to make the best use of what we have,” Hoskin says.
“The council lost just three hours from one single shift as we removed old pieces of plant and installed the new system,” Hoskin says.
Manufacturing & exporting
Yet another key infrastructure project Ashhusrt Engineering has worked on is the refurbishment at Whakamaru Power Station on the Western access of Lake Taupo. This involved the temporary closing of SH32 while the gate was removed. “Ashhurst Engineering was one of many contractors carrying out various different types of work on the site we had to work closely with the client to ensure the jobs all ran smoothly,” Hoskin says.
Sustainability Ashhurst Engineering is also enrolled and undertaking a certificate in Business Sustainability with the Otago Polytechnic. The company believes that sustainable business practice is very important.
Rubber Fabricators, Rubber & Foam Product Suppliers, Conveyor belt Suppliers & Servicing,PVC Curtains & Safety Matting
Proud to be associated with Ashurst Engineering & Construction Co Ltd Phone: 06 357 8400 Fax: 06 356 5696 Email: Flexitech@xtra.co.nz Address: 602b Tremaine Avenue Palmerston North
“One of our key aims in the next 12 months is to look hard at the way we do business,
With a total in-house manufacturing facility Ashhurst Engineering is a one-stop-shop for quality fabrication services. Some clients have exact specifications. Others need guidance from the expert team to identify potential issues and provide innovative, effective solutions. Both are equally welcomed by the team at Ashhurst.
Investment and growth The company has experienced large and steady growth in the last five years and investment in new equipment is continuing. During the last year, Ashhurst Engineering has installed two new large gantries into a new 850m2 building.
Life’s about challenges and Ashhurst Engineering likes to meet them. That’s why it’s often asked to build unique items that have never been developed before.
The larger of the two can lift 50 tonne and has nine metres under the hook. Also this year, a CNC machining centre was purchased and commissioned that will be able to process 150x150x16mm thick angle up to Ashhurst Engineering offers an in-house cutting 12m in length. and folding service for steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper and bronze. To do the best Wind farms possible job you need the best possible tools, Supplying power to thousands of people and among machinery is a guillotine is capable across the Central North Island region in an of cutting a 12mm plate up to 4-metres long environmentally friendly way are the Tararua, and a 250 tonne Press Brake, capable of Te Apiti and Makara Wind Farms. Currently, six folding a 12mm plate up to 4-metres long Ashhurst staff members are working on three to 90° and various other tasks. For in-house different types of wind turbines, with six more CNC profile cutting, it has a 9m x 2.6m bed staff qualified and able to take short term or urgent work.
We are specialists in Abrasive Blasting & Soda Blasting We provide 6.2 long, 20 tonne gvm cartage | No job too big or too small
Proud to have an outstanding working relationship with Ashhurst Engineering over many successful years and with many more to come. 88 -92 Tararua Rd, Levin 5540 CONTACT Richard Munford on 06 3682838/021 368225 OR Hayden Rankin on 021368226 E: bedfords55@gmail.com
PHONE +64 6 3268040 FAX +64 6 326 9383 EMAIL info@aec1989.co.nz WEB www.aec1989.co.nz
Committed to providing excellence and success for our clients. 48 | June/July 2011 www.centraltoday.co.nz
with one HyDefinition plasma cutter plus twin gas heads capable of cutting up to 300mm thick plates to the exact specifications of its customers’ requirements. Its band saw offers high speed cutting with incredible accuracy including mitre cuts up to 60 degrees.
83-87 York St, P.O. Box 14 Ashhurst, New Zealand
With 125 years experience behind them, a total in-house manufacturing facility and most importantly, a can-do attitude, Ashhurst Engineering should be the first point of call for a variety of engineering needs. Ashhurst Engineering & Construction Co (1989) Ltd 83-87 York St Ashhurst T (06) 326 8040 F (06) 326 9383 E info@aec1989.co.nz www.aec1989.co.nz — Advertising Feature