The volume of meat and dairy product manufacturing fell in the December 2016 quarter, although sales values rose due to higher prices, Statistics New Zealand said today. After adjusting for seasonal effects and removing price changes, meat and dairy product manufacturing volumes fell 5.7 percent. "The fall in meat and dairy sales volumes followed rises in the previous two quarters," business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said. "In contrast, sales values were up more than $350 million, mainly reflecting a sharp rise in dairy product prices." Business Price Indexes reported a 14 percent rise in dairy product manufacturing output prices…

 A new extreme-duty Flexicon® flexible screw conveyor with purpose-built hopper transfers bulk material received from front end loaders. The conveyor consists of a heavy-gauge stainless steel screw that rotates within an 8 in. dia. (200 mm) stainless steel tube. Since the conveyor is driven at its top end by a 20 hp (15 kW) variable speed electric motor and gear reducer, material exits the discharge housing prior to contacting any seals or bearings. The tube interior and removable screw are smooth and crevice-free, allowing rapid, thorough cleaning. Rugged enough to withstand incidental contact with front-end loaders, the heavy-gauge stainless steel…

Auckland based fiberglass engineering company, Maskell have introduced underground storage product Envirotank to the New Zealand Market. Envirotank eliminates the risk of corrosion both inside and outside of the storage tank, an issue which in the past has led to harmful, toxic chemicals leaching into the surrounding soil. Intended for a range of applications, the Envirotank can safely store sewage, storm water and petroleum. Envirotanks can also be equipped with Oil/Water separators, which are designed to prevent any spilled petrol, diesel or detergents from contaminating the storm water drainage system. “Pollution prevention is critical to keeping our waterways clean. Our…

The latest New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) Survey of Business Conditions, completed during February 2017, shows total sales in January 2017 decreased 2.49% (year on year export sales decreased by 3.86% with domestic sales decreasing by 0.66%) on January 2016. For results tables and graphs, click here. In the 3 months to January, export sales increased an average of 4.2%, and domestic sales increased 4.8% on average. The NZMEA survey sample this month covered NZ$232m in annualised sales, with an export content of 56%. Net confidence fell to -7, down from 10 in December. The current performance index…

High-tech company Rapid Advanced Manufacturing (RAM3D) in New Zealand has opened a new facility in Tauranga’s Tauriko Business Park, with the aim of making metal additive manufacturing more accessible to the Australian and New Zealand markets. RAM has been collaborating with global engineering technologies company Renishaw and, as a result, is using several AM250 metal additive manufacturing systems in its Tauranga facility. RAM3D was spun out of the research organisation Titanium Industry Development Association (now TiDA) and it has the biggest Australasian centre for 3D metal printing. RAM3D’s new facility allows companies from a range of sectors, including aerospace, defence,…

What Trump gets wrong about manufacturing President Trump has promised to revitalize American manufacturing by bringing back mass production to the United States. This past Thursday, he convened a “listening session” with his manufacturing council, and a week ago, in front of thousands of Boeing factory workers in North Carolina, the president reaffirmed his mantra to have “products made in America, made by American hands.” President Trump is right in his call to invest more resources in manufacturing in America. But, he is mistaken to focus solely on mass production. The future of the sector lies not just with mass…

NZ founders and former shareholders of the Compac fruit sorting company are in line for up to $230m in earn-outs paid for the company by Norwegian firm Tomra. The New Zealand founders and former shareholders of the Compac fruit sorting company are in line for up to $230 million in earn-out payments on top of the $70 million paid for the company by the Norwegian food, recycling and mining sorting business Tomra. The detail of the deal, announced last October, emerges in the Overseas Investment Office's notification of foreign investments approved in January and in a presentation to shareholders published…

New Zealand manufacturer XLam has developed a locally produced cross-laminated timber (CLT), which could cut construction cost that will be available by the end of 2017, according to the AFR. The new CLT material and the way it is made, promises time, labour and wastage savings. Construction occurs offsite in the buildings with CLT. The timber is designed and shaped into panels, which can then be brought onsite and assembled. The CLT will be produced at XLam plant in Albury Wodonga. It will be produced from local pine, which will be a boon for the local forestry industry. The plant…

Bruce Springsteen has provided the vital bit of inspiration for the revolutionary, new ROADOG motorcycling top and the inventors are keen to show their gratitude when The Boss is in New Zealand. The Christchurch-based company has been in touch with Springsteen’s management team to present him with their ultra-light, super warm jersey. “After all, Bruce is a fellow motorbike enthusiast, and our target mark, so we’d love to know what he thinks of our ROADOG jersey,” says director Glenn Rodgers, who has also offered to loan Springsteen Harley Davidson to take him on a ride around the beautiful South Island…

Unilever on Friday rejected a $143bn (£115bn) takeover offer from US food giant Kraft Heinz, saying that it sees absolutely no “financial or strategic” merit in a tie-up. Kraft said in a statement earlier in the day that it had “made a comprehensive proposal to Unilever about combining the two groups to create a leading consumer goods company with a mission of long-term growth and sustainable living”. >  >  > Continue to full article                      More reading here      

Xiekon has officially opened its doors for its own sales, service and support operation in Australia and New Zealand. The Xeikon solutions have been available in Australian for many years, latterly through Absolute Electronics, however when Xeikon was bought by Flint last year the ink giant instigated a strategy of direct operations within the region. Trevor Crowley, general manager, Xeikon says, “For the market it means they have a direct line to the factory and the technology developers, and it means they have a supplier whose sole focus is Xeikon.” Xeikon ANZ will be using its own service engineers to…