Taking place in Brussels between 25-28 September, the printing specialist will display up to three narrow- mid-web in line UV flexo printing presses including the M5X, the M1 and the M6 lines.

Visitors to the stand will also learn about the range of web-fed solutions Bobst offers in the different segments of the label industry.

These include developments in CI flexo, gravure printing and lamination, which are suited for customers looking for efficiency in short run production.

As well as the inline flexo presses showing incremental innovations to continuously increase the equipment performance, Bobst also has a brand new development in store.

“It relates to packaging and we are keeping it under wraps,” said Matteo Cardinotti, managing director of Bobst Firenze and head of narrow & mid-web multi-process product line. “But mum’s the word until Labelexpo, when all will be unveiled during a dedicated event that will take place on the Bobst stand on the evening of the first show day, on 25th of September.”

| A Packaging World release  ||  July 19,  2017   |||

End of car manufacturing in AustraliaHilco Industrial Acquisitions BV (www.hilcoglobal.com) has announced that it will lead the ‘disposition process’ for a massive machinery and equipment asset sale that will effectively shut down automotive manufacturing in Australia.

The sale is the result of Toyota Australia closing all its manufacturing operations — the last remaining automotive production facilities in the country.

This “unprecedented auto equipment sale” will include all the key production shops and vendors that have been part of car manufacturing in Australia for over 60 years.

All the equipment will be offered for sale via private treaty from the factory floors; it includes aluminium casting furnaces, engine line machine tools, assembly lines, robotic automation, presses, extruders, plastic injection moulding machines, welding lines and plant services.

Certain key machinery and equipment items will be offered for sale via an on-line auction, including maintenance workshops and general equipment.

The auction will be conducted by Grays Online, a joint-venture partner of Hilco Industrial Acquisitions.

| A MachineryMarket release  || July 19,  2017  |||

HydroWorks Limited (“HydroWorks” or “Company”), a Christchurch based hydro engineering company, is pleased to announce that it has successfully commissioned five mini-hydro energy recovery systems (“Climate Defenders”) for the Melbourne Water Department (“Melbourne Water”).

The plants are located within Melbourne Water’s existing urban water supply network and have been designed to recover the excess energy present in the flowing water, convert it to electricity and export it into the Melbourne electricity network. The excess energy is a by-product of the height differences between Melbourne’s main water storage reservoirs and Melbourne’s inner suburb reservoirs and was “wasted” to the environment. HydroWorks plants trap and use that energy and give it back to the community. The Climate Defenders are located at Mt Waverley, Dandenong North, Wantirna, Boronia reservoirs and Cardinia Creek pumping station.

HydroWorks’ is committed to the principles of environmental sustainability and supports initiatives by clients to make use of energy sources that would otherwise be wasted. HydroWorks Climate Defenders are an exemplification of this commitment, harnessing energy for the community from within the community.

Climate Defenders are designed and assembled by HydroWorks using their own high-efficiency mini-hydro turbines (designed and manufactured in New Zealand) along with equipment from internationally-accredited suppliers. Each of the … Read More »

| A Bourse Communications release  ||  July 13,  2017   |||

The latest New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA) Survey of Business Conditions, completed during June 2017, shows total sales in May 2017 decreased 2.34% (year on year export sales decreased by 5.68% with domestic sales increasing by 10.99%) on May 2016.

In the 3 months to May, export sales decreased an average of 14.4%, and domestic sales increased 7.1% on average.

The NZMEA survey sample this month covered NZ$251m in annualised sales, with an export content of 77%.

Net confidence fell to 25, down from 40 in April.

The current performance index (a combination of profitability and cash flow) is at 98.7, up from 97.7 last month, the change index (capacity utilisation, staff levels, orders and inventories) was at 100, up from 98 in the last survey, and the forecast index (investment, sales, profitability and staff) is at 104.2, down on the last result of 105.7. Anything over 100 indicates expansion.

Constraints reported were 60% markets and 40% skilled staff.

A net 10% reported productivity improvements in May.

Staff numbers decreased 2.28% year on year in May.

Supervisors, tradespersons and managers, reported a moderate shortage, while professional/scientists and operators/labourers showed a minor shortage.

“This month’s domestic sales improved on April’s results, showing growth of 10.8% on May 2017. Despite the negative result seen last month, domestic sales have experienced a largely positive growth trend in the last year. In the three months to May, there was an average monthly growth of 7.1% on the same months last year.” Said NZMEA Chief Executive Dieter Adam.

“Export sales, on the other hand, experienced another month of decline, -5.7% on May 2016, reinforcing the general negative trend felt over the last year. In the three months to May, average monthly sales decreased 14.4% on the same months last year.

“Export sales results were also reflected in the recent Overseas Merchandise Trade numbers from stats New Zealand. For example in May, both mechanical machinery and equipment and electrical machinery and equipment experienced decreases in export sales values on May 2016.

“Finding skilled staff has become a larger issue for manufacturers in May, with the skilled staff constraint having the highest value since February 2008, at 44%. It was commented by respondents that tradespeople are of particular need – a sentiment that was shared by a number of companies at a recent NZMEA event with the Prime Minister.

“Industry and Government need to work together to improve our education system and industry training to start to address these skill shortages that hold Kiwi manufacturers back. This can be done – there are a number of examples around the world of such skill shortages being address effectively, such as Germany.” Said Dieter.

For analysis tables and graphs, click here.

| An NZMEA release  ||  July 13,  2017   |||

New Zealand’s top food innovation network is helping fast rising clean-tech company Hydroxsys with its amazing water extraction technologies aimed at mining, dairy and other industries that need water extraction or remediation. New Zealand Food Innovation Network chief executive Alexandra Allan says new membrane technology created by Hydroxsys will increase productivity throughout many industries in New Zealand such as dairying, to produce high value-added products, such as whey protein, more efficiently. This new membrane technology created by Hydroxsys will increase productivity throughout many New Zealand industries, including the dairy industry, to produce high value-added products like whey protein more efficiently. They are also able to help the wider agriculture sector, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, textiles and industrial wastewater. “Hydroxsys came to us 18 months ago to utilise equipment we have that is integral to the processing technology they are developing,” Allan says. “Hydroxsys was aware of our FoodBowl set up and we are now renting our membrane plant to Hydroxsys so they may carry out trials at their Auckland premises to validate their new technology before commercialising at the end of the year. “The FoodBowl has a wide range of food processing technology available to allow companies to produce new products and try new processing methods, either by coming to The FoodBowl near Auckland Airport, or through renting the technology to use at their own premises. “This is a cool flexible arrangement which means companies are able to innovate at their own premises or The FoodBowl, depending on what suits them best for their application. “The FoodBowl and wider New Zealand Food Innovation Network is dialling up innovation and entrepreneurship in the New Zealand food and beverage industry through enabling companies to commercialise new products on local and global markets. “We will be helping industry this year to develop capability on the latest new technologies such as high-pressure processing and areas of global market growth such as bioactives which is an area New Zealand has many special advantages because of our native flora and fauna,” Allan says. Hydroxsys has raise about $3 million in investment funding from people and organisations such as the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund, Sparkbox and K1W1 (Sir Stephen Tindall’s investment fund). Hydroxsys has developed a platform technology approach for the membrane market and has sound technology so it can be a leader in markets such as China, the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Where organisations and businesses must treat waste streams before discharge, Hydroxsys can be relevant. The New Zealand Food Innovation Network is an accessible, national network of science and technology resources created to support the growth and development of New Zealand food and beverage business of all sizes or providing facilities and the expertise needed to develop new products and process from idea to commercial success. Its network is working closely with science, technology and export partners to grow capability.

| A Make Lemonade rrelease  ||  July 6,  2017   |||

WaterSaver is a New Zealand designed and manufactured device and was the brainchild of  Nelson based Jon Taylor.  In this article he talks to the NZ Entrepreneur magazine on the WaterSaver's path to market  [. . .]

Tetra Pak has launched its next generation high shear inline mixer, offering packers and filler advanced ingredient mixing performance and lower operating costs. 

Featuring a new design that produces finer, more consistent and more stable emulsions, the new R370-1000D reduces the need for downstream homogenisation, delivers a better quality end product and cuts energy bills.

The mixer features a built-in deaerating system, a flexible powder introduction system and a newly-designed mixing head.

This allows the new machine to handle viscosities of up to 2,000 cP and break the size of the droplets to 1 micron (0.001 mm), significantly smaller than the industry average of 7 microns.

The output of a much finer, more consistent and more stable emulsion reduces the need for downstream homogenisation, a highly energy-intensive step in food processing.

Monica Gimre, executive vice president, processing systems, at Tetra Pak, said: “We developed this revolutionary new design in direct response to customer needs. A complete break with the status quo, our new mixer streamlines production steps, reduces investment needs, lowers costs and sets a new benchmark for the industry.”

| A Packaging News release  ||  June 30,  2017   |||

Some helpful advice brought together by Peter Crawley who  was asked recently if there was a method to notch, bend, and straighten hollow sections using Inventor. I’ve discovered a couple a couple of methods, both of which are shown below. There are probably more, but these two look worthy of sharing. If you have any feedback or want to suggest an alternative, please use the comments below. (Notch and bend description – see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notching)

Unfolding the part pictured above

Being a fan of Frame Generator, I was keen to see if I could find a method that could be used to unfold an existing frame. In conjunction with an unlikely partner (Sheet Metal) it can! See the second method below for details.

Method 1 – Notch and bend using the “Bend Part” feature

This method assumes you can straighten the design in your head before modelling it and bending it into shape. If you have the brain for that process, then this is the method for you because it’s quick and easy. If you’d prefer to model the final result and then “unfold” it, skip over to Method 2 below.

Depending on your preference for modelling steelwork, this might appeal because it uses standard sketch-based features on the part file itself. I like it for its simplicity, but for multiple bends, it can quickly become difficult to calculate exactly where the cuts should be made, especially if the part is bent in more than one plane.

Continue to read the  the full article here |  Monday June 26,  2017   |||

Risk dimension is for the very few only insists New Zealand innovator

Lance Lissette is often considered in New Zealand the longest continuously operating figure in electronics, telecommunications, and information technology. In the past he has been willing to talk in public only about his numerous sporting activities. Now, though, he focuses on his commercial career and answers our Five Questions......

You are one of the last, perhaps even the last, of the electronics entrepreneurs from the 1970s-80s era still operational today. How did you get your start?

For many years I was associated as a dealer with radio pioneer Angus Tait. In 1983 I sold my dealership business to Philips. So you could say that I had the good fortune to start pretty much where I intended to finish up, which is with the major league.

This was the era of two-way radio and you are remembered, not surprisingly, as a vocal supporter of two-way.

I was. To some degree I still am. There is such a thing as negative progress. Two way radio was clear cut. It was easily managed by depot control. In contrast the cell phone with all its increasingly numerous options can easily lead to confusion and information overload. Two-way was dedicated to the business at hand. Cellular by definition handles many threads. A piece of entrepreneurial trade craft though is levering off a fading technology and into the new one- which we accomplished as we made the transition into the wider sphere of IT.

You convinced Telecom of the virtues of two-way at a time when cellular was already making inroads?

I did. I went into partnership with Telecom, as it was then known, under the banner of Telecom Fleetlink, and for many years the clarity and uncluttered efficiency of two way radio was there for everyone to see in terms of the freight and parcels delivery industry. Then we went over fully to cellular and we did so and in a rather spectacular way. We went into a joint venture with the Allen Corporation of the United States to install Telecom’s cellular infrastructure. Allen later bought us out and the joint venture became the basis of their cellular infrastructure work in both New Zealand and Australia.

You are known to have firm views on the role in society, at all levels, of the entrepreneur?

Thank you for asking. I most certainly do. I am horrified by the government for example calling for more people to be entrepreneurs. I believe it is shameful for people who are supposed to be in a position of responsibility such as at universities touting courses and education programmes for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. Most people sensibly do not want to become entrepreneurs. I never recommend what I do to anyone at all. Why? Because an entrepreneur at any given moment can lose everything they have. The lot.

What are you doing now?

Creating jobs across New Zealand and North America with a simple yet basic product line that at this stage I have no intention to reveal to you. Why am I still out there, and at my stage of life? Because my long experience tells me that I have an essential attribute without which any other skills that I may possess are insufficient to bring anything to fruition. I am talking of luck.

|   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.||  Monday 19 June 2017   |||

A new industrial manufacturing facility has won the Supreme Award in the prestigious Property Council New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards 2017.

The Sistema manufacturing facility received the Rider Levett Bucknall Supreme Award, after being awarded the ‘Best in Category’ for the Yardi – Industrial Property Award at the annual black-tie gala dinner at Spark Arena in Auckland on 16 June.

The state-of-the-art 55,000-square meter manufacturing facility, located in Mangere, Auckland, is also home to Sistema’s international headquarters.

Featuring a strong operational focus, the buildings design was a stand-out for Chief Judge Andrew Evans due to the attention given to all aspects of work flow, future flexibility, divisibility, and expansion.

“The functionality of the design ensures a smooth and logical flow of materials, people, and resources through the production process, facilitating the efficient operation of a world-class business,” he said.

These standout attributes were also recognised by Newell Brands, a US Fortune 500 company that recently acquired the Sistema plastics business, and in the process signed a long-term lease for the continued occupation of the building.

Mr Evans added, “The project is world class and demonstrated a high level of consultation and collaboration between the design teams, builder, and occupier.

“I am also delighted to see the Supreme Award go to an industrial development that is pushing the boundaries in design and functionality, delivering the most significant industrial building in New Zealand.

“This building displays the innovation and attitude that has made Sistema Plastics a world leader.”

Over 1,500 property professionals from around New Zealand attended the Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards.

Continue here to original article on NZPC . . .