Items filtered by date: Tuesday, 02 December 2014

February 23, 2018  -  WHAT HAPPENED?   New Zealand State fervour over Hillary Clinton is once again evident with a clutch of governmental and therefore publicly funded institutions involved with her pending visit to Auckland in May.

A Japanese company building a manufacturing plant in the United States would seem in some small way to counter the nationalist narrative that has so many questioning our globalized economy. In 2016, Nissei Plastic Industrial Co. Ltd. (Sakaki) launched a fully-owned subsidiary, Nissei Plastic Machinery America Inc., in San Antonio, TX, to manufacture injection molding machines as part of Nissei’s global production network. The plant, Nissei’s first production facility in the United States and its third outside Japan, is set to open in May.

Feb 23, 2018   -  Leading global battery and solar energy company sonnen will move its Australian headquarters from Sydney to Adelaide where it will also establish a manufacturing hub.

The announcement further cements South Australia as a world leader in renewable energy and storage.

The German company, the world’s largest producer of household battery and solar energy storage solutions, will use Adelaide as its central shipping facility for Australia and the Asia and South Pacific region.

It will also establish a technical training facility in the South Australian capital, which will cover Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific markets.

Sonnen is the world’s largest producer of household battery and solar energy storage solutions. It currently manufactures in Germany and the United States.

Sonnen Australia Australia/New Zealand Managing Director Chris Parratt said the company’s partnership highlighted South Australia’s reputation as a powerhouse in the clean technology sector globally.

“We are very excited by the prospect of manufacturing in South Australia for the Australian export markets, and realising our expectation that Australia will become the world’s number one market for energy storage systems,” he said.

Today’s announcement is the latest in a string of clean energy projects underway in South Australia, which is driving investment through its $150 million Renewable Technology Fund.

In November, Tesla commissioned the world’s largest lithium-ion battery (100MW/129MWh) at Neoen’s Hornsdale Wind Farm in South Australia’s Mid-North.

SolarReserve has also announced it will build a 150MW/1100MWh solar thermal power plant near Port Augusta.

South Australia leads the nation in the uptake of wind energy and rooftop solar with renewable sources accounting for almost 50 per cent of the electricity generated in the state.

Sonnen will manufacture 50,000 energy storage systems in Adelaide over five years to create a ‘virtual power plant’ under a five-year deal with the South Australian Government.

The move will create more than 430 jobs across Sonnen’s battery factory operations and installation division within six months of the centre opening.

Sonnen claims its battery system, combiuned with rooftop solar, will save up to 80 per cent off a household’s electricity bill.

The company also plans to offer household energy packages such as sonnenFlat, which charges customers a flat monthly fee of AU$40-$60 to allow them to better manage bills.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said the German manufacturer would bring added value to the state’s energy market and reduce power costs for customers.

“By also establishing itself as a retailer, Sonnen will bring further competition to the market, providing more choice for consumers and helping drive down energy prices,” he said.

| A manufacturers'Monthly release  ||  February 23, 2018   |||

Feb 23, 2018  -  The new $1 billion per annum Provincial Growth Fund has been officially launched in Gisborne today by Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones.

Feb 23, 2018  -  The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will invest $8.6 million in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay to immediately boost tourism and forestry opportunities, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says.

Feb 23, 2018  - The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will invest more than $6 million towards revitalisation of the Whanganui Port and upgrade of the town’s rail line, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says.

Feb 23, 2018  - Following on from the successful opening of Brook Food Asia Pacific based in Melbourne in July 2012, Brook Food are to widen their reach by opening up a new branch office in New Zealand. Based in Washdyke, New Zealand and part of the Brook Food Group, we look forward to welcoming our customers, both new and existing, to take full advantage of our expertise and knowledge within the baking industry.

Feb 23 -  Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has introduced two new security checkpoint technologies at Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to enhance security while improving the screening process for travellers.

The first pilot project being launched at the airport uses facial recognition technology to automate the identification and boarding pass verification process. Travellers who are ticketed on an international flight can choose whether to use the biometric recognition system to verify their identity.

After a traveller scans their boarding pass and passport, a camera activates and takes a photo of the passenger to verify that the name on the boarding pass and the photo taken by the camera match with the passenger’s travel documents. During the pilot programme, all travellers will have their boarding and identity documents manually verified by a TSA officer.

The second pilot project features an enhanced advanced imaging technology (AIT) unit with increased detection capabilities. The enhanced AIT does not require travellers to raise their hands over their head during the scan. In addition, it also provides corrective feedback to the TSA officer, alerting the officer if a passenger is improperly positioned in the unit. The capability may allow passengers to adjust their stance and be rescanned, which could reduce the need for further security checks.

“TSA’s strong partnership with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has allowed the agency to pilot emerging technologies and evaluate their performance in real-time in a busy security checkpoint environment,” said Steve Karoly, Assistant Administrator – Acting, Office of Requirements and Capabilities Analysis at TSA. “We look forward to continuing this relationship to identify ways to increase the security effectiveness and efficiency of the passenger experience.”

Justin Erbacci, Chief Innovation and Commercial Strategy Officer, Los Angeles World Airports, also added: “Our selection as a TSA Innovation Task Force site gives LAWA the opportunity to see how these new products could help improve the guest experience at LAX. We are excited about the way these technologies can help smooth the journey for passengers using LAX, while enhancing security at the same time.”

Additionally, another technology that was tested and later installed at LAX is the automated screening lanes (ASLs). ASLs have several features designed to improve the screening of travellers’ carry-on baggage by automating many of those functions previously conducted manually.

Travellers are able to move more freely through the checkpoint thanks to side-by-side divesting areas where several passengers can place their items in bins simultaneously. Automated conveyor belts move the bins into the X-ray machine tunnel and return the bins to the front of the security checkpoint. The system features automatic diversion of any carry-on bag that may contain a prohibited item.

ASLs also feature bins that are 25% lighter than a typical bin and are able to hold a carry-on bag. Unique Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are attached to each bin, allowing for additional accountability of a traveller’s carry-on bag as they move throughout the security screening process. The airport recently completed installation of four additional ASLs at TBIT, bringing the total number to 10 in the terminal’s security checkpoint.

TSA continues to collaborate with vendors, airlines, airports, and across the counter-terrorism community to roll out additional technologies. TSA’s long term goal is to incorporate enhanced capabilities at checkpoint lanes throughout the country.

Source:  FutureTravelExperience   ||  February 23, 2018   |||

Feb 23, 2018  -  New Zealand’s Southpac Trucks has been awarded ‘Kenworth Dealer of the Year 2017’ for exceptional sales, service and support.  Open to Kenworth dealers across Australia, New Zealand and Papa New Guinea, the award reportedly acknowledges excellence in, and is judged on, a points system across five main areas – overall dealer performance, truck sales, parts sales, finance and customer support.