Annual Index
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing May 2012
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A standard for energy excellence
Skyrocketing energy prices, dwindling fossil-based energy resources and increasing competitive pressure motivate politics and society to fundamentally reconsider the way we deal with energy. Legal guidelines and regulations lend further impetus. Numerous investigations and studies show that, in many cases, there is a considerable savings potential of up to 30 percent and more. Energy management systems based on the ISO 50001 help tap this huge potential.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing May 2012
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing May 2012
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How to increase compressed air efficiency
Compressed air preparation is not exactly a hot topic for plant operators. As a result, carelessly maintained compressed air systems waste energy and result in premature wearing of high-quality pneumatic valves and drives. Festo is now launching a push for greater compressed air efficiency.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing May 2012
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Taking the tension out of belt tensioning
A transmission belt that doesn’t need re-tensioning – the German-manufactured Optibelt Red Power V-belt makes this dream come true. Editor Stefan Richter talked to the sole NZ Optibelt agent about the features and advantages of this maintenance-free belt which is being released in its third generation.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing May 2012
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Cutting-edge automation technology for good old-fashioned pies
From their fully-automated production plant in Silverdale, Dad’s Pies caters for pie lovers nationally and internationally. Editor Stefan Richter took a tour of the high-tech facility.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing May 2012
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Seeing daylight and saving money
It dawns on more and more businesses that by swapping their existing lighting for more energy-efficient solutions they can save some serious money. But there are more benefits in store for those who swap, as editor Stefan Richter learned from Grant Simpson, PowerSave Light Company’s Director.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing May 2012
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Peak performing hose pump decreases cost of ownership
Decades of experience and knowledge have combined with closely scrutinised customer feedback to deliver Apex, three new hose pumps from Bredel, part of the Watson-Marlow Pumps Group. Designed to suit all dosing, metering and transfer applications from 2.8 to 1200 litre/hour across a broad range of applications, the new Apex pumps are now, according to the manufacturer, the first choice for processing plants worldwide.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing April 2012
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Window of opportunity
Renall Doors, a family-run, Carterton-based manufacturer of custom made wooden interior and sheltered exterior doors, think the NZ market is ripe for top quality European-style double glazed wooden windows. To produce a virtually airtight window the company has just invested 1.5 million NZ dollars in a state-of-the-art profiling centre from German specialist Weinig. Editor Stefan Richter has learned more about this major coup.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing April 2012
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Keeping the water and cost savings flowing for Hamilton City
Hamilton City Council has achieved a 50 percent reduction in machine faults as well as annual savings of $30,000 in machine overhauls, courtesy of a comprehensive condition monitoring and preventive maintenance programme from ABB.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing April 2012
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Walk the line
There is a distinct difference between condition monitoring and vibration analysis. The former is aimed at detecting a change in the monitored machine whereas the latter seeks to determine what has changed and the severity of that change. For the analyst there is a fine line between ‘too soon’ and ‘too late’. Too soon and the damage will be hard to see, too late and the machine will take itself out. In either case you will be remembered for the wrong reasons.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing April 2012
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Rid New Zealand of PCBs
Polychlorinated biphenyls are hazardous to human health and the environment. In New Zealand the use and storage of PCBs is prohibited since 2004, but they can still be found in transformers and capacitors. Funded by the Ministry for the Environment Transpacific Technical Services now offer a free service to safely collect and dispose of remaining PCBs.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing April 2012
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Extended arc flash protection range
Honeywell Safety Products has added two new Salisbury electrical safety products to their extensive arc flash protection range. Arc flash hazards are a critical safety issue for electrical workers and can cause serious injuries; workers can prevent harm to themselves and others by wearing the appropriate arc flash protection when working with electricity.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing April 2012
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Australasian Maintenance Excellence Awards
The first New Zealand based recipient of the Australasian Maintenance Excellence Awards (AMEA) was presented by SIRF Roundtables, Industrial Maintenance Roundtable (IMRt) on 19 March 2012 at a gala presentation and networking evening at the Novotel Auckland Hotel, Ellerslie. The 2011 Australasian Maintenance Excellence Awards applicants were Vector Gas Ltd, Kapuni Gas Treatment Plant, New Zealand, and Orica Chlor Alkali, Laverton Plant Victoria, Australia.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing April 2012
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New Zealand Oil and Gas Exhibition 2012
The New Zealand Oil & Gas Exhibition is coming to New Plymouth for the 9th biennial year. “With two exhibitions being held within the space of three months last year,
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing March 2012
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“Manufacturers must lift their game”
“Maintenance is all about maximising plant reliability,” says Larry Wiechern. The Maintenance and Reliability Centre Manager at Manukau Institute of Technology highlights the importance of upskilling the workforce, sharing expertise and choosing trustworthy suppliers.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing March 2012
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Saving costs with synthetic compressor oils
Choosing speciality lubricants for compressors and gearboxes offers high potential for reducing operating costs and improving CO2 footprint in the food processing industry. The following article illustrates how synthetic compressor oils can save money in the operation of a brewery.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing March 2012
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Problem solver for food industry
Food processing companies are increasingly discovering the benefits of utilising Vaughan chopper pumps in environments in which conventional pumps have historically failed.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing March 2012
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UPS's keep businesses going
UPS hardware can help keep business applications available, power costs manageable and data safe. By familiarising themselves with the basics of what a UPS does and how to choose the right one for their needs, businesses can ensure that mission-critical systems always have the clean, reliable electricity they need to drive long-term success.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing March 2012
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New extraction system increases productivity
Renowned furniture manufacturers Accent Group have recently installed a new Egmont Air Dust Extraction System in their new Wellsford factory. After careful evaluation and analysis, Accent Group selected Egmont Air as their preferred supplier for the new dust extraction system.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing March 2012
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Contractor prequalification service
CPNZ Ltd and its foundation clients have released the CPNZ (Contractor Prequalification New Zealand) pan industry contractor health and safety prequalification service. This fully outsourced, pan-industry service is aimed at improving the speed, efficiency and cost of health and safety prequalification whilst helping to improve the safety of all types of contractors. “CPNZ is a New Zealand first and builds on international best practice, but tailored to the local market needs,” says Tom Reeves, Director of CPNZ Ltd.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing March 2012
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Chic, comfortable and secure
Eye injuries are a major issue in the trade industry’s overall injury rate, and most workplace eye injuries occur through inadequate or inappropriate eye protection. The new, improved range of fashion eyewear from Honeywell Safety Products was designed to reliably protect workers in a range of situations. Each pair of safety glasses in the fashion range offer exceptional fit, maximum comfort and modern looks, as well as being available in a range of price points to suit an array of budgets.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing February 2012
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Handling air more efficiently
With energy costs continually rising, energy efficiency is paid more and more attention in the HVAC sector. Stefan Richter talked to Andrew Cooke, Cooke Industries’ General Manager, about the trend towards more energy-efficient air handling systems.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing February 2012
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No more blowing money on fan energy
The Wakefield House Building in Adelaide, Australia, recently realised an amazing 50 percent reduction in fan energy. The new EC plug fan, which replaced the existing centrifugal belt driven fan, has not only shrunk the energy bill, but also increased airflow and cooling capacity of the air handling unit.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing February 2012
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Having real power
Kevin Kevany gives three perspectives on power factor correction: a lesson, a beer and a promise.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing February 2012
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Peristaltic pumping technology in the mining industry
Moving ores, concentrates and residues in slurry form are essential parts of industrial mining processes. In an effort to reduce water, energy and chemical consumption, and improve slurry transportation reliability, more and more mining operators are discovering the simplicity and benefits of peristaltic hose pumps.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing February 2012
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Building trust with your camera
Stefan Richter visited CPS, the first IANZ-accredited laboratory in New Zealand for the calibration of those cameras.
Demm Engineering & Manufacturing February 2012
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Temperature and vibration send maintenance signals
If a tree falls in the forest it makes a noise, whether anybody’s there to hear it or not. Just like that fabled tree, machines in trouble provide telltale evidence you can read to diagnose their problems – if you just know how to look and listen.
DEMM Engineering & Manufacturing January 2012
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First-choice option for steel protection
Perry Metal Protection’s new multi-million dollar hot dip galvanising plant in Hamilton offers a level of capacity and capability not previously seen in New Zealand. Stefan Richter drove to Te Rapa to get a first impression of the new facility that will be operational as of 16 January 2012. It inevitably occurs every time iron or steel, atmospheric oxygen and water come together. Iron oxide, better known as rust, is formed in an electrochemical process on the surface of the steel, and the red-brown colour we perceive indicates that the metal has started to degrade.
DEMM Engineering & Manufacturing January 2012
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Don’t let unqualified “experts” and uncertified infrared operators risk tenants’ lives and building safety
We have all watched the US troopers with their ‘night-vision’ /infrared capability enjoying an advantage over insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan or firemen able to see through smoke and find victims in a blaze. The spin-off of a US$500-million US Defence Department investment is now also being applied to improve preventive electrical maintenance in New Zealand commercial properties. Kevin Kevany reports.
DEMM Engineering & Manufacturing January 2012
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Getting more life out of wire rope
Bridon’s products have achieved outstanding results on container cranes and straddle carriers operated by The Ports of Auckland. Stefan Richter learned that this success can be traced back to a tweaked construction and regular lubrication. Auckland-based Bridon New Zealand Ltd have plenty of reasons to be in a festive mood.
DEMM Engineering & Manufacturing January 2012
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Designing storage systems to cope with earthquakes
In this article Dr Murray comments on the performance of storage systems during seismic events, including the recent devastating earthquakes in New Zealand. Designing rack structures to cope with the unpredictable forces generated during an earthquake requires a combination of detailed engineering, sophisticated computer analysis, and a degree of crystal ball gazing on the part of the engineer into how the storage system may be utilised over its lifetime.
DEMM Engineering & Manufacturing January 2012
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Power at the right place, at the right time
Webster Group’s generators back-up and continually supply power in a multitude of applications throughout New Zealand. They can be found in hospitals, rest homes, on air force and naval bases, through to cowsheds and they also travel around the world on board ships. Stefan Richter visited the company to get an insight view of the generator business.
DEMM Engineering & Manufacturing January 2012
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Providing superior control performance
Electric control valve actuators eliminate the problems of compressed air as a power medium. Today, a major technological advance is available to help control valve users avoid many of the problems and inefficiencies associated with compressed air. The new solution, using electric power, is appropriate and cost-effective for a wide variety of control valve applications in most process environments, especially where users experience problems with frozen air hoses, lack of process precision and stick-slip.
