Items filtered by date: Tuesday, 02 December 2014

Rising shopper demand for goods means The Warehouse’s giant distribution centre at Rolleston is no longer big enough. A $13 million construction project aims to make it as half as big again.

The building is already bigger than six rugby fields at 34,000 square metres and sits on 10 hectares of land in the Izone Southern Business Hub, just west on the railway line.

It was built for The Warehouse in 2002 by the Selwyn District Council, which later sold it for $15m to an investment fund.

Now another 15,000sqm will be added to the structure, along with 2000sqm of container canopies and extra racking and conveyor systems, and extra yard and parking areas. The work includes $8m worth of construction just consented by the Selwyn District Council.

Jeff Matthews, business manager for Holmes Consulting who is running the development, said the project would involve a significant amount of work and the resulting building would be huge.

Construction will be done by Naylor Love. Steel and concrete for the project will not have to come far – both structural steel supplier Pegasus and concrete maker Cancast are also in the Izone business park.

The distribution centre stores goods for distribution to all the 25 Warehouse stores in the South Island. Two shifts of up to 75 workers each operate the complex from 6am to 11.30pm.

As well as its red shed stores, The Warehouse Group owns Warehouse stationery, appliance retailer Noel Leeming, and outdoors gear retailer Torpedo 7.

The group made $2.8 billion worth of sales in New Zealand last year. Its after-tax profit was $57m, a figure it expects to better by about 10 per cent this year.

Originally published in Logistics & Materials Handling May 6, 2016

South Australian company IMP technologies (IMPTEC) have developed a super fine crusher that reduces comminution costs.

The company is currently trialling a semi-commercial unit at Hallett Concrete in Adelaide, South Australia’s capital.

The machine is being used to turn the waste from black sand or iron sand into a replacement for Portland cement.

IMPTEC Director John Doherty said the crusher was a game-changing invention that could eventually be at the forefront of the industry.

“What we’re involved in is reducing the amount of energy, which is usually electrical, and the cost of media. You can also include lower maintenance costs because it’s just one machine,” he said.

“The energy density of the crusher is greater than other machines and reduces around 30 per cent of energy costs.”

Comminution is the essential processor of minerals into cement, more commonly Portland cement, a known producer of a number of greenhouse gases.

It also accounts for almost 40 per cent of total mining costs and three per cent of the world’s energy consumption, prompting the search for a more efficient solution.

Conventional methods include breaking down large rocks to a few centimetres, crushing them further to fit into a ball mill, and grinding the minerals with the help of media and water till the material came out in slurry form.

The machine shortens the process by merging the second and third stage. It is unique because it also able to run the process dry and without the use of media.

Doherty said the company plans to produce a fully commercial product by the end of the year.

“Our semi-commercial unit takes in orders of two tonnes per hour,” Doherty said.

“If it approves itself over the next few months, it would be good. We’re looking at scaling up to 100 tonnes per hour.”

The transformation of black sand or granulated slag into cement is a world first.

Last month IMPTEC was awarded the Statewide Super Innovation in Resources Award for its super fine crusher at the inaugural South Australian Resources Industry Awards.

The judging panel included the leader of the Minerals and Energy strand at the University of South Australia’s Future Industries Institute Bill Skinner who said that as good deposits of high-grade minerals diminish, the need to grind more material finer was vital.

“Energy consumption is going to go up if we are trying to keep up with what is needed in terms of metals. So anything that is going to reduce the footprint of an operating plant is going to be good,” he said.

“Portland cement is very energy intensive to produce and produces a lot of CO2 in the process. If you are using something that is actually a waste product, that is what you want.”

“This (IMPTEC’s super fine crusher) particular technology offers much reduced energy consumption. Up scaling it is a challenge that needs to be overcome.”

A The Lead South Australia press release

Air New Zealand will become the only airline to operate scheduled Dreamliner services between Auckland and Hawaii with the inaugural Boeing 787-9 flight departing to Honolulu tonight.

The inaugural Dreamliner flight departs Auckland International Airport at 8.55pm this evening and is due to arrive in Honolulu at 7.30am the same day. This is the first time the airline has operated the Dreamliner on one of its five North American routes on a scheduled and exclusive basis.

Air New Zealand Chief Sales and Commercial Officer Cam Wallace says the deployment of the Dreamliner between Auckland and Honolulu enables us to offer a superior inflight experience for customers travelling on the route.

“The overnight flight and benefits of the higher humidity and lower cabin altitude on the revolutionary Dreamliner means customers can arrive feeling relaxed and more refreshed.

“As Hawaii continues to be a popular holiday destination for Kiwi travellers, we’re thrilled to be adding additional capacity and are confident more Australian customers will be looking to connect through Auckland on our evening Dreamliner service.”

Earlier this year, Air New Zealand also increased its service between Auckland and Honolulu to four times weekly. With the frequency increase and now the larger aircraft, the airline is delivering an almost 20 percent seat capacity increase.

The airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will replace Boeing 767-300s on the route.

The Dreamliner offers the airline’s award-winning Economy Skycouch™, comfortable ink-coloured luxury leather seats with leg rests in Premium Economy, and lie-flat beds in Business Premier.

An Air New Zealand press release 10 May 2016

Snorkel unveiled its new 460SJ mid-sized telescopic boom lift at the HIRE 16 trade show in Queensland, Australia, May 5-6.

5 May 2016 - Available globally, the 460SJ is part of a new family of four telescopic boom lifts introduced by Snorkel this year. The family also includes the 660SJ, officially launched in mid April at Bauma 2016 in Munich, Germany.

Built to last, the all-steel Snorkel 460SJ delivers 46-ft. (16.0 m) platform height, 40'0" (12.2 m) outreach, and can lift up to 600 lbs. (272 kg).

The 460SJ features a 6'7" (2.0 m) jib that can articulate 135°, and the lift is also available without the jib, as the model 400S, with a platform height of 33'6" (12.2 m).

Fitted with a fixed axle as standard, the 460SJ delivers excellent rough-terrain performance thanks to a traction manifold that always delivers oil to all four wheels for continuous 4-wheel drive, with the ability to climb grades to 50%. An oscillating axle is optional.

The 460SJ features Snorkel’s new tri-entry removable platform and Snorkel Guard secondary guarding system as standard. Proportional joystick controls operate all functions, including platform rotation and leveling.

At HIRE 16, the Snorkel 460SJ is on display alongside the larger Snorkel 660SJ in Ahern Australia’s stand in the Outdoor Area (A8).

Both models are now available for ordering worldwide.

At the show, Ahern Australia is also officially launching Snorkel’s new line of hydraulically driven electric scissor lifts. The new Snorkel electric scissor lift line includes six models, three of which will be on display at the show. The S3219E, S3226E and S4732E will make their first appearance in the Australian market, showcasing features such as twin-door ‘inside-out’ access to components, upsized kingpins, dual shear scissor stack for increased rigidity, and on-board diagnostics for easy maintenance. The new scissor lifts are now available to order.

HIRE 16 is also seeing Ahern showcase telehandlers and trailers manufactured in Snorkel’s New Zealand facility, including two products designed specifically for the Australian market. The MHP13AT is a robust and reliable towable boom lift, offering 12.9m working height and 6.4m of outreach, that is ideal for tradespeople and facilities maintenance. The Snorkel S2255RT is a narrow and lightweight compact rough terrain scissor lift that can lift up 420kg to a working height of 8.5m. Designed predominantly for working in constricted areas on uneven ground, this lift can be towed on a trailer behind any vehicle with 3.0 tonne GVM or greater, making it ideal for multi-site applications.

Ahern Australia will also display an Xtreme Manufacturing XR1255 rough-terrain telehandler at the show. Now available to order in Australia, the heavy duty XR1255 can lift up to 5,400 kg and has a maximum reach of 16.0m, making it ideal for multi-story construction projects.

A Lift&Access Release

Up-and-coming engineering students and graduates will be given a head start in the industry thanks to Milmeq’s graduate, scholarship and internship programmes.

Engineering students from Massey, Canterbury and Auckland Universities are offered the chance to intern at Milmeq during their summer break, with opportunities to go on to the graduate programme.

Auckland University Mechanical Engineering student and 2015/16 intern Ryan Ennor says working in the Auckland office to complete his professional hours was a valuable experience. “Many of the engineers at Milmeq have been here a long time and have a lot of knowledge to share. Working closely with them has really helped me to broaden my understanding and knowledge base.”

During their time at Milmeq the interns assist the company in innovation projects, aimed at providing enhancements to existing technologies and development of new technologies. This enables them to complete the 400 hours each of practical and professional engineering experience required as part of their degree.

In addition to the internship, Milmeq also offers a scholarship, to the value of $3000, for an engineering student at Auckland University to go towards their final year of study.

This year’s recipient was Evan Simmers who also worked in the Milmeq Auckland office during his summer break. “My 10 weeks at Milmeq helped me develop my innovative thinking and problem solving skills. I think more than anything, the open and collaborative culture at Milmeq is what I enjoyed the most," Mr Simmers says.

Newly-qualified engineers are also given a leg up at Milmeq through their graduate programme. Milmeq employs newly qualified engineers every year in graduate positions. Graduates are often sourced from those who have successfully completed internships, although applications are also opened up to those outside the programme.

New graduate Thomas Craig joined Milmeq’s Dunedin-based team in November last year after interning at the company the previous summer. “In my role I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects and put a lot of the theory I learnt in my degree into practical application,” Thomas says. “It’s fantastic getting to work alongside highly experienced engineers – I find myself learning something new every day.”

Milmeq CEO Mike Lightfoot says fostering new engineering talent is a major focus for the company. “Our internship, scholarship and graduate programmes are an integral component of our business,” Mr Lightfoot says. “These students and graduates are the future of the industry so we are focussed on creating a pathway to bring new talent into our business. This is an essential ingredient for long term growth and sustainability - having mix of experience and youth in our engineering team encourages us to constantly challenge the way things are done, and this in turn drives innovation.”

A Milmeq news release

The world’s first robotic plasma system Orpro 600 capable of handling all pipe and structural profiles without breaking stride is now available from its developer,Walter Langlois of Machinery Services in New Zealand’s Marlborough region.

The new system was developed by Walter Langlois in conjunction with Stevensons Structural Engineers of Tokomaru.The Orpro 600 cutter handles and copes seamlessly both profile and pipe. The new machine is a response to the increasing proportion of major public structure tenders that now specify pipe.At the core of the Orpro 600 is software that eliminates the intermediary re-tooling steps involved in the traditional machining in switching between pipe and profile. The Orpro 600 consolidated cutter does the work normally done by five different machines. It is standard on eight axes.For more information on the Orpro600 you can reach Walter at:

Machinery Services Ltd

M: +64 (0)27 281 7492E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.W: www.machineryservices.co.nz

From the MSCNewsWire Reporters' Desk speaking with Walter Langlois of Machinery Services

Snorkel unveiled its new 460SJ mid-sized telescopic boom lift at the HIRE 16 trade show in Queensland, Australia, May 5-6.

5 May 2016 - Available globally, the 460SJ is part of a new family of four telescopic boom lifts introduced by Snorkel this year. The family also includes the 660SJ, officially launched in mid April at Bauma 2016 in Munich, Germany.

Built to last, the all-steel Snorkel 460SJ delivers 46-ft. (16.0 m) platform height, 40'0" (12.2 m) outreach, and can lift up to 600 lbs. (272 kg).

The 460SJ features a 6'7" (2.0 m) jib that can articulate 135°, and the lift is also available without the jib, as the model 400S, with a platform height of 33'6" (12.2 m).

Fitted with a fixed axle as standard, the 460SJ delivers excellent rough-terrain performance thanks to a traction manifold that always delivers oil to all four wheels for continuous 4-wheel drive, with the ability to climb grades to 50%. An oscillating axle is optional.

The 460SJ features Snorkel’s new tri-entry removable platform and Snorkel Guard secondary guarding system as standard. Proportional joystick controls operate all functions, including platform rotation and leveling.

At HIRE 16, the Snorkel 460SJ is on display alongside the larger Snorkel 660SJ in Ahern Australia’s stand in the Outdoor Area (A8).

Both models are now available for ordering worldwide.

At the show, Ahern Australia is also officially launching Snorkel’s new line of hydraulically driven electric scissor lifts. The new Snorkel electric scissor lift line includes six models, three of which will be on display at the show. The S3219E, S3226E and S4732E will make their first appearance in the Australian market, showcasing features such as twin-door ‘inside-out’ access to components, upsized kingpins, dual shear scissor stack for increased rigidity, and on-board diagnostics for easy maintenance. The new scissor lifts are now available to order.

HIRE 16 is also seeing Ahern showcase telehandlers and trailers manufactured in Snorkel’s New Zealand facility, including two products designed specifically for the Australian market. The MHP13AT is a robust and reliable towable boom lift, offering 12.9m working height and 6.4m of outreach, that is ideal for tradespeople and facilities maintenance. The Snorkel S2255RT is a narrow and lightweight compact rough terrain scissor lift that can lift up 420kg to a working height of 8.5m. Designed predominantly for working in constricted areas on uneven ground, this lift can be towed on a trailer behind any vehicle with 3.0 tonne GVM or greater, making it ideal for multi-site applications.

Ahern Australia will also display an Xtreme Manufacturing XR1255 rough-terrain telehandler at the show. Now available to order in Australia, the heavy duty XR1255 can lift up to 5,400 kg and has a maximum reach of 16.0m, making it ideal for multi-story construction projects.

A Lift&Access Release

Last week I was asked to visit a small company that manufactured and installed kitchen bench tops and to discuss their future health and safety (H&S) requirements.Napier, 5 May 2016 - The company had been in business for eight years, they operated out of an old orchard pack house, had a very good reputation in the building industry and were very busy. The company had three employees.

No H&S systems were available. Like so many SMEs I visit, the business owner had very few management systems in place.

In the owners opinion H&S was a dirty word but he was now receiving many enquiries from his key clients stating if he wanted to continue to supply them and to work on their building sites he would have to have his H&S systems into place. His insurance broker had also asked him to address the issue.

After getting over the initial introductions and hearing his opinion that H&S was all B-S and nothing more than common sense and that he had never had an accident, we got down to business of identifying what and how he made bench tops.

It was during my observations that I noticed an employee approach the glue spraying booth, pick up a respirator off the work bench, put in on and then proceeded to spray the adhesive onto the laminate.When I asked the business owner if that was the normal process he nodded and then proceeded to tell me they have always done it that way and in my opinion was anything wrong with the way they did the spraying.

Here’s how the discussion went:Q - How often is the spray booth used during the day?A - Continually by all the staff, including myself

Q - Where is the extraction system turned on and by whom?A - We don’t have one as it’s too expensive to install.Q- Do you carry out annual medical checks for your employees?A- No why should we, do we have to?

I then proceeded to explain why this has to happen and especially with the type of exposure that he and his employees have to highly toxic solvent based glues.I then asked him if he had trained his staff in the safe use and application of the glues according to the Glues material safety data sheet. (MSDSA- What’s an MSDS?

Another explanation followed.

At this stage I picked up the respirator that was laying on the workbench and asked.Q- Do all the employees use this respirator?A- Yes, what’s the problem with that, they only use for a few minutes at a time?

I then proceeded to fold back the Latex face mask and showed him the sweat, spittle, MDF dust and other nasties trapped inside the mask.Q- Do you also use this?A- There was a stunned silence for a few moments and then he said shaking his head, not any longer.

He then said, I see what you mean but the cost of buying a respirator for each employee would be expensive, I can’t afford to do this.A- You can’t afford not to.

Q- What do you mean?A- If one of your employees was to come to work with the flu or a chest infection or worse and he, as well as all the other staff used the respirator, then there was a very high risk of all the staff and yourself contracting the flu resulting in all of you being off work for 3-5 days.

Q- What financial impact would that have on your business lest alone your clients and your business reputation?In addition, you also have a legal obligation under the Health and Safety at work Act to manage and to monitor the health and safety of your employees.

Q- How often do you clean the respirator or change the filters?A- Never, I have never really thought about it. It sounds like I really do have an H&S issue, how do I fix it?

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?    If it does then here’s an action plan

  1.  Ask your glue supplier to send you the latest copy of the MSD sheet for the glue.  2.  Discuss the MSD information with your employees, especially the use of PPE and the emergency procedures.  3.  Have an extraction system installed in the spray booth to remove any surplus glue spray in a controlled manner.  4.  Consult with a specialist supplier and purchase a respirator for each employee.  5.  Ask the supplier to train your employees in the safe use, cleaning and the replacement of the filters  6.  Purchase four plastic Click Clack containers , put their names on them and mount them on the wall near the spray booth  7.  When not in use, the respirators must be     • Cleaned after use and or on a weekly basis with sanitizing wipes.     • Placed in a zip lock plastic bag     • Stored in a snap lock plastic container.     • Depending on the type of filters used, they can work 24/7 when exposed to the air. Read the manufactures instructions.     • Change the filters on a scheduled basis.

And lastly, I recommended that YOU identify and engage a qualified Occupational health nurse to undertake the health monitoring assessments for yourself and your employees.

Gordon Anderson is the managing director of Hasmate Ltd of Napier. Since 1993 he has worked extensively in the area of health and safety as an adviser, systems development, auditing and management training. He works with a wide range of industries in Hawke's Bay and in other centres.

Last week I was asked to visit a small company that manufactured and installed kitchen bench tops and to discuss their future health and safety (H&S) requirements.Napier, 5 May 2016 - The company had been in business for eight years, they operated out of an old orchard pack house, had a very good reputation in the building industry and were very busy. The company had three employees.

No H&S systems were available. Like so many SMEs I visit, the business owner had very few management systems in place.

In the owners opinion H&S was a dirty word but he was now receiving many enquiries from his key clients stating if he wanted to continue to supply them and to work on their building sites he would have to have his H&S systems into place. His insurance broker had also asked him to address the issue.

After getting over the initial introductions and hearing his opinion that H&S was all B-S and nothing more than common sense and that he had never had an accident, we got down to business of identifying what and how he made bench tops.

It was during my observations that I noticed an employee approach the glue spraying booth, pick up a respirator off the work bench, put in on and then proceeded to spray the adhesive onto the laminate.When I asked the business owner if that was the normal process he nodded and then proceeded to tell me they have always done it that way and in my opinion was anything wrong with the way they did the spraying.

Here’s how the discussion went:Q - How often is the spray booth used during the day?A - Continually by all the staff, including myself

Q - Where is the extraction system turned on and by whom?A - We don’t have one as it’s too expensive to install.Q- Do you carry out annual medical checks for your employees?A- No why should we, do we have to?

I then proceeded to explain why this has to happen and especially with the type of exposure that he and his employees have to highly toxic solvent based glues.I then asked him if he had trained his staff in the safe use and application of the glues according to the Glues material safety data sheet. (MSDSA- What’s an MSDS?

Another explanation followed.

At this stage I picked up the respirator that was laying on the workbench and asked.Q- Do all the employees use this respirator?A- Yes, what’s the problem with that, they only use for a few minutes at a time?

I then proceeded to fold back the Latex face mask and showed him the sweat, spittle, MDF dust and other nasties trapped inside the mask.Q- Do you also use this?A- There was a stunned silence for a few moments and then he said shaking his head, not any longer.

He then said, I see what you mean but the cost of buying a respirator for each employee would be expensive, I can’t afford to do this.A- You can’t afford not to.

Q- What do you mean?A- If one of your employees was to come to work with the flu or a chest infection or worse and he, as well as all the other staff used the respirator, then there was a very high risk of all the staff and yourself contracting the flu resulting in all of you being off work for 3-5 days.

Q- What financial impact would that have on your business lest alone your clients and your business reputation?In addition, you also have a legal obligation under the Health and Safety at work Act to manage and to monitor the health and safety of your employees.

Q- How often do you clean the respirator or change the filters?A- Never, I have never really thought about it. It sounds like I really do have an H&S issue, how do I fix it?

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?    If it does then here’s an action plan

  1.  Ask your glue supplier to send you the latest copy of the MSD sheet for the glue.  2.  Discuss the MSD information with your employees, especially the use of PPE and the emergency procedures.  3.  Have an extraction system installed in the spray booth to remove any surplus glue spray in a controlled manner.  4.  Consult with a specialist supplier and purchase a respirator for each employee.  5.  Ask the supplier to train your employees in the safe use, cleaning and the replacement of the filters  6.  Purchase four plastic Click Clack containers , put their names on them and mount them on the wall near the spray booth  7.  When not in use, the respirators must be     • Cleaned after use and or on a weekly basis with sanitizing wipes.     • Placed in a zip lock plastic bag     • Stored in a snap lock plastic container.     • Depending on the type of filters used, they can work 24/7 when exposed to the air. Read the manufactures instructions.     • Change the filters on a scheduled basis.

And lastly, I recommended that YOU identify and engage a qualified Occupational health nurse to undertake the health monitoring assessments for yourself and your employees.

Gordon Anderson is the managing director of Hasmate Ltd of Napier. Since 1993 he has worked extensively in the area of health and safety as an adviser, systems development, auditing and management training. He works with a wide range of industries in Hawke's Bay and in other centres.

This July a new Sofitel will brighten Wellington’s Terrace, blending French joie de vivre into the absolutely, positively, Wellington spirit.

4 May 2016 - The $51million dollar development by local owners C.P. Group will be the third luxury Sofitel Hotel in New Zealand, joining its award-winning sister hotels Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour and Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa.

Sofitel’s new 129-room, 14-storey hotel is set to become the capital’s must-stay destination for business and leisure nestled between Wellington’s iconic landmarks ‘The Beehive’ and the Botanical Gardens. Guests can enjoy beautifully-appointed rooms and suites in vintage gold and bronze tones with indulgent rain showers, complimentary wifi internet for multiple devices, Smart TVs with Bluetooth, a So Fit gymnasium and state of the art technology across three meeting and event venues.

Award-winning New Zealand design firm SPACE Studios in collaboration with AccorHotels Director of Interior design for Asia Pacific, Stephane Lombard, linked local and French heritage through a botanical inspired décor by merging the influence of both the Wellington and Luxembourg Gardens.

OPENING RATES: Sofitel Wellington is now bookable on accorhotels.com and sofitel.com for stays from 1 July 2016. Room rates start from $NZD 225 per room per night.

Read more at http://www.etbtravelnews.com