Manufacturers continue to face additional freight costs, as well as delays and disruptions to supply chains, with the road and rail closures following the Kaikoura Earthquake, say the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA).

NZMEA Chief Executive Dieter Adam says, “We have had feedback from manufacturing members describing significant delays for some products to reach their destination, some with uncertainty as to when this will be resolved.

“Manufacturers are facing freight surcharges of around 15% currently, with other significant costs in adjusting and adapting their supply chains.

“We support Mainfreight’s call for KiwiRail to open up a dedicated coastal shipping option to take the pressure off roads that are not suitable for the level of freight. Given the predicted long time frames to fix the damaged roads and rail services, this kind of solution would be a huge help to restore more normal operating conditions for manufacturers and other businesses.

“Finding and implementing such a solution is a matter of urgency. This is not only a commercial problem, but one that hits manufacturers' viability and ability to compete, disrupting vital supply chains. The Government should be willing to step in to help facilitate a solution if one cannot be found soon.” Said Dieter.

An NZMEA press release - Friday 2 December 2016

John Lim, Managing Director for Sandvik South East Asia, cuts the ribbon and delivered a speech at the opening of Sandvik’s new distribution center in Singapore (photo: Sandvik)

Sandvik has opened a new distribution centre in Singapore to meet increasing demand for its advanced stainless steel and special alloy products, particularly in South East Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

The new Sandvik distribution centre, which is strategically located adjacent to Changi Airport, East Singapore, is key to the company’s customer service commitment as well as its expansion plans in the region.

“To improve our customer service in the Asia region, we are establishing a distribution center in Singapore offering significantly shorter lead-times to the market. Opening the new facility means we are able to bring our products closer to our customers, cutting response times significantly and enabling quicker deliveries,” explains Pär Burefjord, Logistics Manager for Sandvik in APAC.

“Our aim is to be able to offer 24 hour delivery to all APAC markets including India, China and Australia by air and three-to-ten days by vessel.”

Sandvik already operates two distribution centers in Singapore for its mining and machining products, but will now open a third for tube, strip, wire, welding products and heating systems.

“With an expanded and consolidated stock profile and automated stock replenishment, we can provide customers with an even greater service,” said Pär Burefjord. “By taking full advantage of our local material stocks and more efficient logistics, customers could actually reduce their own stock profiles, freeing up valuable manufacturing space.”

The new distribution centre boasts an impressive capacity and will accommodate tube products such as seamless high temperature tubes and furnace tubes, as well as stainless steel hollow bar for component manufacturers. The center will also stock an extensive program of welding consumables, precision wire and Kanthal® resistance wire and furnace products.

Magnus Brodin, Regional Sales Director for Sandvik in APAC, Tube Core & Standard Products, adds, “Inauguration of our new distribution centre in Singapore demonstrates our commitment to our customers in South East Asia and the wider APAC market. It expands our presence in the market, increasing competitiveness and facilitating Sandvik’s growth in the region.”

A Sandvic release out of Singapore

KiwiRail has entered the coastal shipping freight market with a new NZ Connect service.

The service responds to customers’ expectations of KiwiRail as a logistics partner and is a logical solution to provide innovative freight connections between Auckland and Christchurch following the Kaikoura earthquake earlier this month.

NZ Connect has been developed with the support of Ports of Auckland, Lyttelton Port of Christchurch and ANL Shipping.

“The disruption to New Zealand’s key supply route between Auckland and Christchurch will continue for many months as the rail and road links are rebuilt,” says KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy.

“Coming up with an alternative way of shifting freight for our customers was important, and KiwiRail is pleased it has been able to do this so quickly.”

The new service will shift cargo from Auckland’s Wiri Inland Port and KiwiRail’s Southdown Freight Hub to Lyttelton’s Midland Port or KiwiRail’s Christchurch terminal via ANL shipping services. Using rail in Auckland and Christchurch has the added benefit of further reducing truck congestion from already busy roads.

The new services will be available immediately.

A plan to extend the service to include return of freight from the South Island to the North Island is being finalised and should be announced soon.

“KiwiRail has always played a key role in keeping people and freight moving,” says Mr Reidy. “This is another example of our commitment to keeping New Zealand moving and helping to drive economic growth, even in the most difficult and volatile of times.”

From Melbourne ANL’s Managing Director John Lines says "ANL is committed to this new partnership opportunity supporting KiwiRail, and ANL has ample available capacity from Auckland to Lyttelton and around the New Zealand coast to ensure the continuity of KiwiRail's service to their customers."

Customer contact details for NZ Connect are: 0800 202 484, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NZ Quake Update: Auckland Supplies South Island

| Nov 16, 2016, Port Technology | Freight demand on New Zealand’s busiest domestic sea route, Auckland to Christchurch, has doubled following the massive Kaikoura Earthquake on Monday. With aftershocks still ongoing, road and rail links have been severely damaged.

Tony Gibson, Chief Executive , Ports of Auckland, said: “While the sudden increase in freight does put pressure on us, we will do everything we can to make sure the goods get through as quickly as possible. We are working closely with Pacifica, NZ’s domestic coastal shipping operator, and participating international lines. South Island goods are our top priority,

“It is only a small thing, but we are pleased to be able to help where we can,”

Steve Chapman, CEO of Pacifica said “The supply chain is open and the shelves will remain well stocked because coastal shipping is taking up the task previously carried out by road and rail. With the main road and rail links likely to be closed for months, we expect to be run off our feet, but we are well up to the challenge.”

Tomorrow morning, Thursday 17 November, Pacifica’s coastal container ship ‘Spirit of Canterbury’ will be in Auckland loading containers for Lyttelton.

There are five weekly services between Auckland and Lyttelton operated by domestic and international lines, with ample capacity to serve the current heightened demand.

Düsseldorf, Germany – Terex Port Solutions (TPS), the pioneer and technological pacesetter in terminal automation, starts a new chapter for operators of container terminals with Terex® diesel-electric straddle carriers. For the first time, TPS is automating a straddle carrier fleet for Ports of Auckland Ltd. (POAL) from New Zealand. By mid-2019, TPS will supply a total of 27 new, fully automated N SC 644 E (1-over-3) machines to work in the container stackyard and to serve trucks. At the same time, 21 existing manual straddle carriers are being upgraded so that they can work hand in hand with the 27 fully automated machines. In addition to the supply and upgrade of the vehicles, the order also includes all sub-systems and software systems required for operation. Before POAL placed the order, TPS verified the feasibility and safety of the concept in a detailed study. POAL is pursuing a double strategy: improved stacking capacity and high productivity

POAL currently operates a fleet of Terex N SC 634 E (1-over-2) diesel-electric straddle carriers and is pursuing a two-part strategy that includes the automation initiative and a step towards higher stacking capability which will deliver a medium-term increase in capacity from today’s 900,000 TEU to 1.6 to 1.7 million TEU. Tony Gibson, CEO Ports of Auckland Ltd.: “Due to community concerns, we cannot increase capacity at our container terminal through reclamation, so the only way is up. In future, we will use 1-over-3 straddle carriers in the container stackyard to

increase capacity. Automated straddle carriers also offer a number of other benefits: They are inherently safer, as there is no human on board; they deliver a positive environmental impact as they will consume up to 10% less fuel and produce lower emissions; they will be quieter and need less light on the terminal, reducing both noise and light pollution. Overall, automation offers us safety, environmental, community and capacity benefits.” In future, POAL will only use the existing 1-over-2 machines for horizontal container transport between ship-to-shore cranes and the storage area, which will help POAL maintain its currently high levels of productivity.

Comprehensive: all sub-systems and software systems also from TPS

Steve Filipov, President Terex Cranes and Material Handling & Port Solutions, is delighted to achieve another milestone in automation: “Automation will enable increased capacity and safe, efficient operations for terminals that organize container transport and storage with straddle carriers. We are pleased that this comprehensive project gives us the opportunity to help an ambitious terminal operator such as POAL with its long-term development objectives.” As a supplier of integrated systems, TPS is also responsible for all sub-systems required to operate the partly modified, partly newly assembled fleet. In addition to the TEAMS fleet management system, these sub-systems include the Navimatic® navigation system based on a terrestrial system and its corresponding antennae to determine the position of the vehicles. TEAMS and Navimatic, successfully implemented on several occasions by TPS in major terminals for automated operations in the past, have now been adapted to the specific requirements of straddle carriers to control the automated operations in Auckland. TPS will supply the interchange and fence control system, safety-relevant vehicle control systems and various sensor systems that will enable smooth interplay between the automated vehicles and manual straddle carriers, as well as other functions operated by staff in the terminal.

TPS well-equipped thanks to extensive test program

With its latest innovation, TPS is fulfilling the wish of many terminal operators to automate straddle carrier terminals. In addition, many terminals that currently use manual 1-over-1 sprinter carriers between ship-to-shore cranes and container stackyards would like to convert to automated machines in the future. Klaus Peter Hoffmann, Vice President & Managing Director TPS: “Against the backdrop of increasing demand, several years ago we started a comprehensive research and development program, in the course of which we created automation technology for both Terex straddle carriers and Terex sprinter carriers. We tested this over many months on prototypes at our testing grounds near the TPS competence center for straddle carriers in Würzburg, Germany, where we looked at design and operating principles, the control system, and the features of the positioning system. Our technology is now ready for market and has impressed POAL.”

Pioneer in automation: cutting edge with an integrated approach

TPS has been at the cutting edge of automation technology for port handling for a quarter of a century, and gradually expanded its range of products and services after the introduction of the first Terex® Gottwald automated guided vehicles (AGV), which were ready for series production in 1992. Initially the software required for operating AGV’s was supplied by the terminal operator or by third parties. Thanks to its growing experience in this area, TPS was able to take over development of navigation and management software. In addition to several AGV product lines, today’s TPS portfolio includes automated stacking cranes (ASC) for the container stackyard including the required software.

Thanks to the simultaneous delivery of the sub-systems required for automated transport and automated storage of containers, TPS is now a supplier of complete systems who can draw on a wealth of experience. And long before the first cut of the spade, TPS also provides support for its customers with the consultation services of its software brands, which include the simulation and emulation of terminal processes. Hoffmann: “Our wealth of experience, in addition to our unique range of automation products, makes us the natural partner for innovative solutions, as has now been demonstrated by the first order for fully automated straddle carriers from New Zealand. With this reference installation, we believe that we are perfectly positioned to convert more existing manual terminals into semi or fully automated terminals and to equip green field port facilities.”

Düsseldorf, Germany – Terex Port Solutions (TPS), the pioneer and technological pacesetter in terminal automation, starts a new chapter for operators of container terminals with Terex® diesel-electric straddle carriers. For the first time, TPS is automating a straddle carrier fleet for Ports of Auckland Ltd. (POAL) from New Zealand. By mid-2019, TPS will supply a total of 27 new, fully automated N SC 644 E (1-over-3) machines to work in the container stackyard and to serve trucks. At the same time, 21 existing manual straddle carriers are being upgraded so that they can work hand in hand with the 27 fully automated machines. In addition to the supply and upgrade of the vehicles, the order also includes all sub-systems and software systems required for operation. Before POAL placed the order, TPS verified the feasibility and safety of the concept in a detailed study. POAL is pursuing a double strategy: improved stacking capacity and high productivity

POAL currently operates a fleet of Terex N SC 634 E (1-over-2) diesel-electric straddle carriers and is pursuing a two-part strategy that includes the automation initiative and a step towards higher stacking capability which will deliver a medium-term increase in capacity from today’s 900,000 TEU to 1.6 to 1.7 million TEU. Tony Gibson, CEO Ports of Auckland Ltd.: “Due to community concerns, we cannot increase capacity at our container terminal through reclamation, so the only way is up. In future, we will use 1-over-3 straddle carriers in the container stackyard to

increase capacity. Automated straddle carriers also offer a number of other benefits: They are inherently safer, as there is no human on board; they deliver a positive environmental impact as they will consume up to 10% less fuel and produce lower emissions; they will be quieter and need less light on the terminal, reducing both noise and light pollution. Overall, automation offers us safety, environmental, community and capacity benefits.” In future, POAL will only use the existing 1-over-2 machines for horizontal container transport between ship-to-shore cranes and the storage area, which will help POAL maintain its currently high levels of productivity.

Comprehensive: all sub-systems and software systems also from TPS

Steve Filipov, President Terex Cranes and Material Handling & Port Solutions, is delighted to achieve another milestone in automation: “Automation will enable increased capacity and safe, efficient operations for terminals that organize container transport and storage with straddle carriers. We are pleased that this comprehensive project gives us the opportunity to help an ambitious terminal operator such as POAL with its long-term development objectives.” As a supplier of integrated systems, TPS is also responsible for all sub-systems required to operate the partly modified, partly newly assembled fleet. In addition to the TEAMS fleet management system, these sub-systems include the Navimatic® navigation system based on a terrestrial system and its corresponding antennae to determine the position of the vehicles. TEAMS and Navimatic, successfully implemented on several occasions by TPS in major terminals for automated operations in the past, have now been adapted to the specific requirements of straddle carriers to control the automated operations in Auckland. TPS will supply the interchange and fence control system, safety-relevant vehicle control systems and various sensor systems that will enable smooth interplay between the automated vehicles and manual straddle carriers, as well as other functions operated by staff in the terminal.

TPS well-equipped thanks to extensive test program

With its latest innovation, TPS is fulfilling the wish of many terminal operators to automate straddle carrier terminals. In addition, many terminals that currently use manual 1-over-1 sprinter carriers between ship-to-shore cranes and container stackyards would like to convert to automated machines in the future. Klaus Peter Hoffmann, Vice President & Managing Director TPS: “Against the backdrop of increasing demand, several years ago we started a comprehensive research and development program, in the course of which we created automation technology for both Terex straddle carriers and Terex sprinter carriers. We tested this over many months on prototypes at our testing grounds near the TPS competence center for straddle carriers in Würzburg, Germany, where we looked at design and operating principles, the control system, and the features of the positioning system. Our technology is now ready for market and has impressed POAL.”

Pioneer in automation: cutting edge with an integrated approach

TPS has been at the cutting edge of automation technology for port handling for a quarter of a century, and gradually expanded its range of products and services after the introduction of the first Terex® Gottwald automated guided vehicles (AGV), which were ready for series production in 1992. Initially the software required for operating AGV’s was supplied by the terminal operator or by third parties. Thanks to its growing experience in this area, TPS was able to take over development of navigation and management software. In addition to several AGV product lines, today’s TPS portfolio includes automated stacking cranes (ASC) for the container stackyard including the required software.

Thanks to the simultaneous delivery of the sub-systems required for automated transport and automated storage of containers, TPS is now a supplier of complete systems who can draw on a wealth of experience. And long before the first cut of the spade, TPS also provides support for its customers with the consultation services of its software brands, which include the simulation and emulation of terminal processes. Hoffmann: “Our wealth of experience, in addition to our unique range of automation products, makes us the natural partner for innovative solutions, as has now been demonstrated by the first order for fully automated straddle carriers from New Zealand. With this reference installation, we believe that we are perfectly positioned to convert more existing manual terminals into semi or fully automated terminals and to equip green field port facilities.”

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

Droids or Drones? Which Will Be the Future of Delivery? 

Princess Leia bet on droids, not drones, to get her priority package delivered. And that turned out OK, except for her planet getting blown up. A Skype founder's new hope is that droids can work just as well on Earth.Bloomberg News, 19 April 2016 -  In the shadow of Greenwich’s 02 Arena - the futuristic dome originally built as London’s showpiece for the Millennium - what looks like a picnic cooler on wheels zips among groups of gawking children. This little delivery robot, designed to autonomously navigate sidewalks, not roads, later this year will begin making deliveries from local businesses direct to customers.

In doing so, it may just conquer e-commerce’s final frontier: the Last Mile, the least efficient and most problematic step in the delivery process.Starship's robotic delivery droid is designed to detect and give way to pedestrians.“Thirty to forty percent of the cost of delivery comes in the last mile,” says Allan Martinson, the chief operating officer of Starship Technologies, the company building this robot. The venture is the brainchild of Ahti Heinla, one of Skype’s original developers, and is backed by billionaire Skype co-founder and tech investor Janus Friis.

The little delivery robots designed by Starship and a competing U.S. startup called Dispatch are the BB-8s and Wall-E's of e-commerce. These scrappy droids are up against tech's strongest forces. Amazon is testing airborne drones, as are Wal-Mart and Google. Google has also sought patents for a driverless truck that would carry an array of storage lockers that unlock with a text message. And Uber is deploying drivers for food delivery, a concept that could be expanded to other products. And don't forget incumbents from Federal Express and UPS to government postal services.

While Starship's robot may be first to market, victory isn't assured. The droids have limitations, with economic viability confined urban areas. Drones have a higher sticker price and bigger regulatory hurdles to surmount, but may prove less expensive on a per-mile basis. And for the foreseeable future, some logistics experts say, humans still have the edge over any sci-fi inspired contenders.

Heinla, a tall, gaunt Estonian with shaggy blond hair and the disheveled look of an engineer for whom form matters more than fashion, says delivery droids have their advantages. Smaller robots are easier and cheaper to build. Because Starship’s droid weighs less than 35 pounds and travels slowly, it's less likely to cause damage. As a wheeled vehicle, there are no spinning rotorblades that could cause injury - unlike drones.  Continue to full article . . .

Swinglift’s long history of continuous improvement dates back to the 1960s, leading to a new evolution of its innovative container side-loader that will debut at the Melbourne Truck Show in May.

Trailer, 18 april2016  - Since 2005, container side-loader expert Swinglift has been flourishing under the Patchell Group, a heavy transport trailer manufacturer based in Rotorua, New Zealand.

A decade has passed since the Swinglift product joined the Patchell catalogue of specialised equipment – including log transport trailers, food grade stainless steel tankers, drop decks and skel trailers – but the long and successful Swinglift story goes back a lot further than that.

According to Swinglift Australia General Manager, Gordon Dyson, the company’s practice for developing innovative equipment began in 1968 with the advent of the first truck-mounted container side-loader in New Zealand, purpose-built to carry 10’ rail containers and later modified to accommodate 15’ sea freighters.

The development continued in May 1976 when the first road legal 20’ side-loader in NZ was introduced. Invented by Swinglift’s founder, Robin Wynyard, the first unit stood out for its utilisation of New Zealand’s then newly-introduced super single tyres on the front axles of a truck, a lift capacity of 20 tonnes and for being the first to comply with NZ road regulations for a 20’ Swinglift.

The full story has appeared in the April edition of Trailer. To get your copy, click here.