COSTA MESA, Calif. (September 29, 2016) – Solar Gard, the global leader in advanced film technologies for sun and impact protection across the automotive, commercial and residential industries, today announced it has selected DRIVEN Public Relations, an international public relations and creative marketing agencyspecializing from inception in the automotive industry, as agency of record. A division of global glass and building technology icon Saint-Gobain – an organization whose 350-year legacy originated with the Hall of Mirrors within Paris’ Palace of Versailles – Solar Gard is now working with DRIVEN to elevate its brand and reintroduce Clearshield Pro Paint Protection Film (PPF), Ultra Performance Plus Window…

Workplace programme tackling airborne contaminants shifts into next phaseWorkSafe has launched a campaign to raise awareness of risks from welding fumes, wood dust and carbon monoxide in the manufacturing and construction sectors. The programme, which forms part of the Healthy Work strategic plan for work-related health, broadens WorkSafe’s focus on workplace airborne contaminants which initially started with silica and organic solvents. Every year, an estimated 600-900 people die in New Zealand from work-related health issues and a further 5,000-6,000 are hospitalised with cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic illnesses from workplace exposure to airborne contaminants. “There are multiple…

Four in 10 New Zealand firms say they are interested in investing in robotic processes and automation within the next 12 months, as the so-called fourth industrial revolution continues to gather pace. In contrast, a smaller 36.7% said the same in the equivalent research conducted in Australia. Businesses across the country indicated they want to learn more about the benefits of drone technology, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, product assembly and services automation, as captured in the latest round of the Alleasing New Zealand Equipment Demand Index (the Index). One quarter of businesses surveyed said they would consider investing in…

KiwiRail is in the midst of a multi-year transformation programme that is helping to drive growth opportunities for the New Zealand economy, writes chief executive Peter Reidy They're calling it the Rail Revolution, a reinvigoration of rail infrastructure worldwide that is seeing hundreds of new commuter services in Scotland, a dedicated freight network in India and ports and rail in Australia working together to grow exports. The opportunities here are just as exciting. New Zealand is also focusing on new ways to grow exports, reduce supply chain costs to global marketplaces and service a booming tourism industry. Commuter support for…

Auckland – The leader of all things tech in New Zealand, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller, has been elected to the board of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA). The alliance is the leading recognised international voice of the global ICT industry, whose members from over 80 countries represent more than 90 percent of the world ICT market. Muller says WITSA is dedicated to advocating policies that advance economic growth and development; facilitating international trade and investment in ICT products and services; and provide tech firms around the world with a broad network of connections. “This is a…

Nanette Byrnes wrote this interesting and in-depth article on technology’s impact on industry and the way we work published in MIT Technology Review.   Greenville, South Carolina, has bet its future on high-tech manufacturing. Who wins and who loses in this increasingly automated economy? In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in a corner of South Carolina sits a town that should be economically dead. For decades, Greenville was the heart of the state’s textile industry—and its economic engine. First attracted by the area’s fast-moving rivers as a way to power looms, textile manufacturers employed tens of thousands of people here.…

Bystronic, provider of state of the art sheet metal processing systems and services has agreed an innovation partnership with Lantek, leaders in software solutions and the development and deployment of software systems for the optimized production of sheet metal, tube and profile parts. The two companies have entered into a long term technology partnership and a strategic global alliance whereby Lantek will provide Bystronic with manufacturing management software systems and consultancy expertise. Bystronic wants to satisfy its customers’ needs with a reliable and robust manufacturing management system which has been widely tested worldwide to support its excellence in machines and…

WELLINGTON, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- The New Zealand government Monday said it is to review its free trade agreement (FTA) with Southeast Asia, citing a rising number of non-tariff barriers and other concerns, China's Xinhua news agency reported. The ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA (AANZFTA) - covering New Zealand, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - had helped lift New Zealand trade with the region by 25 per cent since 2010, said Trade Minister Todd McClay. However, McClay said in a statement he was concerned that New Zealand businesses were "leaving money on the…

Three 2,000-year-old pieces of history currently sit in the middle of the Engineering Quad. And hardly anyone even knows they exist The Daily Pennsylvanian reports. “I can’t believe I’ve never noticed them!” said Engineering sophomore Caroline Atkinson when asked about the columns. These items, two columns and an elaborate pillar head, were given to the City of Philadelphia by King Hussein of Jordan to mark America’s 1976 bicentennial. The pieces came from a column from the ancient city of Philadelphia, which was located in present-day Amman, Jordan. Despite the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology's promise to look after the…

WorkSafe has released guidance for managing and removing asbestos in the workplace, the first of its kind in New Zealand. The Approved Code of Practice for the Management and Removal of Asbestos will help contribute to WorkSafe’s target of a 50% reduction in asbestos-related disease by 2040. Asbestos is the single biggest cause of deaths from work-related disease. On average about 170 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases. Breathing in airborne asbestos fibres is a serious risk to health - once the fibres are breathed in, they lodge in the lungs and may cause asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma.…

Auckland, 17th October 2016 - Last week New Zealand’s leading Autodesk reseller of BIM and Manufacturing software, CADPRO Systems hosted an event for the construction industry with Sharp Corporation, to present the next generation of technology revolutionising the sector. BIM technology helps to minimise errors and omissions during building design, find and reduce costly design conflicts before construction begins and improve project consistency with all parties involved. Held at Sharp’s state-of-the-art showroom, in Auckland, the event was specifically designed to best present BIM technology in action through the use of Sharp’s latest 80” Interactive Touch panel. Sharp’s Touch panel enables…