NZ Manufacturer October 2019

October 2019

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY What is the single most important contributor to productivity?

21 SMART MANUFACTURING Massey engineers win global Innovation Challenge.

23 SMART MANUFACTURING Automating one step at a time.

Smart factories have the potential to spark labour productivity Each industrial revolution has transformed production, delivered better economic output, and, consequently, immense economic gains globally. But something has shifted in the past two decades—manufacturing productivity growth appears stuck.

Labour productivity is a major metric of economic output, and gains in productivity are important because, on a macro scale, labour productivity determines the standard of living of people, nations, and the world.

Currently economic output is moving in lockstep with the number of hours people work.

Enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution—the newest chapter in industrial development that promises to ignite stalled labour productivity in manufacturing via connected machines, people, data, and value chains.

In that sense, the smart factory could potentially ignite stalled labour productivity and unlock the key to productivity for manufacturers.

But how?

• Every manufacturer—whether already “running smart” or yet to invest in smart factory technologies—can harvest business value from smart factory initiatives.

• Smart factory initiatives accelerate business value creation. Companies report as much as 10–12 percent gains in areas like manufacturing output, factory utilisation, and labour productivity after they invested in smart factory initiatives.

• There is a direct and established connection— primarily through investment and use cases—between smart factory initiatives and

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the business value realised. What’s more, any manufacturer can use this connection.

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• While there are risks, primarily operational and financial, they are outnumbered by the smart factory’s value contribution. Also, most risks can be mitigated through rational stakeholder selection, an efficient change management strategy, measurable proof-of-concepts, and incremental investments.

Early smart factory adopters report average three-year gains of 10 percent for factory output, factory capacity utilisation, and labour productivity.

A closer look at labour productivity trends indicates that smart factory initiatives will likely enable the US manufacturers to “observe” triple the labour productivity growth rate during the next decade (2019–2030) compared to last decade (2007–2018).

What does this mean for manufacturers?

The promise of improved labour productivity is certainly enticing for manufacturing, as the industry sits in the midst of a labour shortage that is on the brink of becoming a drag on productivity.

Technology can spur new levels of productivity throughout the factory as companies combine technologies (such as vision systems, harmonic sensors and cobots with cognitive computing, machine learning, and autonomous capabilities). Each industrial revolution has seen this curve.

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Ngāi Tahu Property industrial developments in the pipeline Ngāi Tahu Property has new industrial developments in the pipeline having bought two blocks of land adjacent to a key section of State Highway 1 on the south-west of Ōtautahi-Christchurch.

The sites – totalling about 70 hectares – are in prime locations in Rolleston and Hornby. They have excellent access to the country’s road and rail backbone, and east-west transit links into the Ōtautahi-Christchurch urban area, Lyttleton Port, Christchurch International Airport and Te Tai Poutini-West Coast.

direct to end-consumers.”

“Delivering successful solutions for the industrial sector is in our DNA. This is a return to a sector in which Ngāi Tahu Property has a depth of experience and knowledge,” Kennedy says.

The first site is in the popular Rolleston industrial area and registration of interest is available now. The other block, adjacent to Hornby, should have titles by mid-2021.

Ngāi Tahu Property has been fielding enquiries since acquiring the land. Development Manager Blair Brown is expecting a surge of interest now that the first stage planning has been finalised.

Ngāi Tahu Property Chief Executive David Kennedy says Te Waipounamu – the South Island boasts a growing and valuable range of industries from manufacturing to agricultural services and logistics.

Whether those firms target lucrative export markets or operate in the fast-turn-around world of ‘last-mile’ logistics, physical connectivity is key.

David Kennedy

“Online and omni-channel retailing is one growth area we are watching,” Kennedy says.

“Firms increasingly need the ability to receive and rapidly distribute products to diverse customers, from retailers or

Potential owners and tenants are responding well to Ngāi Tahu Property’s willingness to provide customisable development opportunities and flexible tenure options.

“Currently there is an unmet demand for freehold land in this market and Ngāi Tahu Property is happy to provide vacant lots or turn-key options as required. Or, as an iwi-owned, intergenerational investor, we can also offer secure designbuild-lease options if tenancy is preferable.”

“We will have a solution for your business, whether that is freight and logistics, warehousing, food processing, agricultural services, construction or manufacturing.”

“We encourage people to come to us early with their needs to secure the right space for their business.”

Ngāi Tahu Property South Island Development General Manager Scott McCulloch says market analysis indicated demand for high-quality industrial developments with easy access to State Highway 1.

As with all its developments, Ngāi Tahu Property will also bring the values of its owners, the people of Ngāi Tahu, to both sites, McCulloch says.

“As an iwi-owned firm, we have an intergenerational and sustainability focus at the core of all our projects.

“We look forward to bringing Ngāi Tahu values – especially tohungatanga (expertise), whanaungatanga (looking after generations) and kaitiakitanga (stewardship) - to these upcoming projects.”

Scott McCulloch

ROLLESTON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT Address: 151 Hoskyns Road, Rolleston, Selwyn District • Easy access to the South Island’s major transportation and freight links/networks State Highway network • Southern Motorway (completing mid-2020) • Two inland ports • KiwiRail network

Total area: 32 hectares

Customisable options available: • Freehold land for sale • Design, build, lease options • Turn-key building options

Contact Blair Brown, Development Manager to register your interest blair.brown@ngaitahu.iwi.nz / 021 755 783

ngaitahuproperty.co.nz/industrial

CONTENTS 1 5 6

DEPARTMENTS LEAD

ADVISORS

Smart factories have the potential to spark labour activity.

BUSINESS NEWS Keeping a competitive edge with precise multi-level BOM planning.

Kirk Hope

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.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Experienced academic to lead key faculties at Victoria University.

Datalogic enhances robot guidance with Impact software.

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See and solve failures before they happen with predictive analytics Software framework generates ISO programs for CNC machine tools.

What’s the single most contributor to productivity?

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ANALYSIS

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DEVELOPMENTS

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ANALYSIS

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Building a future-ready and sustainable strategy for manufacturing.

Leeann Watson

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

Could you build our base in Antarctica?

The plural of plastic.

Replace, remanufacture or repair?

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Dr. Dieter Adam

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

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SMART MANUFACTURING OnRobot takes robot compatibility to the next level.

Lewis Woodward

Space experts focus on small sat technology.

Gearing up for the fifth generation.

Massey engineers win global Innovation Challenge.

Is 5G ready for manufacturing?

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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.

Automating one step at a time.

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NEW PRODUCTS

Dr Troy Coyle

Flange facing machines deliver accurate performance.

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

Kaeser launches DHS 4.0 series charging systems.

Mobile tipper-conveyor system performs multiple tasks.

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DEVELOPMENTS

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More for Less.

Brett O’Riley

Solution for climate conscious Kiwi businesses.

BUSINESS NEWS Boosting your business -Financing options.

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REAR VIEW Clean, high-tech: this is the factory of the future.

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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.

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

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is said to (it will) ignite stalled labour productivity in manufacturing through connected machines, people, data and value chains.

CONTRIBUTORS Holly Green, Greg Morehouse, Mac Ghani, Anthony Wong, Simeon Burnett

The question is though; Is their stalled labour productivity or is there a reduction of manufactured product demand in the world in the current economic client? Maybe both?

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

Or is labour productivity continuing to be low from workers, based on their ability to enhance workplace efforts? Meaning that today’s technology may not be being maximised in the workplace.

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

We get all excited when the PMI Index shows manufacturing over 50 percentage points. When you consider the voting numbers for the recent local body elections…well, let’s not! Get the picture?

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

There is a considered opinion that at the top end not enough development and manufacturing is going on with expensive technology equipment readily available.

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

At the lower end, the same thing applies. Except that companies are not coming to grips with efficient use of the equipment.

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

So, businesses may be setting up with the latest equipment ready to strike when opportunities arise, or they may be maximising right now to the best of their ability?

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

On the other hand, the country has no shortage of creative and enterprising businesses contributing to the economy, with key staff realising their goals and dreams by being part of development teams involved in quite exciting projects. Productivity is good in these businesses.

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

Vol.10 No. 9 OCTOBER 2019

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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Igniting stalled labour productivity

At present it seems that the land is where the most promise exists for product innovation. In horticulture and agriculture, it is ‘gang busters’. Enormous contributions to the country with quality goods, famous on world markets but still in need – and wanting to hear about – developments to make their businesses even more efficient.

Stalled labour productivity may well be able to move by addressing the technology needs of these enduring growing industries.

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

Doug Green

Success Through Innovation

EDITORIAL

BUSINESS NEWS Keeping a competitive edge with precise multi-level BOM planning If you’re a manufacturer, you’ll know first-hand how inventory forecasting can consume your time and nag away at you. You’ll know all about variable lead times and how much of a headache they can become if not managed correctly; you’ve likely encountered the frustration of when your product’s ready to go, but it’s missing a vital component, or you can recall several times when your service reps got an ear-bashing because your product hasn’t been shipped on time.

communicating timeframes and details accurately with your manufacturing partners? StockTrim’s multi-level BOM feature allows you to manage these challenges with ease.

What you need is intuitive software that takes care of all of this for you, so you can get back to manufacturing, staying ahead of the competition and delighting your customers with your impeccable service.

• Import: Take advantage of all that precious historical data from your existing inventory management system, like Unleashed or Cin7.

Multi-level BOM To stay competitive and in control, you need visibility of your entire manufacturing process. A multi-level bill of materials (BOM), also known as a nested or indented BOM, reveals all the raw ingredients, components, assemblies and sub-assemblies that goes into making one finished product.

If a single level BOM is like one branch on a tree – one parent product and the parts that go into making it below - then a multi-level BOM considers the whole tree –the oversight of all the intertwined and interdependent processes and parts that contribute to the whole.

Variable lead times from your supplier for each individual ingredient? Not sure how much of each raw material to order and when? Having difficulty

Here’s how: If you’re already using StockTrim, or you’re keen to know more, here’s how you can regain control of your manufacturing:

• Predict: Working from the finished product backwards, StockTrim accurately forecasts the expected sales of your finished goods - drawing on the BOM to calculate the required amount of products, sub-assemblies, and raw components you need to make this all happen and factoring in the variable lead times.

• Configure: StockTrim enables you to customise a whole host of things, including supplier lead times, the minimum shelf levels for your finished goods or sub-assemblies, and whether the number of finished goods you have on hand will impact how many components you need to order.

• StockTrim will then automatically recalculate the required stock levels and how much you need to order for each related part.

Increased efficiency for that competitive edge With this level of visibility, you’ll notice the benefits go beyond your day-to-day operations. What about revisiting your whole procurement strategy to make sure you are reaching your competitive potential?

Are you confident that you’re acquiring your materials at the best possible cost, with the right amount of raw materials, at the right time, to the right place and at the right quality?

If you want to make your business more efficient and competitive, you need software that gives you awareness of what your inventory is up to and how you need to respond.

Readers of NZ Manufacturer can get a 4-week free trial by mentioning this article on enquiry.

To enquire go to www.stocktrim.com

• Adjust: If you change tack or think your product is going to be more (or less) popular than StockTrim’s initial predictions, you can override the forecasted demand for a finished product.

Shark Series

Unlike traditional resin enclosures, the Etelec Gel insulated jointing kits are the quick and easy to use. They allow reentering as required. These are available for a wide range of cable sizes.

MP Gel

MP Gel Plus is a 2 pot gel product mixed as required. Once used allows re-entering long after cross linking has taken place. Use only the amount required at the time.

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

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NZ Manufacturer October 2019

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...and 200 parts later.

Customer Spotlight on Alpha Precision Group Since their initial implementation of the Desktop Studio system 13 months ago, the Alpha Precision Group (APG) have created over 200 metal parts (100 of them unique). Learn how APG has used their Desktop Metal Studio System to produce a wide variety of parts including jigs, fixtures, and end of arm tooling to help their manufacturing floor operate at full efficiency.

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Desktop Metal Fabricate Software: Simplified Metal 3D Printing Fabricate takes the guesswork out of metal 3D printing. It simplifies model prep and automates even the most challenging aspects of the fabrication process, making it easy to produce complex metal parts in-house with the Studio System.

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NZ Manufacturer October 2019

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY title

continued from Page 1

Smart factories have the potential to spark labour productivity

Significant labour productivity gains manifest toward the end of the cycle, reflecting the cumulative impact of reaching a critical mass of technology adoption.

outcomes are concerned, Trailblazers are leading the

Trailblazers lead the way

and Followers combined.

way. In fact, this group has seen twice the level of gains to labour productivity compared with Explorers

There are three distinct cohorts of adopters of smart factory initiatives - Trailblazers, Explorers, and Followers.

Furthermore, Trailblazers expect increases in labour

Each cohort represents a different approach toward smart factory adoption. Where activity, maturity, and

have determined the formula for extracting value

productivity to continue to accelerate ahead of the average over the next three years. Clearly, Trailblazers through investments in smart factory initiatives.

Final thoughts Whether manufacturers are just starting on their smart factory journey or well along the pathway like Trailblazers, there’s no doubt that smart factory initiatives could have a significant impact on manufacturing productivity.

Naturally, there are caveats. There is also a need to launch these initiatives properly to set a team up for success. When and how smart factory use cases are launched can determine their success.

Experienced academic to lead key faculties at Victoria University Victoria University of Wellington has appointed Professor Ehsan Mesbahi as its new Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculties of Science, Engineering, Architecture and Design.

Newcastle University’s Science, Agriculture and Engineering campus in Singapore, where he led the campus through a period of exponential growth in student numbers and research activities.

Professor Mesbahi has more than 26 years’ experience in the higher education sectors in Europe and Asia, with the last 10 of those spent in senior and executive roles.

His current role is Vice Principal and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of West Scotland in Glasgow, where he has gained valuable experience in a young and teaching-oriented university.

Much of his academic career has been at Newcastle University—a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities in the United Kingdom and one of the original ‘red brick’ universities with a long history of civic engagement and social purpose.

He was the founding Chief Executive Officer at

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Professor Mesbahi’s research interests are multi-disciplinary and applied and have expanded from modelling, control, design and optimisation of engineering systems early in his career to environmental management and, most recently,

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

informatics and application of artificial intelligence in data-mining/clustering.

During his academic career he has been the project lead (or co-lead) in over 25 national and international research projects generating research income of more than £10million and turnover of academic enterprise activities of more than £50million.

Professor Mesbahi will join the University in 2020.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Datalogic enhances robot guidance and traceability with Impact software Datalogic, a leader in robotics, Industry 4.0, automatic data capture and process automation, is introducing its new Impact 12.2 software to further enhance the traceability and ease-of use of vision-guided robots and cobots used for a wide variety of pick, place and other vital production line tasks.

The new robot guidance and traceability software is available throughout the Asia-Pacific region and incorporates a number of calibration and performance enhancements to make robot programming faster and simpler, as well as improve accuracy and traceability.

“With Datalogic’s Impact 12.2 system, robots can now be deployed faster, and they are more adaptable to changing applications in dynamic industries such as warehousing, logistics, supply chain, manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, transport and OEM markets,” said Mr Bradley Weber, Product Marketing Manager – Machine Vision, Datalogic.

“The latest software has been thoroughly tested in conjunction with leading robotics company Universal Robots and has been fully approved and UR+ certified to work their robots and cobots. UR+ certification means they have the full technical support and expertise of the Universal Robots team, as well as access to their highly customisable software,” said Mr Weber.

Collaborative robots, or ‘cobots’ work harmoniously with people in production and distribution operation such as pick-and-place and production lines. Often, the robot performs repetitive tasks requiring strength or precision, while the person guides the robot to the right place, provides a part for it to pick, or performs other tasks that complement the robots programming.

According to Universal Robots, “Cobots give manufacturers access to all the benefits of advanced robotic automation, without the extra costs associated with traditional robots: difficult programming, long set-up, and shielded work cells. This makes automation affordable even for small-batch production runs and mixed product assembly.”

Software enhancements Impact software was designed with a focus on traceability and guidance, with upgrades to performance, ease of use and flexibility, to save time and improve productivity, says Mr Weber.

Datalogic’s latest IMPACT software enhances performance and traceability for vision-guided robots and cobots.

Performance enhancements are provided by the new system’s calibration software, which improves the capability of pick and place applications; the locating tool to improve positional accuracy; and OCR upgrades to assist with high speed traceability applications.

simultaneously – such as guidance, gauging, inspection and identification – as well as solving variations of the same application.

Ease of use features of Impact software include an intuitive system, ease of set-up and simple integration with robots, processors and cameras.

Like previous software, Impact 12.2 runs on all Datalogic’s smart cameras and MX industrial Vision Processors. By utilising the same intuitive drag and drop environment across all hardware, users can set up the vision system in less time and share vision programs between Smart Cameras and Vision Processors.

Impact also allows users to create custom user interfaces in minutes to monitor the line.

Flexibility is important to automated processes, and Impact software can solve many applications

Datalogic’s Optical Character Recognition (OCR) can read characters in trickier locations or on harder to read surfaces, such as the side of a metal housing, the VIN number on the frame of a car or the date/lot code on a package.

The tool can be set up to read characters of different fonts or text that is slanted, slightly blurred or displayed on a noisy background.

Customer advantages include swift and simple calibration, reducing learning and programming times and accurate robot guidance, all with full end-to-end traceability to ensure product quality and transparency.

The software platform integrates with more than 100 vision tools and runs on all smartcCameras and industrial vision processors for any vision application and inspection requirements.

Collaborative robots, or ‘cobots’ work harmoniously with people in production and distribution.

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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY See and solve failures before they happen with predictive analytics Wouldn’t it be nice to know when the devices in your home are on their last legs, so you could fix or replace them before they break?

Just imagine how much better life would be. No more air conditioner breakdowns in the dog days of summer. No more unusable dishwashers on busy weeknights. No more computer crashes before you can back up your family photos and personal files.

The same holds true for the plant floor. By knowing when machines and equipment are about to fail, you can proactively service them to avoid stressful situations like downtime, missed customer orders and quality issues.

We may not know when our home technologies will be kaput. But such insights are possible in your production operations today using dashboards with predictive analytics.

When real time is too late

This is where advanced analytics software and dashboards come into play. The software combines real-time data with machine learning to understand the patterns that precede downtime events and other issues. It’s presented in a dashboard and can detect anomalies that may indicate new failure modes or other issues that need to be investigated.

These predictive insights can help your workers solve any number of challenges in your operations.

Look into your future Even more valuable than knowing when something is about to fail is knowing what you need to do to fix it. Prescriptive analytics dashboards use historical failure data and trends to tell workers what corrective action to take. This information can help make sure the right steps are taken to avoid asset failures, keep production on target, maximize quality and more.

From smart machines to connected sensors, IoT technologies have forever changed how you see your operations. You can now access data and analytics that matter to monitor almost any aspect of production, in real time, around the clock.

Predictive analytics dashboards can be customized to deliver the specific information that workers need to solve different problems. For example, a worker in a food manufacturing plant can gain insight into mixing, filling and packaging assets on a line all in one place.

This data is great for tracking performance, quality and more. Real-time data is not enough, however, when it comes to spotting machine or equipment failures that cause unexpected downtime. You need insights into potential issues before they cause downtime, not after.

With these dashboards, a user can see that a mixer is flagged as having an impending downtime issue.

More details about the asset are available on the same screen, including its expected time to failure and performance parameters like vibration and power consumption.

Using these insights, a technician could further investigate problems with the mixer and schedule any required work to occur during a planned downtime, before the asset is predicted to fail.

When looking across a production line, a prediction analysis can be viewed for multiple carts. This allows a user to make comparisons and identify trends, all in one graphic.

For example, workers can see that one cart on a line has a much lower work life and predicted parts remaining. They can also see the predicted work life trend and how much that cart deviates from the other carts.

This can give workers a long enough response window to redirect production to other carts and correct the problem on the identified cart before it impacts production.

Of course, while predictive asset maintenance offers tremendous value, it’s not the only application for predictive analytics dashboards.

You can also use the dashboards to forecast results and understand issues that are impacting yield, product quality, energy efficiency and more.

ThinkTop revolutionises valve sensing and control units Alfa Laval has unveiled a refreshed, rethought version of the Alfa LavalThinkTop, the company’s best-selling valve sensing and control unit for hygienic valves used in the dairy, food, beverage, brewery and pharmaceutical industries.

The Alfa Laval ThinkTop V50 and V70, the second-generation of premium control units, have been reengineered to meet customer needs while incorporating the latest advances in technology.

“We have listened carefully to what customers want from a valve sensing and control unit,” says René Stietz, Product Management Valves & Automation, Hygienic Fluid Handling, Alfa Laval.

“The changes we’ve made to the ThinkTop are highly responsive to customer needs and therefore highly relevant – for instance, faster and more intuitive setup without compromising durability and reliability.”

Reengineered to meet customer needs For the first time, the rethought Alfa Laval ThinkTop offers customers fast and intuitive setup and commissioning; enhanced 360° LED visual status indication, a repositioned Gore Vent, a more compact and aesthetic design, burst seat clean functionality, and a QR code for easy online access to support materials and direct support.

Fast and intuitive The new auto setup feature offers manufacturers quick, easy commissioning – up to 90% faster than the previous generation. Plus, the live setup feature coupled with true valve recognition ensures the perfect match during any-and-all setups.

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Adaptable and smart The new ThinkTop fits on any Alfa Laval valve, making it perfect for all retrofits. What’s more, it is smart. It features 24/7 self-diagnostics, checking and remedying operations when required, and an enhanced 360° LED visual status indication so that operators can clearly see the valve status no matter where they are on the production floor.

Durable and reliable The new ThinkTop is as long-lasting and dependable as the first generation. However, repositioning the Gore Vent makes the ThinkTop more durable and more reliable than before, equalizing the enclosure pressure in the unit while eliminating the risk of water ingress.

Aesthetic design Highly practical, the new minimalist industrial exterior with its strict lines, no cover screws and uncompromising geometry is 30% more compact than the previous version yet has the same height, making the new ThinkTop suitable for tight installations. Inside one sensor target control board packed with functionality handles all valve functions and communication; no adapter is required.

Burst seat cleaning Take advantage of the highly effective burst of CIP liquid during the opening moment of seat lift and seat push. These optimised valve activationsdrastically reduce water consumption during Cleaning-in-Place and save up to 90% in cleaning agent costs.

www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz

Evolutionary thinking The Alfa Laval ThinkTop was launched in 2000 as a technological breakthrough that revolutionised hygienic valve sensing and control technology.

Nearly 20 years on, Alfa Laval has now incorporated evolutionary measures to a proven workhorse, radically changing its appearance and functionality to meet customers’ changing needs and demanding requirements.

The new Alfa Laval ThinkTop V50 and V70 series cover all valve requirements and are selected based on the number of solenoid valves required. The ThinkTop V50 series matches the requirements of the Alfa Laval DV-ST, butterfly, single seat and double seal valves while the ThinkTop V70 series matches the requirements of all these valves plus Alfa Laval double seat and special valves.

In addition, the new Alfa Laval ThinkTop V50 and V70 meet the protection class IP66, IP67 and IP69K.

MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY Software framework generates ISO programs for CNC machine tools A powerful new software framework tool enables users of CNC machine tools to generate and test ISO part programs offline.

The tool looks set to win across-the-board approval in busy machine shops, where an uninterrupted workflow can provide a key productivity advantage.

Flexium Office framework software runs under Windows 7/8 or 10 on any standard PC. It allows any of NUM’s technology HMIs (Human-Machine Interfaces) to be used for specific projects – without requiring access to the target CNC machine tool.

The corresponding ISO part program can be created offline and can also then be tested offline using NUM’s Flexium 3D simulation software, before being transferred to the target machine.

Application-specific technology HMIs form part of the company’s Flexium CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) software suite.

The HMIs cover every type of CNC machining operation, including hobbing, shaping, milling, threaded wheel grinding and cylindrical grinding.

After selecting the most appropriate technology HMI for the task, the user simply carries out basic data definition tasks for the project in hand, using the highly intuitive tools and workflow commands

Commercial & industrial growth

provided by Flexium Office.

Multiple projects can be started and saved at any time – allowing collaborative team development if desired – and the framework software provides support for 14 languages.

As soon as the user is satisfied with the process and workflow of a project it can be used to generate the corresponding CNC part program – entirely automatically.

The CNC program can either be transferred directly to a nominated machine in the production plant, usually via a TCP/IP network, or input to NUM’s Flexium 3D simulation software for thorough evaluation before being issued for production purposes.

path and workpiece material removal, backed by automatic checking for collisions between machine components, the tool and the workpiece.

The software creates a dynamic colour image, showing the workpiece as a 3D volume than can be rotated and viewed from any perspective.

The key advantage of simulation is that it enables users to optimise any ISO-code part program offline, further helping to maximise productivity by leaving the CNC machine tool free for manufacturing purposes.

Flexium Office framework software runs on any standard PC and has no special graphics handling requirements. It needs approximately 30 MB of free space on the PC’s hard disk or SSD, and a minimum of 4 GB of RAM due to the Flexium 3D simulation software.

The simulation software is extremely powerful. It provides full visualisation of the tool centre point

For maximum performance, an i3 or i5 dual core processor configuration is recommended.

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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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY What’s the single most important contributor to productivity?

-Greg Morehouse, CEO – Senior Engineering Analyst, Motovated Design & Analysis Ltd. Arguably it’s engagement.

phenomenally poor engagement.

reward self-discipline.

What drives engagement? I believe making a difference is the largest driver in our employees’ engagement.

Over the years of growing Motovated, I’ve found that the best employees, i.e. those with high technical skills who relate well with others, and have a good work ethic, are rarely motivated predominately by the money.

They are willing to take risks, where necessary, to build trust and confidence amongst those they serve and lead. In doing so they distribute leadership throughout an organisation by encouraging and rewarding disciplined use of initiative to serve the greater cause.

But what are the components that add up to people within your organisation actually feeling like they make a difference?

Recognition is an important component in feeling that we do makes a difference. When we recognise someone, actually acknowledge the contribution they provide in our organisation, we provide visibility both to ourselves and others of the difference they make.

Look for the way this person likes to be recognised; some people don’t like to be put in the spotlight!

Role clarity is critical to making a difference. Does your employee know what he or she can do that will make the largest difference to your organisation today, tomorrow and next year?

Are they clear about what’s urgent vs. what’s important?

Do they recognise simple time management skills like doing the tough things first, and rewarding yourself for a boring or challenging task well done?

Responsibility, authority and accountability must go together, in equal parts. You can’t make someone accountable for something they didn’t have responsibility for and authority over.

Trust must go both ways, and as leaders we grow people best by allowing them to try, recognising they aren’t perfect and don’t know what they don’t know.

If we can provide the things above for our engineers, we’ve found we can retain them. Motovated’s senior team are all high performers who could work anywhere they choose, and mostly they love working here and have been Motovated for more than a decade.

Obviously, if the money was poor, we probably wouldn’t have retained them, but as long as we could be transparent about why our salaries were what they were, and where their salaries lie with respect to their peers in the mechanical consulting field, they have been happy to work with us to make Motovated more profitable, and therefore their salaries more in line with industry norms.

Motovated does lots of other things to ensure engagement however, like flexitime work, offsite work, regular team events as well as partnering with our clients to increase the interaction and enjoyment for everyone. Another thing that senior leadership at Motovated have taken on is Servant Leadership.

Servant Leadership the Motovated Way is highlighted below, and paraphrased from: https://www.linkedin. com/pulse/servant-leadership-mark-bouch/ Servant leadership is a participative style of

Inspiring and building commitment: Servant leaders treat others as they wish to be treated to build teams where all members feel valued and motivated.

They inspire followership but they don’t indulge the people they lead; they treat all fairly and as they deserve, on merit, potential and contribution.

There is a danger that ‘servant leadership’, unless suitably defined and differentiated, morphs into a synonym for effective leadership and loses impact.

The concept is too strong to dilute!

Here is some further reading which you might enjoy: I II

How to foster psychological safety According to ”How Google sold its engineers on management”, Google’s management best practices include: 1. Does not micromanage 2. Balances freedom while being available for advice 3. Makes it clear he or she trusts their direct reports 4. Advocates for the team with others outside the team

Look for knowledge gaps, enable rather than delegate. Keep your finger on the pulse to understand where your employee’s challenges lie.

Help them through the first time, give them a process to follow next time, and allow them to modify and simplify the process through systems.

Have simple reporting systems that highlight what is getting done and what isn’t. Allow them to fail in things we’re all not sure about.

Try to manage the risk but reward them for trying, regardless.

Psychological safety is a must for all of these things to occur. Are your employees safe to ask for help?

Can they question the way things are done? If they offer a suggestion is it heard?

Will you actually allow your employees to contribute or is your organisation stuck with the way it currently works?

All of these contribute to our employee’s ability to make a difference. Making a difference is what they want, and what we want of them. The greatest driver of productivity is our employee’s engagement.

Make their engagement your highest priority.

Interestingly while researching engagement I found a number of viewpoints that I didn’t agree with.

Notably “Show me the money” was often seen to be a significant driver.

Maybe engineers are different, but I’ve been in several environments where this was used but had

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leadership that emphasises self-less leadership rather than the accumulation of power.

Direction setting: Servant leaders subordinate their personal considerations to the collective needs of those they lead.

They are servants to the task, the team and the individuals they serve as leaders. Making a profit should not be a ‘dirty word’ for servant leaders because they will often need to serve the needs of the business as well as the needs of those they lead.

Alignment: aligning resources often needs deliberate, positive action. Effective servant leaders (like any other leader) create clarity about what needs to be done and why it’s important, but they also create an environment where people readily align to the greater good, subordinating their own considerations and encouraging others to do the same.

Develop Self and Others: All effective leaders focus on team and individual development; this requirement is not the sole province of the servant leader. Servant leaders exemplify, encourage and

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III Per Proactive Insights engagement driversdrivers: 1) Clarity of Purpose and Direction.

2) Ideas and Opinions Matter.

3) Proper Tools and Resources to perform the job.

4) Workplace Wellness, that includes a caring organization and work-life balance.

5) Recognition and Appreciation.

6) Work is Fun and there is a genuine love for the job and organization.

7) Opportunities to constantly Learn and Grow.

8) Freedom to Unleash Passion and Creative Potential by contributing through special talents, skills and passion.

9) High-trust Environment where there is mutual trust and support to take calculated risks.

10)Making Progress in One’s Work through

ANALYSIS Building a future-ready and sustainable strategy for manufacturing

By Mac Ghani, Managing Director, Avanade Australia From digital transformation to climate change, every industry is trying to keep up with the pace of change and reinvent processes for a more sustainable future. When a manufacturing business successfully transforms itself, customers and employees will benefit from: •● Increased efficiency and output through data-driven process optimisation and visibility; •● Reduced downtime and increased asset utilisation through real-time monitoring of assets and predictive maintenance analytics; •● Increased agility of supply-chain planning via real-time visibility and process controls; •● Improved worker safety and injury prevention by detecting and responding to changes in field conditions and worker vital signals; A future-ready manufacturing business also has the capacity to create a positive environmental impact – using digital innovation, data and insights to drive efficiencies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enable smarter energy management and reduce waste.

The MIT Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) finds companies that substantially complete their transformation tend to enjoy margins 16 percentage points higher than their industry’s average.

A new beginning Despite hyper awareness about the need to innovate and the commitment to invest heavily in technology over the next three years, research found the manufacturing industry continues to lag behind companies in other industries.

With tougher socio-economic and environmental conditions, hyper personalisation and a dynamic workforce, it can be incredibly difficult to understand where to start or how to progress further. In fact,

60-70 percent of Australian organisations are still on their journey.

Manufacturing is a traditionally siloed industry.

But a future-ready organisation gives due consideration for impacts across the business, so open communication and evaluation throughout the process is key.

Digital transformation belongs to the whole organisation, not just the CIO. Key decision-makers from all parts of the organisation need to put forward priorities of each business division. These priorities need to be aligned with core technologies to deliver the best possible outcomes and bridge the gaps between information and operation, so that consideration for all components of transformation is addressed.

The right technology for the job Simply implementing new technology doesn’t make a digital transformation strategy effective. When shiny new tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) come to market, the temptation is to implement technology in a bid to realise benefits fast.

Yet, some of the most important aspects of the transformation, namely people and processes are often forgotten. In fact, research shows that process and people are two of the most important factors in reaching digital transformation maturity.

Many manufacturing organisations are investing in technology areas like intelligent automation and predictive analytics and perceive great improvement in business results from the effort. However, respondents to our research did caution that intelligence needs to be integrated with processes, systems and experiences to be effective.

Our research shows a worrying 40 percent of businesses have invested in new technologies and

innovations without integrating them into existing systems. Three-quarters of organisations recognise the cloud as a path to help them realise the benefits of integration and to drive efficiencies.

Tying it all together Finally, the leaders of the strategy will need to benchmark their success and measure the return on investment (ROI) for the new way of working. IoT and many of the hallmarks of Industry 4.0 make this kind of tracking particularly simple with visibility across efficiencies.

Although our research shows that 80 percent of key decision-makers struggle with making the most of data and insights to benefit the business, it only means additional training might be necessary. These insights can then be used to measure the success of efficiencies or see where streamlining might be appropriate.

It can be difficult to know how to begin a digital transformation strategy, with legacy systems and technology as well as lines of reporting being a tangled mess. But untangling and modernising are worth the effort, with companies that integrate an intelligent approach enjoying higher profits.

Digital transformation is not a one-size-fits-all nor a set-and-forget strategy. Technology holds vast potential for the manufacturing sector, but it can’t work in a rigid silo. Open and transparent communication is required, and rigorous evaluation along the way is key to finding the right balance for your organisation.

meaningful tasks and making headway on a day-to-day basis.

IV Per Deloitte’s employee engagement strategies: V What is employee engagement?

The first step in our research was to investigate what HR professionals understood or meant when they used the term ‘engagement’. A clear view of the behaviours demonstrated by the engaged employee emerged: • belief in the organisation • desire to work to make things better • understanding of business context and the ‘bigger picture’ • respectful of, and helpful to, colleagues • willingness to ‘go the extra mile’ • keeping up to date with developments in the field.

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NZ MANUFACTURER

FEATURES November 2019 Issue 3D MANUFACTURING COMPANY PROFILE INDUSTRY 4.0 ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY Advertising Booking Deadline – 8 November 2019 Advertising Copy Deadline – 8 November 2019 Editorial Copy Deadline – 8 November 2019 Advertising – For bookings and further information contact: Doug Green, P O Box 1109, Hastings 4156, Hawke’s Bay Email: publisher@xtra.co.nz Editorial material to be sent to : Doug Green, P O Box 1109, Hastings 4156, Hawke’s Bay Email: publisher@xtra.co.nz Tel: 06 870 9029

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

Opinion

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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NZ Manufacturer October 2019 /

DEVELOPMENTS Could you build our base in Antarctica?

Antarctica New Zealand is looking for a construction partner for the Scott Base Redevelopment project. But this is a job interview with a difference: the selection process involves a trip to Antarctica.

“This is no junket though”, says Senior Project Manager Simon Shelton. “We understand that very few people have been to Antarctica so we want to work with the industry to familiarise them with the environment, show them Scott Base and help them understand any perceived commercial risk.”

Over the next two years, the design of the proposed new base will be completed. This involves employing a main contractor organisation to work with Antarctica New Zealand and their design consultants to confirm how best to deliver the project.

Registrations of Interest are now open on the Government Electronic Tenders Service website, GETS. Shortlisted applicants will be taken to Scott Base in February to experience the environment and the unique logistical requirements involved with safely living, working and building in Antarctica.

Mr Shelton says Antarctica New Zealand is looking for an innovative organisation to safely and effectively deliver a complex project.

“Even little things are important to know in Antarctica, like what clothing is required to work outside, how people and materials get there and back

and how cold it really is,” he says.

Antarctica New Zealand General Manager Engineering Matt Johnson says it’s an important project in a remote and challenging environment.

“The redevelopment of Scott Base is the largest project ever undertaken by Antarctica New Zealand.

“This is an opportunity for a construction company to be part of New Zealand’s legacy in Antarctica and to help support our world-leading science programme.

“We’re looking for an organisation with the ability to deliver complex and challenging projects, a strong commitment to environmental stewardship, one that values the power of teamwork and collaboration and aspires to the highest standards,” he says.

More information, including a contractor briefing pack can be found on website https://www.scottbaseredevelopment.govt.nz/

The plural of plastic

-Natalie Martin, 3R Material Innovation Manager

Plastic is a hot topic around the world these days, and so it should be.

The terrible effects it has on the environment are undeniable, and there is evidence those effects are circling back to us. Plastic has also become something of the posterchild for society’s conspicuous over-consumption.

But is plastic all bad? The short answer is actually, no.

Plastic – first developed by British inventor Alexander Parkes in the early 1860s – was hailed as something of a miracle substance. Light, durable, easy to sterilise, cheap to make – the list of positive properties is impressive.

Without plastic the world would be a very different place than it is today – simply consider how many things are made, at least in part, of plastic. It’s probably easier to think of how many things are not.

It is of course some of those very same properties – namely its durability – which have made plastic an environmental disaster. Combine this with a single-use, throw away culture around plastic and there is a serious problem.

But plastic is recyclable, isn’t it? Well it is, and it isn’t.

This is because one of the biggest issues is plastic isn’t just one substance – it is in fact a complicated web of different types and grades, each with different properties and applications.

Broadly speaking plastics fall into two groups – thermoplastics, which can be remoulded with heat, and thermoset which cannot and need other processes, such as the use of chemicals. The most commonly used plastics have been assigned identification numbers which identifies the plastic types. These range from 1 to 7 with category 7 being the ‘all other’ or mixed plastics.

This is where recycling becomes complicated. As you might imagine thermoplastics are easier to recycle as they can be melted and remoulded.

Category 1 (PET – like drink bottles), 2 (HDPE – like milk bottles) and 4 (LDPE – soft plastic films) are the best examples of thermoplastics.

PET and HDPE are generally considered the most recyclable, and in New Zealand we have processing

facilities for these. Flight Plastics in Wellington have a process which means PET can be recycled again and again – although a thin layer of virgin material is added as a food safety measure. There is also limited recycling for category 5 and 6.

So, what about the rest? While all plastics can theoretically be recycled it is the results of the recycling which varies greatly in terms of grade and value.

While a PET bottle can be remade into a new bottle, other plastics may require a complicated pathway for recycling, or the value of the material is so low that once it has been through the recycling process it is more expensive than the original material. Recycling is a business and needs to stack up financially for it to be viable.

You might then ask why all plastic products aren’t made from PET or HDPE. This comes down to the different properties of the plastics. As you can imagine, those which can be recycled through melting are not suitable for applications where they are exposed to heat, such as in electronics.

So, what’s the solution? Product stewardship – where the companies which make and distribute plastic products take responsibility for those products at the end of life – is an excellent start.

This isn’t just about ‘doing the right thing’, as product stewardship has been proven to have wide ranging benefits. Better product design is an important part of product stewardship – improving efficiency, reducing waste and eradicating unnecessary plastic, such as excess packaging.

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DEVELOPMENTS Emirates Team New Zealand launch showcases world-first hydraulic foil system Emirates Team New Zealand launched its new yacht this month, in preparation for the 36th America’s Cup in 2021 The muscular hydraulics that for years have powered Hydraulink’s customers’ machinery are about to step onto the glamorous stage of the greatest yachting show on earth.

In one of the world’s most complex and advanced sports engineering projects, Emirates Team New Zealand will be aiming to defend the 36th America’s Cup with its ‘yacht of the future’ designed for enhanced speeds, control and precision.

Hydraulink Races Again on the Waitemata For the upcoming 36th America’s Cup taking place on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour, Hydraulink’s 25-year Official Supplier partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand will continue – this time with the most advanced hydraulic systems to-date.

“Emirates Team New Zealand’s new AC75 class features huge advances on anything that has gone before. For example, the boat will use a world-first cantilever system whereby no keel is needed.

“The foils arms are raised and lowered using a battery powered power pack replenishing an accumulator which provides instant pressure to raise and lower the foil arms in around 3 seconds,” says Hydraulink Director and yachting enthusiast, Mr Lee Short.

“The other hydraulic systems on the boat for adjusting the sailing functions are all run on a different hydraulic circuit powered by the several on-board crew members called ‘grinders’.

“Their role is to operate manual pedestal winches (called ‘coffee grinders’) that power the pumps that provide the pressure for all other systems. It is a physically demanding role with a significant impact on a racing yacht’s overall performance,” said Mr Short.

Emirates Team New Zealand and Hydraulink push the limits again

September’s early morning unveiling at Emirates Team New Zealand’s Viaduct base was a sneak peek for the public at the sleek body of the new foiling monohull and its four metre foil arms with attached foil wings, which have dramatically changed the America’s Cup in 2021.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s official unveiling “The world saw from previous Cups in San Francisco, and then in Bermuda in 2017, what’s possible on the water with catamarans, and for the upcoming showcase Emirates Team New Zealand and Hydraulink are once again at the cutting-edge of America’s Cup innovation with the new AC75 class,” said Mr Short.

Te Aihe – The Dolphin, The Leader The presentation of Te Aihe or ‘Dolphin’ as Emirates Team New Zealand’s flagship boat was the moment to highlight the work of over 100,000-man hours from a team of 65 in the design and build department. The boat and its foil wings, which will help the boat to lift out of the water are a testament to Kiwi innovation, constantly pushing the limit of technology.

“Hydraulink’s innovation, drive and cutting-edge technology is well respected throughout industry worldwide. With the increased emphasis on complex hydraulic systems, Hydraulink is relishing the opportunity to once again be racing against world technology leaders,” said Mr Short.

The name Te Aihe (Dolphin) is based on the Maori proverb: “As the dolphin soars through the seas so does a leader sew people together”. The proverb is highly applicable to the Emirates Team New Zealand team, who will be doing everything they can to stay in front during the America’s Cup Match.

Emirates Team New Zealand launched its new AC75 class boat this month at the Viaduct facility in Auckland. The boat’s new hydraulic foil cant system

will be used for the first time in the 36th America’s Cup in 2021

25 Years of sailing innovation By its very nature, the America’s Cup is a secretive business, but behind the curtains, Hydraulink has worked in partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand for the past 25 years and five campaigns – following the 1995 watershed victory in San Diego.

Hydraulink has been at the coalface of hydraulic design and advice, from the monohulls to foiling catamarans and back again to the current AC75 class, which is the most stringent test of the company’s bespoke hydraulic hose assemblies and fittings connecting all the hydraulic systems on board.

The foiling class The recent move to foiling class catamarans in San Francisco then Bermuda has showcased on a global stage the new hydraulic technology and its capability to push the limits of speed, pressure and safety.

The Foil Cant System (FCS) is the driving force of the new AC75 class. This FCS is standard on each boat and identical sets of Hydraulink fittings and hose assemblies have been supplied to every team to operate this complex system.

Each set of hose assemblies is constructed, tested and certified by Hydraulink utilising its brand-new test rig capable of pressures up to 4,000 bar (60,000psi).

Hydraulink is also supplying Emirates Team New Zealand exclusively with their other independent systems on board as the boats prepare to hit the Waitemata sailing at 50 knots (90kmph) in March 2021.

With design pressures up to 500 bar (7200psi), these boats simply won’t sail if their hydraulics don’t operate efficiently. Hydraulink’s successful partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand has led America’s Cup Events Limited (ACE) to use Hydraulink’s hoses and fittings for each team’s Foil Cant System (FCS) for AC36.

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ANALYSIS Replace, remanufacture or repair?

Applying the circular economy to manufacturing - John Young, EU Automation If I asked you to think of the three Rs of the environment, you’d probably say reduce, reuse, recycle. In manufacturing plants striving for affordable, sustainable operations, three other words spring to mind. Replacing, remanufacturing or repairing broken or malfunctioning equipment.

Ever since the first industrial revolution, the manufacturing sector has been dominated by a linear business model based on the “take, make, use and dispose” paradigm. However, the shortcomings of a linear economy have become evident in recent years, as natural resources are being depleted and commodity prices increase accordingly.

Consequently, a regenerative model in which components are used multiple times is hailed by many for its economic and environmental advantages.

When equipment breaks, it is frustrating, inconvenient and not always straightforward to deal with. The manufacturer is faced with a decision of what to do next, replace it with a new component, repair it or remanufacture it.

Replacing a component may sound like the easiest way to resolve the issue, but it isn’t always the cheapest option. Instead, tapping into the circular

economy by opting for a repaired or remanufactured part can be an effective way to minimise downtime and benefit the environment.

Finding the right approach So, what should manufacturers consider when equipment breaks down? The first factor is warranty, which may cover most of the unit’s maintenance costs, particularly for its first year of working life.

For problems surfacing after the first year, maintenance engineers traditionally apply the 50/50 rule, which states that repairing makes sense when the sum of spare parts and labour expenses does not exceed half of the machine’s original value.

However, supporters of the circular business model tend to disagree, claiming that it is always worthy to remanufacture or repair unless the cost of the reparation surpasses that of buying a brand-new unit.

Believers in the circular economy would also argue that it is incorrect to assume that equipment will break down more frequently just because it is old.

Besides the warranty terms and the costs of the remanufacture or repair, there are other factors

to take into account. The first is the field in which the machine operates, since there are sectors, such as biomedical manufacturing, in which regulations compel manufacturers to replace equipment at regular intervals, making refurbishing or repairing unfeasible.

Finally, one of the most important aspects to consider is whether the equipment required is still being produced by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or if has become obsolete.

When equipment breaks, it is frustrating, inconvenient and not always straightforward to deal with.

Industry-led quality scheme complaints procedure successfully put to test Five years on from its launch, New Zealand’s Steel Fabrication Certification (SFC) scheme has been a great success. Approximately 88% of structural steel is fabricated by SFC certified fabricators, with several more businesses well on their way to certification.

To ensure the integrity of SFC, there is a robust complaints process whereby certified fabricators are held to account when things don’t go as they should.

The first complaint was lodged in 2017 by an inspection services provider (complainant) contracted to inspect the work of an SFC-qualified company.

While formal complaints are made to the SFC scheme manager, the actual complaints process is handled independently by the HERA Certification Ltd.’s Certification Panel.

In this instance, the complainant provided a detailed inspection report highlighting where contractually agreed specifications were not met and voiced their concerns that the work did not comply with SFC requirements, specifically: 1. Lack of welding supervision and time pressure to

get the work out the door.

2. In-house inspections were not performed and documented 3. Failure of welders to fabricate welds in accordance with AS/NZS 1554.1 4.

Third-party inspection was not performed before despatching items.

Weld quality is a key certification plank of SFC. In this case, the fabricator failed to comply with the SFC scheme and the underlying welding quality management standard AS/NZS ISO 3834.2. This could have been avoided if the system had been maintained properly.

When deciding action, the Certification Panel noted the respondent’s full acceptance of the complaint in its response, where it also described the root cause and their proposal to remedy the shortcomings in their QA process.

They also ensured the non-compliant steelwork was repaired in compliance with the standard and approved to the satisfaction of the complainant.

The

situation

didn’t

warrant

suspension

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of

certification. Instead, the Panel issued a formal warning and outlined a series of corrective actions, including being put on the auditor’s watchlist for one year.

The respondent also agreed to provide full QA documentation for selected completed projects and to implement a training programme for the welding coordination team and welders. The auditor’s final report confirmed that all proposed actions were implemented satisfactorily.

“I am happy with the professional handling and response taken by the HERA Certification Panel in respect to my complaint. I have been constantly advised and updated on how this was being addressed. As a result of this experience I believe the HERA/SCNZ complaints procedure has proven to be open and cooperative and, as such, this has helped allay my concerns around the accountability of its members under the SFC scheme.” – Complainant To find out more about the SFC scheme, please visit www.scnz.org/Resources/Compliance/Steel+Fabricator+Certification.html

The actual complaints process is handled independently by the HERA Certification Ltd.’s Certification Panel.

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.

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.

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.

Greg Morehouse

Greg founded Motovated Design & Analysis in 1999 with a vision to “cost effectively engineer our client’s vision”; through the use of advanced techniques, superior tools, and boundless enthusiasm. Working for VW & Audi as a mechanic, and then with Boeing & Hercules Aerospace as an Engineering Analyst, provided Greg with 40+ years of real world design and analysis experience. Greg is a world-class analyst and provides training and advanced technical support to manufacturers and some of the FEA resellers throughout New Zealand.

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OnRobot takes robot compatibility to the next level New Digital I/O Converter Kit and Quick Changer for OnRobot end-of-arm tooling (EoAT) dramatically simplifies automation with a single platform for a full range of collaborative and light industrial robotic systems.

OnRobot, a global leader in end-of-arm tooling (EoAT) for collaborative robot applications, has introduced two new products - the Digital I/O Converter Kit and Quick Changer – which together with other OnRobot EoATs, creates a unique One-System Solution that dramatically simplifies automation.

OnRobot’s Digital I/O Converter Kit allows OnRobot EoATs to work with a full range of leading collaborative and light industrial robot brands.

Building on that initiative, all OnRobot products now have a unified mechanical and communications interface based on the OnRobot Quick Changer, which is now an integrated part of all OnRobot products.

An additional Dual Quick Changer incorporates these same new capabilities while allowing the use of two tools in one cycle, mixing and matching to suit application needs and maximising robot utilisation.

Now, with a single robotic system, single platform for programming and training, and single vendor relationship, manufacturers have access to a full range of tools, full robot compatibility, and virtually unlimited possibilities for collaborative applications.

This new one-system solution speeds deployment so manufacturers save time and money and can quickly realise the benefits of automation.

Manufacturers are demanding more from their

robotic applications, and end-of-arm tooling has become the key to optimising their investments.

This integration of the Quick Changer across the current product lineup makes it easier than ever to switch between tools and robot types, allowing flexibility and reducing downtime for more efficient production and faster automation ROI. This is another step closer to a unified OnRobot one-system solution that makes it easy, fast and cost-effective for manufacturers to build collaborative applications, no matter which robots they choose.

Unified platform across tooling and robot brands With the OnRobot Quick Changer – which is now integrated in all OnRobot tools - a single cable provides a universal interface for tools and communications, so there is no need to disconnect cables when changing tools, and extended communications options support a full range of robotic platforms.

For Universal Robots robot arms, OnRobot now provides a unified URCap that allows all tools to work together, even in a single program.

For example, using the new Dual Quick Changer, manufacturers can use an RG2 two-finger gripper together with a VG10 vacuum gripper in one cycle, achieving greater utilisation of a single UR robot.

Thanks to the unified programming solution, the setup time on UR robots is now faster than ever.

All OnRobot products have a unified communication platform using standard fieldbus protocols, making

it easy to program the tools, regardless of robot used.

With the new fieldbus protocols, manufacturers can easily set software values and use more functions via a standard Ethernet cable, supporting an increased level of sophistication with a simple plug-and-produce approach that doesn’t require additional cables. Deployment time can be cut from 3 hours to 30 minutes, so manufacturers can get their collaborative application up and running quickly.

For robots that connect through digital I/O, the OnRobot one-system solution includes an OnRobot WebLogic interface. Using the IP address of the OnRobot Compute Box, manufacturers can sign in via the OnRobot WebClient from a phone or any other network-connected device to monitor the robot or create simple robot programs.

Manufacturers can preset values and create elaborate programming logic using the feedback values from OnRobot grippers and sensors to provide

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Manufacturing success since 1987.

Whatever you need, we’re onto it. Be it signage for your vehicles or business, stand-out strategy, branding and design (logos, brochures and web), flawless digital printing (large and small format), prop building for specialty events or a promotion with real cut-through - our mighty team, with its expertise, resources and technology, will deliver every time.

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Space experts focus on small sat technology Australia’s rebooted space industry is positioning itself as a world leader in the development of smart satellites and associated technologies that will streamline communication, drive the Internet of Things, enhance Earth Observation and shape the defence forces of the future.

The Australian Government backed SmartSat CRC – or Cooperative Research Centre – is playing a leading role during “Space Week” in the South Australian capital, which includes the 8th Space Forum (formerly South Australia Space Forum) and the 19th Australian Space Research Conference.

Supported by the Australian Space Agency and the SmartSat CRC, the 8th Space Forum included a panel session hosted by SmartSat CRC Industry Director Peter Nikoloff about the opportunities and challenges facing Australia’s newest major space organisation.

research and application of intelligent technologies to space systems and opportunity for Australia’s growing space industry.

He said the panel will seek to identify niche areas of autonomous systems and how the participating universities, industry and defence members could potentially exploit those opportunities.

“The intelligent systems from our perspective aren’t just what’s on a spacecraft, we’re looking at the whole chain that goes from the spacecraft down to the ground stations and the applications of how that information is being presented,” Nikoloff said.

Nikoloff said developing applications to process data and streamlining data transfer before sending it to Earth is critical as the sensing capabilities aboard satellites became more complex and data intensive.

The A$245 million SmartSat CRC was awarded in April and has established a headquarters in Adelaide to co-ordinate its 99 industry and research partners.

“We need to look at processing data on board the satellite through the integration of big data and AI systems rather than sending all of the data down and then deciding what’s useful,” he said. This is important as data download via the Radio Frequency Spectrum is the bottleneck as the majority of the spectrum is licenced to big business and governments.

Nikoloff, who is also a co-founder of Adelaide-based defence and space company Nova Systems, said the panel discussion would focus on highlighting the

“The smaller spacecraft are very constrained on power availability and have numerous technical challenges such as heat dissipation, limited space

finer control. This makes OnRobot tools compatible with an even broader range of robot arms and helps manufacturers get their collaborative application up and running quickly.

Continuous gripper improvements meet demands

The 19th Australian Space Research Conference followed.

Along with the new one-system solution to simplify automation, OnRobot continues to improve its EoAT to meet changing market demands. The RG2 and

availability and suitable space qualified processors.

These are the areas we need to consider in developing advanced intelligent processing in orbit for smaller class spacecraft and a number of our partners are already starting to look at those areas of applications.”

“With the announcement of the program with NASA going to the moon, one of the areas of strong interest from the (Australian) space agency is around autonomous/intelligent and off-planet mining and the benefits that technology improvements would have for the Australian mining sector, which is already a world leader in autonomous mining. The SmartSat CRC will be working with the space agency to ensure we maximise Australia’s The panellists for SmartSat CRC – Building Australia’s Space Industry session included Australian Space Agency Executive Director Aude Vignelles, BAE Systems Australia Chief Technology Officer Brad Yelland and UNSW Canberra Chief Engineer Dr Doug Griffin.

Australia aims to grow the space market segment from AU$3.9 billion to AU$12 billion by 2030 and double space industry employment to 30,000.

The Australian Space Agency was officially launched in Adelaide in July 2018.

RG6 grippers have been re-designed to be stronger, more sensitive and easier to mount.

The grippers come standard with TÜV certified Cat. 3, PLd level safety guards. The Gecko Gripper’s pads have been improved with a maximum payload, depending on the material, now up to 6.5kg.

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Composites for car part manufacturing The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated in 2012 that the national automobile fleet should average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 in order to reduce reliance on fossil fuel and minimise emissions, many other nations have also implemented similar new standards.

To meet these new standards the automotive industry has had to find new ways to make lighter cars without sacrificing their strength and structural integrity.

Here Jari Sopanen, Regional Manager at leading composites manufacturer Exel composites explains why one of the best replacements for steel is thermoset components.

Thermoset composites are formed using glass, carbon, or aramid fibres, which are then combined with resins such as polyesters, vinyl esters, epoxies, or phenolic resins.

These composites are used in various industries but are particularly prominent in the manufacturing of aircraft and spacecraft parts.

Thanks to research and development in the aerospace sector, composites are also being used across other forms of transportation due to the high demand for

lightweight vehicles and components. This trend, called light-weighting, seeks to use innovative materials to reduce the weight of products.

As a result, composite materials are being increasingly used in production, especially for automotive parts and components.

According to the American Composites Manufacturers Associations, fiberglass is one of the key reinforcing materials used in the US thermoset composites industry.

Thanks to its durable properties, it is a good replacement for steel in vehicle structural components, including drive shafts, bumpers and roof beams Reducing component weight is crucial for raising the efficiency of automotive systems. For example, carbon fibre has comparable properties to steel, but is only one-fifth the weight.

Regardless of the mode of transport, it is easy to see the benefits that shaving this amount of weight from a vehicle will achieve.

Additionally, when directly compared to steel, composite materials can meet or surpass the automotive industry’s material property demands, including low coefficients of thermal expansion for heat conduction, dimensional stability for shape retention, corrosion resistance in wet conditions, and high-impact strength to withstand repeated use.

The low weight of composite components also helps provide good sound baffling

and an overall quieter performance.

One type of car that can massively benefit from composite components are electric vehicles (EVs).

Batteries are heavy and, although technology is advancing at a blistering pace, it is highly likely that the bulk battery weight will not decrease as any miniaturisation will be used to install more batteries to increase range and power.

Minimising component weight is, therefore, critical and fibre glass and carbon fibre alternatives are incredibly suitable for this light weighting, especially for EVs. For example, EV batteries must be held in special boxes to protect them but also to prevent any discharge from shocking passengers.

Metals are conductive, which makes them unsuitable whereas most composites aren’t, meaning that when made from composites, which possess a higher strength to weight ratio, they are perfect for this application.

Due to EVs current limited distance range, shaving off weight can produce strong marginal gains.

Composites are gearing up to feature in more than just structural components for cars. In fact, many Asian countries are increasing their composite production, because composite materials are becoming increasingly popular in their electronics sector, especially with companies supplying to the automotive sector.

While North America and Europe account for a key share of the global thermoset composites market, which is expanding due to the local automotive and aerospace industries in these regions, an increase in demand for electric and lightweight vehicles is also anticipated to propel the composites market in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

With governments across the globe looking to implement more rigid energy efficiency standards, shedding vehicle weight is an achievable objective that can help car manufacturers to meet regulations.

Composites material developments means that now they are much better suited to automotive applications in comparison to steel and it is time for car manufacturers to start considering the material as a viable solution.

Gearing up for the fifth generation The global race to introduce the fifth generation network is on. Network suppliers from around the world are promoting the benefits of 5G, but how will we benefit from latest edition of the telecoms technology?

Boasting lower latency, increased capacity and exponentially faster downloading speeds, 5G has the potential to transform the way we communicate and handle data. The technology will be a major boon for both consumers and businesses, and it is vital that infrastructure is implemented to keep pace with its wealth of benefits.

While we prepare to harness the benefits of millimetre wave frequencies, 5G technology is not without its challenges. As the wavelengths are much shorter, they will not travel as far as previous longer waves and signals are attenuated faster, meaning that 5G could have trouble penetrating buildings, trees and other objects.

To facilitate download speeds upwards of five times faster than previous 4G networks, 5G frequencies will include novel millimetre wave frequencies. These millimetre waves broadcast at frequencies between 30 and 300 gigahertz (GHz). Compared to the six GHz used on devices in the past, this is radically higher than any previous generation.

To overcome the issues of transmission and penetration, a far denser network of antennas and receivers will be required. As the technology will require a number of changes to our infrastructure, it’s vital that network suppliers begin to prepare for the overhaul.

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The entire world is gearing up for the 5G roll out.

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But if we are to feel the full benefits of 5G, we must have the correct infrastructure in place.

The increasing importance for radio frequency-transparent materials opens up more opportunity for the composites market, for example in smart lighting pole networks and penetration-enabling infrastructure like RF transparent window frames, there are plenty of opportunities for product design and development.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the new technology, but without the structures in place to facilitate it we will not be able to make the most out of this disrupting update.

Composites will play a vital in this overhaul, as fibre glass’s high strength, incredible ability to withstand all sorts of weather conditions, and design freedom allows us to make the material the enabler of a better-connected society.

Seequent expands solutions portfolio with GeoStudio Seequent, a world leader in the development of geoscience analysis, modelling, and collaborative technologies, today announced that Geoslope – a Canadian-based company that creates integrated, geotechnical analysis software – has become part of Seequent, offering additional innovative geoscience technology solutions.

Geoslope is recognised worldwide by geotechnical engineers who use the GeoStudio suite for design, analysis, and decision making.

The GeoStudio suite includes products for modelling slope stability, deformation, heat transfer and groundwater flow in soil and rock.

The products are used in over 100 countries for analysing infrastructure projects including dams and levees, reinforced walls and slopes, open pit mines, and transportation.

GeoStudio provides comprehensive tools for analysing dams and levees.

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Massey engineers win global Innovation Challenge with air quality sensors Massey University’s winning team receiving their prize: (LtoR in blue jackets): Darryn Wells, Madhav Kruthiventy, Baden Parr and Tyrel Glass.

An enterprising Massey University engineering team has won a top prize in the Keysight IoT Innovation Challenge in New York City for their real-time low-cost IoT-based air-quality monitoring network.

The CAIRNet (Climate Air Information Real-time Network) project team was awarded US $25,000 in cash and US $25,000 worth of select Keysight test equipment for Massey University as the global winner of the Smart Land category.

The Auckland-based student team comprised of Engineering PhD students Baden Parr and Tyrel Glass and Bachelor of Engineering with Honours graduates Madhav Kruthiventy and Darryn Wells, all of whom completed their studies at Massey University’s Albany campus.

The team was one of six teams from around the world flown to New York by Keysight to participate in the global finals this week, after winning the Asia-Pacific/Greater China regional Smart Land IoT Innovation Challenge in June.

Parr and Glass are the latest success story for the ecentre, the business incubator hosted at Massey University. The pair have participated in several startup programmes run by ecentre for Massey students, including their recent IoT cattle tracking startup project. Their solution, ProTag, aims to provide a low-cost data driven insights into individualised livestock health.

The Keysight IoT Innovation Challenge is a global design competition challenging graduate and undergraduate engineering students to conceptualize low-power sensor networks to tackle issues brought on by today’s rapid urbanisation.

The contest’s two tracks are: the Smart Land challenge and the Smart Water challenge. Over 300 entrants from around the world, across three

regional competitions, were judged on metrics such as innovation, manufacturability and impact.

The team was supervised by Dr Fakhrul Alam, Leader, Department of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, School of Food and Advanced Technology (SF&AT) at Massey University, Auckland. Their work grew out of a 2018 fourth year engineering project and has received University and industry support.

Jackie Young, CEO of ecentre says: “Beating out competition from all around the world really highlights how Massey University is producing world-class engineers – and the value of developing innovation and entrepreneurial capability - to create a winning combination. Baden and Tyrel are active members of ecentre’s community and regularly engage with our incubator services.

“It’s been very rewarding working with them to develop their innovation and startup skills, to help them on their journey as they turn their engineering ideas into marketable products.”

Parr says, “Working with the ecentre provided us with valuable insights into how to manage project development by utilising the LEAN startup principles and gaining insights into the target market through research conducted with key Auckland stakeholders.

Mentors from the ecentre are always on hand offer guidance and advice and the contacts they bring are invaluable.”

What is CAIRNet? At the heart of CAIRNet is a low-cost sensor node that utilises cost-effective sensors to measure carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, particulate matters, temperature and humidity.

Each sensor is capable of long-range and low power communication over a network of IoT and short-range, high data rate, communication over

Massey engineers win global Innovation Challenge with air quality sensors

Wi-Fi. It is solar powered, weather resistant and designed to be easily deployed at a large number of locations.

The data collected from the sensor nodes is stored in a cloud-based server and is ultimately displayed on a web page for end-users.

Dr Alam says that air quality monitoring stations are currently confined to only a small number of locations due to the high cost of the monitoring equipment. They provide a low fidelity picture of the air quality in the city; local variations and pockets with high densities of pollutants are overlooked.

“CAIRNet can help measure air quality, in real time, at a large number of urban locations in a cost-effective way. Real-time air pollution data can raise the awareness of general public that could lead to the uptake of sustainable living and be an effective tool for the government and the policy makers for minimizing air pollution.”

Following the Auckland deployment, they are looking forward to collaborating with EWB (Engineers Without Borders) to tackle wood smoke in Cambodia along with Sunway University to monitor brown haze in Malaysia.

Exposure from this event has also put them in touch with other similarly minded groups who are opening pathways for sensor deployments in Australia and the United States of America.

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Update of Hypertherm’s Robotmaster robot programming software available Hypertherm has released Robotmaster Version 7.1, a major update to the completely redesigned and advanced architecture of its Version 7 software released last year.

In total, this new robotic programming software contains more than 40 new features, 500 improvements, and dozens of bug fixes. Many of the changes, driven by customer feedback, are designed to continuously improve the software’s CAD/CAM technology and automate programming, allowing customers to enjoy the best error-free robotic path in just one click.

Added features and improvements include: • Ability to automatically recognise weld joints embedded in CAD models which simplifies and speeds up programming

• Ability to transform operations to reduce multiple manual selections • Ability to modify operation geometry (a section of the path or the entire path) so the user can match the CAD model to the actual part when a mismatch exists Robotmaster can handle both simple and complex robotic tasks, from straightforward plasma cutting jobs, to deburring and additive manufacturing applications.

Today, Robotmaster software is used on robots that drill airplane fuselages, polish automotive dies, cut material, support additive manufacturing, and add value to a multitude of processes at family-owned job shops around the world.

“Our goal was to revolutionise the way robots are

programmed by creating software that is so intuitive anyone can use it,” explained Garen Cakmak, leader of Hypertherm’s Robotic Software team.

“It enables customers to enjoy error-free task-based programming that takes collisions, singularities, joint collisions, and other robotic errors into account before running the program live on a robot.

“This in turn makes it possible to program new jobs without interrupting the robot, minimising downtime and instantly increasing productivity and profitability.”

Is 5G ready for manufacturing?

High profile scandals aren’t typically good for the technology sector. Whether it’s diesel emissions, large data breaches or cyber-attacks on mission-critical infrastructure, scandal has the power to cripple a technology even before it’s gotten off the ground. Despite what recent headlines may have you thinking, 5G has the potential to be a hugely positive force in the world of manufacturing, heralding in a new era of technological innovation.

seamless communication with a fleet of autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) without worrying about network dropouts.

While 3G and 4G offered incremental improvements in speed and bandwidth, 5G will be the first cellular, wireless platform to truly offer reliable integration with machine-to-machine and industrial IoT systems.

What’s more, manufacturers that may have been sceptical of adopting the likes of augmented and virtual reality technologies will be able to take full advantage of them for real-time simulation and predictive maintenance.

It will do this in three ways. The first is enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB); 5G offers peak data rates of 10 Gbps and can handle 10,000 times more traffic than its predecessors.

Secondly, it offers Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC). This means it has a radio latency of less than 1 ms and an availability of over 99.9 per cent, making it ideal for industrial use where uptime is critical.

Thirdly, it offers Massive Machine-type Communication (eMTC), allowing it to handle a density of one million devices per square kilometre.

It can also deliver ultra low-cost machine-to-machine communications and can last up to 10 years on battery, great for battery operated low power devices.

So, what does this mean for industry? Well, not only will 5G open the door for real-time wireless sensor networks and location and asset tracking, it will also enable plant managers in smart factories to rely on

In industrial automation, 5G networks will eventually be able to replace wired connections in even the most demanding applications such as motion control and high throughput vision systems.

Ethernet protocols are still being standardised by organisations such as 3GPP and IEEE to accommodate time sensitive networks (TSNs) into 5G architecture, which will allow 5G to achieve the low latency and high availability of its ethernet counterparts.

Making the switch to 5G is not a cheap one, with significant investment needed in upgrading infrastructure to accommodate it. Because 5G operates on the less crowded higher frequency spectrum, around 6 GHz — or by using millimetre waves on new radio frequencies anywhere between 30 GHz to 300GHz — it can easily be blocked by obstacles and absorbed by the likes of rain and even humidity.

This will require the installation of small cell networks with smaller antennas placed closer together. As a result, one question that we hear all the time is, is 5G worth all the investment in upgrading technology and equipment to facilitate it?

A recent experiment carried out by Ericsson, in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology in Germany, conducted a test in a factory that makes metal bladed disks for jet engines.

The large components are milled in a process that can take 20 hours to complete and involves extremely precise cuts to be made to the metal parts.

The procedure has a high error rate of up to 25 per

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cent because of faults caused by small vibrations.

However, mistakes are not usually detected until the end of the process, leading to a significant amount of wasted time and money. By adding 5G sensors to the machines, Ericsson was able to reduce the error rate to 15 per cent.

Because it can transmit data in under a millisecond, the integration of 5G into high-value manufacturing processes will enable errors to be detected and prevented on a scale that is not possible using other wireless communication methods.

“With one millisecond latency, you can sense whether there is a deviation in the process before the tool even hits the blade and you can stop the machine before the error happens,” explained Åsa Tamsons, a senior vice president at Ericsson.

Using 5G to reduce the error rate from 25 per cent to 15 per cent lowered the overall production cost of each blade by €3,600 ($6257 NZ).

The results of Ericsson’s test were certainly impressive, but it is important for us to remember that 5G alone will not solve all the problems with inefficiency in our factories.

Manufacturers need to be prepared to invest in infrastructure upgrades — early adopters will face the technical support challenge of retrofitting 5G with existing legacy equipment and networks.

This will require work to manage obsolescence and ensure that plants can continue to make productivity gains without overhauling their entire plant machinery and equipment.

There is no doubt that 5G will revolutionise manufacturing as we know it, but it’s important that manufacturers understand that it’s not a magic pill to solve their productivity woes.

That will still require careful obsolescence management, selective infrastructure upgrades and a willingness to explore the features of the new technology in a diverse range of applications. So, despite the scandals, manufacturers should give 5G serious consideration.

Automating one step at a time Rockwell Automation’s new regional director, Anthony Wong is very engaging.

He has an easy laugh, but a serious undertone that lets you know he is here to do business. Recently appointed as regional director of automation giant Rockwell Automation, Wong has big shoes to fill in departing MD Scott Wooldridge.

Not that he’ll have to look far if he needs the odd bit of advice – Wooldridge is now the company’s regional vice-president for Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.

Wong, an electrical engineering major, brings experience from both the software and hardware streams of automation.

With more than 24 years in the industry, he started out as customer support with Citect, before graduating to sales engineer, then account manager through to sales director. In 2006, Schneider Electric purchased Citect, which opened new opportunities to Wong, including a five-year sojourn at the company’s headquarters in Paris, France, where he had several roles mainly in the strategy, merger and integration sectors.

Just under three years ago, he decided to come home where he worked for Schneider until taking up the Rockwell Automation position in July this year.

As well as the usual challenges of the role, there are several other reasons the new job was attractive to Wong.

“What attracted to me to the role is that Rockwell Automation is one of the most respected companies in the automation space,” he said. “I have always been in the industrial automation space, and with Rockwell Automation being purely a player in that space, that was definitely one of the things that attracted me to join the company.

He said another reason was that Rockwell Automation has moved into addressing the digital space. For him that was signalled when the company took an 8.4 per cent stake in Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR) specialist PTC. That showed Wong that there was going to be complementary technology for smart factories between two companies, which in his eyes, made for a unique value proposition.

“With my strong background in software, that was one of the things that really excited me because it meant we could really allay a lot of the concerns and challenges customers have as they move on their digital journey,” he said.

The third reason he was attracted to the opportunity was that Rockwell Automation is admired for its ecosystems – how they work with partners, and how they work with customers, whether that’s distributors, system integrators, OEMs, and other technology partners.

“Rockwell Automation tries not to do everything, but it is good at partnering with other companies that are best in class,” he said.

“That ecosystem and going to the customer with a strong solution is also something new to me in terms of how they manage these business models that go

to market.”

Over the past 12 months, a few companies in the Industry 4.0, IoT and digitisation space have been pushing the “small steps” agenda, and Rockwell Automation is no different.

While new manufacturing sites are bound to put in the latest technologies in these spaces – to not only make their companies modern, but also very efficient – this doesn’t necessarily mean those SMEs and those looking to upgrade have to invest a multitude of capex into their companies to gain efficiencies.

Wong also has to enforce the vision of the parent company in the US.

“There seems to be a lot of hype in the market that everyone needs to transform their whole business, and the magnitude of it sounds huge,” said Wong.

“It’s a matter of just being practical about what needs to be done with plant, and companies need to prioritise.

Of course, he wants Rockwell Automation to be at the forefront of what that future will look like, but he also invokes another buzzword that is entering the lexicon of the automation space – collaboration.

“I see the story where people think everything needs to be transformed – it needs to be digital, it needs to be automatous, and everything needs to be done remotely.

“Then there are drones and all this sort of stuff, which sounds overwhelming,” he said. “But I also see the other end of the spectrum where there are solutions and applications that are quite easy to implement, and you can get quite a bit of benefit from that.

“There is no reason why a company should not look forward at the journey over the next three-five years. Then I think you need to come back to day one and say, ‘Okay, what is practically possible? What is the next first step as I move along on my journey?’”

But Wong also said that companies need to move sooner rather than later. Again, it can be in small steps. He sees Rockwell Automation as not just an automation company who provides hardware and software, but also as a Technology ally in the Digitisation journey.

Sure, the company has an agenda, who doesn’t?

But there is more to the journey than just fitting out a factory with all the latest gizmos and gadgets designed to collect data in real time and help with a manufacturing plant’s bottom line.

“Companies need to be careful,” said Wong. “Things can creep up on you slowly. Most customers know things need to be done, but they need Technology ally like us to help them go through that journey. We can help leverage other things that we have done around the world that can apply from one industry to another with similar benchmarks.

“The IoT and Industry 4.0 are becoming less hype and more practical. A few years ago, when sensors were a little bit more expensive, people were worried about putting data on the cloud and all that sort of thing. It seems to be more expected now to do that.”

This also means he has ideas on how the manufacturing and processing landscape will look soon.

“My vision of the future is to accelerate our offerings along with the technology of our partners,” he said.

“Our brand promise is ‘Expanding Human Possibility’ – it really is about taking human intelligence and supplementing it with augmented reality with digital technologies. If you look at what we are doing with augmented, it’s almost like a heads-up display for your plant. It shows you the consequences of not taking safety seriously, without putting anybody at risk.”

Then there is the issue of finding not only enough but the right type, of people to take up the mantle that the previous, one-job-for-the-rest-of-my-life generation had. This brings its own set of problems as that generation starts retiring.

“Our industry is quite mature and there is a lot of people with 20 or 30 years’ experience who can listen to a machine and tell you whether it is sick or not,” he said. “As we start to attract younger people into our industry, they are not going to wait 30 years.

They’ll be lucky to wait five. It will be the millennial economy and we need to ignite them”

The IoT and Industry 4.0 are becoming less hype and more practical.

Overseeing the Australasian operation means that

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New solar technology can be printed or woven into fabric Our planet is facing an unprecedented global emergency due to the climate crisis. To counter this narrative we need new and disruptive energy technologies.

Breakthroughs here can make our planet a better place to live, minimise the deleterious effects of climate change and ensure a high standard of living.

Harvesting energy through green and clean means is the way forward to preserve our civilisation. As Jimmy Carter once said: no-one can ever embargo the sun or interrupt its delivery to us”; the sun is the best gift to humanity and harvesting sunlight at a cut-rate price will solve our energy demand issues to a large extent.

Renewable technology will drive the energy transition and will also induce geopolitical shifts, creating new alliances and business models.

Countries that are currently fossil fuel suppliers will need to reinvent themselves or embrace new technological approaches in order to remain competitive.

Our planet’s current energy demand is approximately 16 Terawatts (TW); by 2050 we will need energy for 10 billion people, and this will be around 30TW. To bridge this gap, we need new approaches and changes to the current paradigm. The electric light did not come from the continuous improvement of candles, but through disruptive innovation.

The societal pressure to embrace sustainable energy

has made photovoltaics (PV) - or solar panels - one of the main contenders. Currently, the PV industry is dominated by silicon-based technology, which has reached the masses and has achieved grid parity (that is, cost parity with traditional sources of energy) in some parts of the world. The costs for solar energy have already fallen 77% from 2010 to 2018 due to an annual growth rate of 7.9% in renewables.

In recent years, the PV sector has witnessed a surge of instalments and drastic price reduction; however, the manufacturing of silicon solar cells remains an energy-intensive process - that is, the energy consumed to produce the technology - the energy payback time - remains high, and the production rate is not equipped to adapt quickly to the challenges of satisfying future demand.

But today a new breed of solar technology could prove to be the answer.

Classical silicon-based solar cells are today a mature, or first-generation, technology. They were superseded by thin film-based PV cells; these are made by depositing thin layers of a light-harvesting material on a substrate, which can be glass, metal or plastic.

This technology uses exotic materials in extremely thin layers, however, which makes it difficult to be cost-competitive with traditional silicon-based PV cells.

But today a new source of sustainable solar energy is under development that could have a low energy payback time, and a cost that could see it deployed widely. This technology - characterised as emerging PV - is based on nanostructured or carbon-based materials such as dye, perovskite (a family of man-made crystals), or organic-based solar cells.

This is perovskite - the mineral behind an exciting new generation of solar cell technology.

Recently, we have witnessed an unprecedented rise in the investigation of perovskite materials for solar cell fabrication due to their excellent

semiconducting behaviour, ease of manufacture and high level of efficiency.

In less than a decade, it has outperformed all the existing thin film PV technology and can now compete head-to-head with mature silicon technology in terms of solar-to-electric efficiency.

Perovskite-based PV cells use an ultra-thin layer of material, and this allows perovskite to be cost competitive - along with its easy processability due to its high tolerance for manufacturing defects.

In the future, economies of scale and technological advancements will cut fabrication costs even further.

Perovskite is a semiconductor, light-absorbing pigment. Its versatility means it can be formulated as an ink, which can then be printed at any possible object - and this means employing routine printing processes such as inkjet technology, painting surfaces with brushes or newspaper printing could be adopted for mass-scale production.

This new source of sustainable energy - with its low energy payback time, portability and flexibility - is fully equipped to reach the masses.

It can also be formed into threads and woven into fabrics, bags or building materials. Perovskite solar cells have made stunning progress within a short timeframe at the laboratory scale; now we need to join forces and create synergies through chemistry in order to improve the material’s stability.

Greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to humanity everywhere. but don’t panic - instead, let’s build the future together though disruptive innovation.

Let’s build the future together though disruptive innovation.

Orbital captured high resolution passive microwave imagery of Typhoon Hagibis Orbital Micro Systems (OMS), a leader in advanced instrumentation for small satellite missions and analysis-ready earth data intelligence, has released imagery of Typhoon Hagibis captured from its IOD-1 GEMS satellite.

OMS captured an observation of the storm on October 8 at 12:36 a.m. UTC, after it had intensified from a 60-mph tropical storm to a 150-mph super typhoon in 18 hours.

The data shows the beginning of an eyewall replacement cycle, a process that occurs with particularly strong storms. During this scan, a core of warmer air - depicted as darker red colours on the right side of the storm - is being drawn into the centre of the storm.

This warmer air represents a temporary weakening of the storm as a prelude to the development of a new eyewall and further strengthening.

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“The GEMS 118 GHz, 8 channel microwave radiometer delivered exceptional spatial resolution and sensitivity in providing ws, competitive with multi-billion-dollar government programs performing similar measurements,” said Michael Hurowitz, chief technology officer for OMS. “These images validate the capability of OMS’ remote sensing technology and demonstrate the highest spatial resolution of any passive microwave temperature sounder in space on an operational mission.”

The raw data downlinked from the satellite was processed at OMS’s International Centre for Earth Data (ICED) located in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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Typhoon Hagibis imagery at 118 GHz, revealing important data about internal storm structure.

“Observed data from this satellite can be combined with information from government-owned systems to improve the accuracy of storm forecasts,” said Hurowitz.

“We are working with providers and partners to provide enhanced weather information that improves safety margins for people and businesses risking severe weather events.”

NEW PRODUCTS Adaptalift Group forklifts - Hyster UT and Yale UX ranges Australian materials handling leader Adaptalift Group is backing the new Hyster UT and Yale UX Series lift trucks to satisfy a strong need in the Australian market for quality-engineered, cost-effective forklifts suited to lower frequency applications typically limited to 1,000 hours a year.

The new Hyster UT Series and Yale UX Series diesel or dual-fuel counterbalance forklifts, pallet trucks and stackers, in six different capacities from 1.5-3.5 tonnes, deliver an attractive, affordable and uncomplicated range for enhanced user choice across many industries.

The new ranges provide an attractive option for customers who require quality materials handling equipment – backed by service provided by the dealer network and support of the globally leading Hyster-Yale Group – but don’t need advanced functionalities for their tasks.

Adaptalift Group is a major dealer for both Hyster and Yale in Australia, and is demonstrating its full support for the launches of the reliable new forklift ranges through strong local stock levels.

Adaptalift Group, which has more than 38 years’ experience in the materials handling industry, is uniquely positioned to offer both the new Hyster and Yale lift trucks, which will add to their fleet of approximately 10,500 units across Australia, backed by a workforce of more than 400.

Customer benefits Hyster and Yale’s new ranges provide a simple approach to materials handling – backed by 24/7 service – which is particularly attractive to customers whose materials handling equipment is required

to work intermittently over a working week, on an as-required basis, typically up to 1,000 hours a year.

a more expensive forklift that has been designed to handle all day, everyday applications.

Not only do the new ranges fill a gap in the market for a high quality, low usage forklift backed by reliable service, they also have outstanding features for the user. For example, the 3-piece overhead guard, comfortable seat and access step.

The Yale dealer and service network is in turn backed by the global Hyster-Yale Group with a full product line of lift trucks in operation across hundreds of industries worldwide. Yale is one of the oldest original brands of lift trucks and warehouse equipment in the world, having been in the lifting business for more than 140 years.

The new Hyster UT and Yale UX ranges will be comprehensively backed in the field by Adaptalift, including an extended drivetrain warranty, full service and parts support.

Hyster value proposition Hyster’s value proposition – “Meets the Need. Makes the Move.” – relates to customers who don’t need particular advanced functionality features, but prefer proven materials handling solutions backed by a supplier they can trust.

The Yale brand – with its “People, Products, Productivity” tagline – prides itself on helping customers solve materials handling challenges with solutions that individual organisations need, when and how they need them. This requires the type of backing provided with the UX Series throughout Asia-Pacific.

Strong distributor network

The advantage the new range brings with its ‘Meets the Need’ value proposition is fine-tuned responsiveness to customers’ individual needs, including varying hours of service, different applications, cost of ownership, capability, strength and dependability of the product.

Hyster-Yale has a strong and long-established professional dealer and service network extending across Asia-Pacific, strength that is in turn backed

by Hyster-Yale globally, which has been building relationships and partnering with customers, suppliers, dealers, and employees over many decades

Rather than pigeon-hole basic utility needs – or offer one-size-fits-all solutions – the UT Series philosophy opens a discussion with customers on “What are your specific needs and how long do you need to use it for on a daily basis.”

The Hyster UT and Yale UX ranges embody all the quality features that have been at the heart of the Hyster-Yale brands for nearly 90 years, including intelligent design, product testing, quality of manufacturing and quality of suppliers.

Yale value proposition Yale’s value proposition – “Simply Efficient” – has at its core the understanding that, if a forklift usage is only around four hours a day, companies don’t need

Mirage OD mount flange facing machines deliver fast and accurate performance Enerpac is introducing a new range of external mount flange facing machines designed for fast installation and accurate machining of large diameter flanges used in applications throughout Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

The new Mirage branded OD mount facers are the perfect choice for machining flanges 30” to 80” (762-2032mm) diameter in industries such as oil and gas plant, offshore platforms, refineries, LNG, pipe spool, heavy industrial fabrication, shipbuilders, EPC contractors, industrial plant, power plants, service and maintenance, says Enerpac Channel and Product Leader – Australasia, Mr Andrew Marsh.

removal rates whilst delivering accurate results.

Applications also include facing heat exchanger flanges, maintenance projects, large flanges such as crane pedestals and flanges where bore mounting is not preferred.

“Convenience for the user has been taken to the next level by providing the clever ability to attach milling rails while the machine is still mounted in-situ,” says Mr Marsh.

“The simple Outside Diameter (OD) mount configuration of the new machines overcomes industry reluctance to bolt ID mount flange facers to the inside of heat exchanger tubes,” says Mr Marsh.

This innovative feature makes it easier and quicker to machine heat exchanger division slots. Machining the back face of flanges can also be carried out using an optional back facing kit.

Each of the 6 machines in the range includes a continuous variable auto-feed which enables on-site machinists to create a wide range of gramophone-surface finishes to ASME standards (regulating the design and construction of boilers and pressure vessels).

“The design team working on the project was given the challenge of creating a range of OD mount flange facers more robust and accurate than others on the market – and with speeding up the job time for machinists working on heat exchanger projects.

The resulting products ticked all of the boxes and performed impressively,” he said.

Robust construction and the inclusion of heavy-duty bearings ensure all machines deliver high metal

Easier and quicker machining “These new products provide all of the versatility to carry out different flange facing projects you’d expect from an Enerpac product, but, when used for heat exchanger refurbishment, they go a step further.

Standard machines in the OD facer range are

pneumatically powered, with hydraulic and Enerpac Mirage OD mount flange electric versions facing machine also available.

Providing these options ensures there is a machine available for many different and challenging working environments.

Other built-in advantages of the new OD facer range include quick-set radial clamping adjustment and adjustment jaws, and the ability to attach directly to the flange OD without the need for exchanger tubes.

Mirage is an Enerpac brand that designs and manufactures high-performing portable machine tools for professional users worldwide.

The latest OD mount facers – part of the company’s flange facing machine range – complement Mirage’s extensive range of portable machining products, including: Milling machines; Orbital milling machines; Hot tapping machines; Line boring machines; Decommissioning saws; Drilling and tapping; DL Ricci clamshell cutters and a large range of custom engineered machines

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NEW PRODUCTS Kaeser launch DHS 4.0 series air-main charging systems The DHS 4.0 from Kaeser protects compressed air treatment components and helps ensure reliable compressed air quality.

DHS 4.0 series electronic air-main charging systems from Kaeser not only provide protection for the compressed air treatment components within a compressed air system, but also help ensure reliable compressed air quality.

This even applies following complete shutdown of a compressed air supply system, for example at weekends. In fact, it is here where the DHS 4.0 series truly come into their own.

A compressed air network is often depressurised following periods of downtime. As a result, there is no flow resistance from the network pressure when the compressors are started. The compressed air treatment components in a compressed air supply system, however, are designed to accommodate the flow rates and speeds that occur in the distribution network when the system is in load operation.

Therefore, without back-pressure present, there is the risk that filter and dryer components may become ‘overwhelmed’ by the sudden surge in airflow that occurs when the system re-starts.

This can lead to filter element damage and to a raised pressure dew point in the refrigeration dryer.

As a result, contaminants such as oil, particulate matter and humidity are introduced into the pipe

distribution network and the process air.

DHS 4.0 series electronic air-main charging systems from Kaeser eliminate these risks by guaranteeing necessary minimum pressure, which consequently ensures smooth network start-up and safe operation of the compressed air station. They also prove highly useful during system operation - and are even essential for stations with multiple treatment lines - because they help assure consistently high compressed air quality.

If, for example, a fault occurs with a dryer or a filter, the air-main charging system is able to shut down and isolate the affected treatment line. This not only assures consistent air quality, but also safeguards the pipe distribution network and the air consumers in the production facility.

Moreover, this protection saves money: it minimises the burden on compressed air treatment components, air receivers and pipe networks and also prevents surge loads caused by large changes in pressure from occurring. This consequently enables long service life, which in turn leads to considerably reduced costs.

Control and function capabilities have been extended with these next generation models: The

air-main charging system can be easily adjusted to accommodate specific production periods and can be opened or closed, for example, via the controller’s timer function. The real-time display keeps the user informed of operational status at all times.

In addition to the stand-alone capabilities of the DHS 4.0, a Sigma Network connection now means that like all other station components, it can be connected to the Sigma Air Manager 4.0 master controller for input and visualisation.

All relevant information, such as pressure measurement values or status indicators, is shown in real-time and is formatted for cross-machine communication. This allows the user to take full control of their compressed air system to assure maximum compressed air supply dependability.

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NEW PRODUCTS Mobile tipper-conveyor system performs multiple tasks A new Mobile Drum Tipper-Conveyor System fallows dust-free dumping of bulk solid materials from drums, and/or conveying it to process equipment and storage vessels throughout the plant.

The system’s TIP-TITE Drum Tipper accommodates drums from 114 to 208 liters, weighing up to 340 kg and measuring 90 to 120 cm in height. Mounted on a mobile frame with quick-action floor jacks, it raises the drum hydraulically to form a dust-tight seal between the rim of a drum and the underside of the discharge cone.

A separate hydraulic cylinder tips the platform-hood assembly and drum, stopping at dump angles of 45, 60 or 90 degrees with a motion-dampening feature.

The vertically-oriented cone mates with a gasketed inlet port fitted to the hopper of the system’s flexible screw conveyor, and to any low profile equipment throughout the plant.

A pneumatically-actuated slide gate valve prevents material flow until the discharge cone has been

properly seated in the gasketed receiving ring.

The mobile Flexicon screw conveyor, which can operate independently or mated to the drum tipper, can feed material to elevated process equipment and storage vessels. The only moving part contacting material is a rugged inner screw which can move both free- and non-free-flowing materials with no separation of blended products.

The screw is driven beyond the point of discharge, preventing material contact with seals or bearings.

Removal of the hopper lid allows manual dumping and feeding from upstream equipment.

Flexibility of the tipper and conveyor to handle a diversity of materials independently or in tandem throughout the plant enables the system to satisfy a range of current and future requirements, according

to the manufacturer.

Ready to plug in and run, it is constructed of carbon steel with a durable industrial finish, and is available with stainless steel material contact surfaces or in all-stainless construction finished to food, dairy, pharmaceutical or industrial standards.

Stainless steel air circulators for healthier industrial work environments Fanquip’s stainless-steel air circulators are reliable at meeting strict temperature control requirements to satisfy the demand of industrial companies wanting to maintain better working conditions for staff without compromising hygiene standards.

Being stainless steel, they have a very long lifespan and not only lower the temperature of a site but also provide air movement to decrease condensation.

Fanquip’s completely stainless-steel air circulators include stainless steel guards, stainless-steel motors and stainless steel brackets for complete rust proofing and cleanliness.

The technology is rated as IP56 (for 240V) and IP69 (for 415V) hose proof, therefore allowing the operator to make a complete wash down of the equipment at regular intervals without causing any damage to it whatsoever.

The hosing aspect enables Fanquip stainless steel air circulators to have a long lifespan.

Any components that are not stainless steel are made of inert plastic, so as to completely eliminate any potential to cause contamination to the product it is working around.

It is a completely relocatable product, therefore allowing the user to reposition the item as often as necessary to where it is most effective.

Blade diameters available are 460mm, 630mm and 810mm. These units are believed to possess the highest air output of any air circulator on the Australian market.

Because of the threat of airborne spores, many sensitive industries such as the food production sector cannot afford to take the risk with air-conditioned equipment.

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Read the Manufacturing Stories that Matter

September 2019

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We’ve been assigned the task because Ministers are genuinely troubled about the potential for emerging technology, especially robotics and artificial intelligence, to replace workers, undermine the security of work and working conditions, and in doing so, disrupt the labour market and the social order, and undermine wider community wellbeing.

There is certainly no shortage of pundits telling us that most jobs will disappear or change fundamentally and that we should prepare for a very different future of work.

Our approach is to try to understand what is going on so that we can respond to developments that are real, rather than imagined or assumed.

What are the channels by which new technologies enter and diffuse through the New Zealand economy?

Adoption of new technology happens as the result of decisions made by individual firms – large and small – across an economy. The ambition for improved profitability and growth are key drivers.

We know that adoption of new technologies requires access to capital and may require other complementary investments as well. It’s not usually just a simple case of buying a new machine or computer programme; firms may need to reorganise their business or change their business model.

That’s quite an investment and most firms don’t take those decisions lightly.

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We’ve been asked at the Productivity Commission to explore the impact of technological change on the future of work. This month we released New Zealand, technology and productivity – the first of four reports on the topic.

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Firms will make decisions in the context of how well their industry and the overall economy is performing, and their owners’ appetite for risk.

But we know that when firms adopt tech and improve their bottom line, the country’s productivity also improves, giving us higher income growth and increased resources to pay for the things New Zealanders’ value.

Adopting new technology is not necessarily labour-replacing. It might lead to different types of jobs/tasks being required and more jobs if the firm expands. A lot of the newer research talks about artificial intelligence being better at some human tasks, freeing up humans for the work tasks they are better at. And there are certainly jobs for artificial intelligence that humans could never do.

One example I came across the other day is from Norway, which has a large fish-farming industry.

One threat to the industry is sea lice, which infect hundreds of millions of fish a year, feeding on their mucus, skin and blood. Infected fish are

continued on Page 8

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DEVELOPMENTS Agricultural nanotechnology project wins million dollar research grant Applying nanotechnology to agriculture to increase productivity and reduce environmental impacts has secured a Lincoln University team a million dollar grant from MBIE’s Endeavour Fund.

More from Less - Andrew McAfee From the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Second Machine Age, a compelling argument—masterfully researched and brilliantly articulated—that we have at last learned how to increase human prosperity while treading more lightly on our planet.

Throughout history, the only way for humanity to grow was by degrading the Earth: chopping down forests, fouling the air and water, and endlessly digging out resources.

Since the first Earth Day in 1970, the reigning argument has been that taking better care of the planet means radically changing course: reducing our consumption, tightening our belts, learning to share and reuse, restraining growth. Is that argument correct?

Absolutely not. In More from Less, McAfee argues that to solve our ecological problems we don’t need to make radical changes. Instead, we need to do more of what we’re already doing: growing technologically sophisticated market-based economies around the world.

How can he possibly make this claim? Because of the evidence. America—a large, high-tech country that accounts for about 25% of the global economy—is now generally using less of most resources year after year, even as its economy and population continue to grow.

What’s more, the US is polluting the air and water less, emitting fewer greenhouse gases, and replenishing endangered animal populations.

And, as McAfee shows, America is not alone.

Other countries are also transforming themselves in fundamental ways.

What has made this turnabout possible? One thing, primarily: the collaboration between technology and capitalism, although good governance and public awareness have also been critical.

Lincoln University Associate Professor, Craig Bunt, said his team would develop a groundbreaking nano-coating which could be applied to fertiliser to control its rate of release into soil, and to seeds to control their timing of germination.

weather conditions are more conducive to sowing.

“Controlling fertiliser rate of release is important because release that is too rapid can result in excessive nitrogen being lost into soil and waterways, causing significant pollution and other negative environmental impacts.

“Delayed germination could also allow farmers to control weeds that grow after sowing, so that the coated seeds germinate after weeds have been sprayed. This will increase crop yields because competition from weeds can be significantly reduced.”

“When nitrogen is lost to the soil, waterways, or atmosphere, farmers must apply more fertiliser to achieve desired results, which increases farming costs.”

He said they would initially focus on understanding the science of the new polyester nano-coating and its biodegradation, then apply the technology for controlled release fertilisers and delayed seed germination in partnership with companies and organisations such as Ravensdown and the Foundation for Arable Research.

“They could also sow two crops at once: one with uncoated seeds, and the other with coated seeds, to delay germination until after the first crop has matured or been harvested.

He described the technology as a specific solution that increases sustainability, enhances productivity, and for New Zealand will help improve yield and export revenue.

The project team members also include Dr Greg Walker (Otago University), and Dr Sally Price and Weiyi (Ivy) Liu, both from Lincoln University.

He added that while controlled-release fertilisers are currently available, they have significant limitations, including lack of robustness (reducing their effectiveness) and a high coating-to-fertiliser ratio.

“Our technology, using a novel, revolutionary coating, will solve these limitations.”

He said it could also be applied to seeds to control the timing of germination.

“The benefits of delayed germination are manifold.

For example, farmers could sow crops traditionally sown in autumn several months earlier, when

A coated granule made as part of the team’s research.

Solution for climate conscious Kiwi businesses Kiwi businesses might want to be climate conscious but ordinarily they lack the skills and expertise to make real reductions in their carbon emissions.

That’s about to change with the formation of a new organisation aimed at delivering training, skills and knowledge on carbon emissions reduction to the New Zealand business community, says its chair, Yvonne Gilmore.

“There is widespread agreement among New Zealand businesses that workforce education and training in understanding carbon emissions, and particularly in identifying emissions reduction opportunities, is a critical component of transitioning to a low emissions economy,” Gilmore said.

McAfee does warn of issues that haven’t been solved, like global warming, overfishing, and communities left behind as capitalism and tech progress race forward.

“This was reflected in submissions to the 2018 Productivity Commission Inquiry and in numerous surveys since.

But overall, More from Less is a revelatory, paradigm-shifting account of how we’ve stumbled into an unexpectedly better balance with nature—one that holds out the promise of more abundant and greener centuries ahead.

“We have launched Carbon and Energy Professionals New Zealand (CEP) to meet that need.

“But we’re also hearing business doesn’t really know where to go to get that education and training.

“Either our trained, qualified and accredited

members will provide the carbon reduction support business is demanding, or we can train their own staff.”

One of the outputs of the CEP training is that participants are mentored through the process of actually developing a carbon reduction action plan.

This means that if an employer sends staff on the CEP programme they get an actionable plan as well as a trained employee.

Gilmore said that fact makes the CEP programme a ground-breaking initiative that will deliver a material benefit to the New Zealand economy.

“Any company with serious intent to reduce emissions can now, through us and our members, access the expertise to do so,” Gilmore said.

Gilmore says the day will soon come when every large New Zealand business will have a CEP-accredited professional on its staff to help it adapt to a low emissions economy.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Boosting your business

– Financing options

- Simeon Burnett, co-founder and CEO, Snowball Effect

In the competitive manufacturing game, continuous investment in growth is crucial to stay relevant. Employing the right capital structure in your business goes a long way to help you achieve your growth aspirations.

If executed well, cash spend into activities such as commercial expansion, customer acquisition and production capabilities today will result in increased productivity and revenue growth down the line.

However, investing for growth may generate a cash flow shortfall that needs to be covered with capital.

Implementing the right capital solution, at the right time, is an essential driver of success.

A good financial model for cash flow forecasting will highlight when your business may need cash to continue to operate and will lay out your Working Capital Cycle (WCC).

A WCC is the time it takes to convert working capital (assets and liabilities) into cash. A short WCC allows a company to quickly realise cash from production activities and reinvest that into the business.

On the contrary, companies with a long WCC are more likely to need funding as their working capital is tied up. By being aware of where these shortfalls are, you can take the necessary steps to bridge any WCC gaps through financial and operational strategy.

In the first instance, companies can turn to grants, tax credits or low cost financing from government sources to fund expansion activities.

being cash flow positive or asset rich is key to utilising debt funding.

Equity Finance Debt financing is often preferable to equity as a source of finance, because once a loan is paid off, you still retain ownership and control of the business.

Equity financing is suitable when the risk attached to your business is too high to qualify for bank facilities (i.e. you’re cash flow negative), your bank facilities are maxed, the cost of debt is too high or you’re after strategic investors to help grow your business.

Equity financing doesn’t have the same strict payment obligations as debt financing and is proven to be a reliable source of capital for companies seeking growth.

While there can be resistance to diluting ownership and losing an element of control, new equity can bring additional benefits such as shareholders that provide experience and expertise beyond their cash injection.

Acquiring the right equity investors early on and identifying when you need additional expertise (and capital) is one of the most important decisions that impacts the long-term success of a business.

Beyond this, finance can be sought in the form of debt or equity. With multiple options available within both buckets, choosing an option that best suits your business can be challenging.

Depending on the stage of your business, there are many different places to find investors:

To complicate things more, today’s financial landscape offers a range of alternative funding options such as peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding and hybrid instruments with flexible terms.

Manufacturing is capital intensive. Owners often look for capital from close networks to fund certain activities. The advantage of investment from closely related parties is they usually know the business well, can make decisions quickly, and depending on the relationship, the terms of the investment can be more flexible.

So, which options should you consider, and when?

The size and scale of your business will determine the options available, but ultimately, it’s up to your company and its advisors to select the most appropriate capital instrument.

Debt Finance Traditional bank debt is an option many turn to early on. Unfortunately, most banks don’t have the risk appetite to lend to companies with negative cash flows, even if the path to profit is clearly defined.

However, lenders may provide your business with access to suitable finance facilities, provided you meet certain risk criteria.

The extent to which a company qualifies for various facilities ultimately depends on your ability to repay.

Ask your financial advisor or local banker for advice on when you should employ asset, trade, stock or invoice finance facilities in your cash flow cycle and the criteria required to qualify for each. Remember,

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1. Inner circle

A disadvantage is these groups only have a finite amount of money that can easily be maxed.

Furthermore, if the business runs into any trouble, things can go from bad to worse very quickly, potentially jeopardising long term relationships.

2. Wider network Outside your inner circle, the next source of investment is your wider personal and professional network. If you’ve built a strong network in your industry, then you should only be two degrees of separation away from a range of angel investors, high-net-worth individuals or strategic investment.

The advantage of these connections is they’re associated to you in some way, so there’s an element of trust involved. Strategic investors stand to gain from being aligned with your company, have deep pockets and a higher appetite for risk.

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Further investment can also come from this network and their introductions to external parties is highly valuable.

The down side is you’re putting your reputation on the line - taking other people’s money comes with serious responsibilities. In the long run, this group also has limited funds, so eventually your business will outgrow your wider network.

3. External investors Once your business is firmly established with a strong track record, has scalable revenue projections and is looking to raise funds to support further growth, the next source of investment comes from outside investors.

This includes private equity and venture capital investors who have taken an interest in the business. The advantage of these groups is there are lots of them in the market. The somewhat ironic disadvantage is they’re not easy to find.

These investors pay close attention to the deal terms, are looking rationally for a financial return on their investment, and specific items like independent directors and proper legal documentation to de-risk their investment as much as possible.

These private investors can also bring highly valuable advice and connections, as (once they’re committed) these investors will be championing your success.

In return, these investors expect significant equity and often a larger degree of control of the business - making this source of finance relevant for owners who need help to achieve the next level, and are willing to relinquish some control.

These are all viable equity investment options, but choosing the right group will depend on your stage of business. A common mistake we see is companies approaching the wrong type of investor for their stage of business and then interpreting the inevitable pass as a personal rejection of their idea or business.

Some businesses also lack preparation for a capital raise and fail to sufficiently forecast where their cash flow shortfalls are in their Working Capital Cycle.

A cash flow shortage is often driven by pressure on working capital as a result of strong sales growth, so having the right funding instruments ahead of time is crucial.

The capital raising process can be both strenuous and rewarding, so it’s important to invest the time upfront to understand and identify which source of funding you need well ahead of actually needing funds. Ultimately, this will set you up for the best chance of success.

REAR VIEW Clean, high-tech:

this is the factory of the future

Factories have long held a place in the popular imagination, not just as sources of employment and community prosperity, but also as hectic, noisy, grimy and polluting facilities, where thousands of people are employed in largely low-skilled line positions.

Today’s factories are changing. Breathtaking advances in technology, automation and globalisation are transforming how and where manufacturers plan, construct, operate and integrate their factory networks. They are also ushering in significant operational, political and societal changes.

From America’s Rust Belt to rural India and China, a chorus of voices is struggling to understand: how are technologies changing how we produce and distribute products? Are automation and free trade taking away valuable factory jobs? What type of skills will be required?

How can communities prosper in the face of new production technologies?

How and when should manufacturers upgrade their legacy equipment to embrace new technologies to boost yields and efficiency for advantage or simply to remain competitive?

Businesses, governments and society alike must understand the technological dynamics at play and collaborate together to ensure tomorrow’s factory towns prosper.

What will the factory of the future look like?

The key answers will come from the factory floor where new technologies like 3D printing, advanced robotics, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, wearable devices, and virtual and augmented reality are converging to create new value, enabling the hyper-efficient and flexible factory of the future.

The value created is real: large global producers have increased efficiency and reduced costs by up to 30% across all operations, driven by improvements in overall operating efficiency, lower inventory, energy and water costs, and reduction in incidents involving safety.

While the pace of change and how these changes will propagate across networks will differ by industry and country, the factory of the future is a more digital, virtual and resource-efficient space.

It is an environment that is more connected, both in terms of information availability and machines speaking to and directing each other. It is a place where automation, simulation, visualisation and analytics are deployed more widely to eliminate waste and increase efficiency, in terms of material yields, energy consumption, effort and time.

In particular, factories of the future have three common overarching characteristics: Digital shop floor processes that are connected, automated and flexible The Internet of Things and connectivity combined with analytics and artificial intelligence will improve asset efficiency, decrease downtime and unplanned maintenance, and allow manufacturers to uncover new sources of value in services.

By employing digital twins, simulations and virtual reality, designers and operators will be virtually immersed in interactive media to optimise design, production processes and material flows.

Printing in 3D offers vast potential for new product designs and functional capabilities, as well as allowing for more customisation.

New relationships between operators and machines Technologies are changing the nature of work and skills required from operators. Robotics are automating most of the “dull, dirty, and dangerous” tasks, and increasingly collaborative robots are moving out of the cage to work side by side with operators.

Augmented reality and wearables are also changing how operators train, assemble and make decisions on the shop floor, increasing flexibility, productivity, and quality.

Labour will actually remain cost-effective in many arenas, as technology allows workers to significantly improve their productivity even as overall numbers decline. Some human-cyber combination will likely remain the dominant cog in factories for several years to come, certainly well into the coming decade.

In both developed markets, where populations are aging out of the workforce, and lower-cost markets, where workers will need increasingly better skills, technology will be a valuable step toward quickly unlocking productivity gains and enabling untapped labour pools.

The structure, location and scale of factories The factory of the future is hyper-efficient and sustainable, increasingly modularized with interchangeable lines that can be easily reconfigured for multiple production batches. Digital production technologies will allow software developers, product designers and production technicians to work in open, airy environments.

As technology diminishes the role of low-cost labour and lowers the threshold of economies of scale, distributed manufacturing will become the norm.

Producers will be able to augment their traditional production footprints with smaller and more flexible units located next to points of consumption, allowing them to meet local requirements with a more responsive supply chain.

These more localised, more energy-efficient, lower-waste factories will contribute to advances in the circular economy.

While these general trends seem likely, the factory of the future will not follow a single paradigm. Change will come more quickly in some places or look different in others as industry sectors and developing vs. developed economies seek their own path.

In the meantime, producers need to reconsider their capital investment strategies in light of rapidly changing capabilities that will make historical investment horizons obsolete. Some are already there; others cannot afford to stay behind for too long.

If communities are to prosper as technology redirects the flow of jobs, eliminating scale-oriented, low-cost, labour-based jobs, distributing higher-skill-based jobs to regional market centres, then they must bring forward the required skills and infrastructure.

This is where policymakers must take the lead – in partnership with business, academia and societal organisations – in preparing their communities.

Whereas previous industrial revolutions evolved over the course of multiple generations, the pace of the Fourth Industrial Revolution requires a more rapid response if communities do not want to be passed by.

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