Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics (SPPAL) has been commissioned by New Zealand Post to equip the country’s sorting centres with the latest mixed-mail sorting machines and extensive corresponding software. Three new Open Mail Handling Systems (OMS) will be installed in Auckland, the country’s largest city, and in Christchurch, where they will be used for the efficient sorting of letters, flats, newspapers, open and plastic-wrapped magazines and small parcels. With two induction lines, the OMS can process up to 25,000 items of mail every hour. Siemens will also implement a suite of comprehensive software packages that will control all mail…

North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT; Renens, Switzerland) has launched a new composite tube manufacturing process. The patent pending process involves a unique fiber placement capability that has reportedly enabled the first real major technological development in golf shaft manufacturing since the mass adoption of graphite golf shafts in the 1980s. The fully automated tube winding process enables “perfectly concentric carbon golf shafts that are set to take the golfing world by storm,” the company stated. The shafts were recently launched under the brand name TPT Golf at Evian 2016, having been successfully used by professional golfer Lydia Ko to win…

Business leaders from some of New Zealand’s most iconic companies have come together today, with a shared vision to transition their fleets to electric vehicles (EVs). The initiative driven jointly by Air New Zealand and Mercury, with the support of Westpac, represents a total corporate sector commitment of more than 1,450 vehicles and will increase the number of EVs on New Zealand roads by more than 75 percent within the next three years. Along with the significantly lower running costs of electricity, this could remove almost 3 million kg of carbon emissions annually. The business leaders, representing more than 30…

The World Energy Council's Energy Trilemma Index ranks countries onhow well they achieve the energy 'trilemma' balance of security, equity andsustainability and shows New Zealand ranking 9th out of 130comparator countries, up from 10th last year and maintaining its overallbalanced rating of AAB. This year the top ten ranked countries are Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, theNetherlands, Germany, France, Norway, Finland, New Zealand and Austria. New Zealand was the best performing countryin the Asia-Pacific region. BusinessNZ Energy Council Chair David Caygill said that while well placed, this year'sresult highlights the challenges and opportunities facing countries ofachieving an overall balanced approach to energy…

TOMRA signed an agreement with the owners of Compac Holding Ltd (Compac) on October 11, 2016 to acquire 100 percent of the shares in the company. In this article, members of TOMRA and Compac management provide answers to key questions surrounding the acquisition.

BEIJING (Scrap Monster): The latest statistics released by the Malaysian Department of Statistics indicate that the country’s ferrous scrap imports increased sharply in June ’16, in comparison with the previous month. The imports during the month touched the highest level so far this year. However, cumulative scrap imports by the country during the half-yearly period were down significantly by over 61% when matched with the corresponding six-month period in 2015. Malaysia imported 30,193 tons of scrap steel during the month of June this year. The imports were up by 5.2% when matched with the previous month. The country had imported…

Wunderkind CEO Josh Valman about how AI, niche supply chains, and chips with everything will change R&D and manufacturing forever. When he was 10 years old, Josh Valman had a passion for robots. Today, he’s founder and CEO of a UK company, RPD International, that works with them – along with a global network of designers, engineers, and manufacturers. Before that, the serial entrepreneur founded two startups and, seven years ago, kicked off a successful consultancy career, running multi-million-dollar supply chains remotely for blue-chip corporations. Nothing unusual there – thousands of boys play with robots and grow up to be…

The Fieldays 2016 Economic Impact Report, independently prepared by consulting economist Dr Warren Hughes and the University of Waikato Management School’s Institute of Business Research, was released this evening at a function at the Mystery Creek Events Centre. The Minister of Primary Industries, Hon. Nathan Guy, spoke at the event, along with NZ National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation and University of Waikato economics professor Frank Scrimgeour. "I am delighted with the report," said NZ National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation. "This report further reinforces the massive economic contribution to Waikato and New Zealand." The report found that Fieldays 2016,…

Today, Crown research institute Scion released its annual report, which presents a very successful year in creating science impact and financial performance. Chair Tony Nowell says Scion’s success is founded on high-quality relationships with customers, iwi partners, industry and government agencies. "Our strong focus on customers and partners has generated a dynamic working relationship that has resulted in excellent science solutions. "Take our rural fire researchers for example. They carried out experimental, controlled burns in wilding pines to collect information that will help rural fire fighters manage increasing forest fire risk. And in real-live situations the same researchers used fire…

The Government is right to make adjustments to our immigration system in response to high numbers causing housing and infrastructure pressures. However, the focus on skilled migrants may add pressure on manufacturers and exporters who are already finding it hard to get skilled staff they need to grow, say the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA). NZMEA Chief Executive Dieter Adam says, “Government has finally acknowledged that the mismatch between net inward migration and infrastructure development - housing first and foremost - particularly in Auckland. “Unfortunately, the changes introduced constitute a significant lift in barriers for skilled migrants, while…

Jay-Evan Paskell completed a gateway placement at Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders Ltd at high school. After enjoying that placement, a careers advisor at school helped him get an interview with Advanced Aerospace Ltd, also known as C-Quip International. After five years refining his skills and knowledge as a composites technician, Jay-Evan has spent the last year as the supervisor of the clean room, and the Laminating Team Leader. Jay-Evan has completed a Level 3 Boatbuilding Pre-Apprenticeship, a Level 3 Composites qualification, and is currently working towards completing his Level 4Composites qualification. After that he wants to work towards leading a larger…