NZ Manufacturer June 2019 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited

June 2019

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

PROFILE Brett O’Riley, EMA Chief Executive.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Northland lifestyle a big plus.

Greater focus needed on the wellbeing of business Perhaps, unsurprisingly, New Zealand’s first Wellbeing Budget isn’t a business budget and it’s certainly not about to transform our economy.

This included the Government’s $300 million fund for investing in New Zealand’s venture capital markets, $157 million to assist firms in developing high-value low-emissions products, $197 million allocated to vocational education, and $1 billion earmarked for rail. At a local level we are also very pleased to see an increase in funding for the Christchurch Schools Rebuild Programme. However, the focus of the Budget was largely on dealing with pressure points in respect to key social issues such as education, health and housing. While investment in our most important asset – our people – is significant, it needs to be remembered that only through strong economic growth and a business sector that is willing to invest can many expenditure programmes be supported over the long term. The key aspect that has been overlooked is an explanation of how the Wellbeing Budget approach will support and enable business growth, lift productivity and reduce the burden on business. We need to focus on productivity as the main driver of economic prosperity. This isn’t news – in fact, it’s far from it. Comparative to other countries in OECD, our economy has long had the challenge of how to increase

COMMENT The four factors essential to building a quality production line.

Professional 3D CAD Unbeatable value.

-Leeanne Watson, CE, Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce

Yes, there were pockets of funding for innovation, research and development, skills and infrastructure which will help some businesses develop at higher levels and contribute to growing the economy.

2018.2

productivity. According to the OECD, New Zealand performs about 30% below the OECD average in terms of GDP per capita. While the Government seems to have skirted the whole productivity issue, for manufacturers, there is one area where the Budget did deliver – with the Future-Proofing New Zealand’s Manufacturing Sector by Driving Industry 4.0 Uptake and Skills Development initiative which received a $6.8m allocation over four years.

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This will assist New Zealand’s manufacturers in adopting new technologies to help them deliver process improvements, further efficiencies and innovation, and build their globally competitive position. Considering our national manufacturing sector makes up half of our exports, 12 per cent of GDP and employs over 241,000 people, being able to build on this and create more high-value jobs in the sector is hugely significant. With manufacturing globally undergoing massive technology changes, New Zealand manufacturers are well-positioned to embrace automation and technological advances. Another recurring theme we hear from businesses

continued on Page 15

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2019

Media Kit with Editorial Calendar INCLUDES: Manufacturing Technology / New Products for Manufacturers / Disruptive and Future Technologies / Export Success / Trade Show Previews and Reports - SouthMACH 2019 / AusTech 2019 / BuildNZ 2019 Company Profiles / Analysis / Interviews / Food Manufacturing / Infrastructure / Smart Manufacturing / Industry 4.0 / Robotics & Automation / Productivity / 3D / Supply Chain / Women in Manufacturing / Additive Manufacturing /

CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS

EDITORIAL

BUSINESS NEWS

10 11 12 14 16

Increasing productivity key to boosting living standards.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Smart technologies can improve safety in the oil and gas industry. HandySCAN 3D scanner meets Boeing’s requirements. Bringing automation barriers down with end-of-arm tooling.

ANALYSIS People, people, people - the future of work.

Is Chief Executive of BusinessNZ, New Zealand’s largest business advocacy body. He has held a range of senior positions at Westpac and is a barrister and solicitor.

Dr. Dieter Adam

Is the executive director of The Manufacturers’ Networ. He has a Ph.D. in plant biotechnology, consulting and senior management roles in R&D, innovation and international business development.

EMA chief executive, Brett O’Riley

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Leeann Watson

Is the Chief Executive of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber).and is a strong voice for Canterbury business.

Northland lifestyle a big plus.

COMMENT The four factors essential to building a quality production line.

SMART MANUFACTURING Validation program to accelerate autonomous vehicle development. Retrofitting IOT. AI challenges revealed in book. Automation and women in the workplace. The potential of 3D printing. Central Innovation talks to us.

11 12

Lewis Woodward

Is Managing Director of Connection Technologies Ltd, Wellington and is passionate about industry supporting NZ based companies, which in turn builds local expertise and knowledge, and provides education and employment for future generations.

NEW PRODUCTS New trends in engineering plastics signpost the future. Gemma helmets new benchmark for welder safety.

FOOD MANUFACTURING

SUPPLY CHAIN

Assisting product development with new mini aseptic solution. Entries welcome for Food Safety Awards.

Dr Troy Coyle

19 22

Manufacturing the right scenarios for blockchain. How can machine tools and systems operate safely and efficiently?

DEVELOPMENTS

BUSINESS NEWS

Climate change event in July.

Kiwis don’t trust organisations with personal data.

REAR VIEW The search for an alternative to GDP.

Is HERA Director, she has extensive experience in innovation, research management and product development, most recently as Head of Innovation and Product Development & Pacific Islands Export Manager at New Zealand Steel..

Craig Carlyle

Is Director of Maintenance Transformations Ltd, an executive member of the Maintenance Engineering Societyand the Event Director of the NationalMaintenance Engineering Conference.

SMART SAFETY

Kirk Hope

PROFILE

ADVISORS

Productivity is not an option.

Brett O’Riley

EMA chief executive Brett O’Riley has a background in technology and economic development. Brett actually grew up with manufacturing, in the family business, Biggins & Co. He currently holds board roles with Wine Grenade and Dotterel Technologies and is also on the NZ Film Commission board.

Productivity is not an option

PUBLISHER Media Hawke’s Bay Ltd,1/121 Russell Street North, Hastings, New Zealand 4122.

MANAGING EDITOR Doug Green T: +64 6 870 9029 E: publisher@xtra.co.nz

Just like on Facebook where people have a few thousand friends but have only ever met (in person) a handful of them.

CONTRIBUTORS Holly Green, Leeann Watson, Gaurav Sharma, Adele Rose, Vibeke Wright, Andrew Stackpole, Lourens Swanepool, Murray Graham Patterson

Because your company has the latest technology doesn’t mean it is being used properly – that the operative behind the computer screen or the cnc equipment is achieving their maximum potential.

ADVERTISING

It can also be that the software and the equipment can’t perform to your expectations.

Doug Green T: + 64 6 870 9029 E: publisher@xtra.co.nz

The point is?...well…again…Productivity. I continually hear from soothsayers – mainly accountants and financial advisors - that the country has too many SME’s and that they all can’t make it in the business world. Now, I am not totally sure that these soothsayers have the wellbeing of the SME’s in mind – or just trying to rack up more clients, more companies to assist and save, using a fear factor.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Kim Alves, KA Design T: + 64 6 870 8133 E: kim.alves@xtra.co.nz

WEB MASTER

Even if we have too many SME’s – and they come and go – we continue to have - over the past years -around 94% of businesses being SME’s. What is this telling us? Maybe some of them are continuing to hang on, some are doing well and that the chopping and changing keeps the number high.

Bruce Metelerkamp E: bruce@hha.co.nz

PUBLISHING SERVICES On-Line Publisher Media Hawke’s Bay Ltd

So…Productivity?

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

The latest figures show that the Productivity level is just over 50% - which is very low and that we are not doing as well as we should be. We have not been for quite a while now.

E: publisher@xtra.co.nz Free of Charge.

MEDIA HAWKES BAY LTD T: +64 6 870 4506 F: +64 6 878 8150 E: publisher@xtra.co.nz 1/121 Russell Street North, Hastings PO Box 1109, Hastings, NZ NZ Manufacturer ISSN 1179-4992

As an SME you need to have a definitive plan. You can’t go and open the doors every day to end the week with a few dollars in your pocket. Or treat the business as a place to go instead of staying home mowing the lawns.

Your Productivity can increase, can go up by effort. By researching the opportunities and finding new markets. By considering disruptive technologies and where your company can benefit.

Copyright: NZ Manufacturer is copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Neither editorial opinions expressed, nor facts stated in the advertisements, are necessarily agreed to by the editor or publisher of NZ Manufacturer and, whilst all efforts are made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility will be taken by the publishers for inaccurate information, or for any consequences of reliance on this information. NZ Manufacturer welcomes your contributions which may not necessarily be used because of the philosophy of the publication.

NZ Manufacturer June 2019 /

When it is pointed out that European companies like Slovakia make more than we do, we know there is a problem.

You need to be aspirational, to re-evaluate why you are in business at all!

Vol.10 No. 5 JUNE 2019

There is a disconnect between people believing they are working and those actually working.

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Just don’t stagnate…rise above the mass. Up your goals a notch or two and see what can happen. This is what one drone manufacturer in Westport did and found new markets actually exist!

Doug Green

Success Through Innovation

EDITORIAL

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.

BUSINESS NEWS

- Albert Einstein

Increasing productivity key to boosting living standards

As ASB says – and we all know – this is an area where New Zealand has traditionally struggled. Our productivity track record has been poor, with GDP per hours worked (labour productivity) averaging just over 1% growth per annum since the early 1990s. Moreover, there are few signs that NZ is making up on its considerable productivity shortfall in relation to other advanced economies. Our low capital stock, small size and distance from key markets look to be significant impediments. ASB has observed a pronounced slowing in labour productivity growth since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). With the odd exception, the slowdown has been reasonably generalised across most industries. Analysis suggests that trend growth in labour productivity over the next few years will be somewhat weaker than historical averages and to expect growth in the labour force to continue to moderate as the pace of net immigration slows.

Since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), more productive sectors have tended to attract larger wage increases. There are a number of sector outliers, suggesting other determinants matter. What has been happening? The NZ economy is in the mature phase of the domestic cycle, having been in expansionary mode since the late 2010 recession. The size of the economy has increased by 27% over that period, about half of that on a per-capita GDP basis. The prolonged period of the domestic expansion has seen the economy run into capacity constraints. Initially these were concentrated in the construction sector, but they have filtered out into the broader economy.

One of the puzzles of late has been why wage growth has remained low despite stretched labour market capacity.

The shortage of available capacity, rather than insufficient demand, has been increasingly cited as weighing on the domestic expansion.

Analysis identifies low consumer price inflation and slower productivity growth as potential explanations, with similar increase in real wages and labour productivity over the last 30 years for the New Zealand economy.

We can increase our capacity through increasing the productive capital stock (via increasing investment), increasing the workforce, or increasing productivity, where output is higher for each unit of capital and labour.

Commercial & industrial growth

The latter holds the key to boosting living standards, but it is an area where NZ has traditionally struggled. Since the early 1990’s, NZ’s GDP growth has averaged 3% per annum, but two thirds of this has been due to working greater hours. Over the 2018 calendar year, labour productivity levels were little changed on the 2017 calendar year. The slowdown in productivity growth since the GFC has not just been isolated to NZ, but has been a common occurrence for many OECD countries. It may also have implications for the comparatively low level of real interest rates in recent years. Be that as it may, New Zealand has continued to underperform relative to its peers since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Latest figures from the OECD place New Zealand’s real GDP per hours worked more than 40% below the US, close to 30% below that of Australia and close to 25% below the OECD average. Our small size and distance from key markets remain major obstacles.

Employment growth

Economic output

Crime rate East Tamaki is the largest industrial precinct in Auckland with 2000 businesses and a growth rate higher than the regional average.

getba

getba.org.nz

Greater East Tamaki Business Association Inc.

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NZ Manufacturer June 2019

Some people have no idea what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it. -George Carlin

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Smart technologies can improve safety in the oil and gas industry By Gaurav Sharma, Head of Industries Business, ANZ, Cognizant Employee safety remains a key concern within the oil and gas sector. The nature of tasks and activities makes it a riskier industry than others. Workers’ fatigue is another factor increasing that risk. However, the oil and gas industry is in a prime position to take advantage of technologies such as robotics, wearables, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) to minimise some of the risks, as well as drive innovation. The risks of fatigue Fatigue is a major contributor to safety incidents in the oil and gas industry. An oil and gas worker’s job includes inherently risky routine and physically demanding tasks such as positioning heavy equipment, climbing on scaffolds, and physical inspections and maintenance. Characteristics specific to the oil and gas industry are also factors increasing that risk, such as fly-in fly-out and shift work conditions, dealing with time zone changes and 24/7 operations, handling hazardous chemicals or working in extreme weather conditions.

However, there is still a long way to go to full adoption, as estimates suggest that just one percent of the data currently captured by operators is being used for improvement purposes. These technologies can provide companies with better control on workplace hazards and better training, while improving onsite communications and overall workforce and business asset protection.

However, before implementing any technology, organisations should embrace proactive risk management by developing a framework based on three key milestones: identification, analysis and recommendation.

For instance, wearables measuring workers’ vitals with their informed consent can provide insights into their level of fatigue and avoid letting an exhausted asset manage risky processes. This understanding can also be used to improve existing control mechanisms and establish new proactive controls that further enhance worker health and safety.

Using digital technologies to predict fatigue risk

There are many use cases where technologies can help improve working conditions and mitigate risk. Drones can help remotely monitor a situation and/ or access dangerous places before involving humans in the process, like in the Notre-Dame incident. By enabling data-based insights into the most common causes of specific types of incidents, AI can help determine whether systemic conditions cause certain accidents.

There is an increasing awareness across risky industries that digital technologies have an important role to play in improving work safety. Leading oil and gas

Machine learning can help identify patterns or equipment failures, allowing a proactive, rather than a reactive, approach to anomalies. The use of

Research indicates that the injury rate of Australian shift workers is two times higher than other workers, due to fatigue-related factors such as insufficient sleep, disrupted sleep patterns, and extended working hours.

augmented reality in field training can allow workers to get familiar with new equipment or environments without taking any risks.

providers are now looking to improve their current standards even further through data collection, monitoring, and automation.

The first step is to identify and categorise different types of incidents happening onsite and establish their impacts on costs and productivity. To do this effectively, organisations should develop an incident classification matrix tailored to their work environments. The next step is to analyse the issues to determine root causes and potential gaps causing them. The specific risks will vary within the industry, so a tailored matrix is paramount. Finally, based on the analysis, the organisation should come up with actionable recommendations to contain the threats. Managing workers’ fatigue within the oil and gas industry is not a simple process, but with the right approach, methods and tools, it can be more effectively controlled and monitored to help prevent incidents and risks.

Helping to make your business stand out – so YOU can be outstanding in the busy, complex and interactive world of advertising. Operating from my home office in Hastings, networked with other professionals as required, my overheads are sensible, and my hours are flexible. I offer a competitively priced service, backed up by over 15 years in the advertising agency environment. My career has its roots in signwriting, I then moved to England and undertook study and worked for a company specialising in graphics aimed at promoting conferences and exhibitions. This enabled me to think BIG. Twelve years later I returned to New Zealand and joined a very successful advertising agency which encouraged me to engage my skill set within this wonderfully expressive, yet versatile and highly disciplined arena. Here I gained the confidence needed to strike out on my own account. My design abilities, creativity and attention to detail all combine to deliver a great service to YOU and YOUR BUSINESS.

Call me for an informal discussion about adding professionalism to enhance your business image and helping to market your business.

Brochures

GRAPHICS CREATIVITY

ADVERTS

Newsletters SIGNAGE

DIGITAL

BRANDING WEBSITES

Publications

Books

and much more

Contact Kim on M 027 542 7111 E kim.alves@xtra.co.nz W kadesign.nz

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Reliable 3d Printing is Easier to Achieve Than You Think You’re ready to buy a 3D printer to enhance your business. You’ve done your homework and the benefits are clear: freedom of design, faster prototyping, and reduced time-to-market, to name a few. The question is, what printer is best for your organization’s needs? Once upon a time, there wasn’t much choice. Most 3D printers were large and expensive, needed their own separate environment, and a highly trained operator. But that all changed once low-priced hobby printers catering to the “maker” movement entered the scene. These desktop printers offered the allure of 3D printing at an enticingly low price. But like so many things, you truly do get what you pay for. To get the most value from 3D printing, professionals need a printer that comes in not only at a good price point but can deliver quality results. Again and again. Download the Learning Guide and see how the latest Stratasys Solution stacks up against the competition.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude. - Zig Ziglar

HandySCAN 3D scanner meets Boeing’s requirements Creaform, the worldwide leader in portable 3D measurement solutions and non-destructive testing (NDT) solutions, has announced that its HandySCAN 3D metrology-grade 3D laser scanner can now be used for recording physical attributes of aircraft dents and blends on all models of Boeing commercial airplanes. Boeing has released a service letter with guidance on the use of 3D scanners for measuring dents and blends on airplanes. The SmartDENT 3D solution and the flagship HandySCAN 3D scanner were used in the process of guiding Boeing’s quality requirements for the service letter. “Creaform is proud to see leaders such as Boeing, turn to 3D scanning solutions for surface defect inspection. With SmartDENT 3D, our goal is to provide the most accurate damage assessment to our customers, so they can make informed and safe decisions, while getting their aircraft back flying with minimal down time,” said Jérôme Beaumont, Global NDT Business Manager at Creaform.

Overview of SmartDENT 3D benefits: • Speed: 80 times faster than the pit gauge technique. It is the fastest and most reliable aircraft surface damage inspection tool available on the market. • Metrology-grade measurements for aircraft

maintenance: The scanner is accurate to 0.025 mm (0.0009 in.) and has a resolution of up to 0.100 mm (0.0039 in.) with high repeatability and traceable certificate. • Intuitive pass/fail assessments: With its intuitive design and real-time software visualization, Creaform’s NDT solutions ensure short learning curves and minimal operator experience influence on the accuracy of results. • Live visualisation and portability: Weighting less than a kilo, the handheld scanner is the perfect tool for work in hangars or directly outdoors. Users can easily perform 3D surface inspection of any part of an aircraft on which they would use manual techniques—including on and under wings. In addition to complying with Boeing’s service letter, Creaform HandySCAN 3D scanners are listed in the Airbus Technical Equipment Manual, which is referenced in its Structure Repair Manual.

Quality engineers and MRO operators looking to improve their turnaround times and profitability can contact Professional CAD Systems to find out more about its NDT solutions.

Collaboration results in interleaving veils for composite toughening New Zealand company, Revolution Fibres, has collaborated with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. to develop a next-generation nanofiber interleaving veil for improving the toughness of carbon fibre composites. The new nanofibre veil material, called Xantu.Layr XLB, has particularly strong application possibilities in the aerospace sector. Xantu.Layr XLB is made from Mitsubishi’s recently developed XD10 thermoplastic, bio-based polyamide resin, LEXTER. LEXTER is a xylylenediamine-derived polyamide resin that has been demonstrated successfully as a thermoplastic matrix for composite materials. It is tough, strong, and chemically resistant, and has the added benefits of being hydrophobic and highly compatible with epoxy resin when in the form of a nanofiber veil. These properties enable Xantu.Layr XLB nanofibre interleaving veils to improve the performance of

thermoset composite laminates without being compromised by exposure to high humidity, gasoline or a range of other chemicals.

(damage tolerance) and fatigue resistance of the composite without adding any significant thickness and weight.

Another benefit of this new nanofibre veil is the lower cost of manufacture, resulting in a lower sale price.

Xantu.Layr nanofibre veils can improve composite materials by providing nano-scale reinforcement of the brittle matrix resin, resulting in a tougher resin (even when used with already toughened resin systems) which is less prone to micro-cracking when stressed or impacted.

Dr. Nobuhiko Matsumoto, a Research Manager at Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, said that they “were thrilled to see LEXTER in the form of a nanofiber veil and could see many commercial possibilities for applications.” Xantu.Layr is produced using a proprietary production method (Sonic Electrospinning Technology), and is an ultra-thin non-woven web consisting of kilometre long thermoplastic nanofibres, with each one around 500 times thinner than a human hair. When placed in-between the plies of carbon fibre in a composite laminate, Xantu.Layr significantly improves the fracture toughness (delamination resistance), compression after impact strength

The HandySCAN Black from Creaform is now available from Professional CAD Systems.

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Xantu.Layr is particularly suitable for improving the performance of composite components and structures that are prone to impact/crash damage, delamination and high flexure or fatigue loadings. Furthermore, it is being used to toughen localised areas of a composite structure that requires tooling or drilling. Revolution Fibres is AS9100d certified and is the first nanofibre producer to meet aerospace industry standards.

+64 7 848 2005 info@procadsys.co.nz procadsys.co.nz

A person who makes few mistakes makes little progress. -Bryant McGill

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Bringing automation barriers down with end-of-arm tooling Historically, one of the biggest barriers to automation has been cost and time constraints associated with the production setup. The procedure is usually performed by a team of robotics experts adept in programming languages and advanced engineering, subjects unfamiliar to most. Demand for automation is flourishing from various manufacturing sectors leading to greater innovations in industrial robotics. With this trend, companies are prompted to adapt more and more intelligent tools that can help the production workforce with faster deployment and installation, saving their precious time on planning and strategy. But not many businesses have been able to do so quickly because most are not ready to address collaborative applications with newer technologies. This is due to limited knowledge or resistance to adopting modern end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) with collaborative robots (cobots). Continuous technology transformation and the rise of collaborative applications in industrial automation have made robots easily deployable. Intelligent EOAT devices come with in-built features that can be programmed easily, enabling faster set-up. With EOAT, automation becomes more inclusive, delivering collaborative applications to meet modern automation needs.

Automation Adoption Rises in ASEAN The ASEAN region’s combined GDP hit almost USD2.7 trillion in 2017, four times the value in 2000, clocking an average 5.3 percent yearly growth. ASEAN could become the world’s fourth largest economy by 2030 if this growth maintains. To achieve this, the region needs to leverage the opportunities presented by Industry 4.0 technologies. Adoption of these technologies remains slow in most countries however, with many manufacturers still relying on outdated processes . Singapore is spearheading the adoption of automation and robotics, recording the second highest industrial robot density globally at 658 robots per 10,000 employees. Malaysia and Thailand have also increased their focus on automation, encouraging greater use of robotics through the National Policy on Industry 4.0 (Industry4WRD) and the Thailand 4.0 strategy respectively.

Smart, flexible and collaborative robotic accessories, or (EOAT), completely revolutionize the flow and quality of systems integration (SI). Intelligent grippers, for instance, can collect and communicate crucial data to robots in real time to improve their accuracy and overall performance. Capable of safely passing products to human operators, these state-of-the-art grippers can essentially function as automated co-workers. For machine tending, dual grippers can operate up to 50-percent faster for computer numerical control (CNC) machine utilization. Intelligent EOATs benefit system integrators in many ways. Unlike dated homegrown technology, advanced EOATs can handle multiple tasks and varying projects, which saves time wasted on reprogramming and redeployment. Ready for easy integration out of the box, these tools can not only be implemented with ease, but also come with pre-programmed software packages that further quicken the installation process. OnRobot’s growing suite of cutting-edge EOATs and applications can work with robots across industries and manufacturers. The RG2-FT Gripper, with its built-in six-axis F/T Sensor fingertips and proximity sensor it can detect a product’s location even if it is not precisely positioned. This feature can be invaluable for tasks that require an item’s placement on or removal from conveyor belts. It is also ideal for precision assembly of electronics, automotive parts and other machinery.

The Upshot of Automation When it comes to robotic automation, quality control is crucial for businesses because mishandled and otherwise ruined raw materials have real consequences for a company’s bottom line. Legacy tools that are either not smart enough and/or

incapable of adapting to different products and environments may cause such wastage. EOATS like OnRobot’s breakthrough HEX 6 axis F/T Sensor are designed to eradicate such issues. It provides accurate force and torque measurements along all 6 axes, resulting in precise control when it comes to difficult assembly, polishing, sanding or deburring jobs. Additionally, it has in-built software that can manage path recording, force control and special features for insertion tasks. This means reduced integration time for production lines. With Industry 4.0, ASEAN countries are optimistic about kickstarting their industry transformation journey with smart automation driven by advanced EOAT. Through advanced features and innovative interfaces, EOAT can boost the labour market, accelerate productivity and solve automation challenges in numerous industries. ASEAN has the potential to capture productivity gains worth USD216 billion to USD627 billion through Industry 4.0 .

Breaking Down Barriers In 2018, Enterprise Management Associates released a survey of more than 1,000 IT and business-related professionals at companies with more than 500 employees. Among other findings, only four percent of respondents said their company was “not as good as most” in terms of automation maturity; in comparison, 41 percent described their business as “very mature” or “state of the art.” Those businesses that do not explore new automated technologies may limit their growth potential and risk falling behind competitors. Integrating automation into processes can be difficult, but technological advances that make modern robotic tools and accessories easier to install, more compatible and more flexible have made it easier than ever before.

This has led to an increase in cobot adoption and greater demand for collaborative applications. Coupled with the fast-changing nature of industries, this driving demand for modular and advanced EOAT .

Easy and Robust System Integration with Collaborative Tools System integrators have been of immense importance in robotics as they provide support with programming and outfitting processes. A robust system integration plan is not complete without the right EOAT devices. In fact, a major part of a plan focuses on picking the right end effectors such as grippers, sensors and tool changers, that can be easily programmed with the robot. With more applications being collaborative in nature, system integrators believe that fitting appropriate tools around robots is becoming more crucial than robots alone. EOAT tools enable a two-way information exchange between the robot and the object. It makes installation simpler and easier, reducing set-up time and effort drastically.

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NZ Manufacturer June 2019

You must stick to your convictions, but be ready to abandon your assumptions.

ANALYSIS

- Denis Waitley

People, people, people - the future of work What is the future of work? Is it a world filled with automation - machines ceaselessly performing tasks humans once did, never tiring, never falling ill, generating maximum profit? I believe he tangata, he tangata, he tangata (it is the people, it is the people, it is the people). I believe this is because there is a shift starting to happen in business in which the impact of what we do is becoming an important metric of success. In the recent Institute of Directors Magazine overview by Chief Executive Kirsten Patterson, she states the seasons are changing. The skills needed to lead through the future of work challenges of tomorrow are quite different to the traditionally valued skills of yesterday. Kirsten reminds us that regardless of whether the robots are knocking on the door to your office yet or not, the new valuable skills for the future of work are our adaptability quotient, and our ability to be lifelong learners. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said we should, “learn as if we were going to live forever.” One of the great thinkers of our time on the future of work, Chris Kutarna, spoke at the recent Pacific Summit on the Circular Economy, which I attended. He reminds us that we can plan for the future we can see - the future that, from where we’re standing now, we know is coming. However, he asks us “what about the future we can’t see?” Chris challenges us to shift our thinking - our ability to conceive what is coming next - from an organisation-centred economy where people are sought to perform valuable tasks, but are also seen as a “cost”, and innovation is about inventing new tasks machines can do and new products and services for people to consume, into a people-centred economy where tasks are sought that make people’s labour valuable, and innovation focusses on coming up with new tasks people can do to earn a better living. The focus should be on people - new and valuable skills, purposefulness and exercising our brains with fourth dimensional thinking.

I mentioned before the future of work is about people, people, people. We are currently witnessing the rise of the impact enterprise and social enterprise structures, which enable meaningful work, and might I add drive a significant level of innovation. One example is that of 3R child car seat recycling programme, SeatSmart, developed in conjunction with Plunket, which utilises their relationship with the Department of Corrections for the dismantling of the seats. The programme has grown so quickly it has turned to social enterprises - which provide paid work for people who are disabled, disadvantaged or marginalised - to help keep up with the dismantling. PaintCrete is another. Paint from the paint and packaging take back programmes we manage for Resene and Dulux can be used as an admixture in concrete, replacing the amount of cement required. This results in a reduced carbon event, provides meaningful work for those who manufacture the admixture, and the costs of production is included in the end-of-life levy. 3R is the programme manager of the Glass Packaging Forum’s accredited product stewardship scheme. It works to maximise the amount of glass cullet available for recycling to make new bottles and jars. Using this cullet means a lower carbon footprint as the need for virgin materials is reduced and the furnace can run at a lower temperate. Add to that the fact the entire process of getting the glass from consumers to the recyclers is an industry (and employer) in itself. These are just a few examples, and it can be argued product stewardship is in its infancy in New Zealand. It’s important to remember a circular economy solution is not confined to one product alone - it takes

Anyone who knows me and what 3R Group is about (product stewardship and the circular economy) may be wondering why I am writing on this topic. But there is a strong connection between putting people at the centre of future work planning and sustainability. Less than five years ago investment in sustainability was seen as an optional extra - today it’s taking its place at the boardroom table alongside health and safety and wellbeing as the new and important agenda items. 3R has the opportunity to work with producers of goods to decouple their resource use from the low-wage economy and embrace regenerative design through product stewardship. Product stewardship is where the producer and users of a product are responsible for capturing it, regenerating it and reusing it in a continuous cycle. It is also where the “cost” of people is most noticeable, and we are constantly challenged to decouple that cost to the bottom line from the “value” of stewardship.

NZ Manufacturer June 2019 /

Adele Rose - 3R Group Chief Executive

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in a much wider view of impacts or opportunities on people, society, the environment and economy. While 3R has always been a purpose driven business, and we have always measured our performance on the positive environmental, social and economic impacts we make for our team and our customers, we ourselves are in the midst of a change in the structure of our business to position it as an attractive investment proposition for the new emerging “impact” investor. These investors measure positive impacts before return on their investment. Often, they “give back” their dividends for purposeful causes. For 3R, the future of our work, and how we interact with it as people, is going to change and morph over time. We will be highly challenged to look beyond the traditional three-year planning cycle, to have flexible workplaces, to be creative in how we use data and use our imaginations, and to nurture shifting skills and education requirements so we are ready for the opportunities of the future. We know it’s possible because it comes naturally to our indigenous people - their future of work is shaped by what has gone before, the decisions their ancestors have made for them, and the decisions they need to make for their children’s children - they “conceive” that future to guide their work in the current day. So, I challenge you. When imaging the future of work, put people at the centre.

So, I challenge you. When imaging the future of work, put people at the centre.

The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.

PROFILE

— Socrates

Profile: Employers and Manufacturers Association chief executive Brett O’Riley With a background in technology and economic development, new EMA chief executive Brett O’Riley has an excellent perspective on the challenges facing the manufacturing sector, and the future of work overall. Brett actually grew up with manufacturing, as their family business Biggins & Co were fibrous plaster manufacturers and contractors in Lower Hutt, rolling his sleeves up as a teenager and working alongside his grandfather, father and uncle. Having returned from Australia in 2009, he has spent the last 10 years dedicated to the goal of growing the New Zealand innovation eco-system, as founding chief executive of NZICT, founding deputy chief executive of the Ministry of Science + Innovation, and most recently as chief executive of Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development. He currently holds board roles with early stage hardware manufacturers Wine Grenade (beverage micro oxygenation) and Dotterel Technologies (drone sound mitigation and active audio filtering), and is also on the NZ Film Commission board. Brett worked in the telecommunications and IT sectors for 20 years in New Zealand and internationally, following study at Victoria University in Wellington and post graduate qualifications from MIT (Boston) and Singularity University (San Jose). Having spent his career helping business make connections both globally and here at home in New Zealand, it make sense to him that the way forward for the manufacturing industry is to share knowledge and expertise. “I think it is key that manufacturers increasingly share their knowledge and strengthen their networks in order to remain globally competitive and continue to grow high value jobs in New Zealand. Our new relationship with The Manufacturers Network builds on the EMA’s historical involvement with manufacturing members and we are delighted to welcome Dieter Adam and Anthea Hunt to our team”. “We also need to take advantage of our international relationships and trade agreements to expand into new markets, and the EMA is working hard in this space through The Manufacturers Network and our Export NZ service, and our relationships with NZTE and MFAT,” Brett says. One of the other essentials to profit and productivity growth is embracing digital technologies. This does not mean that everything needs to change, but connectivity and integration needs to be maximised wherever possible, and Industry 4.0 embraced, to ensure our businesses remain competitive. That’s not just relevant for New Zealand either, with it being no secret that there are significant changes already happening in global manufacturing with a continual downturn in cross-border trade since the Global Financial Crisis, a slowing of the value of traded goods, and trade intensity figures falling. Coupled with this is the increasing trend for governments to intervene in free markets to protect national interests and keep manufacturing at home. This is

evidenced by the US government excluding Huawei from being involved in delivering 5G network solutions, when New Zealand need the opportunity to take advantage of world leading technology, ironically in this case proposed to be delivered for Spark by Huawei alongside Nokia and Cisco. So where does this leave our own manufacturing industry? While our trade intensity for high-value-added manufactured goods is relatively low by international comparison (24 per cent last quarter 2018), we still have a number of manufacturers who sell more than 50 per cent of what they make overseas. “It is too early to say whether potential emerging constraints on free trade are a threat to our manufacturers, but certainly we would be unlikely to fare very well in a contest among nations. In terms of regional trade it would mean an even stronger focus on Australia, which is our biggest trading partner for high-value-added manufactured goods already,” Brett says. What is tough for Kiwi manufacturers is finding skilled workers and access to the capital that is needed to expand, including embracing technologies and for research and development to be even more effective. The EMA is involved in a number of skills development areas, and also operates a Learning and Training service for its members across a number of subject domains, including customised in-house training, on-line learning and courses. The EMA was also pleased to see two initiatives in the Government’s Wellbeing Budget that will help with expanding the manufacturing sector, particularly $6.8m over four years allocated for Future-Proofing New Zealand’s Manufacturing Sector by Driving Industry 4.0 Update and Skills Development.” “With The Manufacturers’ Network we hope to successfully tender for some of this funding so we can offer more practical support for manufacturers who want to take up Industry 4.0 and other advanced approaches to digital technologies to deliver process improvements, efficiency and enable them to be innovative.”

capital championed by Minister Hon David Parker for Building Early Stage Capital Market Development, which will be invested through the venture capital network, particularly for Series A and other expansion capital opportunities. It is hoped that this investment by the Government will attract additional private capital into manufacturing and other innovative sectors. “Our manufacturing industry makes up 12 per cent of GDP, makes up half of our exports and employs 241,000 people. We want help create more high-value companies and jobs in the sector and the EMA is poised ready to support the sector’s growth aspirations,” Brett says.

About the EMA, Export NZ and The Manufacturers’ Network: The EMA is New Zealand’s largest business membership organisation and offers advice, training and advocacy for its 8500 members across all sectors from Taupo north. The Manufacturers’ Network is a group of businesses who want to grow and contribute to the economy through collaboration, innovation and the exchange of knowledge and ideas. The EMA and The Manufacturers’ Network merged their support and services for manufacturers in April 2019. www.ema.co.nz.

“I think it is key that manufacturers increasingly share their knowledge and strengthen their networks in order to remain globally competitive”.

Also of huge help in the budget was $240m of

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Be undeniably good. No marketing effort or social media buzzword can be a substitute for that. — Anthony Volodkin, founder of Hype Machine

Northland lifestyle a big plus Regional development is a phrase that’s getting plenty of airtime these days, especially with Government’s Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) promising to pump billions of dollars into forgotten corners of New Zealand. It has been nearly 18 months since the first allocations were made, and while there’s plenty of debate about whether the Fund is achieving its objectives, it has certainly sparked greater awareness that regions can play a much bigger role in “New Zealand Inc”. And also sparked some regional leaders to think about whether the Fund is meeting specific regional needs. Take Northland, for example: local leaders in Northland are pretty happy with the attention the region is getting from the PGF. With $130 million-worth of projects announced there, including $30 million for roading improvements, and funding for two infrastructure studies - the Fund could dramatically improve the prospect of attracting more business to the region. The first study is examining the Upper North Island Supply Chain and has reported some early findings that highlight the potential for Northport, New Zealand’s northern-most seaport at Marsden Point, to help ease congestion at Ports of Auckland. The second study on the North Auckland Rail line includes a strategic business case for building a spur to Northport, and signals are positive that the work will go ahead. Chair of the Regional Transport Committee for the Northland Region, Councillor John Bain, says the impact of transport infrastructure improvements will be a game changer. “Not many would argue that, historically, Northland has had to work hard for its share of Government investment. Finally, it looks like we’re getting some traction. The local economy is going through a bit of a boom, and there’s real opportunities available for both locals and ‘imports’. We’re ready to make the most of it.” He muses that Northland has been left behind, not just in terms of infrastructure, but also in the New Zealand mindset. “I think there might be a perception that Northland is the back of beyond - mainly a tourists’ destination. That tends to overshadow what we have on offer. 50% of New Zealand’s population lives north of Lake Taupo. Population estimates put Auckland at 2.4 million people by 2043, with around half living north of the Waitemata Harbour.” “The agglomeration around our bigger cities in recent years follows international trends for more people and more businesses wanting to be where the action is. The problem is, this doesn’t work particularly well in a small country – the cost of urban land skyrockets, congestion increases, and competition amongst densely packed industries becomes fierce. So, people are starting to branch out and examine options.”

in Northland. One way it does this is through its Landing Pad service. This platform has two specific functions: it acts as a ‘concierge’ – a friendly face – to investors and organisations keen to relocate to the region, and it supports, expands and furthers opportunities for existing or start-up businesses. “Our role is not only to strengthen and grow the regional economy, but to add to its diversity as well – something that Northland is becoming increasingly recognised for,” say Vaughan Cooper, Northland Inc’s acting CEO. One of Northland’s industries that’s experiencing solid growth is the marine sector. Ben Haselden, Hybridisation and Electrification Manager for the locally-based but internationally known electrotechnology firm McKay, says their future is showing “lots of promise, because of the strategic work being done by key Northland businesses, like Refining NZ, Marsden Maritime Holdings, Northport, and tourism operators, which are primarily marine-based.” “The marine sector is going through a step-change at the moment, in the sense that it’s becoming highly innovative compared to the past. This is creating a renaissance for the industry in the Whangarei District. Its proximity to Auckland and having a major seaport here are big strategic benefits for McKay.” Other benefits, as Ben sees things, are that lease costs are a lot cheaper than Auckland, and there’s access to skilled labour. “There’s an impression that there’s a skills shortage in Northland, and that’s true amongst the younger generation. But on the other hand, there’s a good number of people in the middle generation who are highly skilled. “Often, they’re returning Northlanders who want to focus on their family, the Northland lifestyle, and have stable employment. Quite often, they are pleasantly surprised at the competitive salaries being offered and the career opportunities they thought they’d left behind with the chance to be in some of New Zealand’s most innovative industries.” While there’s been an influx of people, leaders say to encourage businesses to re-locate, the PGF has a role to play. Councillor Bain thinks adding criteria to the Fund’s allocation criteria to support relocation costs would remove one of the biggest “handbrakes”. “I know it may not be popular at a national level, but I think it would make a huge positive difference to regional development – bringing more jobs and innovative businesses – while at the same time relieving pressure in Auckland.”

Councillor Bain’s message to businesspeople in the cities (and probably stuck in traffic) is to ponder this: “Northland has huge tracts of available land zoned for industry and business, at prices that would make Aucklanders weep. Northland is a glorious place for business, work opportunities, and lifestyle.” Northland Inc, the Regional Economic Development Agency, is perfectly placed to help grow and strengthen businesses

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Felix Richter, Chief Executive of Marsden Maritime Holdings Ltd, agrees. “In the last few weeks, I’ve prepared three letters of support, all for businesses currently based in Auckland, who see the advantage of getting out, but one of the biggest obstacles is meeting the cost of the move. If the PGF could be used, it would be a game-changer.” Marsden Maritime owns the industrial land behind Northport and is progressively developing an industrial park there. Some have already made the jump. One is Extrutec Ltd, a polymer extrusion manufacturer that re-located from Auckland to Marsden Point three years ago, and which took out the Innovation Award in the 2018 Westpac Northland Business Excellence Awards for its biodegradable twine for the agricultural industry, replacing the need for plastic twine that ends up in landfills.

Extrutec owner Joe Wild

Reflecting on his move out of Auckland, Extrutec owner Joe Wiid says, “The property market there is just not affordable for a smaller business, or one that wants to grow. Marsden Point is a great location for us, offering not only plenty of industrial land, but at a price that’s reasonable.” “With all the current expansion, and with Northport being more focussed on container freight, we consider Marsden Point and the port important parts of our future plans for growth, for importing raw materials, manufacturing nearby, and exporting finished product overseas.” Extrutec currently exports to Australia and the Pacific Islands.

If God created everything, he’s got a serious quality control problem. - George Carlin

Marsden Point, Northland The future of business is here.

Joe still resides near Auckland and says the commute between his home and the Marsden Point factory takes just over an hour, “That’s no different to what I was doing in Auckland, but now I’m not sitting stuck in traffic.” It needs to be said, though, that despite the benefits of the PGF, infrastructure developments, and the commitment of large Northland businesses to plan aggressively for growth, there is still work to be done to bring the region up to par. In addition to enabling applications for urban business to meet the costs of relocation to provincial centres, there are calls to widen the PGF criteria further – or at very least, tailor these to the needs of each region. Joe and Ben agree that a skills shortage amongst the Northland’s younger generation needs to be addressed. Says Joe, “The Government could be doing more to encourage technical learning within the region. Growing young people’s skills and ensuring they have jobs here, keeps them here. At the moment we have a brain drain because youth are leaving to be educated, and don’t come back.”

Marsden Point

Ben, too, would like to see greater availability of cadetships and apprenticeships. “We need to start nurturing a bigger ecosystem of established, experienced companies who take on school leavers and help build the next generation of innovators.” And Joe thinks the Government’s emphasis on high-tech business and the primary industries shouldn’t be at the expense of SMEs in manufacturing. “NZ manufacturing has huge potential to deliver economic benefits given the right Government support – like accelerating depreciation on specialist equipment, funding support for lease costs, and facilitating collaboration between manufacturing and academia.” Councillor Bain acknowledges there is still room for improvement. “But the PGF, the abundance of industrial land, and local enthusiasm for growth, means Northland is emerging as a viable alternative. There are agencies available to help – the Chamber of Commerce, Northland Inc, for example – ready to help ease the introduction of new business. The wise people will be the early adopters!”

Manaia Business Centre

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No congestion

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Affordable land & housing

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Industrial infrastructure capacity

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Support industries

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NZ & International trade routes

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World class premier Marsden Cove Marina & Boatyard nearby

Over 185ha zoned for industry, manufacturing & warehousing Construction-ready land for lease – Or let us build for you!

Recreation & lifestyle State Highway connections Directly behind Northport, NZ’s northernmost natural deep-water port

Marsden Point is one of New Zealand’s largest areas available for business and industrial development, situated just one hour north of Greater Auckland in sunny, winterless Northland. Marden Maritime Holdings Ltd is a publicly listed company (NZX) committed to fostering development and growth in Northland. Reduce your capital start-up costs by letting us build your new, custom-built lease premises for manufacturing, warehousing, processing and/or distribution centre.

Contact: Vibeke Wright Business Development Manager P: (09) 432-5053 M: 0220 289 096 E: vw@marsdenmaritime.co.nz

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NZ Manufacturer June 2019

If people like you, they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.

COMMENT

— Zig Ziglar, author, salesman, and motivational speaker

The four factors essential to building a quality production line Developing an efficient and polished machine building process can take a manufacturing company decades. What’s most important is that throughout this process, the focus is on building a quality production line that allows for the manufacturing of best-in-class product. Since beginning my career as a Machine Builder in 1994 and working through to my current role as Assembly Shop Manager at Facteon, I’ve come to learn that there are four key factors involved in developing a quality production line.

1. Quality components produce quality product By keeping the production of machinery components in-house where practical and possible, you will play a more active role in quality control.

If you’ve outsourced the production of a component, it’s wise to have an experienced machinist inspect it when it’s delivered to ensure it meets your own standards, before it is moved to the component bin for inclusion in the production line. Success here will depend on how closely you can work with external suppliers prior to and during the manufacturing process. A quality deliverable is only achievable if your standards are communicated and understood by the supplier. To negate the potential for errors in components manufactured externally, building strong relationships with external providers is key. It’s vital that the supplier understands how the component will integrate with the project as a whole.

It was for this very reason that Facteon established its own in-house Build Shop and Machine Shop to cater to internal and external customers. The team retains full control over every component produced and as it’s not heavily relying on delivery by third parties, it can be certain that the component will be available on site when required.

This allows the machinists to raise any concerns and share ideas while also increasing motivation levels as the component contributes to the success of the production line.

To achieve the necessary levels of precision in component manufacturing, collaboration is key – both in the initial phase of producing your components and in the build phase of the production line.

3. Invest in developing quality people to build quality lines

Looking at opportunities to integrate the latest technologies with more traditional machining methods, will allow you to fully harness the potential of the machinery while using the latest technology to improve precision and efficiencies.

2. Partnering with reliable external suppliers For any components that can’t be produced in-house, consider looking beyond your own capabilities and using the services of thoroughly vetted external providers. For example, Facteon uses suppliers based in New Zealand, China and the United States and vets these suppliers through a tiered rating system to ensure that our standards are met.

This approach can also be effective when it comes to internal machining as well.

Employing the latest machinery is pointless without skilled operators. Exposure to all stages of the machine building process allows for greater understanding, and ultimately, an improved quality of work. As I’ve mentioned above, during the machine building phase it’s important that there’s coordination between machine builders and design engineers. In my experience, I’ve found that positioning the design engineers in the facility where the lines are built allows for greater consultation throughout the build process. It’s also worth thinking about how your Build Shop staff can learn from their colleagues, including the project managers and design engineers, to better understand the projects they’re working on. This delivers value to your customers, as staff with varied skill sets can work collectively to maximise the potential of the production line.

TechRentals® is an IANZ endorsed Calibration Laboratory. We offer both IANZ Endorsed and Traceable Calibrations of test and measurement equipment inluding:

0800 832 473 www.techrentals.co.nz

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-Andrew Stackpole, Assembly Shop Manager at Facteon

This collaboration should also be complemented by extensive in-house training at all levels. For example, if you have several senior machine builders on-site, there are many learning opportunities for apprentices and intermediate-level machine builders. Providing staff with the opportunity to spend time on customer sites prior to on-site commissioning can also boost integral client service development skills. Not only do they gain a greater understanding of the customer’s needs throughout the design, building and commissioning process, but this high level of integration also ensures a higher quality of work as they learn to recognise the impact each smaller part has on the project as a whole.

4. Quality project management to ensure successful delivery Ensuring the seamless transition from the production line building stage to the delivery of the line is a key responsibility of an Assembly Shop Manager. This includes working closely with the customer’s dedicated project manager – their key point of contact and advocate within the business – throughout the machine building process. In my experience, project managers who frequently spend extended periods of time on customer sites during the installation and commissioning phases, are better able to facilitate the process of integrating a production line into an existing factory. As part of this integration process, I recommend offering training to the customer’s team to ensure it understands how to safely and effectively operate the production line post-installation. This induction process is essential in enabling factories to produce quality product once the line is up and running. The team must also be adequately prepared to provide ongoing support to the customer. This is integral to the longevity of both the customer relationship and the production line itself. If producing quality products is at the core of your customers’ operations, developing a machine building process that delivers on this key requirement is paramount. Ultimately, the intersection of quality components produced both in-house and by top-tier external suppliers, coupled with expert staff and a strong project management offering, will allow any manufacturer to continue delivering quality production lines on-time and to specification.

If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.

COMMENT

— Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn

continued from Page 1

Greater focus needed on the wellbeing of business -Leeanne Watson, CE, Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce across a range of industries is the increasing amount

New Zealand is a small country, so we should be

of legislation and therefore burden, resulting in

able to be nimble and adaptive – not hamstrung by

increased costs for business. It is of concern that

bureaucracy.

following the handover from Treasury to MBIE, the

Maybe in time for the next central Government

Government is no longer monitoring the cost of compliance.

elections, we will see our governing parties place a greater emphasis on reducing compliance and

A New Zealand Institute of Economic Research

increasing the ease of doing business as a step

(NZIER) report commissioned by the Employers and

towards lifting productivity and prosperity for all.

Manufacturers Association (EMA) estimated the

In short, we believe we need a greater focus on the

cost to be at $5b (based on last recorded figures from 2012 – as these have not been updated by Government). That’s hugely significant when you consider that is approximately 2.5% of GDP, resulting in lost

wellbeing of business. After all this is the livelihood of our community that we are talking about – the very people whose ‘wellbeing’ the Budget is so focused on.

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, New Zealand’s first Wellbeing Budget isn’t a business budget and it’s certainly not about to transform our economy.

productivity among other adverse factors.

The trade-only exhibition for people who manage, secure, develop, design, influence and revolutionise New Zealand’s buildings and facilities.

25-26 SEPTEMBER AUCKLAND ASB SHOWGROUNDS facilitiesintegrate.nz

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NZ MANUFACTURER

FEATURES

Validation program to accelerate autonomous vehicle development

June 2019 Issue COMPANY PROFILE THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

PAVE360 provides a comprehensive environment for multi-supplier collaboration across the automotive ecosystem for the development of next-generation automotive chips.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PAVE360 also extends digital twin simulation beyond processors to include automotive hardware and software sub-systems, full vehicle models, fusion of sensor data, traffic flows and even the simulation of smart cities through which self-driving cars will ultimately travel.

PRODUCTIVITY

PAVE360 represents the first output of an innovation process born from the combination of Mentor and Siemens employees, ideas, and technologies two years ago,“ said Ravi Subramanian, vice president and general manager of the IC Verification Solutions Division of Mentor, a Siemens business.

FOOD MANUFACTURING

“PAVE360 delivers a comprehensive program to support the deep, cross-ecosystem collaboration necessary for our customers to develop powerful custom silicon and software solutions to power the autonomous vehicles revolution.“

Advertising Booking Deadline –11 July 2019 Advertising Copy Deadline – 11 July 2019

PAVE360 enables capabilities for full, closed-loop validation of the sensing/decision-making/ actuating paradigm at the heart of all automated driving systems. This principle hinges on rigorous pre-silicon validation of deterministic (rules-based) and non-deterministic (AI-based) approaches to safe self-driving in the context of the full digital twin.

Editorial Copy Deadline – 11 July 2019 Advertising – For bookings and further information contact: Doug Green, P O Box 1109, Hastings 4156, Hawke’s Bay Email: publisher@xtra.co.nz Editorial material to be sent to : Doug Green,

Democratising Automotive IC Design and Development

P O Box 1109, Hastings 4156, Hawke’s Bay Email: publisher@xtra.co.nz Tel: 06 870 9029

At NZ MANUFACTURER our aim is to keep our readers up to date with the latest industry news and manufacturing advances in a tasty morsel, ensuring they do not get left behind in the highly competitive and rapidly evolving manufacturing world. Opinion

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Trade Fair World Diary of Events World Market Report Q/A

As advances in processing continue to play an increasingly prominent role in automotive evolution, carmakers are turning to custom silicon designs to deliver the “just right” blends of cost,

power, performance and advanced features necessary to enable an autonomous future. With PAVE360, chip design can be democratised, enabling carmakers, chipmakers, tier one suppliers, software houses and other vendors to collaborate on the development and customization of extraordinarily complex silicon devices for autonomous vehicles. PAVE360 delivers a robust platform for this collaboration, helping to speed chip design and software validation, and enabling the creation of model-specific silicon for the first-generation of self-driving cars. PAVE360 establishes a design-simulation-emulation solution that scales from individual blocks of a system-on-chip’s (SoC’s) IP, to hardware and software on the SoCs, to vehicle subsystems, and up through deployment of vehicles in smart cities – a true “chip-to-city” approach based on the increasing digitalization of the automotive industry. It enables everyone in the automotive value chain to develop custom SoCs, optimised for the performance, power, safety, thermal and form factor requirements of driver assisted and fully automated vehicles in a completely virtual environment. This is part of a complete, closed-loop simulation solution from Siemens that allows designers to test everything from silicon development to full vehicle validation.” Already on display in the Center for Practical Autonomy Lab in Novi, Michigan, PAVE360 is designed to serve as the industry-standard verification and validation program for modeling solutions in the automated driving ecosystem.

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The PAVE360 pre-silicon autonomous validation environment – is a program established to enable and accelerate the development of innovative autonomous vehicle platforms.

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PRODUCTIVITY IS NOT AN OPTION.

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ADVISORS Mike Shatford

is an expert in the field of technology development and commercialisation. His company Design Energy Limited has completed over 100 significant projects in this vein by consulting for and partnering with some of New Zealand’s leading producers. Among Mike and his team’s strengths are industrial robotics and automated production where the company puts much of its focus.

Sandra Lukey

Sandra Lukey is the founder of Shine Group, a consultancy that helps science and technology companies accelerate growth. She is a keen observer of the tech sector and how new developments create opportunity for future business. She has over 20 years’ experience working with companies to boost profile and build influential connections.

Matt Minio

Managing Director, Objective3D Matt has extensive hands on experience as a user and supplier of 3D Printing technology. He comes from a mechanical design and engineering background with 25 years’ experience in multiple high end 3D cad applications across a range of industries, including aerospace and automotive. He has been heavily involved in the 3D printing evolution - from initial early prototyping to todays advanced 3d printing technologies producing production parts straight off the printer. As Managing Director of Objective 3D, he provides Stratasys, Desktop Metal and Concept Laser 3D printing solutions to a host of industries across Australia and New Zealand.

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NZ Manufacturer June 2019

If you can’t feed a team with two pizzas, it’s too large. — Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon

Retrofitting IoT Connecting to the IoT doesn’t necessarily mean replacing all your machinery with these new devices, it’s possible to connect your existing equipment. Here John Young, sales director at automation parts supplier EU Automation, explains how retrofitting can maximise return on investment. Industrial facilities often have a large array of machinery of varying ages as equipment is designed to last. Retrofitting machinery to have IoT capabilities is a cost-effective way of modernising legacy equipment, especially as the alternative is completely replacing the machine. With connectivity becoming increasingly important it is time for legacy equipment to be brought up to date by retrofitting smart sensors onto older devices.

Benefits of retrofitting machinery One useful capability that can be added by retrofitting machines with IoT smart sensors is condition monitoring. This allows a business to gain deep insight into the condition of its machines, allowing for greater understanding of what is happening on its production lines. As well as condition monitoring, analysis of smart sensor data directly allows for two powerful abilities, continuous improvement loops and predictive maintenance. Manufacturers can perform data analysis that creates an overview of a plant, by comparing old, new and

AI challenges revealed in book The Future Computed: AI and Manufacturing is an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities of AI and how it’s transforming the manufacturing sector. Interviews with customers, policymakers, labor representatives and Microsoft experts shed light on how AI is driving efficiencies, enabling products and services, and allowing for safer workspaces. The book also offers a timely look at how society can respond to some of the challenges this new technology creates, and the need to develop new laws and regulations to address workforce disruption and develop AI in an ethical and responsible manner. A free download of the book is available at The Future Computed microsite, where you can also find other interesting content from the book (e.g. customer videos, case studies, and executive summary).

hypothetical production cycles. Using this overview can improve plant efficiency by fine-tuning the system as it works, creating a constant improvement loop. For example, an annealing process requires metal rods to be heated in a furnace to a specific temperature. This is done by putting the metal on a conveyor belt that travels through the furnace. Placing a smart sensor on the conveyor belt motor lets the system compare the speed of the conveyor belt to the heat of the rods. In this way, the motor can fine-tune itself as it works, making sure that the metal rods are able to reach the correct temperature. Over time, gathering this data allows for the creation of accurate machinery lifecycles. Comparing the current status of machinery to overall lifecycle models can predict when a component is likely to break down. Known as predictive maintenance, this is a cutting-edge method that streamlines maintenance and reduces downtime. Accurately predicting what part of a machine is about to fail means that manufacturers can order parts when they need them. For example, if the furnace’s conveyor belt motor was operating at an unexpected speed, the smart sensor could notify the manufacturer that it was about to fail so that it could be replaced before a breakage. As such, having an industrial parts supplier that bases itself on providing fast and reliable delivery prevents

NZ Manufacturer June 2019

When to retrofit New pieces of machinery may come with a smart sensor included. However, machines that are moving towards the latter part of their lifecycle can still benefit from having smart sensors retrofitted. The sensor will be able to provide the information required to inform predictive maintenance, which can drastically reduce failure rates and can even prolong the life of the machine. Retrofitting smart sensors to legacy equipment can bring great benefits to manufacturers because of the insights they can gain on their equipment. With the prediction of over half of IoT devices being shipped to the Asia-Pacific region by 2026, it is a trend that will drastically alter the manufacturing landscape in the region.

Automation and women in the workplace What will rapid technological change mean for women in the workplace? That’s the question a new The future of women at work: Transitions in the age of automation, tackles in depth. The answer, in a nutshell: women who navigate the automation transition could get more productive, better-paid work; those who don’t could see a growing wage gap or wind up leaving the job market entirely. Research shows that by 2030, up to 160 million women worldwide may need to switch jobs as a result of new ways of working, developments in technology, and shifting demand for labour. Obviously, men and women will both need to be skilled, mobile, and tech savvy. And men are expected to encounter job displacement of a broadly similar magnitude. But women face longstanding and pervasive barriers: they have less time to reskill or search for employment because they spend more time on unpaid care work, are less physically mobile in some cultures because of safety-related challenges, and have less access in some parts of the world to digital technology and lower participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, fields. More women also work in lower-paid occupations than men. In mature economies, demand for highly skilled and high-wage labour is expected to grow, while demand for medium- and low-wage labour could shrink.

extended downtime and cuts costs.

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Emerging economies could experience a shift in labour demand from low- to medium-wage jobs. Helping women to move up the skills ladder could prepare them for these higher-paying jobs and more economic opportunity. Those who stay put on the lowest rungs face a potential glut of competition—including from men displaced from manufacturing—that could put pressure on wages or make it pointless for some women to stay in the workforce. To support women globally, governments, companies, and individuals need to take bold measures and develop creative new solutions. Priorities include more investment in training and transitional support, better-quality childcare, and safe and affordable transportation; boosting women’s access to mobile internet and digital skills in emerging economies; and supporting women in STEM professions and entrepreneurship. That is a long, but necessary, wish list. To successfully transition into the future workplace, men and women alike will need to develop new technical, social, and emotional skills that will be more important than ever. For workers, automation’s silver lining is that, if done appropriately, it could free up time for leisure pursuits instead. Here’s hoping that future is in store for men and women alike.

It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. — Scott Belsky, co-founder of Behance

The potential of 3D printing: soft tissue organs, aesthetically pleasing prosthetics and made-to-order guitars Professor Olaf Diegel, who recently joined the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Engineering, predicts that in the not too distant future we’ll be printing soft tissue organs ready for transplant. We already have the know-how to print some organs, such as bladders and tracheas, “but my prediction is, once they crack the vascular system, they’ll be able to print more complex organs, like livers and kidneys”. Professor Diegel, a multi-award-winning product design developer appointed under the former government’s Entrepreneurial Universities programme, took up his role as head of the Creative Design and Additive Manufacturing Laboratory (the Lab) at the University of Auckland this year. He and the team he is currently building will, he hopes, change the way Additive Manufacturing (or AM, otherwise known as 3D printing) is implemented across many industries. AM uses a layering process rather than the conventional manufacturing process. In the latter, a product is created by carving it out or subtracting it from a base material. With AM, a 3D model of the original object is sent to a 3D printer, which prints many layers of liquid or powder, to gradually build up a replica object. It’s a process that can produce parts that are infinitely more complex and lighter than possible with conventional manufacturing, and produces less waste in the process. AM has already had an impact in a number of industries including aerospace, automotive, fashion, construction and healthcare.

like an artwork than a conventional artificial limb. “This little girls seemed to be proud of it,” he recalls. “She almost seemed to be showing it off.” That and similar projects developed by his team at Lund resulted in the spinout company Anatomic Studios, which specialises in the design and manufacture of tailor-made prosthetic covers designed to be worn as an item of fashion, a form of self-expression, rather than something to hide.

Design, Atlanta, at the end of June; a guitar with a spiderweb motif and spiders on the inside. Professor Diegel sees great potential in researching and advancing the materials that can be used in AM - such as cellulose from timber, “all those waste products that we now throw away”. He also sees potential in advancing the software involved, to take better advantage of AM. “We need better software that can make the technology more intelligent, and which can automatically redesign current manufacturing processes to take better advantage of additive manufacturing.

“Standard prosthetics, don’t look right,” says Professor Diegel. “This is about making prosthetics beautiful rather than ugly.”

“I think that’s a potentially huge area of growth in New Zealand, because there’s a world market for it.”

He and PhD students are now working with the Artificial Limb Society on artificial limbs for pets. Rather than amputate a dog’s entire limb if it suffers a crushed paw, for instance, they hope to make it possible to amputate only the damaged bit and replace with a prosthetic.

AM has already had an impact in a number of industries including aerospace, automotive, fashion, construction and healthcare.

AM has opened up a myriad possibilities, says Professor Diegel. As a personal hobby, he has designed and made almost 75 guitars using AM bespoke, elaborately designed instruments made to individual order, including a guitar that references Guns & Roses (it’s decorated with barbed wire and roses), a steampunk guitar and many more. One of his guitars will be exhibited as part of the Wire and Wood exhibition, at the Museum of

After leaving New Zealand in 2014, Professor Diegel led the product development department and AM lab at Lund University in Sweden. During his career he has developed over 100 new products for companies in New Zealand and internationally, including several home health monitoring, security, marine and lighting products. He also developed what has been described as the world’s smallest refrigerator, to store insulin and other medicines. He and his team at Lund University also designed a number of AM-based prosthetics, including one that was developed for a three-year-old girl who, as a result of a congenital condition was born without her left arm. What makes it distinct from conventional prosthetics is its almost decorative sculptural aesthetic - more

A manufactured prosthetic Professor Deigel made for a 3-year-old girl.

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NZ Manufacturer June 2019

There’s nothing wrong with staying small. You can do big things with a small team. — Jason Fried, 37signals founder and co-author of Rework

The sense test ~ How human senses are revolutionising industrial robots ~ As season two of the critically acclaimed TV show Westworld ended in summer 2018, the conversation around what the robot of the future will look like continues. While many believe we will have human-like robots soon, such as those depicted in sci-fi blockbusters like Blade Runner, it will be functionality that dictates the appearance of these machines. Here, John Young sales manager at industrial parts supplier EU Automation, explains how allowing manufacturing robots to see and feel is enabling them to step out of the cage. When we think of robots, we often think of either clunky metal frames that complete menial tasks or something so human, it is almost indistinguishable to the person standing next to you. Both appearances have their uses though, whether it’s for picking, packing and palatising in a manufacturing plant, or entertaining guests at an amusement park. Traditionally, robots have been large and noisy pieces of equipment, often posing potential safety risks to the workforce. A new breed of collaborative robots has changed this though, allowing machines to work side-by-side with human employees. This type of robot is now becoming increasingly commonplace on the plant floor, revolutionising the manufacturing process. In a study carried out by the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville Global Supply Chain Institute, robotics was identified as one of the biggest supply chain disruptors. Paul Dittmann, executive director of the Global Supply Chain Institute and author of the paper, said: “Robotics have been around for more than 50 years, but they have become dramatically more dynamic in the last five. They are no longer stationary, blind, expensive and unintelligent, but can work alongside people and learn as jobs change.”

deployment of sensors that allow robots to both see and feel. By integrating and retrofitting sensors to a manufacturing robot, it can undertake much more complicated tasks, which a human workforce may not. The IDTechEx report, Sensors for Robotics: Technologies, markets and forecasts 2017-2027, predicts that the market for robotic vision and force sensing is expected to reach over $16.1 billion by 2027. These types of sensors are just the tip of the iceberg though. Drive and control technologies Rexroth, has recently released collaborative robot, which uses a skin to avoid collisions, without contact with an object.

company, Bosch a six-axis arm capacitive sensor making physical

Featuring more than 120 sensors, the skin allows the robot to stop automatically at a safe speed if it senses an employer has entered its operating zone. Using a capacitive electrical field to detect nearby obstacles, once it senses the person has moved to a safe zone, the robot will continue to work. Scientists in Japan have also added the ability to smell to possible robot senses. Researchers at Kyushu University have developed a robot that can detect odors using a technique known as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which measures changes in light absorption by gold nanoparticles upon exposure to a gas. LSPR is a collective oscillation of conduction band electrons in metal nanoparticles, excited by the electromagnetic waves of incident light. While there are robots available on the market that can detect airborne odors already, they are significantly slower at analyzing data.

The evolution of the humble robot

Taking the next steps

One of the biggest advances in robotics is the

Advancements in both software and hardware have enabled the creation of more advanced

robots featuring an array of sensors and processing possibilities. While early robots were limited to performing more menial tasks, this new range of sensors is increasing decision making capabilities with more sophisticated analysis of data. Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking this one step further, allowing robots to learn from experiences, providing them with a far greater level of dexterity. AI software enables robots to identify specific objects, studying how they behave when picked, pushed and even dropped. This in-turn impacts on how the robot will handle them in the future. With developments in robotics showing no sign of slowing down, it doesn’t mean older models and technologies are obsolete, particularly as regularly replacing your industrial robots can be an expensive process. Working with a supplier of obsolete parts, such as EU Automation can ensure your plant remains operational and that your robot workforce is as efficient as the day you brought it. While we may be a few years off from robots running our theme parks, there is no doubt that they are becoming more advanced by the day. With the global market for industrial robots predicted to reach $1.9 billion by 2022, robots continue to drive smart manufacturing lines, making production processes more efficient and profitable for investing industries.

Partnership brings AI-driven robotic process automation to global markets WorkFusion, a leading intelligent automation and robotic process automation (RPA) software company, and NEC Corporation, a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies, has announced a partnership to bring artificial intelligence-driven RPA to global markets. With demand for automation and intelligence growing at an increasingly rapid pace in Japan specifically, this partnership will enable unprecedented adoption and deployment of AI-driven RPA throughout the region. In April 2019, Japan began implementing work style reform legislation designed to improve the productivity and well-being of workers. To adapt to this change and address the needs of a highly-skilled workforce, many organisations are exploring automation and AI to minimise the burden of repetitive work on employees and allow them to

NZ Manufacturer June 2019

focus on value-added projects and initiatives. Through this partnership, NEC will bring WorkFusion to customers around the world, beginning immediately in the Japanese market, where NEC will resell WorkFusion, providing solutions services and support to customers that are evolving their use of automation to adapt to the shifting labour laws and workforce. To kick off the partnership, WorkFusion collaborated with NEC Management Partner (NMP), NEC’s shared services organisation, to develop expert cognitive bots that address specific finance and accounting processes that are unique to Japan. The deployment of WorkFusion’s AI-driven RPA automated a range of manual processes that were too challenging for NMP’s existing work process management. This was accomplished by using

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WorkFusion Intelligent Automation Cloud software to implement business tasks in cooperation with NMP staff, which enabled the software’s machine learning to become familiar with a wide range of tasks. As a result, the software became able to independently carry out more tasks, which promoted the enhancement of productivity and customer service. WorkFusion’s AI-driven automation and RPA software creates and manages software robots for knowledge work. Built for data-first companies, its technology automates business processes by combining AI, RPA and people in one intuitive platform. NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world.

The value of an idea lies in the using of it. — Thomas Edison, co-founder of General Electric

Central Innovation talks to us Peter Ranyard, Country Manager New Zealand, Central Innovation How is Central Innovation finding the current business climate?

How can governments assist businesses to get ahead today?

The economic climate in New Zealand has remained stable on the back of a new government, after nine years of the previous body.

Firstly, by providing stability and certainty which helps drive investment and consumer confidence across businesses. A huge and continued focus on added value recognition in the export sector has greatly helped organisations to be less concerned about the ‘funding’ of development projects and more on the return on investment in new business.

Despite some recent slowing due to better design and strong innovation practices, the economic climate in New Zealand still shows steady growth. Having said that, a number of our clients are finding success in export markets such as the USA and Europe, even though, there has been some uncertainty with political and international factors like the Financial Services enquiry in Australia, Brexit, and the trade wars between the US and China.

Where will future business

Additionally, research and development are also key for a country as geographically distant as New Zealand. Therefore, continuous support for start-ups by providing incentives for innovation is important to help local businesses achieve a competitive edge against global players.

opportunities for the company come from?

Are your products and services helping businesses to enhance productivity?

Our goal is to continue to see our customers finding success in export markets, particularly with the USA and Europe. This should help drive more growth.

We believe so; our particular strength is in helping companies implement solutions for integrated design to production workflows.

We are also investing in new solution offerings for the manufacturing sector with our DataSuite solution for example, which helps manufacturers integrate their design, production and ERP systems to reduce inventory costs and improve their time to market.

For example, the DataSuite solution helps improve productivity by automating repetitive tasks, refining quality of tasks, and ultimately allowing our clients to reduce their inventory costs and speed their time to market.

Is the growth in technology aligned with the market’s needs? Yes, we’re seeing an increasing demand for data generated from the design process and other business processes. One of the challenges we come across is that many New Zealand firms don’t have the ‘know-how’ technology to confidently choose a supplier that is well versed with the market and can surely support the business to see a solution implementation through to completion. This is coupled with an underlying need to have a ‘suite’ of solution-based products that makes business processes in design and execution more palatable and less onerous.

It’s worth mentioning that over the past few decades, the New Zealand industry has suffered a great deal with increasing sourcing from Asian vendors. In light of this, there is a lot of room for productivity improvement in the manufacturing industry, we are, however, seeing a return to more ‘local’ production and having products and services that assist in this return to local aids local businesses enormously.

It has become the norm to secure high performing candidates, and in some cases, offshore skilled staff. Our clients have noticed this and want the quality with plug and play capability, which is why we’ve been able to help many of them find uniquely qualified staff who understand design with our recruitment service.

Which are the new industries offering the best opportunities?

How difficult is it to get the right staff?

Industries such as Robotics, packaging and aerospace are responsible for bringing in some staggering advances in the manufacturing industry and will be the ones to open doors to a lot more opportunities.

It’s always a challenge to find qualified staff who have the right cultural fit. This is becoming harder and harder. Over the past two governments, the New Zealand landscape has seen a huge decline in unemployment levels, which is a sign of a healthy market.

Interestingly, we are also seeing a lot of businesses constantly upgrading themselves and strengthening their capabilities to move productions from overseas, back home by investing in latest technologies, upskilling and training the workforce, especially in the manufacturing industry.

Only 14% of all our engineers are women. We want to change that. Join us and scores of other Kiwi organisations that have galvanised around one common goal: 20% more women engineers by 2021. www.diversityagenda.org

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NZ Manufacturer June 2019

Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.

NEW PRODUCTS

— Golda Meir, fourth Prime Minister of Israel

Weldwell has new website Weldwell, New Zealand’s leading welding supply company and the country’s only manufacturer of arc welding electrodes, has launched an exciting and intuitive new website making it easier for welders of all levels to find exactly what they need, be it welding equipment, filler metals, safety products or accessories, all at the touch of a button. Providing innovative welding products and solutions in New Zealand for over 50 years, Weldwell’s new website offers visitors easy access to the latest technology from around the world including products from leading brands such as WIA, Miller, Hobart and Bernard. To complement its modern fresh look and clean representation of the Weldwell brand, new significant features of the website include an expanded range of online products and dedicated landing pages to Weldwell’s most popular products

as well as case studies and more in-depth information on NZ welders’ favourite brands, welding resources and news. As well as warranty information and forms now online, the new website also includes an invaluable Where-to-Buy feature utilising Google maps to help customers find their local Weldwell distributor anywhere from the Bay of Islands in the north to Invercargill in the south, as well as providing relevant information on them. New Zealand welders will also be delighted to see

that welding Specification and Data sheets are now available online and easily downloaded offering welders easy access to all the information they need. There is also an electrode selection chart on the new website to assist welders with selecting the right electrode for their application in whatever industry they are in. As well as all these new exciting features, visitors to the new website will still be able to access the MSDS information and test certificates for their favourite Weldwell products. So whether, the visitor is welding for the first time or they already run a substantial welding operation, Weldwell’s new website can point users to the right solution for the job, be it in the Oil & Gas, Manufacturing Structural, Agriculture, Forestry, Mining, Transport or Marine industry.

New trends in engineering plastics signpost the future Light, strong, and cost-effective engineering plastics are continuing to supplant metals in many machinery, componentry and architectural and construction applications, with manufacturers and processors equipping themselves to maximise advantages in applications where outstanding hygiene, no corrosion, low friction, automation, deterioration resistance and safety are critical. “Australia and New Zealand are starting to catch up with pan-Asia and global trends towards the use of engineering plastics in expanding uses to which they are eminently suited. “Metals are great for some applications, but manufacturers, processors and building specifiers here are waking up to opportunities to optimise their low-maintenance infrastructure and automation applications with plastics,” says engineering plastics innovator Laurie Green, Managing Director of Cut to Size Plastics. Mr Green’s company – which has more than 40 years’ experience in engineering plastics applications throughout the Asia-pacific – has just launched a new website to help groups such as engineers, architects, operations managers, safety managers and others to decide whether plastics can deliver the benefits they need and to further extend technical support to specifiers who work with high performance and engineering plastics.

The site is linked to subsidiary Hercules Engineering, which manufactures cost-efficient low-maintenance bearings for architectural and engineering applications ranging from hospitals, high-rise and landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, through to road, rail, bridge, tank and pipeline infrastructure in Australia, Asia and Africa. Mr Green says plastics have long had a place in safety applications, ranging from machinery guards and electrically protected products, right through to light and easily replaced plummer blocks housing shafts, as well as low-wear, low friction bulk handling equipment, guides and liners to help prevent blockages and hazardous clearing operations, which can bedevil mining, food and beverage dry product and diverse bulk handling applications. “Automation and the search for cost-efficiency are also driving change in plastics engineering. Increasingly, engineers, architects and machinery fabricators are open to innovation, rather than

Cut To Size’s new Morbidelli machine used to machine quality light and strong engineering plastic components and finished products featured on the company’s new website – www. cuttosize.com.au

being rusted on to the past. “And new plastics formulations are emerging every year with designed-in attributes that optimise them for particular applications,” says Mr Green, whose company distributes advanced materials of international leaders in plastics technology including Licharz, Gehr and Beck-Wefapress.

Expansion and innovation Recent Cut to Size Plastics innovations include the introduction of a new high-speed, vibration-free Morbidelli Author M100F heavy duty CNC router which offers unmatched finishing quality and rapid production turnaround for the company’s Asia-Pacific markets. It is also currently introducing Wefapress’ globally proven Flex Cover ranges of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenes (UHMWPE) that have been chemically modified to make this tough, light material particularly suitable for high-temperature applications.

The new website, left, with Cut to Size Managing Director Laurie Green, centre, with National Sales Manager, Bill Novak and Technical Sales Engineer Swapnil Chavan, reviewing the Morbidelli machine’s high levels of automation, precision and timesaving

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The Wefapress Flex Cover range is typically eight times lighter than comparable steel liners used to curtail friction, wear and material flow challenges in diverse applications requiring no moisture absorption, outstanding chemical resistance and corrosion prevention.

Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.

NEW PRODUCTS

— Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos

Gamma helmets new benchmark for welder safety Kemppi, has launched its new Gamma range of helmets for welders.

“This places the Gamma series in a category all of its own when it comes to delivering maximum overall protection for the welder.”

The personal gear offers welders the best protection for the eyes, face and respiratory system, and it also integrates work lights for clear vision and safety in low light working conditions. The Gamma range reduces work fatigue, increases comfort, and helps guard against welding related health hazards.

Powered from either a battery powered filter pack or an airline breathing source, the Gamma GTH3 respirator models work on the ‘positive air pressure’ principal to exclude dangerous welding fumes, and supply clean and fresh breathing air into the breathing zone. These helmets ensure the welder enjoys a safe, cool and comfortable breathing environment when welding.

Designed to deliver maximum protection and safety for welding professionals, the Gamma family now sets the global benchmark. Intense light and heat from the welding and cutting arcs are known hazards in welding workshops. However, welding also contaminates the surrounding air. Welding and cutting fumes, which contain dangerous elements that are generally not visible to the naked eye, pollute the breathing air and can pose serious health risks. Typically, welders can breathe 4,000 litres of air in an 8-hour work shift, and if the lungs are unprotected, tiny fume particles can pass deep into the lung structure and can cause serious health risks through long and short-term exposure to the contaminated air. The new Gamma series protects welders from 99.8% of airborne fumes and particulates. ‘The Gamma series, when used together with the new powered filter unit, meets the highest European Total Inward Leakage (TIL) classification for respiratory performance, class TH3 as well as Australian and New Zealand standards,’ said David Green, Managing Director, Kemppi Australia.

Meeting the highest filtration performance for respiratory protection, the belt mounted, battery powered PFU 210e filter pack also offers total freedom of movement around the worksite, and the supplied air models can be connected to a known breathing air system to meet the local breathing air standards. Designed from the user’s perspective, the Gamma also provides excellent optical quality and large view areas. LiFE+ Colour auto-darkening welding filter technology enables greater clarity of vision. What’s more, when the welding visor is lifted, a 198 cm2 clear impact protection shield provides superb worksite views. These combined features improve work accuracy, increase safety, and reduce eye strain and work-based fatigue.

Other features that enhance the usability of the Gamma helmets include Axis regulation and GapView functions that deliver fast and convenient adjustment of the viewing area for different working positions. For low light conditions, the XFA models integrate 70 lumen LED work lights to help improve visibility, comfort and safety. To ensure maximum comfort, the ComFlex headband offers flexibility for the perfect fit to the welder’s individual head shape and preferences. The suspended weight of the helmet is distributed evenly to help reduce fatigue. Welders can choose from a range of seven Gamma models. They include standard face and eye protection through to the advanced high-class respiratory solutions that provide welders with a safe breathing environment throughout their working day. The Gamma helmets are suitable for use in all arc-based processes including welding, cutting and gouging, and in grinding and inspection work.

Gamma helmets with the auto-darkening welding filters are easy to adjust as they include the ‘Remote-RC’ feature. Located on the inside, upper surface of the helmet shell, the remote-control buttons allow welders to quickly and conveniently adjust the filter even when they are wearing the helmet.

THE FACTORY OF THE FUTURE WILL MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE, POSSIBLE SINGLE PASS WELDS IN THICKNESSES UP TO 200MM WITH NO CONSUMABLES

www.ebflow.com

PLEASE VISIT FOR MORE INFORMATION

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FOOD MANUFACTURING

Always deliver more than expected. — Larry Page, co-founder of Google

Assisting product development with new mini aseptic solution In today’s fast moving food and drink industry innovation is king. Everyone is looking for the next product to give their business the edge and food fashions and trends come and go with increasing speed. Food manufacturers often need to use seasonal ingredients, potentially offering limited edition flavours or varieties of key products: from herbal ice creams and summer berry drinks, to fruity condiments and vegetable smoothies. As a result, the life of innovative products is often shorter than has been seen previously and it can be hard for new product developers and marketers to pick which will survive in the market and which will fall away. All of these factors create challenges for operational factories and production lines. No business wants to invest in a fully-scaled line for a product that may have limited (albeit still successful) sales. The new HRS Asepticblock Mini Series allows manufacturers to produce new trial products with the minimum amount of product in a short time, reducing the unnecessary expense or wastage that can accompany full scale trials, and alleviating the need to suspend or interfere with the routine production of regular products. It allows the reproduction of a full scale final pack, but from as little as 20 to 50 kg of product. The Aseptic Mini Block Series was born from the need of many of small- and medium-sized customers to produce relatively small quantities of aseptic products, but who are prevented from doing so by high upfront capital costs and low return on investment. Traditional aseptic processing lines consist of two sections; one section is the steriliser or pasteuriser (based on a suitable heat exchanger according to

the product type), and the other is the aseptic filler. The HRS Asepticblock Mini Series is designed for such producers working with a range of high value products including fruit and vegetable purees, fruit based products, condiments, sauces, soups, prepared foods and many others. The design combines both the steriliser/pasteuriser and aseptic filler in one package, mounted on a single frame with a single control panel. As well as resulting in a compact and flexible unit which requires less space, the material and manufacturing costs are significantly reduced, meaning that prices for the Asepticblock Mini are up to half of those associated with conventional units.

One of the first customers is a multi-national food and beverage company, specialising in the production of own-label fruit products, juices, smoothies, drinks and ice cream. With just 20 to 50kg of product, the company can replicate their full industrial process, producing the end product in the same aseptic format as they would with the full industrial scale system. The Asepticblock Mini was installed in their Spanish production plant and linked to other equipment, such as blending tanks and homogenisers, so that they are now able to process a wide range of different products on-site without the need for any external processes. This has greatly increased the agility of their R&D process and facilitated new

Entries welcome for Food Safety Awards New Zealand Food Safety is encouraging keen foodies to get their entries in for a number of key 2019 food safety awards. The Significant Contribution to Food Safety, Food Safety Culture and the Primary Sector Products awards celebrate the achievements of those who are demonstrating innovation and excellence in food safety in New Zealand. To enter – visit www.mpi.govt.nz/scholarships-and-awards/ for more details. “We’re focussed on making sure we have safe and suitable food, and that New Zealand food is the most trusted in markets around the world,” said Head of New Zealand Food Safety Bryan Wilson. “Rules are an important part of that, but ultimately

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food safety is about the people who produce the food we enjoy. Through these awards we can recognise and reward excellence in the primary industries and food sectors.” The Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award recognises an individual, a team, or an organisation who has made a significant improvement to food safety in New Zealand. This could include developing or improving a food safety process or operation. It could be in one sector or across a few. Nominations close on 23 May 2019. The award will be presented during the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology’s (NZIFST) ‘Good Food 4’ Conference

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in Christchurch on 3 July 2019. “This is the third year that this Award is open and we thank the NZIFST team for their support and allowing us to present the award at their Conference Awards Dinner,” Mr Wilson said. The Food Safety Culture and Primary Sector Products awards are part of the 2019 New Zealand Food Awards. The awards are owned and organised by Massey University. Entries for the NZ Food Awards close on 31 May 2019. Winners will be announced at the Awards’ Gala Dinner on 23 October 2019 in Auckland.

Don’t try to be original, just try to be good. — Paul Rand, Graphic Designer

FOOD MANUFACTURING

Food waste initiative delivers potential for environmental advances

Waste management leader JJ Richards & Sons is proving an environmental initiative in Sydney that eliminates landfill dumping of commercial and retail food waste by

transforming it into valuable green energy and fertiliser. The company’s custom-engineered waste reception centre at Seven Hills – which its designers say has demonstrated potential to become a model for national use – processes pulped waste from its partner Pulpmaster’s collection tankers into an easily handled and valuable resource for use in agriculture, horticulture and fossil fuel replacement. The plant – which already handles bulk waste from major customers including supermarkets, food shops, hospitals, schools and catering facilities – uses CST Wastewater Solutions’ KDS multi-disc fine screening and compaction technology as part of its automated process that turns the pulped waste collected into a cake form that is more than 50 per cent lighter and dryer than the pulp and which can be transported to users for half the cost of heavier and less hygienic output. Waste producers using the system get monthly reports on how much they are saving on disposal costs, while simultaneously reducing their environmental impact. The material is used by farms and other agricultural enterprises as high potency fertiliser and for the production of biogas to reduce their environment footprints whilst simultaneously boosting their output with natural fertilisers and fossil fuel replacement green energy. The system not only disposes of an environmental headache and cost for responsible businesses – including high landfill costs and the high cost of transporting waste to somewhere remote, secure and non-harmful – but turns the problem into an environmental asset – and a cost saver. Businesses love getting the reports on the environmental benefits of their waste disposal and recycling, because they can demonstrate benefits

to the community, while also saving themselves substantial measurable costs. The Seven Hills plant features twin 28-ton filtrate receival tanks and similarly large vessels to process waste to the pH levels most ideal for recycling uses and injection into the ground as fertiliser.

JJ Richards and Sons NSW/ACT Operations Manager Benjamin Martis, right, discusses the plant’s waste management 28-ton receiving tanks and processing tanks with CST Wastewater Solutions Engineer Peter Bambridge

heavier wet waste to transport onwards to users of the output. This lighter and compacted output is automatically fed into 35-ton slide-out waste handling bins for loading onto JJ Richards onward delivery vehicles. The KDS system can be run continuously and reliably, with low energy consumption, to optimise output from the Seven Hills plant. A JJ Richards tanker at Seven Hills involved in the Pulpmaster process, which transforms food waste pulp into organic fertiliser, generates green electricity from the biogas, ensures zero waste goes to landfill and curtails oil and grease entering sewer systems

The automated and highly reliable receival, processing and despatch facility at Seven Hills features high speed drive-in pulp receival bays and treatment tanks for the thousands of tonnes of throughput delivered by Pulpmaster tankers, which employ an environmentally friendly and cost-effective collection system that converts the mixed waste they collect into pulp slurry for further processing into organic fertiliser and biogas. This slurry passes from the Seven Hills treatment tanks through ultra-fine (1mm) screening from CST Wastewater Solutions before passing through the KDS dewatering and liquid separation process, which transforms the sloppy pulp waste into a hygienic, compact and much lighter dewatered output that is easy to handle and costs 50 per cent less than

In addition to custom-engineered applications such as JJ Richards’, the KDS system can also be skid-mounted to manage separation and compaction needs on remote sites, saving waste transport disposal costs

“We are proud to have been a major sponsor of the NZ Food Awards since 2008,” Mr Wilson said. “These awards are about celebrating innovation and excellence in food which is a big part of what drives exports and grows our economy. “This is the fourth time New Zealand Food Safety has sponsored the Food Safety Culture Award, which rewards businesses who have put food safety, their customers and their staff at the heart of what they do. “The Primary Sector Products Award provides a great opportunity to recognise the best new primary sector food products developed through forward thinking, innovation, and creativity, and the businesses that successfully deliver these.”

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NZ Manufacturer June 2019

The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.

SUPPLY CHAIN

— Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder

Manufacturing the right scenarios for blockchain By Lourens Swanepoel, Data & AI Lead, Avanade Australia

It’s hard to imagine that just a decade ago, businesses had reservations about cloud computing. Initially, the concept of putting your company data on a sprawling public network seemed revolutionary, if not inconceivable. Yet today, Gartner forecasts global public cloud revenue will grow 17.3 percent in 2019, to total $206.2 billion. This shows every time there is a shift in technology that disrupts the way we work, there are always naysayers who dismiss it and try to cling to the status quo. The latest technology to be questioned is blockchain. An encrypted record of transactions maintained across several linked computers, the International Data Corporation has predicted global spending on blockchain will reach $11.6 billion by 2022. One of the big hurdles is that today’s business leaders don’t seem to fully grasp what blockchain could be used for. A recent study conducted by Avanade and Wakefield Research of top C-suite and IT decision-makers revealed that 91 percent of respondents were unable to articulate a single use case for blockchain. This harks back to the early days of cloud computing, where many businesses were reluctant to use cloud storage as they thought it would mean a loss of control and security as well as increased costs. As in the early days of cloud computing, the business leaders who realised the earliest how reliable, versatile and cost-effective the technology was, were the ones to beat their competition and reap the benefits the soonest.

Australia at the crypto-forefront Blockchain has been gaining momentum since 2008, but it was 2016 when it really burst onto the Australian scene, with Australia set to revolutionise the economy by leading the global standardisation process of blockchain.

Since then, the Queensland State Government has funded digital currency platforms in order to boost regional tourism, while the South Australian Government plans to use blockchain in their forthcoming elections. Even the Australian Stock Exchange is set to use blockchain as its post-trade settlement system, becoming one of the first mainstream exchanges in the world to migrate one of its core services to a blockchain-based system. But blockchain is not just for governments or public exchanges. It can benefit any industry built on trust and contracts. For example: • Blockchain could rewrite the rules of sales in the automotive industry, giving everyone from manufacturers to insurers to consumers an unparalleled ability to track the origin and wear and tear of a particular vehicle. • In healthcare, blockchain could help uncover illegal counterfeit pharmaceuticals with a fully transparent, end-to-end view of manufacturing and distribution of medicine. • For coffee drinkers, blockchain could give consumers full visibility into every aspect of the process, from growers and roasters to retailers and consumers. Wine enthusiasts would be similarly thrilled about gaining insights into the origins of their glass of Shiraz from the other end of the world. The undisputable nature of blockchain means that the people or organisations charged with tracking and monitoring the supply chain will have a ready-made, auditable system for operational and

regulatory reporting. Further, the decentralised nature of blockchain allows for assets to be tied and controlled by their owners instead of institutional custodians. And finally, the distributed, replicated nature of the blockchain delivers unmatched data security at a time when it’s required more than ever.

Beyond Bitcoin Recently, most of the hype and sadly, the notoriety, about blockchain has revolved around cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. But it has the potential to transform the way we do all business. At Avanade, we believe the underlying infrastructure of distributed ledgers and smart contracts will be part of the future technology infrastructure. While many Australian government bodies are boldly going ahead with trials into this new versatile technology, it is now time for Australian and New Zealand manufacturers to catch up and begin experimenting.

Konecranes boosts sustainability with RTG retrofit Konecranes RTGs at MSC Terminal VLC have been retrofitted with a busbar system that’s providing environmental, safety and efficiency benefits The Port of Valencia on Spain’s east coast has implemented the country’s first busbar retrofit of its reliable Konecranes Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) cranes to enhance their sustainability, safety and efficiency as they handle more than 4.2 million TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units) annually. MSC Terminal VLC (MSCTV) is a major terminal within the Port of Valencia, which is Spain’s largest port and the fifth busiest container port in Europe. MSCTV converted its existing Konecranes RTGs to fully electric operation with a busbar retrofit, in addition to purchasing new Konecranes RTGs that came fully busbar-ready. With a busbar system, the power is supplied by a low electrified fence that provides the physical contact. RTG operation is quiet and there are no diesel emissions. It also eliminates the need for refuelling, so RTGs can spend more time shifting containers.

NZ Manufacturer June 2019 /

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Always think outside the box and embrace opportunities that appear, wherever they might be.

SMART SAFETY

— Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman & CEO of ArcelorMittal

Safety at work – how can machine tools and systems operate safely and efficiently? Sensors are not only a matter of process control – today one of their primary tasks is to link processes together. With its extensive range of Safety@work products, Leuze electronic optimises collaboration between man and machine: sensor and control systems, like those of the RSL 400 safety laser scanner, can be integrated intelligently into the processes performed by machines and safeguard these machines in a reliable and tamperproof manner. At the same time, the processes are structured efficiently and cost-effectively.

Machining work pieces In machining centres, parts of various materials are machined, turned, and drilled. The prerequisite for processing work pieces in complex machining centres with a high degree of precision is having the right tool available for each work step. In addition to checking whether the tool is present and identifying it, the drill or milling cutter must also be monitored for tool breakage. Inductive switches or camera-based code readers clearly identify whether the correct tool is mounted for the respective processing step. Focused laser photoelectric sensors can – thanks to their very small light spot – reliably check whether even the smallest drills or milling cutters are intact.

Increased level of automation Industrial robots, which can perform a large number of swivel and gripping movements in a very short period of time, are often used for automated loading and unloading of machine tools. Their movement zones must be reliably protected against access over a large area. Before a robot picks up a part, the part must be uniquely identified to ensure that the correct processing step is carried out. This is done using the DCR 200i camera-based code reader. The DCR 200i is a reader used to detect and identify Data Matrix codes. The fast imager, integrated high-performance LED illumination, as well as high resolution in combination with a very high depth of field guarantee reliable decoding, even with fast processes and high object speeds.

increase the level of automation considerably. For the safeguarding of large access points, safety laser scanners with vertical alignment of the protective field are used, e.g. to detect vehicles and persons. The RSL 400 safety laser scanner provides a solution for such applications. Its large operating range of 8.25 meters allows large areas to be monitored. With two parallel protective fields and two integrated safety-related switching outputs, only one RSL 400 safety laser scanner can also monitor two stations independently of one another. Complete safeguarding of two stations with just one safety laser scanner A further option is safeguarding using multiple light beam safety devices. These devices provide a greater operating range and therefore an efficient solution for safeguarding access points over long distances of up to 70 meters – even “around the corner” solutions with multiple mirror columns are possible. Intelligent products such as the MLD 500 safety light curtain have an integrated laser alignment aid for time-saving and cost-effective alignment. Simple configuration by means of wiring and integrated indicator lights for status display are possible, even over long distances. Different safeguarding options are available depending on the respective requirements and application. A comprehensive range of products helps in choosing the best possible solutions to ensure safety at work and also in optimising collaboration between man and machine. In-house logistics with automated guided vehicles (AGVs)

of the robot or machine tool. On completion of the production process, the machined work pieces are collected again. The transportation path of the AGVs must be safeguarded with safety sensors which monitor the presence of persons and objects. An important consideration here is the flexible adaptation of the protective fields to the movement situation and the different loads. In the case of the triangulation principle, an AGV must be equipped with two different scanners. Unlike the contour navigation principle, just one scanner is needed for safeguarding and navigation. This means that safeguarding and data capture for navigation requires one single safety laser scanner. In other words, the scanner simultaneously also provides the measurement data needed for navigation. In addition to that, the measurement values have an extremely high angular resolution and accuracy. This is important to precisely determine the position of the AGV. The RSL 400 safety laser scanner enables such a combined solution.

Safety function and high-quality measurement data output in one device The safety laser scanner is available in various models. The extensive range of scanners from Leuze electronic includes a total of nine functional variants – three of which with data output for AGV navigation. All variants are available for the four operating ranges of 3.0, 4.5, 6.25, and 8.25 meters. Models with PROFIsafe/PROFINET interfaces are also available.

An AGV, which moves autonomously and flexibly in space, transports blanks into the working area

Safety-related monitoring of machines and systems Safety laser scanners such as the RSL 400 from Leuze electronic are used for the safety-related monitoring of areas in and around machines and systems. A maximum operating range, robust operation and simple handling are crucial here. The simultaneous monitoring of four protective fields means the working area can be split up and the speed safely reduced. In future, an important aspect in addition to the automated loading and unloading of machine tools will above all be the linking together of multiple machine tools in combination with automated production processes. This includes, for example, storage systems that optimize material flow, but also a wide variety of transport equipment such as linear gantries, pallet handling systems and conveyor systems, which all

RSL 400 safety laser scanner

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NZ Manufacturer June 2019

Don’t worry about people stealing your design work. Worry about the day they stop.

DEVELOPMENTS

— Jeffrey Zeldman, entrepreneur and web designer

Gary lives his dream in Hydraulink-sponsored open wheel As a teenager, Gary Rush dreamed of driving in New Zealand’s ‘Formula Atlantic open wheel racing cars. Now, a generation later, he has realised his dream – driving in, and winning – the top single seater award of the Matos Formula Libre Series. Gary Rush won the Ultimate Echo Cup for finishing top in a field of up to 30 cars. The racing season – culminating late April – was enthusiastically supported by Hydraulink, which operates throughout the Asia-Pacific, with more than 400 service points across the region.

Hydraulink’s sponsorship included Motul high performance lubrication products, for which Hydraulink is the exclusive NZ and Pacific distributor of Motul’s prestigious range of heavy-duty diesel oils and hydraulics. The Motul brand is also a highly respected name in many forms of racing. “When I was in my later teens, I desperately wanted to drive Formula Atlantic cars, but we didn’t have the money. So now, with the help of sponsors like Hydraulink, I am living the dream and loving every moment, thinking how lucky I am,” says Mr Rush,

who races a Toyota-engined Swift DB4 Formula Atlantic car. Although 30 years old, the Swift DB4 is a really fast car – “They are still one of the fastest cars on a racetracks and would be capable of being within two seconds of outright lap records on most race tracks anywhere,” he says. “Being a ground-effect car, the side pods generate a lot of downforce, which, combined with large tyres, gives the car very high cornering speeds. At only 498kg total weight, with a very highly tuned modified 1600cc engine, they are also very quick in a straight line. Mr Rush – whose regular job is in the building and construction industry – has invested in his racing pursuits with the same energy and drive that he puts into his business. The Motul products supplied by Hydraulink also get a thorough workout when Gary Rush is chasing lap times – “The engine is a lovely little unit, which you are meant to keep to 9500rpm – which I don’t – but it completed more than 3000km of racing with top reliability, which is wonderful. A big thank you to Hydraulink for support with Motul products, which are the best in the world.”

Gary Rush, second left, with his wife Brenda and supporters, Evan Kontze and John Fayen on his way to the Ultimate Echo Cup

Motul is one of the leading global brands distributed by hydraulic service specialist Hydraulink, which supplies hydraulic hoses, fittings, adaptors and accessories through more than 400 service points throughout Asia-Pacific.

Advances in Corrosion Science and Corrosion Engineering The Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) will be hosting an International Symposium focusing on the latest advances in corrosion science and corrosion engineering. This two-day symposium will be held on 24-25 July 2019 at the Marriott Hotel in Melbourne.

session of the symposium with a presentation titled ‘Alloy Design for Corrosion Resistance’, delivered by John Scully, University of Virginia, USA. Following this, Nick Birbilis from Monash University will discuss the latest insights into corrosion of light metals.

Topics covered will include: Corrosion Monitoring for Oil & Gas Applications; Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion – lessons learned and challenges for the future; and, Recent Advances in Investigating Chemical Inhibition of Mild Steel Corrosion.

The symposium will celebrate the significant contributions of the following ACA notables: Les Boulton, Bruce Hinton, Brian Kinsella, Brian Martin, Greg Moore and David Nicholas.

The first day of the Advances in Corrosion Science and Corrosion Engineering International Symposium will also showcase the latest industry knowledge in Corrosion Resistant Alloys; Corrosion Modelling & Prediction; and, Cathodic Protection.

The afternoon sessions will shift to corrosion in the water and wastewater industry, with presenters sharing the latest industry knowledge on topics including: Corrosion of Cast Iron Water Mains; Degradation of Plastic Pipes in the Water Industry; and Advances in Condition Assessment of Water Industry Assets. Following the presentations there will be a Panel Discussion and Open Forum, chaired by the ACA’s Technical Committee.

Featuring keynote presentations from 15 high calibre International and Australian speakers, this event will bring together leading local and global corrosion experts and showcase the latest advances in corrosion science and corrosion engineering. A panel discussion and open forum will be held at the end of each day and technical papers of high quality and substantive length will be available to delegates. Engineering Alloys will take centre stage in the first

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In addition to the technical program, there will also be a trade exhibition and attendees will have the opportunity to network during morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea breaks. At the conclusion of the first day’s events there will be a networking cocktail function followed by the event highlight – the Symposium Dinner and Awards presentation. The second day of the symposium will have a strong industry focus. Corrosion management in the oil and gas industry will be the heart of the morning session.

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The Symposium will conclude in style with a Networking Farewell Cocktail Function, providing an opportunity for further discussions and relationship building. For full program details and to register please visit the Events Tab at corrosion.com.au

Best startups generally come from somebody needing to scratch an itch.

DEVELOPMENTS

— Michael Arrington, founder and co-editor of TechCrunch

Climate change event in July The Sustainable Business Council together with the Climate Leaders Coalition, EECA, Ministry for the Environment, and WWF New Zealand is holding a one-day event to empower business action on climate change. EMBARK is being held at SKYCITY Auckland on July 24 and is designed to help businesses learn practical ways to reduce their emissions. “EMBARK is a one stop shop for businesses of all shapes and sizes who want to take action on climate change but don’t necessarily know how,” Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council Abbie Reynolds says. “The day is by business, for business. It will see those already on a low emissions journey share what they have learnt to help others make faster progress.”

The morning will see speakers from the Climate Leaders Coalition, including Air New Zealand, NZ Post, Vector, Westpac, Z Energy, The Warehouse Group, SKYCITY, Ports of Auckland, Meridian, and Fonterra talk about what they have done to reduce their emissions. They will also share practical tips to empower businesses to draw up their transition plans, measure their carbon footprints, set an emissions reduction target and finance it. The afternoon’s facilitated sessions will give businesses the opportunity to meet some of the

providers of low emissions products and services who can help them make it happen. “Our aim is that by the end of the day attendees will come away with the building blocks of a great transition plan and will be connected with the people who can help them turn their plan into reality,” Ms Reynolds says. The event will also be used to celebrate the first anniversary of the Climate Leaders Coalition, including what it has collectively achieved over the past year, and the launch of a new statement. The event is certified carbon neutral. More information and registration is available at https:// www.embark2019.nz/register

EITE business committed to low-emissions economy A report by Castalia Strategic Advisors shows that EITE (Emission Intensive and Trade Exposed) businesses are proactively reducing emissions and have a common interest in helping the Government to meet its international climate change obligations. (Emissions-intensive firms use significant amounts of energy to create their products. Trade-exposed firms sell products overseas in competition with overseas firms. Firms that are both emissions-intensive and trade-exposed bear the cost of reducing emissions while competing against overseas firms that do not bear similar costs.)

that take account of unintended consequences and potential risks to the economy.

living standards for all New Zealanders.

“For example, there is a risk of uncompetitive emissions pricing forcing domestic businesses to close, with production shifting to countries with higher emissions intensity.

“Any emissions reduction policy must consider the economic and social impacts it will have on this important sector.

The report shows that New Zealand’s EITE businesses are a significant segment of the economy, employing around 15,000 New Zealanders.

“The EITE group is seeking ongoing and constructive dialogue with the Government to help ensure that unnecessary trade-offs are avoided, and investment can be encouraged.

The businesses, members of a BusinessNZ EITE working group, want to help the Government achieve workable emissions reduction policies and an energy-intensive sector that is responsive to climate change policies.

“EITE businesses produce goods that form the backbone of our economy including fresh food, building materials, critical industrial chemicals, and industrial metals.

BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope says EITE businesses want to see emissions reduction policies

“EITE businesses create jobs, wealth and regional diversification, and contribute significantly to higher

“Predictable and durable policy settings are the cornerstone to unlocking greater investment in low-emission initiatives, and we welcome any opportunity to work with the Government as it develops its plan to achieve its emissions reduction targets.”

The Castalia report: Emissions Intensive Trade Exposed Businesses’ Contribution to NZ’s Low Emission Economy and a supporting Infographic are available on www. businessnz.org.nz

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NZ Manufacturer June 2019

Let me tell you the secret that has led to my goal. My strength lies solely on my tenacity.

BUSINESS NEWS

– Louis Pasteur, French biologist, microbiologist and chemist

Dragon eases documentation burden for professionals Speech recognition solutions such as Nuance’s Dragon can help professionals work better, faster and smarter because they help you power through your documentation work. Nuance’s Dragon Professional software for Windows systems understands the sound of your voice and the language you use to transform spoken words into text to create more detailed, compliant documentation, faster than ever before. By simply using your voice, you can create reports, documents and other paperwork three times faster than by keyboarding, and with up to 99% accuracy. Better still, as Dragon leverages the latest in Deep Learning technology, it constantly learns and adapts to your unique voice and environmental variations even while you are dictating to deliver new levels of personalised accuracy and productivity. The speed and precision of Dragon helps save you time and money while increasing your productivity and lets you focus on what matters most, delivering the best possible personalised client service.

Improving Compliance

to help ensure compliance. Working from Anywhere at Any time Some speech recognition solutions also let you keep up with financial documentation from any location. Powered by the cloud, Nuance’s mobile app, Dragon Anywhere, delivers the powerful, professional productivity features of Dragon desktop speech recognition to Android and iOS mobile devices. This lets you complete and share documentation – by voice – directly on your device while you are on the move.

Increasing Your Productivity By using your voice you can also complete other daily tasks faster including setting up meetings, managing emails, creating spreadsheets and preparing client presentations.

Plus, with Dragon Anywhere you can also automatically transcribe recorded notes or voice files of another single speaker into text quickly and easily. This lets you record client conversations in real-time and then create detailed, personalised action plans at a time that suits you.

For many professionals capturing client conversations, disclosure regarding commissions and fees, discussions concerning conflicts of interests and general client instructions is increasingly important so as to meet compliance requirements.

Improving the Customer Relationship As speech recognition solutions let you create high quality documents quickly and easily, you have more time to focus on what really matters – improving client responsiveness, adding value to your client relationships and growing your customer base.

With Dragon, client communication and instructions can be documented immediately and accurately. You can then feed the information back into your CRM systems or simply maintain it within the relevant client file. The process also creates an auditable trail

Further, the ability to document all client interaction accurately and in detail, aids transparency. At the touch of a button you can see exactly what was discussed and agreed so as to avoid any miscommunication that may erode client trust.

Only one in four Kiwis trust organisations to protect personal data Highlighting a strong need to build trust in the region, a study from Microsoft and IDC, Understanding Consumer Trust in Digital Services in Asia Pacific revealed that only approximately one in four (27%) consumers in New Zealand believed their personal data would be treated in a trustworthy manner by organisations offering digital services. Today, almost all transactions and interactions in New Zealand, from organisations and government agencies to banks and retailers, are becoming digital. At the same time, consumers are becoming more aware of the cybersecurity risks and the risks to the privacy of their personal data, not just from cybercriminals but also from organisations holding on to their personal data. The study aims to understand consumers’ expectations of trust, uncover their experiences with digital services and provide tangible insights to organisations to help them earn and sustain the trust of consumers in the digital world. “As New Zealand is one of the most digitally active markets in the region, the upside for organisations with a trusted digital platform is tremendous,” said Russell Craig, National Technology Officer for Microsoft New Zealand. “However, despite consumers’ increasing reliance on digital services, there is still a considerable trust gap that needs to be addressed. Most consumers

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still do not perceive organisations to be trusted data stewards. I urge business leaders to do more to understand what drives consumer trust and focus on how they can build trust and make it a key competitive advantage for their digital services.” The study, which surveyed 453 consumers in New Zealand, asked respondents to provide their opinions on the five elements of trust – namely privacy, security, reliability, ethics, and compliance – when using digital services. The study revealed consumers feel that all five elements of trust are almost equally important to them. Specifically, security (91%), privacy (88%) and reliability (87%) emerged as the top three most important elements. Consumers also have the highest expectations of trust from financial services institutions, followed by healthcare organisations and education providers.

Trust in Digital Services is Fragile The study found establishing a trusted platform needs to be a priority in organisations’ digital

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services strategy. Only six per cent of consumers would favour an organisation that offers a cheaper but less trusted digital platform above a more reliable one. Additionally, more than three out of five (62%) consumers said they would recommend a trusted digital service to others even if the cost was higher. “Trust is absolutely critical for organisations to succeed in this digital world, as consumers, businesses and governments overwhelmingly prefer to transact with organisations with a trusted digital platform,” said Louise Francis, Research Director at IDC Australia and NZ. “As competition between digital services becomes more intense and global in nature, advocacy through word of mouth can be a powerful differentiator for the organisation and a shot in the arm for the brand. The study also uncovered that more than one in four (28%) consumers have had their trust compromised when using digital services. The top three trust elements that cause consumers to stop using digital services are reliability, security and privacy.

Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

REAR VIEW

– Earl Nightingale

The search for an alternative to GDP to measure a nation’s progress – the New Zealand experience New Zealand’s well-being budget was based on a set of measures that include cultural identity, environment, income and consumption, and social connections. Murray Graham Patterson, Professor in Ecological Economics, Massey University There is consensus among New Zealand policymakers and researchers that GDP is not a good measure of a nation’s well-being. But the debate about what metric should replace GDP is ongoing. May’s well-being budget was based on the Livings Standards Framework (LSF), a set of well-being measures that include cultural identity, environment, income and consumption, and social connections. But these provide no overall index of the nation’s performance. Our research uses the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI). It shows that by that measure, New Zealand may be only half as well off, compared to conventional measures such as GDP.

The data is deliberately disaggregated and there is no attempt to come up with an overall index of the nation’s performance. Accounting for costs and benefits of economic activity Globally, the GPI is the most widely used method to replace GDP. It is essentially a macro-scale analysis of the costs and benefits of activities associated with economic activity. It includes personal consumption of goods and services as one of the largest benefits, but it balances this with costs, which may include social factors such as income inequality and environmental factors such as water pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases.

sioned a review of headline indicators for tracking progress towards sustainability. This identified seven factors that were considered critical for successful indicators of progress. Of the 33 indicators reviewed, two were eventually implemented: the ecological footprint and the genuine progress indicator. In 2008, towards the end of the Labour government term, Stats NZdeveloped a conceptual framework for measuring progress towards a “sustainable development approach”. This substantive work did not come up with a replacement for GDP, but instead listed trends under 15 topic areas, grouped under the themes of environmental responsibility, economic efficiency and social cohesion. From an analytical standpoint, it was hard to see how this laundry list of indicators explicitly linked to the concept of sustainable development, which this tool set was purportedly measuring. With the National Party coming to power in 2009, sustainability literally became a banned concept. All the work on sustainability was halted and, in many cases, annihilated. The Ministry for the Environment removed commissioned reports on ecological footprints from its website.

Living standards research From 2011, Treasury began developing the Livings Standards Framework (LSF) as an alternative to GDP. Many took notice as Treasury, one of the last true believers in GDP, was questioning its usefulness as the indicator of national progress. The framework is based on the idea that four capitals – human, financial, social and natural – provide the basis for “intergenerational well-being”. It includes 12 measures of well-being. The theoretical underpinnings of this framework are diverse, drawing on concepts of sustainability as well as a capabilities framework, as outlined in

economist Amartya Sen’s 1985 book Commodities and Capabilities. Treasury released the well-being indicators last year. Unfortunately, when you drill down into the detail of these indicators, you realise that, in many cases, they are very subjective and dependent on how survey questions are framed. For example, there are subjective questions like “the perceived state of New Zealand’s environment on a 1 to 5 scale”. In my view, that could be much better answered if hard environmental data, like water quality indicators, were used. The living standards indicators also provide no guidance on whether the country is worse off or better off in an overall sense. The data is deliberately disaggregated and there is no attempt to come up with an overall index of the nation’s performance.

Progress indicators for the regions From 2007 onwards, there were a number of useful attempts by central and local government to develop workable progress indicator systems. The Waikato Regional Council, developed a composite index for their region, covering economic, social and environmental aspects of progress. The Wellington Regional Council’s index was derived by adding up 85 equally weighted indicators covering economic, environmental, social and cultural well-being. The struggle to find a replacement for GDP has not led to any firm conclusions, and one can’t ignore the role of politics at both a government and inter-departmental level. Governments of various persuasions have attempted to impose their own view of what a GDP replacement would look like. Until this situation stabilises, and there is an enduring and robust replacement that is accepted by all, then by default GDP will continue to be the pre-eminent indicator of the nation’s progress.

On a per capita basis, New Zealand’s GDP has increased by 91% since 1970. But the GPI gives a more accurate measure of the nation’s well-being, an increase of only 53%. Personal consumption is the highest value in both GPI and the GDP during the 1990s. It grew strongly with an improving economy, but there is a widening gap between GDP and GPI because of the increasing cost of environmental problems and other externalities, such as the high cost of increasing commuting time.

Sustainability as the beacon The struggle to find something better than GDP has a long history in New Zealand. The first attempts to find a GDP replacement were heavily influenced by the idea of sustainable development as an overarching concept of societal progress. In 2002, the Ministry for the Environmentcommis-

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