June 2015
www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz
9 MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY New thermoplastic thread material for 3D printers.
10 COMMENT Canterbury Manufacturing Pathways.
11
ANALYSIS Increase revenue by increasing productivity.
Panelised prefabrication proves promising for Rotorua Perfectly poised to adopt a new building concept, Rotorua could become nation leaders rivalling the likes of Scandinavia through panelised prefabricated construction. Over 40 builders, architects and engineers recently came together for a Grow Rotorua Wood First panelised prefabrication workshop, with Offsite Design managing director and consultant Johann Betz.
Modern and approach
innovative
Panellised prefabrication is one of the most efficient forms of off-site construction and enables the resulting closed timber frame floor, wall and roof panels to be erected in a matter of days. Boasting a significant number of benefits such as quality control, rapid assembly, a greater level of safety and minimised waste, building via panellisation takes inefficient building
processes and places construction into a controlled warehouse environment.
Wood First policy Rotorua Lake Council’s Wood First policy strives to promote wood as the primary construction material for buildings to firmly establish the districts position as New Zealand’s leader in the forestry industry. Grow Rotorua chief executive, Francis Pauwels, says the policy is backed up with initiatives to support local architects, building specifiers, engineers and developers. “Workshops– such as the recent presentation from Johann Betz – aim to educate and inspire people to consider the possibilities of wood”.
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Multi-million dollar factory to create jobs, increase exports The creation of a new multi-million dollar food manufacturing plant will allow one Kiwi company to double its exports and expand into new foreign markets. Leading Kiwi fresh chilled food producer Pitango will relocate to a new $3 million factory in South Auckland this month, and along with an increased production capacity will create up to 20 new jobs in South Auckland during peak season. Managing Director Graeme Laurence says the new facility will allow the food company to expand into Japan and South Korea later this year, adding the two new Asian territories to its current established export markets. “We expect that 80% of our product volume will be exported by the end of 2016, which is a 15% increase on the current amount heading overseas,” says Laurence.
The extra volume of products being manufactured will also benefit other New Zealand regions, which supply Pitango with hundreds of tonnes of organic and fresh farmed vegetables and meat. “We’re proud that we use natural and local ingredients in our products, and that in this way we help support the farmers around the country who produce such high quality vegetables and meat.” The new manufacturing plant will have quadruple the available floor space of the previous factory. Twenty new jobs at the brand new plant in Manurewa will provide solid opportunities for the community.