NZ Manufacturer November 2020

November 2020

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EDITORIAL RCEP: A trading world of increased possibilities.

BUSINESS NEWS Industry 4.0 Mobile showcase to launch at EMEX 2021.

ANALYSIS 9 Where are the

™

world class leaders?

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Question everything, nothing is off the table Simon Ganley, managing director, Ganley Engineering Over the past three decades I have been at the sharp end of process control. Mostly with multi-national manufacturers both in NZ and internationally.

This has involved a wide variety of applications in a large number of factories. I have made a lot of very useful contacts with a lot of very clever people. I have seen a lot of amazing solutions and have also seen a lot of dumb stupidity that has cost a lot of money.

So, what do the top players do with the new waves of technology becoming available because of quantum developments in computing, optics and machine control?

For a start they question everything. Nothing is off the table. They only buy the best equipment available with the lowest cost of ownership. Anything bought is thoroughly tested and dissected long before it gets anywhere near a production line.

They sell what they make for top dollar and have built their reputations on quality. They hate waste and they watch their costs.

A lot of them have process control sensors specifically developed for what they do with custom filters and algorithms. This enables them to go to places no-one has been before with consistently made new products.

And it enables us to build these new technologies into our new analysers and control sensors. It is a symbiotic world for us.

Now what they do and a lot of industry doesn’t is to control what they make to the top of the specification as they make it.

Probably the biggest cost to manufacturing is the price of energy. If someone is running a fluid bed drier, a tunnel oven, a fryer, a drum drier or anything that uses energy with no controls is probably over drying/ cooking and giving away enormous percentages of what they make.

In this age, that is dumb. We have seen companies have whole shipments rejected because the products were going rotten in the packaging. We have seen a lot of products emerging from baking and drying that the owners declared was at 7% moisture and when we put a moisture sensor on, showed most was at 4%.

That is a lot of giveaway and wasted power consumption.

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CONTENTS 1 4 5

DEPARTMENTS LEAD Question everything, nothing is off the table.

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RCEP: A trading world of increased possibilities.

Kirk Hope

BUSINESS NEWS

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

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Unique plastic plain bearing applications wanted.

RAM3D is 3D printing titanium implants for veterinary surgery.

Ian Walsh

ANALYSIS MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Recycling can drive new manufacturing pathways and prosperity.

Verizon Business takes private 5G global.

OnRobot 2FG7 gripper for demanding applications.

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ANALYSIS

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SUSTAINABILITY

Empowering the manufacturing workforce to survive the pandemic and thrive beyond it.

Leeann Watson

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Why sustainable manufacturing makes economic as well as ethical sense.

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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.

Ian is Managing Director of Intent Group, a master black belt improvement specialist and global lean practitioner. He is passionate about improving productivity and helping to create world class New Zealand businesses.

Where are the world class leaders?

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ADVISORS

EDITORIAL

Industry 4.0 Mobile to launch at EMEX 2021 in February.

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NZ STEEL INDUSTRY AWARDS

Lewis Woodward

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SMART MANUFACTURING Emerging technologies of 2020.

Seequent expands into South Korean infrastructure market.

NZ Code launched to propel NZ software globally.

Tekplas- building new capabilities in highest quality packaging for NZ food manufacturers.

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NEW PRODUCTS

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DEVELOPMENTS

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DEVELOPMENTS

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X5 FastMig means better arc-welding productivity.

Cable weighing tons guided by quickly mounted igus energy chain.

“The Cutter Rail.”

Steel construction industry serious about. nurturing future talent.

Flight attendant retrains at WelTec to find new pathways

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

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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.

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.

RCEP: A trading world of increased possibilities

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

Important, I think, to make this Editorial about the RCEP Agreement which will open up more opportunities for New Zealand businesses.

New Zealand is a member of the world’s largest free-trade deal, representing 30% of GDP, which aims to boost imports and exports with lower tariffs across 15 Asia-Pacific countries.

CONTRIBUTORS Holly Green, Barbara Nebel, Ian Walsh, Simon Ganley

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

This is a big deal and the largest free trade deal so far.

At the (virtual) ASEAN Summit, held Sunday last, ministers from 15 countries signed a mega-trade agreement after eight years of negotiations, which started in 2012.

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

Known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, once ratified, it will form the largest-ever regional free-trade bloc.

WEB MASTER Julian Goodbehere E: julian@isystems.co.nz

Countries who signed were China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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

The 15,000-page agreement outlines tariff reductions of about 90% on traded goods and services.

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

On top of goods and services, the agreement covers investment, economic and technical cooperation, new rules for e-commerce, intellectual property and more. When finalised, the main benefits for businesses will be:

MEDIA HAWKES BAY LTD

• One set of rules for accessing lower tariffs in any of the 15 RCEP markets;

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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

• New trade opportunities in telecommunications, professional and financial services; • Improved processes for tackling non-tariff barriers such as customs procedures; • Greater investment certainty; • New rules on e-commerce to make it easier for businesses to trade online;

Vol.11 No. 10 NOVEMBER 2020

• A common set of intellectual property rules; and • A new rules of origin agreement to boost inputs in production chains.

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.

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These new measures are expected to come into effect once the majority of participating countries ratify the deal over the next two years.

As I said, this is a big deal.

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Doug Green

Success Through Innovation

EDITORIAL

BUSINESS NEWS Industry 4.0 Mobile showcase to launch at EMEX 2021 in February Callaghan Innovation has confirmed Beca and The Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) as official partners to deliver the Government’s Industry 4.0 Demonstration Network - an initiative that will grow uptake of new technologies in the manufacturing sector.

“Our aim is to help New Zealand manufacturers to transform and increase their resilience and competitiveness through the adoption of new technologies. Raising the value of their activities and businesses is especially important during times of economic uncertainty and recovery,” says Mr Linton.

The partnership will bring to life a nationwide showcase of Industry 4.0 technologies that are delivering vast improvements and resilience for businesses in many sectors.

“This partnership is a great example of the Government working with industry experts to create exciting new opportunities for business growth and economic development. It will help prepare the country for a world where increased digital capability is key to lifting our productivity and make us more internationally competitive and future-relevant.”

This will involve real-world demonstrations of how the fusion and application of advanced technologies from robotics and automation to data analytics, mixed reality and artificial intelligence can drive productivity and enable new business models.

The Government committed funding over four years to roll out the initiative.

The Industry 4.0 Mobile showcase will launch at EMEX 2021 in February Paul Linton, Callaghan Innovation’s General Manager Research & Technical Services and Commercial Businesses, says it will include a mobile Industry 4.0 showcase along with a network of site visits and ‘smart factory’ tours which will demonstrate Industry 4.0 in action.

Commercial & industrial growth

Industry 4.0 in action Beca will deliver the mobile showcase and bring Industry 4.0 technologies to the doorstep of manufacturers and educators across New Zealand.

The EMA, part of the BusinessNZ network, will deliver a network of site visits and smart factory tours by manufacturers to demonstrate the benefits of Industry 4.0.

Combined, this hands-on initiative will help manufacturers directly by creating knowledge sharing and learning opportunities.

Sue Bradley, GM Industrial Digital for Beca, says interacting with the tools is an important first step in adoption. “If people can experience these new technologies in action first-hand, discuss and observe the benefits and practical case studies, they can start to imagine what they could achieve in their own context.” Ms Bradley says.

EMA Chief Executive Brett O’Riley says it will be tapping into its network of businesses across the country to set up smart factory and network site visits.

“It’s going to bring to life real Industry 4.0 journeys, with manufacturers sharing knowledge and experience with other manufacturers first-hand.”

Beca is currently leading a market survey of the manufacturing sector and associated educators to help build a better mobile showcase experience and welcomes feedback on mobileshowcase@beca.com.

The EMA is keen to hear early expressions of interest from companies who would like to be part of the network site visits. Participating companies will be provided a full assessment of Industry 4.0 readiness and a roadmap for the future. Businesses can email manufacturing@ema.co.nz.

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 November 2020

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

Unique plastic plain bearing applications wanted!

The manus award celebrates its tenth anniversary and introduces its first sustainability prize An offshore inspection device, a floating catamaran and a driver assistance system for people with reduced mobility. What they have in common is the extraordinary use of high-performance plastics in bearing technology with which they won the 2019 manus award.

A joint initiative, which the plastics specialist igus announces every two years, is now looking for unique applications with plastic plain bearings. The winner will receive prize money of up to 5,000 euros.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the manus award, the jury is offering a sustainability prize.

445 entries from 32 countries - that was for the 2019 manus award. Applications ranged from industrial environments such as asparagus harvesters and functional live-in kitchens up to laser measurement techniques in athletics.

The large number of special entries did not make it easy for the jury to choose the three winners. The Scottish inventors of an offshore inspection device, the German developer of a high-speed catamaran

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and a French company that developed a driver assistance system to enable people with a walking disability to drive a car, were all the lucky ones.

“Over 3,000 different submissions have already been received by manus from all over the world in the last 10 years. These different applications show the diverse uses of plastic plain bearings”, explains Tobias Vogel, Vice President and Head of the iglidur plain bearings & drylin linear technology division at igus GmbH and jury member of the manus award.

Now the application phase for manus 2021 has begun.

Four prizes - prize money of up to 5,000 euros The manus award comes with prizes of up to 5,000 euros. To mark the tenth anniversary, applicants now

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

also have the chance to win a green manus award.

“The jury would like to use the award to honour a very special sustainable project”, said Tobias Vogel.

All users can apply online until 12th February 2021.

Everything is possible, from series applications for industry to individual items. There must be at least one built prototype of the presented application.

The winners will be selected by an expert jury composed of members from the fields of science, industry and specialist media and will be awarded at the 2021 Hannover Trade Show.

Contact Treotham for more information or visit www.igus.com.au/manus.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY RAM3D is 3D printing titanium implants for veterinary surgery

Kora is a Land Search and Rescue (LANDSAR) dog ‘in training’ and her owner and handler is Nick Petry, a volunteer with LANDSAR in Tauranga.

For over five years he’s offered his specialist skills as a highly trained volunteer to the public 24/7 as an Operational Field Member. Initially he worked without a dog and 18 months ago decided to get his own dog.

This formidable team have been training hard with the aim to get Kora certified as an operational search dog. Like all LANDSAR Search dogs, she has the perfect nature, is friendly with everyone and has no aversion to anyone.

All LANDSAR Search dogs that are certified in tracking, need to be able to follow ground scent

where a person or persons has walked, and that scent can be a few hours or days old. They are also expected locate any articles, e.g. hat, backpack, wallet by indicating with a trained response (i.e., down stay/down stay bark/ re-find).

Kora was getting close to becoming certified when Nick noticed her performance had dropped off and she was a bit lame. In Nick’s own words “like any performance athlete, injury for a working dog is a high probability”.

After a visit to the vet, Nick was told she would need some surgery on her lower back; the damage was done between the last disc of her spine and sacrum.

Over the years RAM3D, a metal 3d printing bureau based in Tauranga have been working with Massey Vets in Palmerston North and have been 3D printing

titanium parts for large numbers of dogs and cats and were asked to print the implant for Kora.

The surgery was a success; Nick was surprised she walked out of the clinic straight after her operation and even though she was a bit sad and heavily medicated, he knew it wouldn’t be long until she was back to her normal self. She is now fully mobile and raring to go.

Kora may have missed her opportunity of doing her assessment to become certified this year but will have another chance early next year. It’s not an easy task passing the assessment and there is currently only one LANDSAR Search dog in the North Island.

The assessment will take place over 4 days with lots of tasks to complete multiple times to show a consistent level.

She will be assessed by Trainers from LANDSAR Search dogs and an assessor from the police dog section to ensure she meets the high standard. If she passes, she will gain certification as a Wilderness Search Dog. Nick and Kora have more work to do and both need to be very fit.

We wish them the best of luck and know it won’t be long before we see Kora as a fully-fledged LANDSAR Search dog.

Written by Gilly Hawker

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Tel: 04 566 5345 Email: sales@connectors.co.nz Web: www.connectors.co.nz www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY ACPaQ automation technology award winner Global logistics automation leader Swisslog has featured in a major international award for its fully-automated mixed case retail palletising solution, ACPaQ, which is also currently delivering heightened efficiencies for Coca Cola Amatil in Australia and New Zealand.

Swisslog’s ACPaQ solution was the key component in an automation solution that won retail chain dm-drogerie markt the prestigious German Logistics Award 2020 for delivering new levels of efficiency to dm-drogerie markt’s new distribution centre in Westermark, near Berlin.

Using the “Load Build Manager” functionality from Swisslog’s “SynQ” software, the robots perform palletising in a sequential packing order – individually adapted to the depalletising or shelf-filling routes in each dm store, according to the last-in-first-out principle.

The same ACPacQ technology has already been implemented Down Under by Cocal-Cola Amatil in Auckland, and is widely applicable to logistics, distribution, food and beverage and retail applications in Australasia.

Overall control of the ACPaQ system is handled by Swisslog’s “SynQ” software.

dm-drogerie markt is a leading German retail chain that sells cosmetics, healthcare items, household products and health food. Their innovative new distribution centre is part of the group’s investment in automation and robotics with a focus on sustainability and competitiveness.

Swisslog’s ACPaQ technology is an evolution of the company’s advanced automation technology, which combines robotics solutions for palletising and depalletising with Swisslog’s CycloneCarrier shuttle technology to create a fully automated process that facilitates high throughput and reliable picking of orders.

After the distribution centres in Waghäusel and Weilerswist, the new building in Wustermark is already the third major logistics project that Swisslog has completed for dm-drogerie markt.

New Zealand.

The focus of Coca Cola Amatil’s expansion requirements was handling cases and building customer order pallets as efficiently as possible.

Additionally, the new order picking system had to fit in the existing Auckland distribution centre and be integrated closely with Coca-Cola Amatil’s warehouse and distribution operations.

Coca-Cola Amatil ACPaQ installation The world’s first Swisslog ACPaQ installation was in New Zealand, where it is helping beverage giant Coca-Cola Amatil enhance efficiency, speed and accuracy.

Coca-Cola Amatil New Zealand has collaborated with Swisslog on automated storage and receival systems for more than a decade, and sought to make further improvements to their customer service and costs, to meet rising demand for its products.

“Swisslog’s ACPaQ automation solution replaces a manual, voice-directed picking system, and will link with the existing automated pallet store to create a seamless operation,” said Mr Sean Ryan, Head of Sales and Consulting, Swisslog Australia &

Swisslog’s ACPaQ fully automated mixed case palletising solution – of which the first installation globally was in New Zealand – has won a major German logistics award for delivering new levels of efficiency to German retail leader dm-drogerie markt

Omron launches mobile robot with 1,500kg payload capacity Omron has launched the HD-1500, an advanced autonomous mobile robot specifically designed to transport heavy payloads of up to 1,500kg.

The HD-1500 is the strongest and newest addition to the company’s series of mobile robots.

It is ideal for today’s smart factories, where autonomous material handling solutions need to manage more demanding industrial automation tasks.

It also provides a solution for businesses currently facing severe labour shortages, while assisting them to comply with new social distancing requirements due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 1500kg payload capacity of the HD-1500 enables transportation of large automotive components such as car chassis and voluminous pallet size payloads.

These can be moved at a rate of 1.8m per second.

These larger items would have traditionally been moved with manual labour using forklifts.

With the release of the HD-1500, Omron’s mobile robots, including the LD-60/90 and LD-250, form a seamless line-up of models that can transport a wide variety of items – to increase total efficiency of material handling inside the factory.

Advanced performance and safety With heavier payloads, built-in controller, improved sensors, route planning and object avoidance, the HD-1500 autonomous mobile robot offers advanced performance and safety.

Omron’s industry-first Fleet Manager can control

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up to 100 mobile robots with different sizes, configurations and payload capacities under one system to automate job requests, traffic control between robots and battery management.

The robots can automatically calculate the most efficient route, while collaborating safely with people and navigating around obstacles, without the use of magnetic floor tapes or other guides.

The HD-1500 battery reduces overall downtime by charging in just 39 minutes. It can then handle a full shift of 12.5 hours (unloaded) or 9 hours with a full load. A 20% charged battery can be charged to 80% in just 24 minutes.

Safety wise, the HD-1500 utilises three laser scanners, giving it a 360º view to detect obstacles, including humans. For emergencies that require immediate stopping, the HD-1500 provides five safety rated e-stop, switches, two on each side panel and another on a 7” operator panel, acting as a HMI.

forklift. Built with sturdy metal skins, the HD-1500 is robust and able to withstand heavy unintended external impacts.

Faster ROI The HD-1500 offers a solution to automate complex and dangerous tasks. Organisations can reduce the use of forklifts and safely transport large pallets containing finished goods, voluminous materials in the food and commodities industry and automotive frames.

Workers can now focus their attention on more vital tasks, allowing customers to load more, make fewer trips with heavier batches and increase ROI. With the HD-1500, customers can do more with less equipment.

Customisable fleet Mobile fleets can become more diverse but still be controlled through the same system.

To indicate movement, there are light disks on each side and light strips on the front and back. Two speakers provide audio announcements (in English) and two piezo buzzers are provided as audible beacons.

Fleet Manager allows a diverse mobile fleet of up to 100 mobile robots, including the HD-1500, to be controlled within the one central controller, while achieving high performance.

The use of HAPS (High Accuracy Positioning Sensors) allows the HD-1500 to position itself with accuracy.

It can repeatedly reposition itself with a 50mm tolerance.

Thanks to optimised traffic management, battery management and routing of vehicles, customers can add the HD-1500 to their fleets without worrying about safety, compatibility or performance.

Higher payload and strong structure The HD-1500 can move pallet size payloads in manufacturing facilities and reduce the need for a

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ANALYSIS Where are the world class leaders?

For more than three decades, Ian Walsh, Managing Director of Intent Group, has been driving improvements in organisations around the globe. Ian understands deeply what is required to deliver and sustain improvement.

Here he shares his thoughts on what New Zealanders can do to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The media coverage of recent elections, and their results both here and overseas, have given us a fascinating exposition on leadership, with starkly different approaches as to how to manage Covid-19 and the changes required to get on top of this pandemic.

In my experience, no change initiative can succeed without strong leadership. Great leaders articulate a compelling vision and provide a road map to define the way forward. They create coalitions of key people aligned with the same purpose (think JFK – where are we going?… Moon. When by?… End of the decade).

They role model the behaviours. This is very Mahatma Gandhi – become the change you envision. When things are bad, they take responsibility. When things are good, they praise their team.

They encourage everyone to participate and contribute without blame or fear. In doing so, they create a learning culture that sustains well beyond their tenure. Selfless, long-term thinking.

During the 1990’s I had the privilege of working with Kimberley Clark in the USA. In the book ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins, Kimberley Clark was one of only eleven Fortune 500 companies to have achieved year on year growth for over ten years. During Darwin E. Smith’s

twenty-year tenure through to the early 1990’s, the stock price increased from $5 to nearly $40. He created a compelling vision to move from paper mills into commodity paper, with brands such as Kleenex and Huggies, and to take on Scott Paper (who they eventually purchased) and Procter & Gamble.

Through personal will, drive and commitment, Smith galvanised the organisation into a cohesive and passionate team, determined to achieve wins, and ultimately super-please and reward the shareholders and stakeholders.

He left a legacy of future leaders, and upon retirement is quoted as saying he never stopped trying to be qualified for his job. Smith is not well known, but within the company, he is deeply respected, even revered for the leadership and humility he demonstrated.

Compare this with New Zealand organisations. How many have developed leadership pathways, programs, to nurture and grow this essential capability?

How many measure this and intervene as needed, recognising we are in a talent war?

If our larger organisations are struggling, what chance have the 80% of our economy we call SME’s?

I have unfortunately also worked with a number of companies whose leaders think a visionary strategy is a cost cutting exercise designed to buy time or meet short-term bonus objectives. I witnessed first-hand, the massive loss of human capital, with the best people leaving first due to market demand.

Boards are often slow to realise or act. In fact, sometimes, these companies go through this process multiple times in an endless cycle of despair. The damage can be terminal.

How can reducing cost by short-term one-off

interventions be a strategic competitive advantage? Surely your competitors can do the same thing? I understand it can be expedient and perhaps a short-term need, but it is not a strategy.

Developing better practices and systems to improve productivity and become cost competitive is a strategy, however it requires a long-term commitment to culture change and ongoing leadership which many of the ‘lessor leaders’ aren’t willing to commit to lead.

According to research, the biggest controllable factor (something we can influence and do something about) holding back New Zealand’s productivity, is the quality of our leaders.

The latest IMD benchmarks for competitiveness have our productivity being the worst for business efficiency with a number of drivers for this; the key ones being the availability of competent senior managers, lack of skilled labour, management education and science graduates. This has been the case for years. So, what are we doing about it?

How do we create the future leaders that New Zealand so desperately needs, now more than ever? Surely it is time to create joint business, government and academia ventures to grow and nurture leadership capability with the purpose of equipping our young people to steer our country in the right direction.

The tools and techniques are known, but we are short of good mentors, a structured roadmap, and the process needed to achieve this outcome.

It won’t happen by chance; it requires some leadership itself. I am keen, and to borrow a political slogan – ‘Let’s do this!’

Improve Grow Sustain Continuous improvement delivered across a range of industries "The greatest benefit [of learning Lean techniques] was that we came away from the training with a clear picture of what we needed to do, when, how and most importantly, why.

The fact that we were able to implement changes immediately gave us some quick wins to assist with the buy in from all employees."

Finance Manager, Punchbowl Group

IMPROVE: QUALITY COST CULTURE PERFORMANCE

TO DELIVER THE PRODUCTS & SERVICES YOUR CUSTOMERS WANT, WHEN THEY WANT THEM - NO MATTER THE INDUSTRY OR LOCATION

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Recycling can drive new manufacturing pathways and prosperity Of interest to New Zealand businesses may be research by the UNSW Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Centre which has found a way that could start a new ‘green aluminium’ manufacturing revolution and bolster government and industry efforts to advance manufacturing, and be more sustainable and create new jobs.

The new technique to recover aluminium from complex, multilayered packaging is based on the microrecycling science pioneered by the SMaRT Centre under the leadership of its Director, Professor Veena Sahajwalla, and builds on their waste materials innovations including Green Steel and Microfactorie® technologies.

innovative, efficient, and sustainable microrecycling technique to separate the materials in complex polymer-laminated metal packaging waste.

Green aluminium

Veena said: “Green Steel and green manufacturing are capabilities we have been pioneering for over a decade. The jobs and sustainability revolution our government wants to create as announced in its 2020 Budget can get a boost from some of these sort of existing innovations where industry and researchers are already successfully partnering.

The research, published across two international scientific journals, demonstrates there is now a way to sustainably recycle polymer-laminated aluminium packaging (PLAP) materials, such as post-consumer food and coffee packaging, into high-quality aluminium and be a potential source of high-energy hydrocarbon products.’

“We developed Green Steel technology where we extract hydrogen and carbon from old rubber tyres and plastic as an innovative and green pathway in steel making , and we now can develop new ‘Green Aluminium’ with our novel technique called Thermal Disengagement Technology (TDT),” said Veena whose SMaRT Centre is part of the UNSW Science Faculty.

TDT can transform the aluminium into a clean and green metal, allowing it to be extracted in a way that means it can be used as a high-quality material for manufacturing, while minimising residual waste.

“Using waste-reforming technology can create new supply chains and jobs, especially in regional locations, because it doesn’t have to be large scale nor expensive. That is why I see a future where recycling and manufacturing are aligned, where waste and recycling become part of the manufacturing supply chain, and that is important in this new COVID era where we now highly value ‘sovereign capability’.

“Recycling using new technologies can be a foundation for the manufacturing of high-quality materials from our waste resources, as we seek to develop greater sovereign capability along with economic prosperity.”

In one demonstration of how SMaRT is helping to create these new supply chains and aligning these sectors, it has connected an e-waste recycler directly with a steel maker enabling undervalued metals and plastics destined for overseas, landfill or incineration, can be used as feedstock.

Thermal Disengagement Technology

Key research findings

The new Thermal Disengagement Technology, described in scientific publications Springer Nature and the Journal of Cleaner Production, offers an

Waste polymer laminated aluminium packaging (PLAP) material were analysed by Thermal Disengagement Technology (TDT) to explore the prospect of recycling the metal-polymer multilayer materials with minimum contamination and zero waste of metal (aluminium).

Laminated polymers on the metallic surface essentially demand some extra effort and energy to recycle the metal in its original form. In these studies, the effect of the laminated polymers of the aluminium surface to protect the surface contamination by means of oxidation was explored.

The rate of the transformation of the polymers in the air atmosphere is higher than the rate can be achieved in an inert atmosphere.

TDT to recycle the polymer laminated Aluminium packaging with and without an inert gas supply has been developed to produce specifically high-quality aluminium.

The oxidation of the aluminium surface in air media was higher and non-uniform compared to the inert media. At 550 degrees centigrade, the complete degradation of the polymers was observed within 20 min and the recovery of the aluminium was achieved without any metal loss with a very high purity.

The surface analysis of the laminated and non-laminated TD aluminium confirms that the rate of oxidation in oxygen-rich atmosphere for disengaged aluminium from PLAP is 80-90% lower and the polymers can act as the protection against the oxidation of the aluminium surfaces even after the complete degradation of the polymers by leaving the carbonaceous residues behind onto the surfaces.

The level of purity of recovered Aluminium is achieved ~96-99% with minor impurity/alloying elements of C, Si, Fe, etc. Oxidation of the recovered aluminium was controlled and detected less than 1% by our new and innovative TDT. The cleaner aluminium produced by this process has the desired scalability which is required for taking laboratory batch reactions towards industrial production.

The recycling of PLAP materials demands a process where whole materials can be processed and recycled with a minimum waste of energy and materials. TDT overcomes these constraints.

Several recycling techniques including traditional smelting have been practiced by the researchers and professionals.

But the major problems associated with the traditional smelting of PLAP materials are excessive material loss and lack of controlling aids during the smelting.

In many countries, waste polymer laminated metal packaging materials along with other municipal solid waste going to landfills or incineration and some of the materials are recycled in metallic forms from the bottom ash components by industrial separation.

The low value packaging materials containing polymers and aluminium found in the MSW draw no interest from recyclers.

Communicate Your Services Better TechRentals® is an IANZ endorsed Calibration Laboratory.

We offer both IANZ Endorsed and Traceable Calibrations of test and measurement equipment inluding:

Covid-19 has you reassessing the future of your business?

New developments and opportunities being considered?

I can assist you to get your message to the marketplace.

0800 832 473 www.techrentals.co.nz

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Contact Kevin Kevany Mobile 021 577 211 Email kevwrite@xtra.co.nz

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY OnRobot 2FG7 gripper for demanding applications OnRobot has launched the 2FG7, a complete, low cost, easy to use, out-of-the-box, cleanroom-ready parallel gripper. Designed to enable companies of all sizes to set up gripping applications at low cost, the 2FG7 can be deployed within minutes and is specially designed to handle demanding payloads – even in tight spaces.

The 2FG7 gripper is ideal for low-volume, high-mix production and enables fast ROI for many different applications, including machine tending, material handling and assembly.

Cleanroom certified

Boasting a maximum payload of 11 kg (24.3 lb), an external grip range of up to 74 mm (2.91 in) and a gripping force of between 20-140 N, the versatile 2FG7 can handle heavy, bulky payloads with ease.

In addition to being IP67-certified, the 2FG7 has attained cleanroom certification (ISO Class 5), which is required for many handling applications in the pharmaceutical and electronics industries. It also complies with ISO/TS 15066 regarding collaborative robot cell risk assessments.

Smaller than OnRobot’s RG2 and RG6 grippers – and yet more powerful than both – the 2FG7’s dimensions (156 x 158 x 180 mm/6.14 x 6.22 x 7.08 in) make it the perfect gripper for use in small work envelopes, which is a major bonus in busy manufacturing facilities where space is at a premium, and in applications with tight quarters for maneuvering.

Seamlessly integrated with the OnRobot product range and compatible with all major collaborative robots and light industrial robot arms, the 2FG7 allows manufacturers of all skillsets to set up gripping applications quickly and easily.

The 2FG7’s ease of use ensures visibility during the deployment process, greatly reduces the need for custom parts and cuts the time to ROI. Meanwhile, intelligent feedback features, including grip detection and lost grip detection, further simplify the deployment process.

The 2FG7 is a production-ready gripper built to withstand harsh manufacturing conditions and applications.

The 2FG7 is powered by an integrated electric motor, which provides several advantages over pneumatics-based gripper systems.

ability to make precise adjustments to stroke, range and finger position supports flexibility across a wide range of applications.

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), Asia remains the strongest market for industrial robots, accounting for 63 percent of global operational stock in 2019; handling and assembly were among the major applications.

Asia also makes up two thirds of newly installed robots globally. IFR estimates that robot sales in Southeast Asia will grow between 20 and 25 percent by 2021.

IFR also notes that the adoption of human-robot collaboration or collaborative automation is rising rapidly as suppliers increase and the range of applications widen. A substantial part of the adoption will be driven by more intelligent components such as smart grippers.

2FG7 users can easily program force, speed and stroke control settings through an intuitive software interface. This makes the gripper ideal for high-mix/low-volume production since it allows for quick and easy settings adjustments depending on the parts being handled.

The precision provided by the 2FG7’s electric motor allows the gripper to provide a finger position resolution of 0.1 mm (0.004 in) and a gripping time of 200 mm/s. For end users, the

Verizon Business takes private 5G global Verizon Business has launched its international private 5G platform for global enterprises located in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Delivered in partnership with Nokia, the offering will enable businesses to deploy a private industrial grade dedicated 5G network capability within their premises.

In addition to ultra-low latency and increased speed,

a key benefit of a private 5G network is the ability for businesses, particularly those with manufacturing, distribution and logistics facilities, to deploy a customised on-site mobile network, eliminating the need to transmit data through public networks.

A private 5G network is a self-contained network whose components all reside in a single facility, consisting of micro towers and small cells and connects to an organisation’s Local Area Network (LAN) and enterprise applications.

It will utilise Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud, a private wireless network solution with automation enablers that will allow for application deployment through a web-based interface.

Verizon has been leading global efforts around 5G. In addition to its 5G Lab and production studio in London, the Company recently announced a 5G roaming service in South Korea and is a founding member of the 5G Future Forum, a group of global 5G leaders accelerating the delivery of 5G and interoperable MEC-enabled solutions.

The launch of private 5G will also enable Verizon Media to deliver its next-generation content creation, production and distribution technologies at scale and in real-time to global audiences for customers.

The announcement follows recent MEC partnership announcements with Microsoft, Cisco, IBM and AWS. In August, Verizon recently announced its successful completion of lab trials with Corning and Samsung on its new 5G mmWave in-building solutions.

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ANALYSIS Empowering the manufacturing workforce to survive the pandemic and thrive beyond it Before the Covid-19 pandemic, labour flexibility, digital transformation and operational excellence were key pillars of an emergent Fourth Industrial Revolution. Now, these areas provide vital lifelines to build resilience during the crisis and beyond.

There is now more global recognition of the need for ongoing agile operations to accelerate the adoption of modern digital tools to improve the status and proficiency of frontline work.

anytime, anywhere – crisis or not.

The industrial companies that take bold action to shore up their workforce and technology investments will emerge more resilient, and more likely to succeed no matter what uncertainties come their way.

More specifically, the survey highlights five priorities.

the years ahead.

1. Employee safety and wellbeing Employee health and safety in industrial environments have always been a priority, but the Covid-19 crisis escalated this. Manufacturing facilities have opened up (if they shut down at all) and frontline workers have been at the centre of the disruption.

Automation and robotics help ensure operations continue when unpredictable staffing challenges and workforce shortages arise.

Ten months ago, the first cases of Covid-19 were detected. In the time since, companies, supply chains and entire economies have been disrupted and forced to adapt to a “new normal” where change is constant, and agility is critical.

More than 48% of respondents in a recent survey of the world’s top risk experts said they were most worried about a disruption of global supply chains. Another report states that the Covid-19 crisis has impacted more than 75% of the world’s manufacturing outputs.

Along with that, having strong operational standards and lean practices are critical for navigating this crisis and the future of manufacturing.

A key issue is building workers’ trust in their employers’ ability to keep them safe and protected, and to prioritize their overall mental wellbeing.

Calling factory workers “heroes” is not enough.

Instead workers want and need to have a direct say in whether they return to work, how they return, and what safety conditions are in place.

As important as it is to address immediate needs and concerns while Covid-19 case rates fluctuate around the world, manufacturers must prepare for recovery and the Great Reset ahead.

Top down directives and leadership need to be matched by bottom-up input and real influence in these decisions and in their monitoring and enforcement.

“Now more than ever, industry leaders have realised that they need to transform towards agile and sustainable manufacturing. Companies must be ready for a skill shift with a rising demand for technological, social, and higher cognitive skills.”

Where unions and/or works councils are present, these institutions need to be engaged in shaping the new workplace conditions.

— Valérie Ferret, 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Vice President, Dassault Systèmes Even before the pandemic, labour flexibility, digital transformation and operational excellence were key pillars of an emergent Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Now, these areas provide vital lifelines to build resilience during the crisis and beyond.

A profound sense of urgency has organisations seeking more pragmatic solutions and approaches to identifying the skills, practices and technologies most important to resilience and a successful recovery – and rapidly scaling up the programmes they’ve found to be effective.

While the rise in adoption of modern digital tools for frontline workers was very noticeable in 2019, perhaps one of the few positives this year is the way in which the spotlight was thrown on these essential workers.

5 workforce priorities during the pandemic and beyond

2. Cross-training, upskilling and professional development The uncertain nature of this crisis has highlighted the importance of workforce development and cross-training on the frontlines.

Manufacturers had to rapidly undertake line changeovers to produce different products, volumes and combinations, and had to manage taking over the lines of sick workers.

Software that provides just-in-time digital content and learning – like digitised, interactive work procedures that ensure every step is accurately followed and information is readily available via a mobile device – are becoming a factory floor norm.

Companies that provide opportunities for employees to build multiple competencies, from technical skills (automation, IT, engineering, data science) to “soft” skills (communication, adaptability, ownership, collaboration, problem-solving), will be more resilient in the long term.

Manufacturing companies were asked recently to assess their own organisations with input from the shop floor, executives and peers.

3. Technology adoption to increase agility The lack of modern digital tools for frontline workers has been on the agenda for some time, but Covid-19 has kicked in the need to provide these tools for greater agility’.

The dominant theme: “Empowering the factory workforce with knowledge and digital tools”, will be essential to surviving the current pandemic and ensuring that operations can adapt to change

Technologies that support remote work, like digital twins, augmented reality, remote machine monitoring and digital dashboards, are helping companies maintain business flexibility now and in

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Also, engaging workers as partners, enabling them to contribute to the design and deployment of new technologies is critical in driving support and adoption.

4. Continuation of remote work Manufacturing companies should expect to support remote work and continue to remotely collaborate with their customers and suppliers in the foreseeable future.

For most organisations, the Covid-19 crisis revealed not only the extent of their ability to support and manage a remote workforce, but how quickly digital technologies enabled them to adapt to this new way of operation and collaboration.

Moreover, in deciding who can return to work it is imperative that each employee’s personal health and family circumstances are considered. No two employees’ circumstances and risks are likely to be identical, even for two otherwise similar people who do the same or very similar jobs.

Some mix of remote and on-site work will likely be the norm for many people for a long time to come.

Managing these diverse situations, and respecting them, will be a considerable challenge.

5. Organisational communication and visibility Hand in hand with remote work as the “new normal” is the need to almost over-index on workforce communication and transparency – as frontline workers on site need to stay connected across other teams, locations and plant managers that can no longer easily walk around the factory floor.

Teams must prioritise regular communication and promote a truly people-first culture. Communication must be bottom up as much as top down.

Enabling workers to speak up and listening and responding to the workforce will be more critical as standard managerial practices than before the crisis.

An opportunity to build resilience People, companies and society have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis in unimaginable ways. Looking ahead, the industrial companies that take bold action now - in partnership with their workforce and labour institutions - to shore up their workforce and technology investments will emerge more resilient, and more likely to succeed no matter what uncertainties come their way.

SUSTAINABILITY Why sustainable manufacturing makes economic as well as ethical sense • The pandemic has forced manufacturing to change at an unprecedented rate.

• We now have an opportunity to build a sustainable and resilient industry - but we must act now.

• From digital transformation to life cycle assessments, here’s how to do it.

The Covid-19 pandemic is simultaneously impacting global manufacturing demand and supply chains, workforce availability, energy use and CO2 emissions.

Never before have we witnessed the drastic impact that reduced human activity can have on global emissions. In fact, global energy-related CO2 emissions are set to fall nearly 8% in 2020 to their lowest level in a decade. The UN advises global emissions must be cut to this same extent, each year, for the next decade to limit global warming to 1.5˚C.

In purpose, there is hope Over the past months, manufacturing has been forced to change at an unprecedented rate, both to find ways to innovate given the scarcity of resources and to accelerate digital transformation.

The emissions reductions driven by crisis constraints is insightful and offers hope that dramatic change is possible – but we must act now. Given the abundance of resources, people will not be driven to innovate or challenge the status quo.

By engineering within our planet’s constraints, industry can set the baseline for what must be considered and elevate what can be achieved – sustainably.

This begins with a rapid cultural narrative shift, already critical for consumer and next-generation workforce engagement – from business growth at the expense of people and nature, to a future that prioritizes the wellbeing of the planet.

Digital technologies that enable bi-directional control and connectivity, when paired with distributed energy resources – such as solar plus battery storage – unlock new opportunities for flexible demand and curtailment.

This includes peak load shedding, participation in automatic demand response management, buying and trading energy into the market, or dynamically shifting operations to match the availability of solar power and battery storage systems – for example, based on financial incentives and operational prioritization.

Practice life cycle thinking Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an environmental framework that offers a holistic methodology for industry to assess the environmental impacts associated across the life stages of products.

Consider the life cycle of a vehicle. The current US

continued on Page 16

Companies with a greater commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) benchmarking and reporting regimes continue to prove their ability to weather periods of uncertainty in the market better than their peers.

According to a recent Blackrock report, despite the recent turmoil, companies with a record of good customer relations or robust corporate culture are demonstrating resilient financial performance.

In fact, to date, more than 90% of sustainable indices have outperformed their parent benchmarks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Resiliency through digital transformation As a large consumer of energy, responsible for more than one-quarter of global CO2 emissions, industry must take a leading role fostering an economic recovery with sustainability as a business imperative.

In reshaping our world toward a new normal, industry should leverage digital transformation at an accelerated pace. Typically leveraged for productivity, digital transformation is equally effective in achieving economic and environmental resilience.

To capitalise on the convergence of Industry 4.0 and ESG goals, industry leaders must enable operational efficiency, leverage renewable energy, practice life cycle thinking, and promote supply chain data transparency.

Enable operational efficiency Most production facilities are passive participants in the global energy supply chain. They monitor overall energy use and costs associated with available sources, but often overlook the controllable factors inside operations that enable consumption management in a way that brings value to the business.

Manufacturers must evaluate and optimise individual, energy-intensive processes within operations by monitoring and measuring the process units, lines, and machines consuming energy, and then controlling overall consumption, economics and emissions.

Leverage renewable energy The cost of renewable energy is driving its exponential adoption. Based on the levelised cost of energy, the cost of solar panels per watt produced in 1977 was $77; in 2020 it is $0.14.

Favourable economics paired with modern business models allow highly decentralized and digitised assets to be successful.

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SUSTAINABILITY TCFD 101: Unpacking climate-related financial reporting When we think about climate change, we often just visualise our impact on climate change and not necessarily the impact climate change will have on us.

In reality, climate change presents real financial risks to the global economy, and consequently to actors in the global economy such as New Zealand and the manufacturing sector.

Widely regarded as international best practice, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) developed recommendations for businesses on how to assess and report on climate-related financial risks and opportunities.

The market driven Task Force was launched in 2015 to develop a set of recommendations for voluntary and consistent climate-related financial risk disclosures.

The recommendations enable companies to communicate information in a consistent format to investors, lenders, insurers, and other stakeholders.

This information includes the risks and opportunities presented by climate change, climate-related policies, and emerging technologies.

Significance for New Zealand Governments around the world are increasingly looking at making climate-related financial risk reporting mandatory. Based on the TCFD framework, New Zealand’s climate-related risk reporting regime, could be in effect as early as 2023 if approved in Parliament.

The Government’s announcement signifies the growing importance of climate-related risk reporting from a compliance perspective for the financial sector. However, TCFD has benefits that extend beyond compliance and finance.

In fact, TCFD has the essential role of building climate resiliency for businesses across all sectors including the manufacturing sector moving forward.

Building resilience Disclosing climate-related information will help investors, insurers, and lenders to make informed decisions on capital allocation.

Companies that are better prepared for climate risks and opportunities and transparently disclose this information will be inherently more attractive to investors. But how do you prepare for climate

impacts and how do you report on them?

The first step is to understand what financial impacts climate change has on a business and its supply chain.

Climate-related risks can be physical risks, such as extreme weather events or transition risks which arise from changes in demand due to the transition to a low carbon economy. It is important not to forget about climate-related opportunities.

For example, climate change can be an opportunity for companies that are developing low carbon technologies or investing in energy efficient alternatives.

The identification of climate risks and opportunities is the first step in getting started. In order to build long-term resilience, it is important to look beyond identification by assessing financial impacts, managing and integrating them into a company’s governance and structure.

TCFD not only provides a framework for reporting on climate risks and opportunities but also provides guidance on how to go about identifying, assessing, and managing them for companies across all sectors including manufacturing.

TCFD is gaining traction in Australasia with a growing list of manufacturers such as BlueScope, Asaleo Care, and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare starting to integrate TCFD recommendations into their businesses. In fact, an encouraging picture is emerging of manufacturing around the world in its adoption of TCFD. In the manufacturing sector Globally, manufacturing is setting the bar for climate-related disclosures. Released in October, the TCFD 2020 Status Report confirmed that materials and buildings companies, including manufacturing areas such as construction materials, and metals and mining, are leading on disclosure.

Compared to other industries, the TCFD report found that materials and buildings had the highest percentage of companies disclosing information on climate-related metrics and Scope 1, 2 & 3 GHG emissions.

Within the industry, other strong areas of disclosure were the risks and opportunities themselves, their impacts on organisations, and climate-related targets. Disclosure areas that still require improvement for materials and buildings companies include resiliency of strategy and integration of climate risks and opportunities into overall risk management.

In New Zealand, the manufacturing sector has the opportunity to lead by example as a significant contributor to the New Zealand economy. Manufacturing in NZ has maintained a contribution to GDP of about 11 per cent since 2013, comparable to the levels in the US, Canada, and Europe.

The manufacturing sector also features strong inter-industry dependence, with the construction sector being strongly reliant on the output of the manufacturing sector domestically.

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As a significant contributor to NZ’s economy, picking up the pace will allow manufacturing to become better equipped as a sector for the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, the manufacturing sector’s relationship with other domestic industries will help to accelerate the adoption of TCFD reporting across New Zealand.

As with anything else, the most important thing is to get started.

Getting started Disclosure is a process; it is better to take the first step proactively rather than wait to act until everything is perfectly aligned. Dr Fiona Wild, a member of the Task Force and BHP’s Vice President of Sustainability & Climate Change, shares the same view in thinkstep-anz’s recent TCFD webinar: “just get started – it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time around!”.

Companies can choose to disclose how far they currently align with TCFD and how they plan to close gaps. While the nature of climate-related financial risks is different to most risks covered in a company’s enterprise risk management, it is helpful to take the latter as it exists for most companies and start by adding the climate lens on.

In fact, the core elements of TCFD—governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics & targets—should be familiar as they are a part of the existing structure of most companies. This shows that TCFD does not want to reinvent the wheel but want companies to build on existing structures and processes that they may already be covering climate-related risks and opportunities.

By Barbara Nebel and Christin Schaller http://www.thinkstep-anz.com/

NZ MANUFACTURER

FEATURES

title

December 2020 Issue text

THE YEAR IN REVIEW ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION

NZ STEEL INDUSTRY AWARDS Steel awards showcase strength of local industry After an earlier postponement due to Covid-19 restrictions, the winners of this year’s Steel Construction NZ (SCNZ) Excellence in Steel Awards were announced on 13 November.

Almost 170 structural steel industry leaders and specialists gathered at Skyline, Queenstown, to celebrate the best of the best at an event that showcases the sector’s commitment to innovation, best practice and collaboration.

Judges pared back 35 award entries to just 15 finalists, which demonstrate the exceptional design and execution possible when steel is used as the primary construction material.

SCNZ chair Frank Van Schaijik said: “The high calibre of projects showcased in this year’s awards is testament to the knowledge, expertise and dedication of our people. It’s what distinguishes New Zealand’s structural steel industry from other countries, which is vital in light of Covid-19 when local skills and capability are so highly sought after.”

The 2020 winners are: • Supreme Winner and Under $500K category: Global Engineering for NZ Blood Atrium

PRODUCTIVITY THE TIN INTERVIEW

The project involved installation of a new atrium roof within the central compound of an existing building.

Originally planned as a timber structure, the design soon changed to structural steel to accommodate the complex geometries and the desired spans.

To achieve the desired aesthetic, the final roof form is a combined space-truss and diagrid featuring architecturally exposed structural steel.

• $500K-$1.5M: VIP Steel for Redcliffs School

Advertising Booking Deadline – 9 December 2020 Advertising Copy Deadline – 9 December 20200 Editorial Copy Deadline – :9 December 2020 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,

The new Redcliffs School in Christchurch uses structural steel to overcome numerous site and ground challenges, resulting in an extremely robust and efficient building.

The site sits in a flood plain and a coastal inundation zone, and is subject to lateral spread and liquefaction settlement.

Steel’s light weight and flexibility were ideal for the design and detailing of the structure.

•

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

This low-maintenance bridge is comprised of superstructure elements fabricated from weathering steel, and handrail and balustrade elements manufactured from grade 316 stainless steel. In total, 300 tonnes of steelwork were delivered to site over three months.

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

As I See It

Manufacturing Profiles

Business News

Letters to the Editor

Appointments

Politics of Manufacturing

Around New Zealand

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

Australian Report New to the Market Lean Manufacturing

Export News

Equipment for Sale

Machine Tools

Recruitment

Business Opportunities

Environmental Technology

Commentary

Manufacturing Processes

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$1.5M-$3M: Eastbridge for Manawatu River Cycleway Bridge

The result is a standout bridge with a slender profile and a low aesthetic impact.

• Over $3M: Eastbridge for Bridge 20 – Transmission Gully This bridge was designed to be launched over Cannons Creek Gully. The lightweight steel structure kept the piled foundations and piers slim and, due to the material’s lower mass, allowed for longer spans and improved seismic performance.

The project required more than two years’ worth of continuous fabrication time in the workshop.

The design challenge was how to span the new four-lane alignment 50m above the Gully – the solution was a steel box girder bridge.

• Standalone Residential: VIP Steel for The Spur Glenelg Spur is a small lane in the hills of Christchurch. Steel allowed clear spans, providing extensive views over the city.

During the design process, VIP Steel put considerable thought into how the steel would be transported to site and the detailers designed in such a way that no steel member was longer than 13m. The bolt-up steel design enabled rapid construction – the total build time was just two weeks.

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NZ STEEL INDUSTRY AWARDS Dedication to structural resilience earns prominent award Greg MacRae, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury, is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Steel Construction NZ (SCNZ) Chair’s Award.

The annual award recognises individuals who have made a significant and lasting contribution to New Zealand’s structural steel industry.

SCNZ Chair and John Jones Steel managing director Frank Van Schaijik presented Greg with the award at a gala dinner in Queenstown on 13 November.

“Greg has had a deep impact, not only on our structural steel industry, but also on the wider construction industry. He has demonstrated a clear focus on finding the best structural solutions for both the community and the industry using safe, strong and resilient structures,” says Mr Van Schaijik.

When the devastating Canterbury earthquakes struck, Greg was head of the Structures Group at Canterbury university exploring structural steel frames that could withstand seismic events.

Unsurprisingly, Greg’s expertise were soon keenly sought after. With a focus on structural resilience and low-damage design, he consulted on many seismic-frame solutions.

Mr Van Schaijik says Greg’s willingness to engage with industry to find the most cost-effective and buildable solutions led to the successful completion of many projects as part of the Canterbury rebuild.

“The 2011 earthquake made people rethink how buildings are constructed and how they perform during and after a ’quake. While the primary concern for buildings is to ensure people can safely walk away after an earthquake, operational continuity where buildings can be quickly reoccupied following a seismic event is also critical.”

The Christchurch rebuild showed a decisive shift from

the traditional reinforced concrete frames towards the use of low-damage, seismic-resisting materials.

As a result, demand for structural steel rose steeply and the material’s share of the multilevel construction market grew from virtually nil to over 80 percent in Christchurch. The trend has seen architects favour exposed steel frames as part of the overall aesthetic, proudly displaying the critical seismic-resisting elements.

“Today, structural steel’s uptake in Christchurch has become a blueprint for high-quality, seismically resilient construction throughout New Zealand,” says Mr Van Schaijik.

Greg’s work is internationally recognised. Results from his research have been incorporated in design guidelines around the world and have influenced the construction of millions of dollars’ worth of buildings in New Zealand, Japan and the USA. Greg was the director of the University’s postgraduate earthquake engineering research programme and he was a member of its Quake Centre board.

He has written for the Royal Commission on the Canterbury earthquakes and from 2011-2019 he was the New Zealand representative to the International Association of Earthquake Engineering.

He currently heads the New Zealand-China ROBUST test programme, which is associated with the International Association of Earthquake Engineering.

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Why sustainable manufacturing makes economic as well as ethical sense vehicle emissions regulatory framework only focuses on a car while in its ‘fuel/energy use’ phase and does not address the emissions generated throughout its complete life cycle; this is extensive and involves raw material extraction, powertrain and components manufacturing, vehicle assembly, fuel cycle/energy use and end-of-life recycling and disposal.

Nestlé, which has been taking a leading role in creating a net-zero recovery from Covid-19, conducted its first LCA over a decade ago to assess and minimise the impact of climate change at various stages across their supply chain.

Following the study, Nespresso committed to reducing the carbon footprint of a cup of coffee by 28% by 2020.

They have since increased the energy efficiency of

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their machines and have begun powering business operations with renewable energy.

organisations in a network to foster eco-innovation and long-term culture change.

Promote supply chain data transparency

The Kalundborg Network, located in Denmark, is a noteworthy example of industrial symbiosis.

The global supply chain is filled with inefficiencies and opportunities to greatly reduce waste.

Industrial symbiosis is one approach to a more sustainable and integrated industrial system. It establishes a network in which the waste from one process (such as materials, energy, water, capacity, expertise or assets) is used as a resource in another.

Developing global industrial symbiotic relationships means going beyond the traditional focus on internal operations and expanding to new business and business partnerships across the supply chain.

These

symbiotic

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communities

engage

diverse

By collaborating, and exchanging material, water and energy streams between 11 public and private partners, the Kalundborg network increases resilience and economic gains for its members, while meeting ESG goals.

Annually, combined benefits from the partners are 100GWh of energy, 635,000 tons of CO2, 3.6 million tons of water, and bottom-line savings of $24 million.

This kind of symbiosis represents an immense opportunity for data transparency and the pairing of underused resources between companies.

LEADERS IN INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SUPPLY Treotham Automation is the exclusive distributor for many world class international product lines. As a leader in automation control, Treotham have a broad capacity to provide systems and custom-built solutions using a diverse range of products and components. Contact our technical engineers for more information.

Visit us at stand 2048

Flexible Cables

Chainflex Cables

Energy Chain

Connectors

Flexible Conduits

Cable Accessories

Safety Products

Sensors

Measuring Systems

Bearings

Gear boxes

Linear Units

Vacuum Technology

Clamping Systems

Conveyor Components

Pneumatics

www.treotham.co.nz |

09 278 6577

| Auckland & Hamilton | info@treotham.co.nz

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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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title Emerging technologies of 2020 text Microneedles for painless injections and tests These tiny needles, at no more than the depth of a sheet of paper and the width of a human hair, could bring us pain-free injections and blood testing.

“Microneedles” penetrate the skin without troubling underlying nerve endings, and can be attached to syringes or patches, or even mixed into creams.

They could allow blood tests to be done at home and sent to the lab or analysed on the spot. And because their use doesn’t require expensive equipment or high levels of training, testing and treatment could be delivered in under-served areas – making care more accessible.

Sun-powered chemistry Making many of the chemicals we rely on requires fossil fuels. But a new approach holds the promise of reducing the sector’s emissions by using sunlight to convert waste carbon dioxide into useful chemicals.

Recent developments in the sunlight-activated catalysts needed for this process are a step towards creating “solar” refineries to produce useful compounds from the waste gas, which could be turned into everything from medicines and detergents to fertilizers and textiles.

Virtual patients If the goal of swapping humans for simulations to make clinical trials faster and safer sounds simple, the science behind it is anything but. Data taken from high-res images of a human organ is fed into a complex mathematical model of the mechanisms that control that organ’s function.

Then, computer algorithms resolve the resulting equations and generate a virtual organ that behaves like the real thing. Such virtual organs or body systems could replace people in the initial assessments of drugs and treatments, making the process quicker, safer and less expensive.

Spatial computing Spatial computing is the next step in the bringing together of physical and digital worlds we’re already seeing with virtual-reality and augmented-reality apps.

As with VR and AR, it digitises objects that connect via the cloud, allows sensors and motors to react to one another and creates a digital representation of the real world.

But it goes even further, adding spatial mapping that lets a computer “coordinator” track and control the movements and interactions of objects as a person moves through the digital or physical world. This technology will bring new developments in how people and machines interact, in industry, healthcare, transportation and the home.

Quantum sensing

Digital medicine Digital medicine won’t replace doctors any time soon, but apps that monitor conditions or administer therapies could enhance their care and support patients with limited access to health services.

Many smart watches can already detect if their wearer has an irregular heartbeat, and similar tools are being worked on that could help with breathing disorders, depression, Alzheimer’s and more. Pills containing sensors are even being developed – these send data to apps to help detect things like body temperature, stomach bleeds and cancerous DNA.

Imagine self-driving cars that can “see” around corners, or portable scanners that can monitor a person’s brain activity. Quantum sensing could make these things and much more a reality.

Quantum sensors operate with extreme levels of precision by exploiting the quantum nature of matter – for example, using the difference between electrons in different energy states as a base unit.

Most of these systems are complex and expensive, but smaller, more affordable examples are being developed that could open up new uses.

Electric aviation

Green hydrogen

Electric propulsion would allow air travel to cut out carbon emissions, slash fuel costs and bring about big noise reductions. A host of organisations from Airbus to NASA are working on technology in this area, and while long-haul electric flights may still be some way off, and there are cost and regulatory hurdles, there is significant investment in the space.

When hydrogen burns, the only by-product is water – and when it’s produced through electrolysis using renewable energy it becomes “green”.

There are about 170 electric plane projects in development, mainly for private, corporate and commuter travel – but Airbus says it could have 100-passenger electric planes ready for take-off in 2030.

Lower-carbon cement Today, 4 billion tonnes of cement – a key component of concrete – are produced every year, in a process that requires the burning of fossil fuels.

This accounts for around 8% of global CO2 emissions.

As urbanization increases over the next 30 years, this figure is set to rise to 5 billion tonnes.

Researchers and start-ups are working on lower-carbon approaches, including tweaking the balance of ingredients used in the process, employing carbon capture and storage technology to remove emissions, and taking cement out of concrete altogether.

Earlier this year it was predicted green hydrogen will become a $12 trillion market by 2050. Why? Because it could have a key role in the energy transition by helping decarbonise sectors – like shipping and manufacturing – that are harder to electrify because they require high-energy fuel.

Whole-genome synthesis Improvements in the technology needed to design genetic sequences that are then introduced into microbes are making it possible to print ever-larger amounts of genetic material and alter genomes more extensively.

This can give insights into how viruses spread or help in producing vaccines and other treatments. In the future, it could help sustainably produce chemicals, fuels or construction materials from biomass or waste gases.

And it could even allow scientists to design pathogen-resistant plants, or us to write our own genome – opening the door to possible misuse, of course, but also to cures for genetic diseases.

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Kinetix integrated motion drives released In continued efforts to enable flexible manufacturing for its customers, Rockwell Automation’s motion business has expanded its Kinetix line of servo drives with intelligent and scalable solutions.

The new product line, combined with the rest of the Kinetix family, provides a complete range of servo drive offerings for everything from small, standalone machines to large, complex systems.

The new Allen-Bradley Kinetix is a fully integrated, CIP Motion solution for global machine builders designing market-competitive machines that are looking to increase performance and leverage a single design environment for control and motion.

The Kinetix 5300 servo drives are designed for diverse machine applications such as electronics assembly, packaging and converting, printing and web (CPW).

When paired with the new TLP motors, customers get the competitiveness of a coordinated platform as they extend the power of the connected enterprise into simple machines, an approach that positions Rockwell Automation to accelerate growth in emerging markets throughout Asia and mature markets in Europe.

The new drives also feature capabilities that can help simplify machine design and optimise performance throughout the machine lifecycle.

drives, streamlining the design and commissioning process.

Like other Kinetix integrated motion drives, Kinetix 5300 leverages Studio 5000 as a single design environment. Using a single family of servo drives allows machine builders to program all their drives in this one design environment and reuse code across

Kinetix 5300 native integration with Logix control enables smart tuning capabilities that adjust for changes in inertia and resonances automatically, helping to optimize machine performance and simplify machine maintenance over time.

Seequent expands into South Korean infrastructure market Seequent has signed an expanded software reseller agreement with BasisSoft, a provider of software and Building Information Modelling (BIM) solutions to the South Korean civil, infrastructure, and construction industries, to aid its expansion into the South Korean market.

BasisSoft will resell Seequent’s civil engineering software solutions including Leapfrog Works and Seequent Central, for 3D modelling, visualising and better understanding the subsurface across the lifecycle of infrastructure and environmental

projects.

BasisSoft has provided Seequent’s geotechnical analysis software solution, GeoStudio, to the South Korean market for several years.

Seequent’s increased focus on the South Korean market coincides with plans for significant government investment in infrastructure. In July 2020, the government unveiled the six-year KRW160 trillion (US$133.5 billion) ‘Korean New Deal’ program to create jobs and help the economy recover from the coronavirus fallout.

clearer picture of industry projects. Seequent Central brings teams and data together to collaborate on a master model to visualise, track and manage geological data from a centralised, auditable environment.

Regional Business Development Manager, APAC, Adam North explains, “The robust implicit modelling engine of Leapfrog Works enables a highly contextualised view of the complex subsurface data and information required to design and construct major infrastructure projects.

This included US$61.2 billion for ‘green’ investment such as renewable energy, eco-friendly buildings and electric vehicles.

Research firm GlobalData has estimated the current pipeline of proposed government infrastructure projects at US$91 billion, including a US$25 billion investment into the construction of a new high-speed rail system.

“Central takes this a step further, providing a powerful platform to manage the evolution of a model and enable collaboration and effective communication between teams and stakeholders.”

Leapfrog Works supports industry-standard ground investigation data formats, combining geological models with engineering designs, BIM workflows, and groundwater flow models, to help build a

“Ensuring that the legacy data is maintained through the life of a project ensures pertinent decisions can be made with all available information to support major infrastructure projects, such as in South Korea,” he says.

“It is increasingly important to ensure that applications can integrate into a much wider ecosystem of software solutions. The ever-increasing utilisation and interoperability of technology to collect, measure, transform, and present data provides a wealth of information for any asset or system.

Busan, South Korea.

NZ Code launched to propel NZ software globally The NZ Code trademark has been launched to increase provenance and add New Zealand to the global software map.

The trademark was launched for software service companies and high-tech manufacturers that are confidently Kiwi.

New Zealand’s $11.3bn tourism has evaporated since Covid-19, placing renewed importance on supporting New Zealand-based software and technology companies to grow at home and in international markets.

Buy NZ Made executive director Ryan Jennings says New Zealand codes some of the best software in the world and needs to be better recognised for its significant contribution to the economy.

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“We have shown what’s possible with a science and technology first approach to Covid-19 and the world has taken notice. Now is the time to follow that up and prove we code software that solves business problems globally and have it received credibly.”

Jennings says New Zealand has had to be more self-sufficient in creating software companies without buckets of Silicon Valley cash.

“We’ve had to be more resilient and creative in solving business problems, because in a smaller economy our software developers must solve a broader range of business problems earlier in the company growth life cycle.”

Seeing an ‘NZ Code’ logo displayed by a software service company could improve consumers’

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confidence in using New Zealand software service and improve clarity on what consumer data protection applies.

In addition, the New Zealand Code logo could be used by businesses to attract talent that wants to work at a Kiwi company developing software services.

“It is time to recognise the previously invisible potential of New Zealand Code.”

Companies that want to qualify must have developed the codebase for software in New Zealand. Its software build team must be based in New Zealand.

Tekplas – building new capabilities in highest quality packaging for NZ food manufacturers Waikato-based Tekplas have been engineering specialist plastic moulding solutions for 25 years.

Now, through a new purpose-built factory in Rolleston, and a second new factory soon to open in Hamilton, they are proud to offer the only facilities in New Zealand where the entire process from moulding to packaging is performed entirely within a clean room environment - certified ISO Class 7.

As the only plastic moulders in New Zealand with a FSSC22000-Q certification, Tekplas have years of experience working alongside providers of infant formula products, ensuring the highest quality production of enclosures and scoops for this tightly regulated market.

They understand the paramount importance of food safety, and their ability extends to products in animal health and agriculture.

At the heart of the business is a team of highly skilled engineers, who truly appreciate the importance of best design for every different product and end consumer.

Alongside is a Quality Management System that ensures all products meet the highest industry standards. In a world where consumers are demanding greater transparency in how their products are made, and where they come from, a focus on quality is licence to operate for any food manufacturer.

Tekplas offer innovative solutions for companies that not only want confidence in the production of their packaging but are also looking for new ways

to enhance branding and identification. In-mould branding, for example, is a useful new tool with a lot of potential.

The new factory builds - one recently completed in Rolleston and the other due to complete early/mid 2021 in Hamilton - have been carefully designed with future innovation in mind.

Not only does Tekplas offer the only certified, full service clean room environment in New Zealand (where products are moulded, inspected, and bagged all in the highly controlled hygienic environment), but the facilities are expansive with plenty of room for growth.

Tekplas have built their reputation on quality, so they have selected all electric Sumitomo moulding machines to deliver high accuracy and quick turnaround.

They vary in size, allowing Tekplas to efficiently deliver solutions for both small and large orders. With low running costs, these machines are very precise and offer fast cycle times. Servo Driven Robotics support in-mould assembly and the increased automation maximises efficiency and safety.

This investment in their plant, plus their strong team of people, enables Tekplas to be able to run 32 moulding machines in the Hamilton factory and a further 16 at the Rolleston site, 24 hours a day, seven days a week “We have a top-quality facility in Rolleston, and with our new build in Hamilton soon to be in action, our ability to meet a wide range of client needs is

really exciting,” Ian McDougal, Technical Director.

“The team are highly creative and can work alongside clients from the very start of a new project. We put a lot of focus on careful design and prototype testing. It is important we fully understand the end use, and the facilities of our clients, to provide the highest quality customised product.”

From early concept stage, Tekplas use 3D printer prototyping to test designs, refine imperfections, and ensure functionality before committing to expensive tooling. They use an FDA approved validation process to ensure the design will meet specification and perform as it should, right from the very start.

“We pride ourselves on getting it right, first time.

Partnering early in the journey is key.” says Ian. ‘With both the scope and the flexibility of the new facilities, we can develop unique and innovative solutions. It is a very exciting time for our team and our clients.”

Tekplas have built a reputation for quality. They are well positioned to maintain this with their recent investment in new facilities, ongoing investment in their high performing team and their focus on high quality solutions. Solutions designed to help protect products, protect brands and ultimately protect consumers.

For more information www.tekplas.co.nz

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NEW PRODUCTS New cradle containers revolutionise log transportation Leading shipping container supplier Royal Wolf and KiwiRail have jointly developed a bespoke logging container that significantly improves efficiencies and capacity when transporting logs to the Port of Tauranga for export.

The 484 logging cradle cassette containers, built by Royal Wolf’s Intermodal Business Unit, were specially designed as a replacement for KiwiRail’s old log wagons which were designed to only carry logs.

The new 20-foot cassette containers can be loaded and secured onto different types of railway wagons to increase compatibility and capacity across KiwiRail’s network.

“We’re problem solvers,” says Michael Horne, Royal

Wolf General Manager Intermodal. “We modify containers to meet a company’s specific logistics and transport needs. KiwiRail’s logging cassettes are a perfect example of us tailoring a container solution to help increase efficiencies and capability for a client.”

Royal Wolf worked closely with KiwiRail to develop a prototype container followed by the manufacture of a batch of containers and then the final product.

Mr Horne says having the right container is essential to enable logistics companies to maximise loading and capacity for products as they transport freight around the country.

“There are a wide range of commodities and products transported in our containers but coming up with a solution for the safe transportation of logs required a very specific design.

The cassette containers are functional but also highly innovative because they are able to be secured to a range of different wagons in the KiwiRail fleet.”

KiwiRail’s network extends the length of the country with approximately one third of New Zealand’s export goods transported by rail. Each week KiwiRail operate 800 freight services carrying goods around the country.

“We support sustainable practices and rail is certainly an environmentally friendly and cost-efficient transport solution. Companies are always looking at opportunities to reduce costs and we help them do that with simple, yet highly efficient containerised solutions.”

As well as creating bespoke intermodal and freight solutions, Royal Wolf’s standard Intermodal and Freight range includes 20, 25, 40 and 48-foot Curtainside and hard sided containers, and a selection of side door containers which allow easy side access to goods.

Royal Wolf is the leading provider of shipping container solutions in Australasia, from high volume fit for purpose storage containers for hire, through to tailored modifications.

Portable outrigger lifting pads make light of challenges Light, easily handled and virtually unbreakable outrigger lifting pads that can withstand rated loads of more than 50 tons per point are engineered by Cut To Size Plastics for high stability jobs involving construction, resources infrastructure, exploration, mobile worksite equipment and emergency use.

The pads – weighing as little as 14-21kg for point loads of 40-60 tons – are custom-fabricated from the proven Wearex™ UHMWPE (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) family in particular shapes required for diverse ground conditions.

These include conditions encountered by truck cranes, rigger cranes, mobile cranes, auxiliary cranes, mobile concrete pumps, manlifts, access equipment, mobile drill rigs, 4wd service vehicles and by machinery used for agribusiness, oil and gas, mining, pipelining, civil engineering and similar applications.

The Wearex family is particularly suitable for operation where safety and ergonomics are a

major concern, including the transport, lifting and placement of pads and their ability to withstand extreme loads without permanent deformation.

trucks and machinery, for example, such as those

Compared with steel plates, they offer very high recovery during deformation – making them ready to use for a much longer period. Because they are virtually indestructible, they are also highly cost-efficient, says Cut to Size Plastics.

worksites.

used across mining, infrastructure, construction and energy sites across diverse and often remote

Cut to Size designs and manufactures components for applications across Australasia from its Head Office in Sydney, where facilities include CNC machining facilities coupled with GibbsCAM and Solidworks software.

The low weight of cast Wearex float pads makes them easier to handle during use and assembly. Ergonomic handles can be designed into their structure, or rope handles integrated into their construction.

They are easily transportable in 4wd and

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NZ Manufacturer November 2020 /

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NEW PRODUCTS Cables weighing tons guided by quickly mounted igus energy chain Harnessed and tested e-loop energy supply system increases safety and reduces procurement and installation time The igus e-loop from Treotham guides cables safely at a defined bend radius and even withstands shocks and impacts. The energy chain system is specifically designed for hanging applications, such as in deep drilling rigs and is already replacing service loops worldwide.

In order to offer users a complete ready-to-connect system from a single source that operates safely even in extreme application scenarios, such as in explosion zones, Treotham now offers its energy chains with special connectors and cables as tested readychains.

To guide cables safely in hanging applications, igus has developed the e-loop as an alternative to the service loop. This is because the service loop often causes a number of problems: the cables have no guide, have no defined bend radius, cannot move and, in the worst case, break.

When servicing or repairing the service loop, the complete system must be replaced, as the cables are sealed together.

With the e-loop they have developed an alternative to the service loop. The three-dimensional energy supply system combines the advantages of a polymer

energy chain with a high-strength pull rope.

The rope absorbs the tensile forces inside the chain and transmits them to the mounting brackets.

This means that the cables remain completely strain-relieved. The modular e-chain made of high-performance polymer offers a defined bend radius at all times and withstands vibrations and shocks thanks to PU protectors.

Save procurement time and costs The e-loop successfully replaces the service loop, especially in deep drilling rigs. But the e-loop is also used in shore power supply or open-cast mining.

Customers often wanted a complete energy supply system with the appropriate essential tests in accordance with VDE and IEC. For low voltage cables, for example for top drive systems, there is a completely tested readychain system with chainflex cables right from the start.

All e-loops can now be provided by Treotham with special cables and special connectors for shore power supply and explosive zones as a finished system. The energy supply system is harnessed by igus and tested with a Megger VLF Sinus 34kV. The readychain system saves the user almost 90%

procurement time and 68% of the assembly time. In addition, igus gives a guarantee of up to 36 months depending on the configuration of the e-loop.

e-loop series also expanded for stationary applications Due to the success of the system, igus has now expanded the e-loop series to include a version with crossbars every 2nd link. The new version has been specifically developed for stationary applications, for example in shore power supply, for the energy supply from the mast to the power container; it is lightweight and cost-effective.

The e-loop is also available with rollers and handle modules so that it can be easily moved from A to B over the floor at quay facilities.

X5 FastMig means better arc-welding productivity Kemppi, has released its new X5 FastMig multi-process welding system for MIG, DC TIG and stick welding (MMA) as well as gouging.

Designed in conjunction with professional welders specifically for steel welding, the X5 FastMig delivers a range of features to help significantly enhance arc welding productivity.

Built using energy-efficient inverter technology, the X5 FastMig offers faster welding and quality welds thanks to Touch Sense Ignition, effortless operation, excellent welding ergonomics and flexible equipment setup.

Faster welding, better quality welds Built to perform, the X5 FastMig features the latest in ignition technology – Touch Sense Ignition – as standard in all available models.

When combined with WiseSteel software, which also comes as standard with every model, the X5 delivers precise ignition capability and stable arc control.

It tackles the challenges of globular arc by alternating between short arc and spray transfer.

In short-circuit transfer, it improves the arc stability adaptively, provding better out-of-position steel welding capabilities.

In spray transfer mode, micropulsing of the current and voltage increases travel speed significantly.

In doing so, the X5 helps to minimise the spatter produced by a traditional globular arc, as well as the need for post weld cleaning, saving the welder both valuable time and cost, while helping to deliver better quality welds.

For more challenging applications, the arc control can be further optimised with optional welding programs and Wise special processes.

Effortless operation

Flexible equipment setup

Designed to be hassle-free, the X5 FastMig is very easy to operate. It features a large, graphical and impact-resistant TFT display panel that illustrates all the required information clearly and without the use of abbreviations. Welding parameters are set automatically when the user adjusts the wire feed speed. And memory channels are also available to customise and save personal settings.

The X5’s modular system allows the user to choose from a range of excellent accessories to ensure the optimal solution for every application. These include transport units, interconnection cables of various lengths and wired remote controls.

Easy to use, the operating basics of the X5 can be grasped in just 10 minutes. Plus, the wire feeder’s sturdy rotate-and-push buttons can be operated with gloves on or off, helping to save time and improve productivity.

Excellent welding ergonomics Created with the welder in mind, the ergonomically-designed top-loading wire feeder improves occupational safety when changing the wire spool as it places less strain on the user’s back. The wire feeder can also be hung up and adjusted to multiple different angles for quick and easy access, even in a dual setup.

Also, users can build their own machine with the help of the X5 FastMig Selector, an online configurator tool that lets welders easily choose the equipment best suited to make the most out of their investment.

Quality range Made in Finland, the X5 FastMig features an injection-molded plastic casing that absorbs knocks, and together with the impact- resistant display panel, ensure the machine can withstand challenging environments.

The Kemppi X5 FastMig is available in Manual and Synergic 400A and 500A models.

Designed for use with the X5, the Flexlite GX guns also deliver comfort in spades and help reduce welder fatigue thanks to their ergonomic design.

Each gun is lightweight and features a flexible cable set and innovative ball-jointed cable protection that reduces the load on the welder’s wrist.

Plus, the pistol grip handle has been designed so that it feels like an extension of the welder’s hand.

Providing excellent balance, it allows for a natural wrist position, which makes the work at hand easier and more effortless, particularly when doing long welds.

The on-torch GXR10 remote control allows parameter adjustment at the weld joint, even while welding.

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DEVELOPMENTS “The Cutter Rail” The Australian solar industry is one of the few industries that hasn’t had to rely on overseas products.

Despite the impact of COVID on imports, manufacturing in the solar industry has been flourishing.

Solar Mounting company Clenergy and local manufacturer Capral Aluminum recently partnered to produce a locally manufactured aluminum solar mounting rail known as the ‘Cutter Rail’.

The following Q&A has been answered by Sean Guzzi, National Channel Manager at Clenergy and Peter Darvell, General Manager South West Region at Capral Aluminium.

the Australian solar industry.

“This helps on many accounts, primarily it aids the local economy by keeping Aussie jobs and provides Australian homes an option to buy a locally made product. With breakdowns in the international supply chains, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of local manufacturing and has reinforced decisions in manufacturing locally.

“From the retail and installers perspective, they receive faster delivery times across all states.

Additionally, what we have sourced in terms of feedback is that local installers have a deeper sense of genuine pride when they install Clenergy knowing that our Cutter-Rail is now Australian-Made.”

How are you finding the current business conditions?

Has the business been impacted by COVID-19?

Sean Guzzi: “The renewable energy sector, especially solar installations have thrived through during this pandemic in lockdown. As a result, Australia has seen a spike in residential solar installations.

“We foresee the residential market in Australia wanting more independence for their energy needs and solar is here to provide it. At Clenergy we are starting to see a larger uptake of our locally made product.”

Peter Darvell: “As the Government attempts to stimulate the country, initiatives in housing support, transport and infrastructure incentives and the desire to have manufacturing grow, are all very positive. Recent announcements could well underpin significant manufacturing growth in late 2020 and into 2021.”

What other assistance can Government provide in the current circumstances?

Peter Darvell: “Stimulus and leadership are the key for the Government moving into the future, as is the insistence on a Quality Endorsed fit for purpose Building and Construction Industry. “ Standards must be enforced and so called “equivalent products” which need to be fully inspected and assure the market that they in fact meet the preferred industry specifications.”

Sean Guzzi: “At Clenergy our biggest market and demand centre is Australia, New Zealand, and the other pacific islands. We aim to cater to this geographic area as we are seeing a larger uptake for the locally made Cutter-Rail will across the region.”

What’s the current state of the solar industry and how do you see this growing in the future?

Sean Guzzi: “Solar panels are getting larger and more efficient every day. From 2010, the dimensions of a solar panel were 1580 x 808mm (1.28m²), and today in 2020 it is about 1956 x 992mm (1.94m²), which is almost double in size. As solar panels grow, the rails to mount the panel also have to grow.

Finally, do you see a bright future?

Sean Guzzi: “At Clenergy we believe that local manufacturing and spreading the message for a sustainable future is going to keep the future of the business very bright. We expect to maintain our status as the number one manufacturer and supplier of solar mounting equipment in Australia, now with the additional aid of the locally made Cutter-Rail.”

“Just like a frame is to a painting, solar mounting equipment is to the solar panel. The mounting equipment aids to fasten the solar to the roof or the ground, using either the roof battens (which is the main structure of the house), concrete, or even ground screws, and provides enhanced aesthetics to the final solar project.

“As the solar panels adapt to the market with the desire for bigger solar systems, we at Clenergy adjust and grow to fit this new environment.”

How does manufacturing locally help the industry?

Sean Guzzi: “Clenergy was founded in 2007, and back then we predicted to be competitive within the market, we had to manufacture our products overseas. Today, thirteen years later, we offer a locally made mounting structure, which is a first for

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In response to the Australian Budget, how do you see the budget for manufacturing moving forward?

Does local manufacturing give you the confidence to go fully into the export market?

Sean Guzzi.

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and 3rd quarters of 2020 as the local support for Australian-made material is growing. This support being particularly evident in the residential and commercial markets. Short lead times on the delivery of product, compared to the unreliability of imports with port strikes and interstate logistics issues, are becoming even more prevalent.”

Peter Darvell: “At Capral Aluminium, we have been manufacturing in Australia since 1936, and in many ways, our future has never looked brighter.

Customers seek our specified products and rely on our transport and industry capabilities.

Peter Darvell.

Peter Darvell: “We experienced a negative impact on sales in March and April period. Energy use across the average household is increasing, with more people working from home since March due to COVID-19.

“And hence, the volume has picked up in the 2nd

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“They are encouraging us to further develop our industrial, residential and commercial systems to meet the requirements of today’s and tomorrow’s marketplace. They know they can rely on our reliability and modern approach in meeting their needs.”

DEVELOPMENTS continued from Page 1

Question everything, nothing is off the table Now one thing the top manufacturers don’t do, is reduce the whole food they make to crumbs in order to use some medieval device that provides meaningless numbers about weight loss in baked or dried crumbs.

A lot of food contains butter and oils. Chips, cereals and biscuits for instance.

can waste a fortune in power and then give away percentages in product.

We have sorted out a lot of factories around the world and got them making serious money with minimal expense. Those devices have cost manufacturers millions over the years.

The next thing the top producers do is to realise that most on-site laboratories only serve to advise what was made badly some time ago.

If you are making a product, then reducing it to crumbs makes an entirely new product. Why waste time and money doing that?

If modern factories need process labs to set their controls up, they now contract out. Labs are best for developing new products. There are top-line multi-component, multi-product analysers now available that sit beside a line which an operator can use to get instant results from several batch ovens or lines.

Assuming the weight loss was from moisture, they set their production line energy controls so they

www.ganleyengineering.co.nz and www.ndc.com to see how it works.

Top producers binned them years ago.

An operator takes a sample after cooking when it is hot and evaporating whatever moisture is in it. They then grind it in a coffee grinder which introduces more energy into the sample and effectively evaporates most of the rest of the moisture as what they have is now crumbs.

Incredibly a lot of factories still use a heat lamp balance and think the weight loss is caused by moisture. The weight loss is mostly from oils. Place a nob of butter or a spoon of oil under a heat lamp for several minutes and watch what happens.

question everything or ask for advice. Maybe you will make sure you are doing well but there is a good chance you will start to make some serious income for the same amount of work. Go to

For a fraction of the price, go on-line, in-line or at-line but the money is made in real-time and not from eight hours ago.

These measure whole food. Common sense says to measure what you make.

Incredibly a lot of factories still use a heat lamp balance and think the weight loss is caused by moisture.

Pass this around. If you are making stuff, then

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DEVELOPMENTS Steel construction industry serious about nurturing future talent The structural steel industry has saluted the outstanding new blood in the industry with the Apprentice of the Year and Young Achiever of the Year awards.

The awards are a nod to the increasing number of talented workers emerging in the structural steel industry, and celebrate those whose skills, drive and willingness to learn has helped them to achieve outstanding outcomes.

young talent.”

Judging the awards was made difficult by the high standard of each of the finalists, who are all deserving of an accolade. The judges noted that the calibre of people coming through points to a great future for the industry.

The 2020 winners and finalists are: Apprentice of the Year Winner: Joshua Jackson, Global Engineering

They recognise well-rounded people who demonstrate not only talent and a good attitude, but display traits important to the industry – commitment, innovation and agility.

Global Engineering Business Development Manager Will Mahon says that Joshua is a great asset to the business thanks to his constant drive to do the best job he can.

The awards also reflect the industry’s commitment to upskilling young members of the trade and investing in the future of the local structural steel industry, which is crucial given the impact of COVID-19 on New Zealand-grown capability.

“Joshua has risen to the challenge with some complex and architecturally demanding projects and has successfully come up with smart ways to apply his engineering knowledge,” says Will.

“As a well-established industry we have a responsibility to ensure we pass on our skills and experience to the next generation of structural steel specialists to safeguard the future of the sector and support our economic recovery,” says Mr Van Schaijik.

“Of the total workforce employed by local structural steel contractors, 9.1 percent are in a training programme, and 69 percent of structural steel contractors employ an average of four apprentices.

“So it’s fantastic to see SCNZ’s Apprentice of the Year and Young Achiever of the Year awards gather momentum, year on year. Our industry should be proud of its commitment to fostering our bright,

Joshua credits his success to being surrounded by highly skilled and committed mentors in the workshop. Now he’s keen to pay it forward, sharing his knowledge with the new apprentices.

Apprentice of the Year finalists: • Archie Morales, John Jones Steel • Gavin Neal Menzies, Red Steel • Leighton Dewar, John Jones Steel • Micah Swindells, Petone Engineering Young Achiever of the Year Winner: Kieran Houssenloge, Petone Engineering Kieran joined Petone Engineering as a fabricator in 2018, and Managing Director Chris Molenaar says he turned out to be a particularly good one.

“It was clear early on that Kieran had leadership skills and he quickly became the workshop supervisor without needing a formal title. He started organising the work as it came through the shop and the fabrication team was happy to do as he instructed,” says Chris.

One standout attribute is Kieran’s willingness to embrace change, improvements and innovative technology. “It’s an asset to anyone in a rapidly growing company,” says Chris. “He is a quick learner and takes responsibility for his own personal development.”

One of Kieran’s early challenges was successfully managing the fabrication of 30 K-frames that Petone Engineering made for the Chinese Embassy in Wellington.

“At the time we had a small shop and the logistics of handling the steel in a small area was his greatest challenge. and we had just added two new fabricators to our team so Kieran was training the new staff at the same time,” says Chris.

“Kieran leads by example and sets high standards for his team. With his willingness to learn and his proactive approach to personal development, there is no ceiling to limit where he could go in this industry.”

Young Achiever of the Year finalists: • Blair Neverman, Global Engineering • Luke O’Brien, Steel Pencil • Petrus Barkowitz, Waikato Steel Fabricators

Flight attendant retrains at WelTec to find new pathways At the beginning of 2020, Long Shi was happily enjoying his career as a flight attendant, working on long-haul international flights, until it became apparent that Covid-19 was causing massive disruptions in the travel industry. Long had to quickly reconsider his career options.

WelTec and Whitireia Bachelor of Information Technology is a three-year course where students can choose a major endorsement including software development, cybersecurity, and networking and infrastructure to name a few. It is a booming industry with many exciting opportunities.

“I had been working very hard for five years when Covid-19 hit, so I thought it was a good opportunity to take some time off before I started looking for a new job,” explains Long.

“I am leaning towards going into programming and software development as it feels like there are bright career prospects in that area. Almost every company is going digital, and with that comes the need for software development.

“But after just one day relaxing at home I quickly realised that it was not my style to ‘do nothing’! So I started to research options and registered for their Bachelor of Information Technology.”

physically be in a certain place to do the job. Who knows, maybe I will get back into the airline industry when it picks up again!”

“I like that there is such massive variation in jobs, and such high demand for workers in the field. It is also comforting to know that you don’t have to

Growth in Northland means manufacturing opportunities Northland is poised for a massive growth surge if the current infrastructure project pipeline comes to fruition.

This is according to EMA Chief Executive Brett O’Riley, who has just been involved with the EMA’s Spring Briefing series for member businesses in Northland.

“We are pleased to see planned infrastructure initiatives from the new floating dock at Northport to new transport projects powering economic growth in Northland. Avocado farming is booming in the Far North and we were also heartened to find out more about the opportunity for the Royal New Zealand Navy to potentially re-locate some of its operations to the Port Whangarei area. These are step-change initiatives for the region.”

Mr O’Riley says that the relocation of the Navy would not only be a shot in the arm for Northland, but it

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could free up prime land in Auckland at Devonport and Kauri Point.

He says developing a naval base at Whangarei has several additional benefits.

current business based in Auckland to be expanded as a result. Northport is the logical location, as it also leverages the significant local heavy engineering capability.”

“It could potentially lower housing and living costs for existing and future Navy staff and give the Navy access to a recruitment pool from Northland and Auckland. It also builds on the marine training expertise at Northtec and the marine engineering capability of Whangarei-based companies.”

Mr O’Riley says it is also pleasing to see the ongoing regeneration of the Mangawhai and Whangarei town centres. The soon-to-be completed Hundertwasser museum in Whangarei, and the new Te Arai golf courses south of Mangawhai (on the border with Auckland Council),

The floating dock opportunity in partnership with Northport was stalled in the Provincial Growth Fund process earlier this year.

“These developments will stimulate further growth in the accommodation sector in Northland,” he says.

“The floating dock is a significant strategic asset for New Zealand for both commercial, super yacht and Navy fleets, with numerous opportunities for the

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The EMA plans to continue to expand its presence in Northland working alongside local partners to help grow and expand the capability of businesses in the region.

REAR VIEW Are ‘mangineers’ the future of lean manufacturing?

• The pandemic has forced many manufacturers to accelerate their efforts to increase operational efficiency.

• A Hong Kong-based apparel manufacturer has been training new engineering recruits in management - this new, combined role is known as a ‘mangineer’.

• This has re-engineered operations across the company’s factory and maximised its efficiency.

The painful impacts of the Covid-19 have been felt by markets across the globe. Textile and apparel manufacturing is among the industries that have been hit heavily by the pandemic, due to a drop in customer demand, cost-control pressures and troubled trade relationships.

To shore up their resilience, many companies have been trying to introduce innovations to increase agility and efficiency in operations.

One apparel manufacturer has been exploring innovative approaches to staying ‘lean’; that is, minimising waste in manufacturing while simultaneously maximising productivity.

Esquel Group, one of the world’s biggest shirt makers, realised early on the challenges involved in meeting increasing customer requirements for a broad range of product to be delivered in shorter lead times.

Esquel Specialty Spinning (ESS) – part of Esquel Group’s vertically integrated supply chain that supplies the group’s global factories and other customers with specialty yarns – has been experimenting with and implementing lean and agile operational concepts for many years. One key ingredient in the success of ESS’ flagship operation in Guilin, China, is what Esquel calls the ‘mangineer’ programme.

Championed by Tian Ye, Managing Director of ESS, the mangineer concept welds together the traditional roles of a manager and an engineer.

The result is a new cohort of trained professionals who wear many hats; they are capable not just of overseeing routine machine operations, but can also supervise quality control, ensuring production safety, and – above all – onsite, cross-functional project management.

Operational efficiency is the key to competitiveness Designed to meet the demands of increasingly complicated and ever-changing production scenarios, the mangineer programme hinges on two principles – decentralised management and centralized control.

1. Decentralised management empowers each mangineer with responsibility for all aspects of production in his or her designated zone within the factory, including planning, machinery operation, quality assurance and resolving technical issues.

Every mangineer is equipped with the skillset and authority to manage all scenarios without supervision. Compared to the traditional model, decentralised management greatly cuts down the time and labour needed for each task, saves manufacturing costs, and elevates productivity.

For example, to change a machine setting, the traditional process involves 10 steps and requires coordination among different departments, which takes an average of 59 minutes.

With mangineers taking up the task, there is no need to coordinate between departments; the process can instead be boiled down to four steps and completed within 25 minutes.

2. The centralised control system of the factory, upon detecting any problems in the automated production process, will dispatch onsite mangineers to the location where problems occur, based on their skills and workloads, as well as the urgency of the task.

This combines process automation with the flexibility of human intervention. The agile system manages an optimal balance between staff capacity and efficient troubleshooting.

Mangineers are subsequently assessed based on comprehensive key performance indicators (KPIs) that take into account labour intensity and employee happiness.

If this was to be done traditionally, tasks would have to be assessed and assigned manually to different departments, and precious time would be wasted on cross-functional communication and approvals.

The combination of these two approaches has reengineered the production process across the entire Guilin factory, maximising its operational efficiency.

A few years into the mangineer programme, output per capita at ESS in Guilin has increased by 329%, from 30kg to 130kg/day. The headcount per 10,000 spindles has reduced by 74% from 146 to 38, which is well above the industry benchmark.

The time spent upgrading employees’ skills has decreased by 70%, while their take-home pay has steadily increased.

Cultivating the right team with well-rounded skills In 2015, Esquel recruited more than 150 college graduates to the programme, most of whom came from engineering backgrounds.

These fresh talents received one year of basic skills training, and then underwent a simulation workshop to acquire hands-on experience of

different production scenarios.

Their engineering skills were put to the test when they handled the setup of all newly imported machines before production began at the factory in 2018.

To motivate the mangineers, the programme constantly assesses them through an advancement ladder that consists of five rungs.

Top-performing mangineers at the highest rungs were rewarded with exchange programmes at other Esquel factories and more managerial responsibilities.

The mangineer concept could be a cornerstone for the future of apparel manufacturing.

A sustainable company cannot become what it aspires by remaining where it is Faced with ever increasing socio-economic uncertainties, modern manufacturers need to constantly reinterpret the concept of ‘lean’ so that it is resilient to changes.

With a goal to move closer to zero emissions, Esquel is also working hard to bring together lean and green, by implementing technologies that reduce its energy and water consumption in its operations.

The mangineer programme could have application potential for companies across a vast array of industries in search of leaner and more agile models.

Inspired by Esquel’s success, two leading machine manufacturers based in Europe, both suppliers to Esquel, have just embarked on the journey to set up their own mangineer programmes.

As the world painfully yet slowly recovers from the pandemic, the manufacturing industry will become less siloed, and major players will need to broker systematic changes to thrive.

Programmes like the mangineer might just have the potential and potency to revolutionise the manufacturing industry and shape the future of work.

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