Scientists have used some surprising and ingenious methods to get Greenshell™ mussels to breed in captivity and their efforts could soon be worth $200 million a year to the New Zealand economy.
Warm baths and vibrating devices are just two of the clever tricks New Zealand scientists have employed to get the famous (and somewhat shy) Greenshell™ mussels to breed on cue. The first crop from the SPATNZ hatchery is now ready to harvest and to eat, after years of investigative work in Nelson, New Zealand.
Scientist and SPATNZ boss, Rodney Roberts says it’s taken quite a bit of experimenting to get the mussels to give up their secrets.
“Normally these mussels breed in the wild and we wait for their babies, known as spat, to wash up on beaches attached to seaweed or land on catch ropes. That made life difficult for New Zealand mussel farmers, who had to cross their fingers and hope they would have enough spat for their farms from year to year.”
“We had to work pretty hard to figure out how to get the Greenshell™ mussels to breed reliably in our hatchery. We experimented with lighting, different bath temperatures and sounds and we finally settled on a combination of light, temperature and small vibrations that seems to really get the mussels going, encouraging them to produce maximum quantities of sperm and eggs.”
Rodney says the process might sound funny, but it has yielded seriously good results.
“We are now able to produce billions of mussel eggs each month and the great news is that these are growing into strong, faster growing and more consistent mussels.”
Mussel farmers agree. Bruce Hearn, who farms in the Marlborough Sounds and is also the Chairman of Aquaculture New Zealand says he’s incredibly excited about what it means for the industry.
“There are a lot of aspects to wild spat, it differs in quantity and quality, you never know when it is coming and when you can get it so there is no certainty. One of the advantages of hatchery spat is that we will know when we are getting it and we can plan for it. That will make a huge difference. It may be hard to appreciate just how much difference it will make, but that is a huge advantage on its own.”Gary Hooper the CEO of Aquaculture New Zealand agrees.
Hatchery spat is a game changer for our industry, it opens up all sorts of opportunities around selective breeding and product development in high value areas like nutraceuticals and superfoods. New Zealand mussels are already world famous but the hatchery unlocks a new level of innovation to take our industry to another level.”
The SPATNZ hatchery and the science behind it is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and New Zealand’s oldest and biggest seafood company, Sanford, through the Primary Growth Partnership.
Sanford CEO, Volker Kuntzsch, who is a scientist himself (he has a Masters in Zoology), says he’s delighted to see the innovations at SPATNZ paying off.
“It’s always very satisfying when scientists can say that they’ve done it – they’ve confronted a problem head on in a smart way and they’ve solved it. Sanford is delighted that our mussel farmers will get real and significant benefits from SPATNZ’s hard work.”
Sanford and MPI are each investing $13 million into this PGP programme over its lifetime. Sanford and its contract growers will initially benefit from the research and technology but a requirement of this Primary Growth Partnership programme is that in time the technology will be shared with everyone in the industry.
MPI’s Director Investment Programmes Justine Gilliland says MPI is excited by the progress of the SPATNZ PGP programme and its prospects.
“The key things that we think are amazing opportunities for the programme are around not only the product in its raw form, those beautiful Greenshell™ mussels that we all love to eat, but also the opportunity for example, with nutraceutical products.“One of the requirements of PGP programmes is that, at the end of the day, the knowledge is disseminated more widely to the industry. We are really excited about the opportunity that the SPATNZ programme presents for the rest of the industry in New Zealand.”
Dan McCall, SPATNZ Operations Manager, says the whole programme is paying off, both in the hatchery and on the plate.
“It's really exciting. It’s a team effort and there have been many people over the years who have been involved, and now it is a reality. It’s great! We have already tasted a sample. We cooked some up for lunch the other day and yeah, we know they are good, we know they are delicious.”SPATNZ hatchery mussels are at harvest size now in the Marlborough Sounds and close to 500 tonnes of them will be harvested over the coming months.
Background
• The SPATNZ hatchery opened in 2015 in Nelson New Zealand and hatchery spat are currently growing on mussel farms in Pelorus Sound in Marlborough• 17 people are employed by SPATNZ at present• Greenshell™ mussels is the trademarked trading name for New Zealand green lipped mussels and sales of them in 2016 were worth around $350m• Greenshell™ mussels have anti-inflammatory properties and other characteristics that make them suitable for nutraceuticals• Aquaculture generally is worth around $530m to New Zealand annually and the industry wants to grow to be a billion dollar sector by 2025• When the programme reaches the end of its second stage, SPATnz expects to have developed hatchery methods capable of producing spat for around 30 thousand tonnes a year of adult mussels. Last year the industry produced a total of just over 80 thousand tonnes of Greenshell™ mussels• Mussels can swim. When they are in the larval stage they spend three weeks swimming around looking for a place to land, settle and grow.
| A SPATNZ release || April 10, 2017 |||
Babcock International’s Australasian CEO for engineering, infrastructure and aviation believes local operations will grow by more than 25 per cent annually, it has been reported in todays Manufacturers' Monthly
David Ruff spoke with the AFR about the potential for the business, which has been awarded contract “to provide offshore helicopter support services” in the Timor Sea for the United States oil and gas company Conoco Philips.
Babcock International has annual global revenues over $9 billion and opened a new regional headquarters in Adelaide on Wednesday.
In Australia and New Zealand, the company was generating revenues of $15 million from four years ago and has seen that rise to $250 million annually.
Last September, Babcock secured a five-year contract to help manage Qantas airline’s aviation fleet in 60 locations across Australia.
There are also further opportunities in engineering, defence, and transport and infrastructure sectors.
| A Manufacturers'Monthly release || April 06, 2017 |||
An Irish insulation manufacturer , Kingspan who also have presence in the New Zealand market, has officially opened its new facility in Somerton, creating 50 new jobs, and setting new standards in energy efficiency.
Victorian Minister for Industry and Employment Wade Noonan congratulated Kingspan at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Victorian Government has worked with Kingspan to develop the Oherns Road factory – worth about $40 million – by providing funding support and assisting with planning and approval.
The company’s new Somerton base has become Australia’s first ever Green Star rated manufacturing facility.
It includes a 750 kW solar system built into the roof design, and innovative features such as industrial low energy lighting and heating systems.
It’s at least 10 per cent more energy efficient than Kingspan’s other manufacturing facilities.
Kingspan will supply its insulation products to the Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Oceania markets, with 35 per cent of output expected to be exported by 2020.
The Victorian Government supported Kingspan’s investment in partnership with the Federal Government through the Melbourne’s North Innovation and Investment Fund (MNIIF).
MNIIF has since been replaced by the $33 million Local Industry Fund for Transition (LIFT), supporting new investment, and creating jobs for retrenched automotive workers.
These grants have already created an additional 122 jobs from six projects in Melbourne’s north – as the Victorian Government works to build a strong, innovative and sustainable manufacturing sector.
| A Kingspan release | April 06, 2017 |||
Another year has gone by, and Autodesk has been working hard to bring you innovative CAD features to help you design the next aerodynamic bike, energy-efficient building, high-speed railway, or anything else you can dream up.
In this latest release of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, you’re able to:
Check out the full AutoCAD 2018 Preview Guide to learn more about the new features, how to access them, and why we think you’ll love them.
If you’re on an AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT 2017 subscription license or maintenance plan, you’ll get all your updates as they become available, right in the Autodesk Desktop App. Just accept the update, and you’ll be up and running with the new features immediately. If you have any issues of updating your latest version, please do not feel hesitate to contact CADPRO Systems, our dedicated team is always there to help.
Subscribe Now: Take advantage of 25% OFF* by purchasing the latest release of AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2018.
Follow this link for more information CADPRO Systems
| A CADPRO Systems release | Wednesday 5 April 2017 |||
Corrections has signed up its 100th employer to offer prisoners jobs in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Waste Management today, says Corrections Minister Louise Upston.
The partnership will see Waste Management work with Corrections and offer prisoners jobs when they are released, including drivers, administration, computer operator, runners, landfill operators, general operators, labourers, diesel mechanics and call centre roles.
“It’s great to have Waste Management on board,” says Ms Upston. “There is huge potential in this partnership and I look forward to seeing it to develop and offer more employment opportunities for prisoners on release.
“Through these partnerships, Corrections is providing employers with motivated and skilled workers for a wide range of meaningful jobs.”
“We know that having stable employment plays a huge role in reducing the likelihood of reoffending once someone leaves prison. That is good for the prisoner, their whanau and the communities they return to.”
Alongside Waste Management, other employers that have signed MoUs with Corrections include Global Bus and Horticulture NZ to provide career training and sustainable employment.
Corrections delivers a wide range of education and employment training programmes in prisons including horticulture, manufacturing, construction, painting and hospitality. In the last financial year, around 9000 offenders were engaged in employment-related activities.
“The training and rehabilitation programmes in prison ensure that these people are well-equipped with quality, employable skills that are widely recognised by employers,” says Ms Upston.
“Many prisoners have limited work experience before going to prison and it’s fantastic to see these programmes making a real difference and helping get them successfully placed into employment.”
Corrections has its own recruitment service to connect offenders with meaningful jobs once they are released from prison. Over the past five months, around 300 people with convictions have been placed into long-term, sustainable jobs.
Corrections has also run an Employment Support Service over the last three years which provides job placement and in-work support for prisoners due for release and for offenders on community sentences. To date the programme has helped 137 offenders find jobs.
To support Corrections’ employment partnerships, Ms Upston will be hosting employer breakfasts in Hamilton, Christchurch and Wellington over the next few months. Employers will be invited to come and learn more about partnering with Corrections to provide jobs for offenders.
| A Beehive release || April 04, 2017 |||
UK soft drinks firm Britvic has said it has reached a major milestone in efforts to develop a wood fibre bottle.
The firm revealed the advance in its 2016 sustainability report and said it could revolutionise packaging across multiple sectors.
Britvic has been working on the packaging over the last three years in partnership with Innovate UK and UK-based SME Natural Resources (2000).
It said that this year it had managed to produce bottles on a prototype manufacturing line using the technology and had also begun to develop a bottle closure system using similar wood fibre-based material.
“This new technology has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of packaging as the materials are sustainably sourced, renewable and fully recyclable,” said Britvic.
It added that the new process requires less energy to produce a bottle than its contemporary equivalents.
In the report CEO Simon Litherland said the company had made significant investment in manufacturing sites to improve productivity and resource efficiency.
Investments made in the firm’s Leeds plant last year have led to water and energy consumption falling by 22% and 45% respectively, relative to production.
“These upgrades have also allowed us to access the latest in packaging technology, resulting in lighter bottles and less packaging materials being used,” he added.
The company reported 84% of its manufacturing waste was recycled in 2016.
Some 90% of direct suppliers are linked on the company’s responsible sourcing platform, Sedex.
And while the company’s road mileage has increased this year, resulting in a 5% increase in emissions to 25,177 tonnes of CO2, part of the reason for this increase was temporary changes to production locations.
The company said it had optimised pallet movements to maximise efficiency, which had helped to save the equivalent of 265 tonnes of CO2.
And during 2016 the company identified which of its sourcing regions are at risk from water scarcity and discussed with suppliers how they were managing these threats.
“Next year will see us continue our engagement activity, aiming to educate our suppliers on responsible water practices,” said Britvic.
| A SupplyManagement release | March 30, 2017 |||
Computer services and machinery manufacturing firms led the way in an almost 30 percent lift in business spending on research and development (R&D) in 2016, Stats NZ said today. Businesses spent $1.6 billion on R&D in 2016, up $356 million (29 percent) from 2014.
The computer services sector had the biggest dollar-value increase in R&D within the business sector, up $125 million (40 percent) to $436 million in 2016. Computer services firms include New Zealand businesses providing services such as producing and distributing software, and web design.
The second-largest increase in business-related R&D spending was for machinery and equipment manufacturing, up $105 million (37 percent) to $392 million in 2016. These firms include high-tech manufacturing firms developing new products and services for sale in New Zealand or overseas.
Total spending on R&D by businesses, government, and higher education was $3.2 billion in 2016, up $531 million (20 percent) from 2014. R&D in the higher education (university) sector lifted and government R&D had a modest rise, but the bulk of the overall increase was from business spending.
“R&D spending is about investing in New Zealand’s future. It paves the way for new and better products or more efficient ways of doing things, although the process can take years,” business performance senior manager Daria Kwon said.
“While higher R&D spending is a key driver of economic growth according to some studies, it is not a guarantee that a business will be more creative or profitable.”
All services sector groups spent more on R&D in 2016 than in 2014, with an overall $203 million (32 percent) increase to $835 million. In the higher education sector, universities' R&D spending was up $143 million (18 percent) from 2014 to $960 million in 2016.
Graph, Research and development expenditure, by sector, 2008 to 2016.
Data and analysis
Research and Development Survey: 2016 – for more data and analysis
| A STATSNZ release | March 29,2017 |||
With a new year comes an inevitable update of your CAD package, and that always begs the question, should I keep my license or upgrade? Well, with Autodesk Inventor and the company’s new subscription-based plan, that decision has likely been made for you, and now it’s time to reap the benefits.
Inventor 2018 has been on the market since last week, and for those looking for the latest features in their CAD tools, here’s what you can expect from the latest version of Autodesk’s flagship mechanic design package.
MBE Tools Demanded, MBE Tools Delivered
Demand and model-based engineering (MBE) as a standard CAD paradigm is increasing throughout the design world. Not only are big-time movers and shakers like the DoD insisting that fluency with MBE be a prerequisite for any contractor, the ever-tightening integration between design, prototyping and manufacturing is making MBE coin of the realm.
To give users the tools they’ll need to meet this new design focus, Inventor comes equipped for model-based design (MBD) tools that make it easy to annotate models with tolerance information, critical dimensions and manufacturing notes so that a project can move from modeling to CMM and CAM in a flash. In addition, Inventor users can output 3D PDF files so that design information can be effectively communicated to manufacturers off-site.
Interoperability Expanded
Designers today have to deal with a number of variables when building a product. One of the most consistent of those variables is that a team will likely be interacting with a number of third-party vendors and, most likely, a few different CAD file formats.
In the past, having to juggle multiple file formats made collaboration with third-party products awkward and time consuming, but in Inventor 2018, the software supports a number of different file flavors and formats, making it easy to leverage the design work that’s already been done by others so that workflows are streamlined.
Customer-Driven Enhancements Round out 2018
Aside from MBD and interoperability enhancements, the Inventor engineering team has tapped its deep user base to implement over 50 Inventor Idea requests into 2018. Whether it’s improvements to such essential features as “Chamfer,” “Extrude” or “Hole” commands, Inventor’s refinement is reaching a level that’s difficult to match by other CAD programs. But modeling features aren’t the only aspects of the software that have seen improvements thanks to user input. In Inventor 2018, the “Measure” tool has been simplified and improved to make it easier to use, and bill of materials (BOM) and parts list sort orders have been made easier to organize based on user input commands.
For more information about Inventor 2018, visit CADPROSystems
| An engineering.com release - visit site for images & videos | March 28, 2017 |||
Energetic, enthusiastic, motivating, thought provoking, enjoyable – who’d have thought all these were comments from delegates attending a building-industry conference!
PrefabNZ is a hub for innovative construction. Whether you are looking to build a home, are working within the industry or are just interested in the latest building solutions – this is the place to be.
PrefabNZ CoLab 2017 – held at AUT on March 21st was sold out quickly, and it was not hard to see why. This year’s keynote speakers from around the globe delivered a spectacular array of knowledge and relevant content that held the audience of 170 delegates captive from start to finish. I didn’t see a single yawn.
Helena Lidelow (University of Lulea / Lindbäcks, Sweden) delivered the keynote and quickly gained the attention of her audience by delivering some stark industry facts regarding waste operations on building projects. Just 20% of the time is considered “Direct Work” compared with 35% “Pure Waste” and 45% “Indirect Work”. Talking with some delegates after the keynote, these facts had clearly done their work and the “off-site manufacture” message had firmly taken root! Helena’s presentation went on to compare prefab to the automotive industry and how different the two industries are – but to learn these lessons and understand the industry more, you’ll need to get yourself along to the next events. (http://www.prefabnz.com/Events)
This year, CADPRO Systems provided a 15-minute talk on how people see the world in different ways. Not everyone can read a drawing and yet we still present incredibly technical diagrams to clients and expect them to engage with a project. During the short talk, we introduced virtual reality (VR) and how it brings the only “full scale” immersive experience to potential clients and stakeholders – regardless of their technical ability. Our VR rig in the exhibition area was in constant use by delegates and exhibitors throughout the day. As usual, it was fascinating to see people become so quickly and emotionally connected to a simple model, and their understanding of the potential uses for the technology was inspiring.
| A CADPRO Systems release | Wednesday 22 March 2017 |||
Mechanical fastening has long been the standard method of keeping manufacturing assemblies together, but adhesive bonding has seen a rise in popularity as an alternative technique.
Mechanical fastening with screws and rivets, welding or soldering and brazing are effective, yet insufficiently distribute load stress, which compromises structural strength. Additionally, they present a risk of galvanic corrosion and can add weight to a product.
Proponents of structural bonding with adhesives tout advantages in weight, greater structural strength and minimization of galvanic corrosion as primary benefits of using bonding agents such as epoxy resins versus traditional mechanical fastening.
Additional benefits of adhesive bonding include:
Despite these benefits, engineers need to carefully plan and execute the application of adhesive bonding – it’s not like a piece of tape you can just tear off and reapply.
It’s important to be mindful of joint designs, performance properties of the adhesive, surface preparation requirements, curing requirements and polymer chemistry options.
Whether you need an epoxy resin, hot melt, contact sprays or other chemistries will depend on your application. It’s important to work closely with your adhesive supplier to clearly define how you can meet your application requirements.
> > > Select herre to read this engineering.com article in full | March 24,2017 |||
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242