Management

New Zealand needs to ride the 3D printing wave

3D printing technology is the next industrial revolution – and it’s a technology wave that New Zealand needs to be riding, says Massey University professor of mechatronics Olaf Diegel.

Professor Diegel, from the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, examined the current and future applications for 3D printing in a professorial lecture at Massey’s Albany campus recently.

“To reassure the Honourable Maurice Williamson, the prospect of using 3D printers to create drugs or weapons is remote, and 3D printers, in these cases, presents no major advantage over conventional 2D printers or manufacturing. The core part of a gun is the barrel and, if you want a barrel, it’s much easier and cheaper just to buy a conventionally made metal tube than 3D printing one,” he says.

The Customs Minister recently outlined his concerns about the impact of 3D printing technology on border security.

“Advances in manufacturing will allow us to make more useful things like consumer products in which each product is tailor-made to the user — like ergonomic prostheses and implants, clothing, food and even body parts. These are the real focus of this technology. It’s more about promoting innovation, sustainability and reducing waste, because you create only what you need.”

Professor Diegel is both an educator and a practitioner of engineering product development. His made-to-order 3D guitars, manufactured under the ODD Guitars label, uses selective laser sintering (SLS) to build the components by spreading a thin layer of nylon powder that is then fused in the correct location for that particular slice of the component.

“3D printing is coming of age. It is now at the cusp of becoming a rapid “manufacturing” technology that will greatly influence the shape of things to come. It’s also a technology New Zealand can focus on to rejuvenate our manufacturing industry, and the fields of engineering, arts and health.”

Kiwi company provides key to combat password hackers

A New Zealand company has developed a new way of protecting Kiwi consumers from password hackers.

The average Kiwi is a “sitting duck” when it comes to data security – and it is only a question of time before hackers exploit security loopholes that will see thousands of logins and passwords stolen – according to a prominent IT expert.

The chief executive of leading NZ technology firm Optimizer HQ Manas Kumar says most Kiwis need to urgently review their data security practices, as stolen personal information is often used for cybercrime.

“We all have about 10 to 12 logins and passwords that we use for daily activities at work and home, for example, internet banking, email systems, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, the Wi-Fi router at home, the shared drive at work. What happens is that as humans, we have limited capacity for memory, so often these passwords are variations of the same combination of dates and numbers, your birthday, for example, or the name of a favourite pet!

“It makes sense, of course, to create passwords that are easy to remember, but guess what? If a password is easy to remember, it’s also easy to hack, and you run the risk of losing your entire life if a hacker gets their hands on your most personal information,” he says.

Mr Kumar says there is rising concern globally about the safety of personal information following major breaches of security on websites such as LinkedIn, which was hacked in June resulting in the loss of 6.5 million user passwords.

“What happened with the LinkedIn security breach was that within a very short amount of time, people started finding that their Gmail, Facebook and Twitter accounts were also hacked, because they use the same password across all these sites.”

It was with those cautionary tales in mind that Optimizer HQ developed Locker, a cross-platform password management system that can be used across Windows, Mac and Linux. The application uses military- grade encryption to store passwords, and requires a secure key as well as the app, which is free to download upon purchase of the key, to access user passwords.

Mr Kumar says many New Zealanders create passwords and list them all on one spreadsheet on a shared drive. All a hacker has to do is get their hands on that spreadsheet and suddenly there’s a major security breach that can cost thousands to clean up.

With Locker HQ Mr Kumar has created a simple two-step system that he says buys his customers peace of mind.

“People can purchase an encrypted key that plugs into the USB slot, where they can store all their passwords and sensitive information, then plug the key into their computer to access them. You need both the key and the app for the system to work – and here’s my favourite part, we’ve created a special ‘enterprise’ version which has the added functionality of allowing you to remotely erase or reset all passwords, and even instruct the app to shut down if your laptop is stolen.”

Mr Kumar says the offering is available at low cost, because he wants to make data security affordable for all Kiwis both at work and home. He says there is a danger that New Zealanders could become complacent about security attacks as previously we have not been so vulnerable to them.

“But if you take Australia as an example, about three years ago, Australia was not even in the top 20 ‘most phished’ countries in the world. Today, Australia is the number three target globally for password hacking and email scams, and that’s all due to a major boom in e-commerce sites that started seeing more people and businesses making transactions online.

“The exact same thing is happening in NZ, so in a few short years, we are going to be a target for those online scammers, so we need to start taking precautions now to protect our personal safety and private data,” says Mr Kumar.

The light at the end of the global financial tunnel

Commentary
By Graham Patterson

With more light being seen at the end of the global financial crisis tunnel we are seeing business becoming more upbeat and confidence returning in the world of plant and equipment finance.

Where in the past our clients have been satisfied in putting another sticking plaster on their machines to extend their shelf lives by hours, months, possibly years we are now experiencing an upsurge in additional or replacement machinery purchases.

We have just ‘celebrated’ five years since New Zealand hit the start of the big recession and remember the day clearly. Business seemingly dried up overnight as shock after shock hit the global markets putting the jitters up our SMEs.

Banks and finance companies pulled the reins in on any further lending and the economists suddenly became experts in advising us that they ‘told us so’ even though we could not find any pre-GFC articles to support their claims! Any new clients wanting to borrow for machinery purchases needed to come up with a minimum 25 percent deposit and had to have traded for at least two years. We knew we were in this for the long haul.

During 2009 and 2010 there was huge uncertainty in where this was all heading. However positivity returned as 2011 began well, the lenders had eased up on their criteria and were actively looking for business. That is until lunchtime on 22 February 2011, when Christchurch was literally shaken to its core, the tepid New Zealand recovery was severely affected with 8 percent of the country’s GDP virtually wiped out in a matter of minutes. The Reserve Bank immediately followed this terrible event by slashing the Official Cash Rate to 2.5 percent where it has remained ever since.

The Rugby World Cup was seen as something positive to concentrate on and – although the All Blacks won and everyone felt good about themselves – the economy had actually stalled as the focus had eased off any recovery. The 2011 general election followed very shortly and by the time the dust had settled and John Key had commenced his second term it was Christmas and a three to four week shutdown for a majority of the manufacturing sector.

We experienced quite a noticeable upsurge in finance enquiries as 2012 kick-started itself and the global economy looked relatively stable. This continued throughout the year and the banks and finance companies went back to their pre-2008 appetite for new and existing lending opportunities.

With the fantastic extended summer we have just experienced (droughts aside) we have not seen this level of confidence in the manufacturing sector since 2007. The Canterbury rebuild is gaining momentum and residential investment and business and consumer confidence are increasing.

We are of the opinion that there will be no real changes in interest rates this year for plant and equipment purchases. Only once the economy really starts to recover and when the unemployment figures improve will we see any increase in the OCR.

Subject to any real major events this year we expect to see enquiry steadily increase as those businesses that rode out the major storm look to increase and improve on capacity.

Graham Patterson is a director of One Finance and Insurance, which finances plant and equipment in the manufacturing sector.

Weltec signs Chinese student agreement

In April Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) chief executive Linda Sissons signed a new agreement with Guangxi Polytechnic of Construction (GPC) in Beijing, China which will see the number of Chinese students studying engineering or construction at WelTec increase significantly from the middle of this year.

“This agreement forms the basis of a model developed with GPC which will enable Chinese students to study for two years at GPC then spend one year in Wellington studying at WelTec to complete either a New Zealand Diploma in Engineering (Civil) or Diploma in Creative Technologies,” says Dr Sissons.

Dr Sissons’ visit to Beijing coincided with the Prime Minister’s visit to China. Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce also accompanied the Prime Minister to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China and the 5th anniversary of the China New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.

Competenz and FITEC merge

There was further consolidation of the ITO sector on May 1 when Competenz, ITO for manufacturing, engineering and food and beverage manufacturing, took over responsibility for the forestry, wood manufacturing, furniture and biosecurity ITO, FITEC.

“Competenz, as a high performing ITO, is committed to delivering high quality training meeting industry’s needs,” says John Blakey, Competenz chief executive.

“We are looking forward to working with the industry and will maintain a sector identity for the industry within our brand, operations in Rotorua, and a sector advisory committee structure, and will continue to engage with the wider industry stakeholder groups.”

The rationale for FITEC’s merger with Competenz is based on the strong links between manufacturing and wood processing where there are already overlaps with training qualifications. There are also links with forestry where increasing mechanisation, in-forest log manufacturing, and use of heavy equipment provide a ready relationship with engineering and manufacturing.

In addition, the forest and wood industry are keen to keep the wood supply chain intact and industry associations have expressed support for the merger.

“The upskilling of the employees in the sectors we cover is vital to the health of the New Zealand economy,” says Mr Blakey.

“The merger between Competenz and FITEC will simplify the system and provide benefits not only for learners and companies but for the country as well.”

University of Auckland picks top doctoral theses

The five top University of Auckland PhD theses for 2012 have been announced, and four of these were in the sciences.

The theses were each awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis.

“The extremely high standard of all nominations received this year is a credit to the many highly-talented graduate students at this University and shows the University’s consistent commitment to encouraging students in innovative and meaningful research,” says associate professor Caroline Daley, dean of graduate studies.

Faculties nominated 19 theses from the 312 successfully examined for 2012, and these were judged on their demonstrable significance, the originality and excellence of the research, exceptional academic and intellectual achievement, and timely completion.

The four top science theses were:

Dr Cosmin Laslau, School of Chemical Sciences (Main supervisor: associate professor Jadranka Travas-Sejdic; co-supervisor: professor David Williams). “Novel Fabrication and Characterisation Methods for Conducting Polymer Nanostructures and Microstructures.” This thesis investigated the development of novel experimental techniques for the fabrication and characterisation of two prominent conducting polymers; poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and polyaniline (PANI). This research was developed to support development of devices based on conducting polymers for the benefit of humanity, for example, artificial muscles and lab-on-a-chip diagnostics, which require the ability to reliably fabricate and understand these materials at micro and nano scales.

Dr Chris McKinlay, Liggins Institute (Main supervisor: distinguished professor Jane Harding; co-supervisor: professor Wayne Cutfield). “Early School Age Outcomes after Exposure to Repeat Antenatal Glucocorticoids”. In his thesis Dr McKinlay showed that the children of women treated with repeat doses of glucocorticoids for pre-term birth do not have increased physiological risk factors for later cardiovascular and metabolic disease, a concern that had previously limited wider use of this treatment. These findings will encourage increased use of repeat doses of glucocorticoids for pre-term birth, improving outcomes for infants born too early, and challenge previous hypotheses about underlying mechanisms of fetal programming of adult disease.

Dr Stefan Oehlers, Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, School of Medical Sciences. (Main supervisor: professor Philip Crosier; co-supervisors: Dr Christopher Hall, professor Kathryn Crosier) “Zebrafish models of inflammatory bowel disease.” Dr Oehlers’ study characterised the innate immune system of the zebrafish model organism and examined the feasibility of utilising zebrafish larvae to investigate the function of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) susceptibility genes. The results formed an important base for future application of the zebrafish model organism IBD research, provided novel insight into IBD aetiology and established new platforms for anti-inflammatory drug discovery.

Dr David Russell, Auckland Bioengineering Institute (Main supervisor: Dr David Budgett; Co-supervisor: associate professor Andrew Taberner) “Wireless implantable microdevices: Chronic in-vivo monitoring of physiological signals.” A better understanding of physiological systems relies on measurement of in-vivo physiological signals. Wireless implantable micro-devices are valuable tools for obtaining these measurements without disturbing the system generating them. Dr Russell’s thesis presented advancements in the field of chronic monitoring from wireless implantable micro-devices in small rodents. The outcomes from his research provides new tools for physiological monitoring, enabling the continuous lifetime monitoring of oxygen concentration and high fidelity electrocardiogram. Not only has his research provided new methods for exploring disease development and treatments, but also provides a platform for the development of human medical devices.

Tough solutions for harsh conditions

Panasonic’s range of Toughbooks and Toughpads provide sturdy, temperature resistant options for data entry and computing in harsh factory, logistics, and food processing environments.

The Toughpad and Toughbook withstands drops, very cold climates (freezers), very hot climates (ovens), has touch screen data input with a finger – meaning no need for pen and paper – can be viewed under very bright artificial lighting conditions, and can be cleaned easily with water or chemicals when covered with food manufacturing contaminants, as it is rated IP65 (ingress protection to dust and water).

They have maximum dust protection and are rated resistant to high pressure water jets from any angle and offer the ability to withstand sterilisation processes when PCs are required in sensitive food manufacturing environments.

All of these features mean the device will not have any down time, compared to a consumer device, as it is designed for harsh working environments.

The Toughbook also works well in logistics operations. National Foods Australia, for example uses the Panasonic Toughbook CF-19 fleet to provide streamlined customer service and ensure optimal uptime for delivery drivers of their juice products across Australia.

National Foods is one of the largest food and beverage groups in Australia. In 2005, the company merged with Berri Limited Juice, combining leading juice brands such as Berri, Daily Juice, Australian Fresh, Just Juice and many more into the portfolio.

The Panasonic Toughbooks are being used by delivery drivers distributing juice products throughout the country. The Toughbook enables drivers to validate invoices on delivery, providing improved customer service and eliminating unnecessary paper work. Previously the company used paper based invoicing when delivering juice, which could sometimes take days to process.

Delivery drivers spend long hours driving to locations throughout Australia in fluctuating temperatures and notebooks can often be banged and bumped while in transit. The CF-19 is built with a magnesium alloy frame and a shock-mounted hard drive. It can withstand knocks, heavy vibrations and extreme temperature fluctuations, while surviving falls from up to 90cm. It is certified to MIL-STD-810F military testing procedures and is rated at IP54 (ingress protection) level for dust and water resistance.

In addition the extended battery life of the CF-19 has proven very useful. Drivers have found the battery lasts around eight hours, which is ideal for those driving long distances. In addition the daylight readable touch screen was an important feature. Not only does it give excellent viewing under glaring sunlight but it is easy to use and eliminates the need for a computer mouse – this is useful for those rivers that are not computer-savvy.

www.toughbook.co.nz

Workplace safety an ownership issue

By Deane Manley

The sobering statistics of a recent study into New Zealand workplace safety should serve as a timely wake up call for organisations taking a backseat approach to safety.

That over 100 New Zealanders die from workplace accidents every year, significantly more than other comparable countries, is a fact that should be of deep concern to our heads of primary industries and other businesses operating in fields of increased risk.

It is not a new issue, but one which has been starkly highlighted by the Health and Safety Taskforce’s recent study and one that has to change.

The statistics released by the Taskforce paint a worrying picture of New Zealand’s lax attitude to health and safety – surprising given the comparatively large proportion of the workforce in high risk industries. With such a large number of New Zealanders currently employed in these industries, it would be reasonable to assume that greater legislative controls and regulations around minimum safety standards would be in place.

Sadly, New Zealand governments of recent years have put precious little resource into regulating safety, with only 150 Health and Safety Inspectors employed to cover over 10,000 workplaces each year. Given the size of many of the businesses visited, it is hard to understand how each of these inspectors is able to conduct a thorough audit of almost 67 businesses per year.

Furthermore, it speaks volumes about the government’s commitment or lack thereof to workplace health and safety when the department responsible is so benignly named as Labour Group, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The government does, however, provide us with an effective and hugely important scheme in ACC, which aims to safeguard the individual in the case of an Deane Manley, managing director of NZ Crane Group, says that New Zealand needs a fundamental shift in attitudes away from she’ll be right towards a culture where safety is at the forefront of operations accident. Unfortunately, this also has a knock on effect, limiting liability of the organisation around safety practices and causing a ‘no fault’ culture. Because organisations are at limited risk of any legal ramifications due to unsafe practice, some see little need to take full ownership of safety from an organisational standpoint.

Whether this is an overt decision or a subconscious one – I would tend to think the latter – it has a detrimental effect on workplace safety standards. On the contrary, due to complete liability systems in the UK and US, companies place much more focus on themselves to ensure complete safety. This is evident in their substantially lower number of fatalities and injuries.

Where the issue is at its worst is in those cases where safety is intentionally relegated to an afterthought. While I would like to say this is not the case in the crane industry, the challenge of a competitive marketplace can put pressure on some companies to become overly competitive on price at the expense of quality.

We have seen a number of examples of companies supplying suspiciously low quotes, which suggests corner cutting to make the job viable. This may be as simple as using under-qualified or junior staff to save on labour costs, making do with a smaller crane at or above its maximum capacity, or even bypassing a number of safety procedures altogether to save on time.

New Zealand needs a fundamental shift in this kind of attitude, away from the “she’ll be right” and towards a culture whereby safe practice is at the forefront of our operations. This needs to be led by management and must be more than just lip service. We can all talk about safety initiatives but putting them into action and seeing them through takes real commitment.

Regulatory bodies have a large part to play in pushing for more accountability from members and the wider industry. While more robust regulations and legislation will help to drive responsibility, a heightened safety culture in New Zealand will ultimately be led by those who work in it.

Organisations such as SiteSafe provide extensive safety training and certification, including the development of advocacy and leadership for workplace safety, as well as guidance around industry collaboration. The Business Leaders Health and Safety Forum is also an excellent organisation to help heads of business drive their companies towards a zero harm culture. Business owners, particularly those in these higher risk industries, should investigate organisations such as these or your relevant industry equivalent.

It is time to stop the culture of complacency – become a safety leader, communicate the message with your staff and ensure they buy into it. We should be pioneering workplace safety, not lagging behind.

Deane Manley is founder and managing director of NZ Crane Group and has been an active member in the crane industry for 14 years. He has been involved at governance level with industry safety and training organisation SiteSafe, alongside holding senior positions at the Crane Association, NZ Contractors Federation and Elevating Work Platform Association.

Time for a fair deal for subbies

By David Shearer

When Mainzeal collapsed in February, engineer Malcolm Hammond and his staff were locked out of two large construction sites they’d been working on, including MIT in Manukau.

Like many subcontractors, Hammond had several jobs on the go at the same time: it was a disaster to be unable to retrieve his tools and plant items.

“We were shut out for about a week, and we’ve still got some equipment onsite that we haven’t been able to recover because it’s attached to a structure, so there’s still an issue there,” he says.

In 30 years Hammond has built up his business, MJH Engineering, to an 85-person enterprise, specialising in structural steel fabricating and erecting.

“There will be some subcontractors going broke over this. A lot of companies out there have lost several hundred thousand dollars – some are just 10 or 12-man-bands so that will jeopardise their businesses for sure. If we hadn’t been able to reorganise things within our business it could have been 85 jobs lost.”

The biggest losers in construction company failures are usually subcontractors like Hammond. Subcontractors do up to 80 per cent of the work on many construction projects. They’re usually small-to-medium businesses, last in the creditor queue; often missing out on the money they’re owed.

It’s only fair that subcontractors are paid for the work they’ve done and can retrieve their tools when construction companies collapse.

Part of the problem is that their money is tied up in lead contractors’ banks. Lead contractors retain it to make sure the job is completed to a standard, but that retention money is often being used in the meantime for other things and that’s risky.

Sensible, cost-effective solutions are available to make sure subbies get what they’re owed. We want to offer a fair deal to everyone without loading cost onto the sector. That’s fair. That’s what I believe should happen.

The statutory construction trust model, used in Canada, the UK and the US, ensures property developers make their progress payments directly to a statutory construction trust, instead of to the lead contractor. This protects subcontractors’ pay, with almost no additional cost to industry. Under this model, subbies always get what they’ve earned. That’s fair.

We’re also looking closely at liens and retentions, a model that was used successfully in New Zealand until 1987. It requires developers to hold back a percentage of payments so they can pay subcontractors if the lead contractor goes bankrupt.

I’m determined to avoid additional costs to industry, which is why we’re examining these options instead of compulsory insurance or a requirement to purchase a bond. I’m keen to hear from the sector about what works best for you.

I also want to investigate options to ensure that when a head contractor goes into receivership, sub-contractors are able to go on-site to retrieve their tools and materials. We must avoid red tape at all costs; we don’t want to add a burden to hard-working businesses.

David Shearer is the Leader of the Opposition, and is the Labour Party’s spokesman on science and technology.

Hypertherm wins counterfeit case in China

US-based manufacturer of advanced plasma metal-cutting systems Hypertherm has won its first criminal case against counterfeiting in China.

A recent ruling by The People’s Court of Guangling District in Yangzhou saw a Shanghai trading company convicted for knowingly reselling counterfeit Hypertherm consumables to other local companies.

The distributor was fined a hefty sum, and its business owner was levied a fine as well as jailed. Hypertherm China director Aaron Zou commented: “Hypertherm has kept a close eye on counterfeiting activities for some time now because we are concerned about our customers and their businesses.

“Imitation products do not include the advanced technological capabilities of genuine Hypertherm consumables, so they do not perform as well and have short life spans.

“This is why we keep a vigilant watch on imitation consumables, and have consistently put weight behind efforts to fight such piracy. In this instance, we received a tip-off from a local shipyard in mid-2012 that led us closer to the illicit business transactions. We moved swiftly to get to the root of the problem and contained the situation within a few short months.”

In the recent wake of this legal case, Hypertherm has already witnessed some Chinese manufacturers ceasing production of unauthentic consumables,” Mr Zou said. Based on research conducted in China, Hypertherm has found that counterfeit consumables have significantly shorter life expectancy than the genuine products. They damage cutting torches and cause severe damage to cooling systems. In addition, the use of counterfeit parts greatly decreases cut quality, which means additional resources are often needed for secondary operations to complete each cutting job. Hypertherm encourages end-users to cooperate with the company, and its authorized channel partners, in combating the production of counterfeit products. Hypertherm designs and manufactures advanced cutting products for use in a variety of industries such as shipbuilding, manufacturing, and automotive repair. Its product line includes handheld and mechanized plasma systems and consumables, as well as fiber laser and now waterjet products, in addition to CNC motion and height controls and CAM software.

New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards reaches new highs

A record number of new entrants from companies across New Zealand have lifted the bar for this year’s Hi-Tech Awards.

“This year’s finalists range from companies in their infancy through to some of our biggest and most high profile hi-tech companies. New Zealand technology companies have a unique flavour that extends well beyond the realms of traditional ICT. It is great to see such a range of entries across the board and so many companies entering who are just embarking on their big journey,” says Wayne Norrie, chair of the Hi-Tech Trust.

“Some amazing new companies have come to light in the 2013 entries and we look forward to telling their stories this year,” he says.

Several of the judges have commented that this year the quality of the entrants and their entries is at an all time high and the next phase of judging will prove challenging as they select the winners from such a strong pool of finalists.

This year’s twelve- strong international judging line-up includes Apple founder Steve Wozniak, Craig Nevill-Manning, the director of engineering for Google in New York, and Howard Charney, senior vice president for Cisco.

“That we are able to attract this calibre of international and local judges is evidence of New Zealand’s growing reputation as a high-tech hotbed and these awards continue to be the Hi-Tech industry’s most important celebration of success and a wonderful showcase for our technology innovation and talent,” says Mr Norrie.

Winners in each category will be announced at a black-tie gala dinner to be held at SkyCity in Auckland on 17^th May 2013.

The finalists are as follows:

PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year 2013

Buckley Systems
Serko
Xero

Cisco Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year 2013

EROAD
GreenButton
HydroWorks
Living Cell Technologies

MBIE Science, Skills and Innovation Group Hi-Tech Start up Company of the Year 2013

BIMstop
Carnival Labs
Oritain Global
RedSeed

New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) Hi-Tech Pre-Commercialisation Company of the Year 2013

Performance Labs
Sensagrid
Solar Bright
Timely
Trigger Happy
Veritide

Duncan Cotterill Innovative Hi-Tech Software Product 2013

Carnival Labs
CropLogic
KlickEx
Matakina Technology
Vend
Wynyard Group

State Government of Victoria, Australia Innovative Hi-Tech Service Product 2013

KlickEx
Shapeshifter
Vend

Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product 2013

3i Innovation
Compac Sorting Equipment
Fusion Electronics
ikeGPS

Telecom Business Innovative Hi-Tech Mobile Product 2013

Carnival Labs
ikeGPS
KlickEx
Mobi2Go

Fronde Hi-Tech Young Achiever 2013

Robert Bell
Guy Horrocks
James Robertson
Sam Talwar

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Best Contribution to the NZ Hi-Tech Sector from a Multinational Company 2013

Microsoft
Navico
Sprint International

HSBC + NZMEA Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year over $5M 2013

ARANZ Geo
Buckley Systems
Compac Sorting Equipment
Xero

HSBC + NZMEA Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year $500,000 to $5m 2013

3i Innovation
Carnival Labs
Vend

About the NZ Hi-Tech Awards

Now in their 19^th year, the New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards celebrate the success of our producers of goods and services from the software, electronics, telecommunications, mobile, agritech, creative and other high-tech industries. The Awards are run by the NZ Hi-Tech Trust, a not-for-profit organisation aimed at promoting and supporting the wider industry. The Board is comprised of eight trustees: Ross Peat, Bennett Medary and Al Monro in Auckland, Chair Wayne Norrie, Neville Jordan and John Fokerd from Wellington and Christchurch-based trustees Owen Scott and Andrew Plimmer.

www.hitech.org.nz

Competenz awards seven trades scholarships for 2013

Seven talented young engineering tradespeople have just been awarded $1,000 each to go towards advancing their careers – moving from a Level 4 apprenticeship to the National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering, Level 5.

Two of the winners came from Palmerston North – Shaun Allan from Metalfold and Tonee Francis from Max Tarr Electrical.

The other winners were Jordan Reid-Ward from Yachting Developments in Auckland, Brad Lindsay from Sheet Metalcraft in Invercargill, Cameron Besley from Mainline Sheetmetals in Hamilton, and David Creagh and Gilbert Muza from Industrial Valve Engineering in Christchurch.

A scholarship can be a huge help – just ask Connor Farrell, who was awarded one of the 2012 scholarships.

“I applied for the scholarship because I have a young family and have very little extra money,” says Mr Farrell.

“Receiving the scholarship meant a lot to me because if I didn’t receive it I most likely wouldn’t have been able to sit the Level 5 qualification – I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now, so a big, big thank you to all.”

Kiwis make sound waves

High-end New Zealand developer of marine entertainment systems Fusion Electronics has beaten aside the global industry big four to take away major industry awards.

Fusion Electronics’ line of high-performance marine-grade stereo system, the 700 Series, received the 2012 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) Technology Award at its conference and expo.

The Technology Award is the NMEA’s most prestigious honour, singling out the overall best marine electronics product in the industry, based on a combination of innovative design, benefits to boaters, practicality and value.

The Fusion 700 Series has been an ongoing winner for the company. It has also taken Fusion Electronics to a finalist placing in the 2011 Marine equipment Trade Show’s DAME design awards, as well as an honourable mention at the Miami Boat Show.

“Our Fusion 700 series is being hailed as the most innovative marine entertainment system in the world,” Fusion Electronics chief executive Chris Baird says.

“Among its standout features are NMEA 2000 connectivity, wireless ethernet control via iPad and iPhone Fusion Electronics chief executive Chris Baird with the NMEA award and a Fusion 700 series control panel app, Fusion-Link connectivity and control of four independent audio zones of the vessel.”

NMEA 2000 is the standard marine protocol that gives boats wired into it the ability to communicate with each other.

Fusion-Link allows compatible Multi-Function Displays (MFD) the ability to interface and achieve full control of FUSION’s specialised marine entertainment equipment. By using a MFD as the entertainment control centre for the vessel a simplified and integrated entertainment experience is created.

Fusion Electronics was formed to meet the demand for top quality acoustic systems for cars, boats and lifestyle situations. The company is owned by Kiwi entrepreneur Sir Peter Maire, who earlier founded and developed Navman into a global brand.

The core of Fusion Electronics is a team of 19 specialist engineers who have established an extensive R&D capability and developed significant intellectual property.

Fusion is currently on a growth path for its Auckland R&D base as well as its outlets in Europe, the US and Australia.

“We are particularly proud that our small multinational team has taken on the big, very well-resourced players in the marine market and forced a prominent niche for Fusion,” Mr Baird says.

“Not only have we shown that top New Zealand engineers don’t have to leave the country to work at the top of their profession, but we are among the companies that have shown there is a place for well-qualified Kiwis to come home to.”

The products Fusion has designed for the car and lifestyle audio market have The fusion 700 Series mounted in a harsh marine environment – a jetski been recognised for their quality, but there have been many added hurdles to overcome in developing robust, ease of use and pristine sound systems for marine applications.

Fusion requires its products to perform season after season even in some of the harshest marine conditions. With this longevity in mind, all marine products are designed and engineered from the ground up specifically for use on the water.

Environmental protection is at the heart of all its product designs and only after each product has been subjected to rigorous testing to extreme conditions are they marketed with a three-year worldwide consumer warranty.

Fusion did its market research carefully when designing the 700 Series marine stereo.

One fact that emerged was that potential buyers preferred a turning button volume control rather than a touch pad.

The problem with button controls is that they are hard to make waterproof, but the Fusion engineers managed to circumvent water ingress as well as any hazards that can occur.

Making any Fusion marine product safe requires a thorough understanding of the hazards that exist in electrical products – risks surrounding Fusion Electronics mechanical Engineer Nisarg Acharya electrical shock, mechanical or physical injury, low voltage/high energy, or fire. Fusion takes the evaluation of these hazards even more seriously when testing their marine electronics.

“We ensure that electro static disturbance does not affect the operation of any FUSION device and we are proud to say that all electronic products adhere to global industry guidelines," Mr Baird says.

All Fusion marine products, whether they be entertainment systems, speakers, subwoofers or wired remote control solutions, are IP (Ingress Protection) rated to at least an IPx5 level.

This indicates a product’s protection against both solid foreign objects and moisture intrusion – both important factors for a product’s durability and lifespan on the water.

“Fusion is on a mission to become an internationally successful brand that is proudly based in New Zealand and taking on the world’s best,” Mr Baird adds.

“The markets overseas are tough to break into and then it can be equally hard to maintain that business, but if done successfully the rewards are large.

“A good spread of business is probably the most important area to concentrate on for all international companies. Kiwi businesses can get out there and succeed against the ‘big boys’ and then also teach them a thing or two!”

James Dyson Award doubles the prize fund

The 2013 international James Dyson Award is open for entries. James Dyson is challenging young engineers and scientists in New Zealand and around the world to “design something that solves a problem”.

This year the award’s prize fund has doubled to help winners meet the costs associated with developing their ideas.

The international winner will receive depending on sterling exchanges about NZ$55,000 to develop their invention, and a further $18,000[will be provided to their educational institution.

“Young design engineers have the ability to develop tangible technologies, which can change lives. The award rewards those who have the persistence and tenacity to develop their ideas – it is an exciting but challenging process. Often the simplest ideas have the biggest impact,” says James Dyson.

The Award is run in 18 countries and celebrates ingenuity, creativity and sustainable engineering - inspiring young people to think differently and invent.

The James Dyson Award in New Zealand is hosted in association with Dyson in New Zealand, British Council New Zealand, The Designers Institute and Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand.

Inventors are encouraged to design and develop their ideas, doing more with less. This leads to fewer raw materials and the consumption of less energy, creating a technology that will perform better and last longer, while having less environmental impact.

One of the judges in the New Zealand leg of the competition, British Council New Zealand country director, Ingrid Leary, says the New Zealand judges will look for interpersonal qualities as well as talent in design.

“While judges will be looking at whether the designs solve a problem, the entrant’s ability to articulate their vision and creativity will also be an important factor of the judging criteria."

Last year’s international winner, Dan Watson, engineered a device to increase the sustainability of fishing.

The New Zealand winner was Massey University industrial designer Nick Ross who designed Axolotl – a solution that cuts trees right from ground level, and feeds them straight into the machine.

An extraction process is then engaged to return needles back to the soil for nutrients, while the branches gathered in a separate container can be re-used as an alternative energy fuel.

Another kiwi finalist James McNab was the international runner up with his design Revival Vest - a safety vest worn by free fall divers.

Many divers have drowned after blacking out while under water. Revival vest uses smart fabric technology to monitor respiration and changes to the body caused by the stress of drowning.

Once it detects a change, Revival Vest inflates bringing the user safely to the surface.

Entrants have until August 2013 to enter by submitting prototypes along with stories detailing their design process and inspiration.

New Zealand’s national winner will be announced in mid-August and the international winner, on 7 November. The New Zealand winner will travel to the UK to meet with key members of the British design community.

The award is open to any university level student of product design, industrial design or engineering, (or graduate within four years of graduation) who is studying or studied in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK and USA.

Entrants can submit footage, images and sketches of their ideas to the website, www.jamesdysonaward.org, along with stories detailing their design process and inspiration.

Please contact Lisa Joe on 021 326 662 or lisa [at] joepublic [dot] co [dot] nz

The James Dyson Foundation Facebook page is here and Twitter is here

Clarion call to revive manufacturing sector

By David Shearer

A few weeks ago the Parliamentary Inquiry into Manufacturing started hearing submissions.

I have been keeping a close eye on developments. That’s because a thriving manufacturing sector is at the heart of my vision of a strong, diversified New Zealand economy. One that doesn’t rely on the price of milk in China.

There have been two big themes coming through the inquiry hearings so far. The first is a clarion call for change to revive the sector. Manufacturers are a proud bunch. They don’t want a hand out but they do want a government that will listen and take their ideas on board.

As Gordon Sutherland from AW Fraser said, manufacturers know their business, ministers don’t. It’s an important lesson for all politicians.

The second theme emerging from the inquiry is the passion running through the industry. This is a sector that has no intention of waiting for the “economic tide” to go out as some commentators have told it to do.

Steve Wilson, director of Talbot Technologies in Christchurch, made a strong defence of manufacturing, saying government and society no longer value the sector. He highlighted the different attitude in Germany where, as he said, “their engineers have a title that is more revered than a doctor".

I agree with Steve. We need to value manufacturing and engineering jobs. They should be held up as quality careers for our young people and given the status they deserve if manufacturing is going to succeed.

The problem is that manufacturing, especially outside agriculture processing, is struggling. The numbers are truly staggering. In the last year the sector lost 17,000 jobs. Many of those people will have taken their skills and experience to Australia.

During the last four years 8000 companies have closed their doors. The industry is being hollowed out. It’s a big blow to the development of a skilled and well paid workforce.

We’ve had 140 submissions from companies and associations and hundreds of submissions from individuals. Submitters have brought real ideas and compelling honesty to the table. The big message we’ve heard time and again is the crippling effect of the high dollar.

Gordon Sutherland from AW Fraser laid the dollar problem out clearly. At 0.70c exchange rate he can make an eight percent return but that dwindles to zero percent at 0.83c. That’s where we are now.

Many of the submitters were quite open in admitting that they may need to shut their doors if the exchange rate remains this high. Our Reserve Bank has a tunnel vision mandate to focus primarily on inflation. That’s old thinking. We need to give it a 20/20 perspective to consider major issues such as the exchange rate and employment. That will help bring the dollar down.

There have been many calls for more government procurement to support Kiwi companies. The Manufacturers and Exporters Association is a big advocate of this. Bruce Moller from Howard Wright suggested we adopt the New South Wales model. I am a firm believer in using Government procurement for the benefit of our economy, not someone else’s.

Labour will ensure that government agencies do business with Kiwi companies wherever possible and in return those receiving significant contracts will be required to take on apprentices or trainees. That will build businesses, jobs and skills.

The third major point is research and development. With margins so tight it’s extremely hard for companies to invest in the new technology and ideas the sector needs to compete globally. Support for research and development, such as the tax credits we advocate, has been a strong refrain from the submitters.

The Parliamentary Inquiry will report back in the first half of this year with recommendations. What this inquiry has reinforced is that we do have an exciting manufacturing sector, with innovative, ambitious companies.

But they need to be able to compete. Otherwise all we’ve got is selling milk to China.

David Shearer is the leader of the Opposition, as well as being the Labour Party’s spokesman on science and technology