Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
The company is investing in training and growing local talent to combat a skills shortage in the engineering industry through closer relationships with the regional tertiary provider, Ara Institute of Canterbury.
Wyma Solutions Production Manager Michael Anderson says that the company often struggled to find the people it needed, so instead turned to young talent and more investment in training.
“We’re growing quickly and we need more highly-skilled people to compete internationally. It’s difficult to find people with the right skillset in the market so we’re investing in apprentice training through Ara to grow our team and our production,” he says.
The post-harvest equipment manufacturers currently have nine apprentices training through Ara and aim to double that number over the next two years to meet their specialised staffing needs.Engineers working in the manufacturing industry need to be multi-skilled and creative thinkers, Anderson says.“We don’t just plonk our staff at one point in an assembly line to do the same thing day in, day out. Every machine we make is customised and we need staff that can problem-solve and complete a variety of tasks.“We choose to train through Ara because their tutors are experienced and have broad knowledge. They are recognised in New Zealand as a leading tertiary educational institute who provide world-class training and have top-notch facilities and equipment.”
Apprentices attend block courses and night classes at Ara. They also have a ‘buddy’ at Wyma Solutions to teach them the basics and help them progress through their training.“Ara provides them with the skills to become competent tradespeople and we assist them in growing.”
Wyma Solutions also enhances their apprentices’ training further through exchanges with other companies to expose their young talent to the many different aspects of engineering.“Engineering is broad and that’s what makes it exciting. We want our apprentices to go out and experience other things, then come back to us with added skills and fresh eyes,” Anderson says.
Many of Wyma Solutions’ former apprentices now have key roles in the company and their career development doesn’t stop there. The company is currently looking at Ara courses to upskill team leaders and front-line management. They also often take on young pre-trade graduates from Ara, with the aim of progressing them into further training.
Ultimately Anderson says that Wyma Solutions wants to get as many staff as possible through formal training in order to enhance its already highly-skilled workforce and compete with large manufacturers overseas.“By choosing to train staff through Ara, we are investing in the future of Wyma and boosting our ability to compete on the global stage.”
| An ARA release || August 8, 2017 |||
The weather wasn’t friendly but the welcome at Holster Engineering certainly was when a 30 strong crowd of engineers descended on the Tokoroa’s Holster Engineering for the Maintenance Engineering Society’s Kaeser Compressors Network Evening.
Bruce, Marty and the staff, 10 of who have been with the company for more than 22 years, provided refreshments and a well appreciated BBQ for those that had made the trek to the South Waikato.
The Kaeser Compressors Network Evening series is as much about highlighting the capabilities of local companies as it is about spectacular achievements or interesting maintenance challenges and the Holster Engineering evening did not pull up short on providing reassurance to local clientele. From the heavy machine shop with a 50T capacity chuck to the 12m centre lathe, horizontal borer, the light machine shop, metal spray shop and cranes, it was obvious that this crew is experienced, ready and capable. Not only in Tokoroa though, the team maintain a prepacked box of site gear ready to do onsite metal spray repair anywhere in New Zealand. Now that’s pre-planning!
The MESNZ Kaeser Compressors Network Evenings are hosted to showcase local operations and provide networking opportunities for engineers across all regions of New Zealand. The evenings offer the opportunity to take a look at the host operation and discuss common issues and solutions in a relaxed after work environment. Open to interested members of the public, the nights are well patronised.
The Maintenance Engineering Society is active across New Zealand, providing professional development opportunities for maintenance engineers and manufacturing operations to network and share innovations and experiences; both at a national level at their annual national conference or at these regional events. The 2017 National Maintenance Engineering Conference will be held at the Claudelands Event Centre, Hamilton in November.
| A MESNZ release || August 2, 2017 |||
The new Kahukura building at Ara Institute of Canterbury, conceived as a teaching tool for engineering students, is ready just in time to host the Week of Engineering Expo in Christchurch on Saturday 5 August from 10am-4pm.
Coordinated by IPENZ as part of the national Week of Engineering, the Expo will bring in engineering professionals who can enjoy the innovative new engineering and architectural studies facility ahead of an official opening in August.
There is plenty to interest engineers, students and the public at the Expo. Kahukura is among a handful of buildings in Christchurch to utilise local, sustainable timber technology with Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) as the structural frame and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) as the structure of the facade. Timber dominates throughout the building, with concrete and steel playing secondary roles. The building is seismically strong and actually stores carbon through the use of wood.
The Expo will be a chance for the public to check out Kahukura. During the day there will be free screenings of the film Dream Big - Engineering Our World, narrated by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges. The film spans the range of engineering from the Great Wall of China and the world’s tallest buildings, to underwater robots, solar cars and smart, sustainable cities.The day is all about inspiring the next generation of engineers. Exhibiting organisations from around Christchurch will bring their best technology to the expo to engage secondary school students in the wide world of engineering.
Exhibitors include Beca, Structex, Stantec, BVT Consulting, Fonterra, BVT Consulting, Fonterra, University of Canterbury - College of Engineering, TDG, Harrison Grierson, Opus, Engineers without Borders, Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies and Orion.
During the preceding Week of Engineering, a programme of events at partner organisations will further inspire and educate students. New Zealand needs more engineers, and in response the Government has set a goal of increasing engineering graduates by 500 per year. In particular the country needs to almost double the number of graduates with a New Zealand Diploma in Engineering (Level 6) or a Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Level 7) - both of which are offered at Ara.
Ara will run the Quake Craft challenge in the Vodafone Building on 1 and 2 August. Based on the institute’s excellent school holiday STEM workshops, the Quakecraft challenge is to design and prototype a sustainable tiny house for extreme conditions and natural disasters using maths, physics and engineering. Using 3D printing and computer aided design students work in teams to design a model house and test its structural integrity on a shake table.
For students, the $34m, 6500m2 Kahukura offers a blend of purpose designed and flexible learning areas - and even a cafe. The exhibition space on the ground floor was envisaged for hosting events such as the Engineering Expo.
| A n Ara Institute of Canterbury release || August 1, 2017 |||
Taranaki DailyNews reports that Taranaki's Amtec Engineering at Bell Block closed and made all of its staff redundant last week.
The downturn in the oil and gas industry has forced a Taranaki engineering company to shut up shop and lay off all of its staff.
On Friday employees at Amtec Engineering, Connett Rd East Bell Block, were called into a meeting and told they were all being made redundant.
The company's 44 staff were given a letter stating while the business' directors had hoped things would improve, it was closing the doors on the basis it was insolvent and was unable to continue trading.
Continue to read the full article here
| A Taranaki Daily News release || July 30, 2017 |||
Machine tool giant Mazak has passed another milestone in its embrace of “smart manufacturing” with full digitization of its manufacturing plant at Oguchi, Japan. The manufacturer emphasizes data analysis and machine connectivity in its designs — specifically using the MTConnect® open communications protocol and customized data-collection technology — and applies these in its own machine tool production processes, too.
“There is little doubt in the industry that MTConnect will soon be the standard worldwide and the foundation of tomorrow’s digitized manufacturing operations,” stated chairman Brian Papke. “At Mazak, we’ve experienced double-digit increases in productivity and machine utilization in each facility immediately after the implementation of digital process monitoring through MTConnect and our SmartBox technology.”
SmartBox is a network device that collects data from and supplies information to individual machines, and communicates with a wider network via the open protocol.
Oguchi is one of five Mazak plants in Japan, its headquarters location and the site of its R&D operations. The plant manufactures a range of horizontal and multi-tasking machines. A new plant Mazak is building at Inabe City, southwest of Tokyo, is designed according to the "iSMART Factory" concept and will begin producing machine tools in 2019.
Mazak’s first iSMART Factory is its plant in Florence, Ky., which manufactures the complete line of Mazak machine tools. The plant is organized as a series of advanced manufacturing cells and production systems in order to maximize productivity and flexibility. The MTConnect protocol links the machines, work cells, individual devices, and discrete processes, collecting process and product data from each one.
The iSMART Factory concept achieves “free-flow data sharing,” to optimize manufacturing by coordinating all available technology, information, and resources, in line with the theories projected as the industrial Internet of Things (IoT).
In addition to its two ISMART Factories and the one in development, Mazak indicated it would report further details in September.
| An AmericanMachinist release || Jul28, 2017 |||
Wintec and Waikato District Council will launch a cadetship programme next year that will create employment opportunities for civil engineering students and ensure the council has a highly skilled and qualified workforce.
The cadetship scheme is an opportunity for Wintec students studying the civil elements of the New Zealand Diploma in Engineering and the Bachelor of Engineering Technology. Under the scheme, students will work and study part-time for two years before completing one year of bonded employment with Waikato District Council.
Wintec Chief Executive Mark Flowers says the scheme is a great example of Wintec working with industry partners to deliver real-world training for students and highly qualified graduates to employers.
“I really commend Waikato District Council for driving this initiative – it’s a win win for all. For our students it’s a great opportunity to study and work in a real-world environment and get the benefits of having employment in their chosen career path.
“We’re training students for a rapidly changing world and the practical and soft skills they learn through on the job training are critical for their success. Working with industry also means we continue to be relevant and authentic in what we deliver to meet their needs.”
Waikato District Council will recruit cadets from Wintec year one and two students this year to launch the scheme for the 2018 study year. The aim is to have up to six civil engineering student placements with Waikato District Council by year three.
“We’re delighted to work with Wintec on this scheme and we regard this as an effective recruitment tool,” says Waikato District Council’s General Manager Service Delivery Tim Harty.“The council is considered to be a perfect training ground for students to develop a range of skills, knowledge and technical experience. The cadetship will provide real-life practical experiences as well as the opportunity to be immersed in a range of areas relevant to the cadet’s specific area of study.”
Wintec is also working with other industry partners to secure similar cadetships for its students.
| A Wintec release || July 24, 2017 |||
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, July 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratasys Asia Pacific, subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), the 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions company, announced today it has expanded its partnership with Ricoh New Zealand Ltd. (Ricoh New Zealand), a subsidiary of Ricoh Company, Ltd. Japan. Ricoh will be representing the entire Stratasys product line, in addition to the existing MakerBot line. The move is aimed to improve the availability of [Stratasys'] 3D printing products and help drive adoption in New Zealand, as well as help local organizations accelerate their transformation to digital manufacturing and maximize business potential.
Ricoh New Zealand offers added value to the Stratasys partner network with its long-standing experience in offering office imaging, production printing, IT services and document solutions to organizations ranging from government departments and education to enterprise and small-to-medium businesses. Combined with Stratasys' expertise in the 3D printing domain and comprehensive suite of professional 3D printing solutions and materials, the partnership will aid Stratasys' commitment to demonstrate to organizations and local businesses, the versatile applications of 3D printing solutions -- from multi-material and multi-functional prototypes -- to customized tools and end-use production parts.
"We believe that additive manufacturing is one of the technologies integral for companies to realize industry 4.0, and we are committed to equipping customers with the most suitable 3D printing solution, from a desktop printer up to production system, helping them innovate and maximize efficiency with the support of trusted local partners," commented Shiry Saar, ANZ Manager for Stratasys. "We are confident that this partnership will help us to better understand the local information technology and industrial automation landscape in New Zealand, thereby helping more companies optimize production capabilities and expand business opportunities."
"Partnering with an industry leader like Stratasys allows us to offer the latest 3D printing technologies for professional and industrial users; thus fulfilling our commitment to continue to empower companies and individuals with services and technologies that inspire innovation, enhance sustainability and boost business growth," said Mike Pollok, Managing Director of Ricoh New Zealand. "Ricoh New Zealand views this partnership as a meeting of minds, as both companies are committed to making our clients' businesses smarter, simpler, faster, leaner and more sustainable."
Stratasys and channel partners will continue to offer comprehensive 3D printing solutions and vertical applications to companies across key sectors, including automotive, education, medical, consumer goods and electronics, facilitating businesses to expedite their design and manufacturing processes.
For nearly 30 years, Stratasys Ltd. (NASDAQ:SSYS) has been a defining force in 3D printing and additive manufacturing, shaping the way things are made. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Rehovot, Israel, the company empowers customers across vertical markets, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, education, and consumer products, by enabling new approaches for design and manufacturing. Stratasys solutions offer design freedom and manufacturing flexibility, reducing time-to-market and lowering development costs, while improving products and communication. Subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape, as well as Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, which offers 3D printed parts on demand. Stratasys also offers Expert Services in North America and over 4 million free, 3D printable design files through its Thingiverse and GrabCAD communities. Stratasys has 1,200 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents and has received more than 30 technology and leadership awards. Online at: www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com/. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The statements in this press release relating to Stratasys' expectations of the benefits that it will receive from its partnership with Ricoh New Zealand Ltd are forward-looking statements reflecting management's current expectations and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that is, by its nature, subject to rapid and even abrupt change. Due to risks and uncertainties associated with Stratasys' business, actual results could differ materially from those projected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that the benefits that Stratasys expects from the partnership will not materialize, or could be less, than Stratasys currently expects, due to technical or other unforeseen reasons; and other risk factors more fully explained under the caption "Risk Factors" in Stratasys' most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 3, 2017. Stratasys is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the rules and regulations of the SEC.
Engineers say new legislation marks a step forward in improving New Zealand’s building stock.
Structural Engineering Society (SESOC) spokesperson Paul Campbell says 1 July was a positive day for engineers and for Councils.
“It’s about having a better framework and tools for assessing buildings, which will help improve our building stock and increase our seismic resilience. It also means a more consistent approach to the management of earthquake-prone buildings.
“The new legislation will encourage discussion between owners and engineers on how owners can proactively manage and improve buildings.”
New Zealand Society of Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) President Peter Smith says the new engineering guidelines create a more systematic approach to seismic assessment.
“They provide clearer definitions and more detailed guidance on ratings, which will make assessments more consistent.
IPENZ Chief Executive Susan Freeman-Greene says building owners looking for an engineer to carry out a seismic assessment should make sure the engineer has received training on the new guidelines.
“Building owners should use Chartered Professional Engineers when commissioning seismic assessments.”
“We recommend that building owners also ask engineers about their experience of that specific type of building and whether they are members of SESOC, NZSEE or NZGS.”
| An IPENZ release || July 3, 2017 |||
A new wheelchair prototype with an innovative propulsion system has been developed by Massey University engineers that attempts to minimise chronic shoulder and wrist problems for self-propelled wheelchair users, while making it easier for users to travel uphill.
The chair, named Ezy-wheels, employs an innovative propulsion method where the user pushes and pulls the chair forward without their hands ever having to leave the pushrim.
Dr Claire Flemmer of the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology says conventional manual wheelchairs have not changed in their essential design in over one hundred years and studies have shown that many people develop upper limb pain within a year of use.
“Manual wheelchairs require an inefficient push effort, where the user grips either the wheel or a slightly smaller rim on the outside, called the pushrim, and propels the chair forward by pushing the rim, until they are forced let go and repeat the action. This means only about 25 per cent of the action actually contributes to the chair going forward.”
“This method causes an imbalanced repetitive strain on the shoulders and wrists that can lead to chronic pain - the longer a person uses the manual wheelchair, the worse it gets until they have to change to a powered wheelchair.”The new system is able to improve upon the stroke efficiency by keeping the hands on the push rim and utilising 100 per cent of the arm movement.
Dr Flemmer says this will reduce the impact on the shoulders and wrists and delay or prevent pain as the load on the joints is now balanced.
This new system is employed in one of the chair’s two modes, called Run mode. Run mode is designed for use on longer journeys and more challenging terrain. It also employs the second innovation, a three-gear system.
“The gearing system is similar to a bicycle. High gear is used when the path is easy, such as a flat or downward sloping, smooth surface and low gear when the path is harder, such as up a ramp or tarred path. Run mode does not allow the user to reverse, preventing the user from rolling backwards down a slope.
“A standard chair performs poorly on even a mild upward slope and when you add age and physical ability into the mix it can be a real challenge,” says Dr Flemmer.
In standard mode, the chair operates just like any other manual wheelchair, allowing indoor manoeuvrability, but with the addition of three gears.
Dr Flemmer’s husband, Dr Rory Flemmer has collaborated on the project with her from the outset.
“It all started around 30 years ago when Rory and I were watching a lady struggle to get up a wheelchair ramp because of the slope. We spent many years barking up the wrong tree with other ideas to make four-wheel drive type chairs, but I think we have it now.”
“This work is so important when you look at it from the point of view of someone in a wheelchair. When movement causes you pain over long distances, your world shrinks to how far you can go and if you are able to drive or have someone drive you. It’s not just the physical pain as it reduces social interaction, which can lead to depression, anxiety and poorer quality of life.”
The chair is still a prototype but the Dr Flemmer says that plans have already been drawn up to use lighter materials to make the chair more user friendly for the final production model.
| A Massey University release || June 28, 2017 |||
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
|
|
