Design Energy’s robots and turnkey production systems are working for happy customers in every manufacturing sector throughout New Zealand. Robots and 150 years of automation expertise are our tools; improving your productivity, quality, business sustainability and bottom line is our goal.
We use industrial robots to solve complex production automation problems. We’ve installed more robots into complex automation solutions than any other provider in New Zealand. So, where robots make sense, we’re the people to speak to.
Our expertise has established Design Energy as thought leaders in industrial robotics, and we continue to involve ourselves heavily in the research and development of new and better solutions for our end users. We also provide professional services and advice to Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand universities and the National Science Robotics Spearhead.
Business development manager: Paul Claridge
Managing director: Mike Shatford
Brands: Nachi, Universal Robots, Robotiq, Pickit 3D
We simplify your manufacturing. Global Shop Solutions ERP software provides the applications needed to deliver a quality part on time every time from quote to cash and everything in between including shop management, scheduling, inventory, accounting, quality control, CRM and 25 more.
Available in the cloud or on premise, our manufacturing customers benefit from real-time inventory accuracy, improved on-time delivery, lower administrative costs, increased sales and improved customer service. Through its offices in the US, Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the company supports thousands of manufacturing facilities in over 25 countries and more than 30 industries.
Director of Australia and New Zealand: Ryan Fisher
Executive account manager: Darren Buzzell
Project manager and financial consultant: Jaimee Marquet
Brands: Global Shop Solutions ERP software
Branches: Through its offices in the US, Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the company supports thousands of manufacturing facilities in over 25 countries and more than 30 industries.
Manufacturers of dished and flanged dome heads for tanks and pressure vessels, also formed and knuckled cones for tank tops and dome end caps for pipes and small tanks. Domes are made from mild steel, boiler plate, stainless steel, and aluminium from 1.5mm to 12mm thick.
Experts in fabricating spheres and hemispheres for pressure and vacuum vessels, aerospace rocket fuel tanks, plastic moulds, and for the world’s leading art collectors.
New Zealand’s largest range of stainless steel long radius sweeping bends either rolled or fabricated sizes from diameter 19mm dairy tube to 500mm diameter.
Knuckling services offered for other fabricators’ cones or expansion bellows or flat discs, with a range of knuckle rollers available from 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, 100, 127, 150 and 200mm on thickness from 1.5mm to 12mm radii.
Managing director: Lincoln Raikes
Sales engineer: Radcliffe Raikes
General manager: Kerry Fowler
Development engineer: Bergen Raikes
Brands: Global Stainless long radius bends, Global Stainless spheres, Global Stainless mirror polished spheres, Global Stainless hemispheres, Global Stainless torispherical domes, Global Stainless dished and flanged heads, Global Stainless pressure vessel heads
Supplying the building, construction and infrastructure sector with the world’s leading steel products. Proud to be trusted in New Zealand for over 95 years, Easysteel is your ideal partner, delivering quality steel products to companies working in the building, construction and infrastructure sector.
As part of the Fletcher Building group, Easysteel has the scale and capability to service any requirement. We service hundreds of satisfied customers from our network of over 13 sales centres and processing facilities around the country, delivering a range of world-class brands, products and services.
Meeting the requirements of any scale project is made easy when you work with us. Throughout the challenges of the past couple of years, the Easysteel team continue to problem-solve for our customers every day. Our teams of sales and operational professionals are backed up by qualified metallurgists, technical product specialists, and professional logistics providers.
Dimond Structural manufactures steel purlin and composite flooring products for the construction industry. All our products are manufactured in New Zealand to the highest of standards.
Decking systems are fully tested by independent laboratories in New Zealand and overseas to be compliant with local design requirements. Dimond Structural is widely regarded as industry experts. With a dedicated technical team for engineers and specifiers and a full range of CAD details, we’re here to help whether you’re working on a new building or additions and alterations.
Phoenix Metal Recyclers + Metalman offer metal recycling, waste and demolition services to commercial, industrial, trade, general public and residential customers. Proudly New Zealand owned and operated. We recycled 99.987% of all material we accumulated last year (2020).
Managing director: Eldon Reeve
General manager: Richard Harrison
Branches: Nationwide (Auckland – Takanini, West Auckland, Penrose, East Tamaki, Otahuhu, Kamo, Whangarei, Hamilton, Christchurch, Kaiapoi)
element14 is part of the Farnell group of businesses, a global technology leader with over 80 years in the high service distribution of technology products and solutions for electronic system design, production, maintenance and repair.
element14 uses this experience to support its broad customer base, from hobbyists to engineers, maintenance engineers and buyers as ‘global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions’, working with leading brands and start-ups to develop new products for market, and supporting the industry as it seeks to develop the current and next generation of engineers.
element14 continues to invest in services and product range to make sure you are ready for tomorrow:
ABB is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future.
By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.
General manager: Ewan Morris
Sales/marketing manager: Rodrigo Klava
Marketing contact: Sophie Neate
Location: 83 Grafton Road, Grafton, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Postal address: Private Bag 92609, Symonds Street, Auckland 1150, New Zealand
Helping businesses make good 3D printing decisions
The Creative Design and Additive Manufacturing (CDAM) Lab has taken out top place for the Academic Research Team category of the 2021 3D Printing Industry Awards, placing ahead of competition from the US, UK and Europe.
Based in the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Engineering, CDAM Lab won the global award out of 10 team nominations in the research team category, including Harvard University’s Lewis Lab, Aston University’s Meso-brain project (UK), the Manufacturing Technology Center’s Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing facilities for UK aerospace, and Northeastern University’s DAPS lab in the US.
“This is a huge booster for the whole team,” says CDAM Lab team lead Professor Olaf Diegel. “It demonstrates that our research is being recognised and appreciated by the 3D printing community from around the world.”
The focus of the research that won the award for the CDAM Lab team is on helping companies adopt 3D printing (or additive manufacturing as it is also known) for the right applications and with the right design.
“If not used properly, 3D printing becomes a slow and expensive way of manufacturing,” says Diegel.
“It must add value that is high enough to overcome significant costs. And adding that value through good design practices is exactly the area we are most specialised in.”
Winning the award is certainly an indication that the work that the team is doing is on the right track, with voters being users and companies that use 3D printing.
Diegel believes that the future will see 3D printing used to automate many of the design processes behind the technologies.
“This will help users who may only know how to design for conventional manufacturing to quickly adopt the whole range of technologies and add true value to what they do.
“As this level of automation increases, we will see more and more companies adopting the technologies for real production. In fact, it could get to the point where companies who do not actively adopt and understand all advanced manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, become disadvantaged.”
Why seeking external input is a strength, not a weakness
There is no doubt that these are testing times for many of our manufacturing exporters. Change continues at a rapid rate, and what is advanced thinking today can very quickly become old news.
For a long time, New Zealand manufacturers have been rightly lauded for their innovation and independence of thought in the face of this rapid change – but when does independence tip over from a virtue to a vice?
In my view, that happens when asking for support and external input is seen as a weakness rather than a strength.
In a super-fast paced, hyper-connected global marketplace, it is unrealistic to think that any one person can hold all the answers, or even understand all the questions, and trying to do so is only likely to lead to you taking your eye off what really matters.
Seeking alternate views enables leaders to maximise their own skill sets, get the best out of their teams, and develop their business at a rate far faster than they could do alone.
This doesn’t mean you should mindlessly outsource key business decisions. By engaging with those who have more knowledge, experience or expertise, you’re continuing your own development and positioning yourself to learn more about yourself, your business and your team every day.
One common mistake leaders make when seeking ‘outside-in’ thinking is to only engage with those they already know to have a similar mindset to their own. There is enormous benefit in seeking alternate views that challenge your preconceptions, whereas an echo chamber can lead to great opportunities being missed.
And support networks shouldn’t just be reserved for times of strife. They’re also a crucial tool to maximise opportunities and to ensure that your business is best placed to succeed through the good times. Make seeking external input a regular part of your business rhythm, and you’ll be really well placed to keep your operation match-fit, and ensure that change is an exciting opportunity, and Kiwi ingenuity can truly shine.
External input can range from a formal mentoring or advisory relationship through to a regular coffee with someone who’s views you trust and who can challenge your thinking. Another avenue is NZTE. We have a number of useful guides and resources to help our manufacturers and I encourage anyone who isn’t yet, to become an NZTE customer. You can do so here.
Daniel leads NZTE’s Manufacturing Export Customers team. He has held roles as trade commissioner in Europe and Australia, and NZTE private secretary to the Minister for Economic Development. Before joining NZTE, Daniel was operations manager at Global Fruits.
The information and opinions within this column are not necessarily the views or opinions of Xpress Engineer NZ, NZ Engineering News or the parent company, Hayley Media.
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Design Energy Ltd
Ph: 0508 ROBOTS (0508 762 687) | Website | Email
Design Energy’s robots and turnkey production systems are working for happy customers in every manufacturing sector throughout New Zealand. Robots and 150 years of automation expertise are our tools; improving your productivity, quality, business sustainability and bottom line is our goal.
We use industrial robots to solve complex production automation problems. We’ve installed more robots into complex automation solutions than any other provider in New Zealand. So, where robots make sense, we’re the people to speak to.
Our expertise has established Design Energy as thought leaders in industrial robotics, and we continue to involve ourselves heavily in the research and development of new and better solutions for our end users. We also provide professional services and advice to Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand universities and the National Science Robotics Spearhead.
Business development manager: Paul Claridge
Managing director: Mike Shatford
Brands: Nachi, Universal Robots, Robotiq, Pickit 3D
Global Shop Solutions
Ph: 09 216 5914 | Website | Email
We simplify your manufacturing. Global Shop Solutions ERP software provides the applications needed to deliver a quality part on time every time from quote to cash and everything in between including shop management, scheduling, inventory, accounting, quality control, CRM and 25 more.
Available in the cloud or on premise, our manufacturing customers benefit from real-time inventory accuracy, improved on-time delivery, lower administrative costs, increased sales and improved customer service. Through its offices in the US, Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the company supports thousands of manufacturing facilities in over 25 countries and more than 30 industries.
Director of Australia and New Zealand: Ryan Fisher
Executive account manager: Darren Buzzell
Project manager and financial consultant: Jaimee Marquet
Brands: Global Shop Solutions ERP software
Branches: Through its offices in the US, Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the company supports thousands of manufacturing facilities in over 25 countries and more than 30 industries.
Global Stainless Limited
Ph: 06 272 8544 | F: 06 272 8545 | Website | Email
Manufacturers of dished and flanged dome heads for tanks and pressure vessels, also formed and knuckled cones for tank tops and dome end caps for pipes and small tanks. Domes are made from mild steel, boiler plate, stainless steel, and aluminium from 1.5mm to 12mm thick.
Experts in fabricating spheres and hemispheres for pressure and vacuum vessels, aerospace rocket fuel tanks, plastic moulds, and for the world’s leading art collectors.
New Zealand’s largest range of stainless steel long radius sweeping bends either rolled or fabricated sizes from diameter 19mm dairy tube to 500mm diameter.
Knuckling services offered for other fabricators’ cones or expansion bellows or flat discs, with a range of knuckle rollers available from 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, 100, 127, 150 and 200mm on thickness from 1.5mm to 12mm radii.
Managing director: Lincoln Raikes
Sales engineer: Radcliffe Raikes
General manager: Kerry Fowler
Development engineer: Bergen Raikes
Brands: Global Stainless long radius bends, Global Stainless spheres, Global Stainless mirror polished spheres, Global Stainless hemispheres, Global Stainless torispherical domes, Global Stainless dished and flanged heads, Global Stainless pressure vessel heads
Fletcher Steel Limited
Trading as: Easysteel
Ph: 0800 327 978 | Website | Email
Supplying the building, construction and infrastructure sector with the world’s leading steel products. Proud to be trusted in New Zealand for over 95 years, Easysteel is your ideal partner, delivering quality steel products to companies working in the building, construction and infrastructure sector.
As part of the Fletcher Building group, Easysteel has the scale and capability to service any requirement. We service hundreds of satisfied customers from our network of over 13 sales centres and processing facilities around the country, delivering a range of world-class brands, products and services.
Meeting the requirements of any scale project is made easy when you work with us. Throughout the challenges of the past couple of years, the Easysteel team continue to problem-solve for our customers every day. Our teams of sales and operational professionals are backed up by qualified metallurgists, technical product specialists, and professional logistics providers.
Branches: https://www.easysteel.co.nz/find-a-branch
Brands: Weldwell
Fletcher Steel Limited
Trading as: Dimond Structural
Ph: 0800 773 273 | Website | Email
Dimond Structural manufactures steel purlin and composite flooring products for the construction industry. All our products are manufactured in New Zealand to the highest of standards.
Decking systems are fully tested by independent laboratories in New Zealand and overseas to be compliant with local design requirements. Dimond Structural is widely regarded as industry experts. With a dedicated technical team for engineers and specifiers and a full range of CAD details, we’re here to help whether you’re working on a new building or additions and alterations.
Branches: Auckland, Christchurch
Brands: Hibond, DHS
Phoenix Metal Recyclers Ltd
Trading as: Phoenix Metal Recyclers + Metalman
M: 021 832 798 | Website | Email
Phoenix Metal Recyclers + Metalman offer metal recycling, waste and demolition services to commercial, industrial, trade, general public and residential customers. Proudly New Zealand owned and operated. We recycled 99.987% of all material we accumulated last year (2020).
Managing director: Eldon Reeve
General manager: Richard Harrison
Branches: Nationwide (Auckland – Takanini, West Auckland, Penrose, East Tamaki, Otahuhu, Kamo, Whangarei, Hamilton, Christchurch, Kaiapoi)
element14 Pty Ltd
Ph: 0800 90 80 80 | Website | Email
element14 is part of the Farnell group of businesses, a global technology leader with over 80 years in the high service distribution of technology products and solutions for electronic system design, production, maintenance and repair.
element14 uses this experience to support its broad customer base, from hobbyists to engineers, maintenance engineers and buyers as ‘global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions’, working with leading brands and start-ups to develop new products for market, and supporting the industry as it seeks to develop the current and next generation of engineers.
element14 continues to invest in services and product range to make sure you are ready for tomorrow:
Brands: Multicomp Pro, 3M, Amphenol, Arduino, BBC Micro:bit, Beagleboard, Bitscope, Bourns, Brady, Bulgin, Chemtools, CK Tools, Cree Led, Cypress, Desco, DF Robot, Digilent, Diodes, Electrolube, Fluke, Hakko, Harting, Harwin, Hirschmann, Honeywell, Infineon, ITT Cannon, IXYS, JST, Kemet, Keysight Technologies, Knipex, Littlefuse, Loctite, Maxim Integrated, Microchip, MPS, Molex, Murata, MW Mean Well, Nexperia, Nordix Semiconductor, NXP, Ohmite, Omega, Omron, Onsemi, Panasonic, Phoenix Contact, Pico Technology, Raaco, Raspberry Pi, Renesas, ROHM, Schneider, Starpower, Schurter, STMicroelectronics, TE Connectivity, Tektronix, TR Fastenings, Traco Power, Vishay, Xilinx, XP Power, Weidmuller, Weller, Wolfspeed, Wurth Electronik
Regional sales director -Australia and New Zealand: Luke Grigg
Regional sales manager -Australia and New Zealand: Madeleine Alvarado
Account manager: Kiranjit Kaur
Marketing executives: Tess Turner / Brianna Benstead
ABB Limited
Trading as: ABB
Ph: 09 356 2160 | Ph: 0800 464 222 | Website | Email
ABB is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future.
By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.
General manager: Ewan Morris
Sales/marketing manager: Rodrigo Klava
Marketing contact: Sophie Neate
Location: 83 Grafton Road, Grafton, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Postal address: Private Bag 92609, Symonds Street, Auckland 1150, New Zealand
Helping businesses make good 3D printing decisions
The Creative Design and Additive Manufacturing (CDAM) Lab has taken out top place for the Academic Research Team category of the 2021 3D Printing Industry Awards, placing ahead of competition from the US, UK and Europe.
Based in the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Engineering, CDAM Lab won the global award out of 10 team nominations in the research team category, including Harvard University’s Lewis Lab, Aston University’s Meso-brain project (UK), the Manufacturing Technology Center’s Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing facilities for UK aerospace, and Northeastern University’s DAPS lab in the US.
“This is a huge booster for the whole team,” says CDAM Lab team lead Professor Olaf Diegel. “It demonstrates that our research is being recognised and appreciated by the 3D printing community from around the world.”
The focus of the research that won the award for the CDAM Lab team is on helping companies adopt 3D printing (or additive manufacturing as it is also known) for the right applications and with the right design.
“If not used properly, 3D printing becomes a slow and expensive way of manufacturing,” says Diegel.
“It must add value that is high enough to overcome significant costs. And adding that value through good design practices is exactly the area we are most specialised in.”
Winning the award is certainly an indication that the work that the team is doing is on the right track, with voters being users and companies that use 3D printing.
Diegel believes that the future will see 3D printing used to automate many of the design processes behind the technologies.
“This will help users who may only know how to design for conventional manufacturing to quickly adopt the whole range of technologies and add true value to what they do.
“As this level of automation increases, we will see more and more companies adopting the technologies for real production. In fact, it could get to the point where companies who do not actively adopt and understand all advanced manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, become disadvantaged.”
Why seeking external input is a strength, not a weakness
By Daniel Taylor, head of manufacturing, NZTE
There is no doubt that these are testing times for many of our manufacturing exporters. Change continues at a rapid rate, and what is advanced thinking today can very quickly become old news.
For a long time, New Zealand manufacturers have been rightly lauded for their innovation and independence of thought in the face of this rapid change – but when does independence tip over from a virtue to a vice?
In my view, that happens when asking for support and external input is seen as a weakness rather than a strength.
In a super-fast paced, hyper-connected global marketplace, it is unrealistic to think that any one person can hold all the answers, or even understand all the questions, and trying to do so is only likely to lead to you taking your eye off what really matters.
Seeking alternate views enables leaders to maximise their own skill sets, get the best out of their teams, and develop their business at a rate far faster than they could do alone.
This doesn’t mean you should mindlessly outsource key business decisions. By engaging with those who have more knowledge, experience or expertise, you’re continuing your own development and positioning yourself to learn more about yourself, your business and your team every day.
One common mistake leaders make when seeking ‘outside-in’ thinking is to only engage with those they already know to have a similar mindset to their own. There is enormous benefit in seeking alternate views that challenge your preconceptions, whereas an echo chamber can lead to great opportunities being missed.
And support networks shouldn’t just be reserved for times of strife. They’re also a crucial tool to maximise opportunities and to ensure that your business is best placed to succeed through the good times. Make seeking external input a regular part of your business rhythm, and you’ll be really well placed to keep your operation match-fit, and ensure that change is an exciting opportunity, and Kiwi ingenuity can truly shine.
External input can range from a formal mentoring or advisory relationship through to a regular coffee with someone who’s views you trust and who can challenge your thinking. Another avenue is NZTE. We have a number of useful guides and resources to help our manufacturers and I encourage anyone who isn’t yet, to become an NZTE customer. You can do so here.
Daniel leads NZTE’s Manufacturing Export Customers team. He has held roles as trade commissioner in Europe and Australia, and NZTE private secretary to the Minister for Economic Development. Before joining NZTE, Daniel was operations manager at Global Fruits.
The information and opinions within this column are not necessarily the views or opinions of Xpress Engineer NZ, NZ Engineering News or the parent company, Hayley Media.
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Sign up here and keep updated with what's going on in your industry!