News

Teams for the 2012 NI Autonomous Robotics Competition announced
Thursday, 19 April 2012
National Instruments Oceania has announced the participating teams for the annual National Instruments Autonomous Robotics Competition, a student robotics competition designed to encourage development and innovation in the field of robotics. A total of 24 teams will be participating in this year’s NI ARC, representing top universities from across Australia and New Zealand. The competition, which commences in April and concludes in September, 2012 will involve each team developing an autonomous robot that will ultimately compete in a live competition with the objective of autonomously completing a set of predefined tasks in the shortest amount of time and earning the most points. The theme for the 2012 NI ARC is ‘Search and Rescue’.
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Apprenticeships champion retires
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Engineering stalwart Mike Latter is retiring this month having served the engineering manufacturing industry in a number of governance and advisory roles throughout his 50-year long career. Mr Latter also steps down from his role as Trustee for the Apprentice Training New Zealand Trust - an organisation he helped establish to support engineering apprenticeships nationwide.
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Equipment
Christchurch’s Integrated Hydraulics invest in New Zealand’s largest CNC installation
Monday, 16 April 2012
Associate Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister, Amy Adams, has commissioned one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest CNC machining centres. The 36 station linear pallet automated horizontal machining centre is owned by Christchurch specialised machining company Integrated Hydraulics and will produce hi-spec hydraulic manifolds and a wide range of other precision machined components. To support this investment the company has also commissioned a next-generation TEM thermal deburring machine and Durr Ecoclean universal cleaning machine. Apart from a significant lift in manufacturing capacity, Integrated Hydraulics General Manager, Nick Lawry, says the new technology will help the company manage highly variable workloads through an unpredictable global economic climate.
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Equipment
ArcActive unveils new battery technology for green car market
Thursday, 12 April 2012
ArcActive, a spinout company from the University of Canterbury, is developing new negative electrodes for lead acid batteries for start/stop and micro hybrid vehicles. The technology was unveiled at the CleanEquity 2012 conference in Monaco where the company won the award for Excellence in the Field of Environmental Technology Research. Stuart McKenzie, Chief Executive of ArcActive says, “The auto industry is undergoing a quiet revolution towards green cars. Conventional lead-acid batteries can’t cope with the cycle demands for micro-hybrids and would only last a matter of weeks. So the race is on to develop new battery technology for these cars. Our technology has world beating performance and is very low cost, so we hope it wins out over other new technologies.”
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Equipment
Rapid uptake of next generation lighting in New Zealand – LED sales double
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Kiwis have embraced light emitting diode (LED) lighting with Philips Lighting reporting a 120 percent increase in sales of LED products in 2011 over 2010. Strong growth is expected to continue this year as more people make the switch to LED from compact fluorescent (CFL) or traditional incandescent lighting.
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Equipment
RS Components launches 2012 catalogue in print and digital formats in Asia Pacific
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
 RS Components today announced the launch of its 2012 catalogue in print and digital formats in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan). All products featured in the catalogues are in stock and available for immediate delivery from stocking locations across the region for optimum availability.
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Equipment
Supporting the Christchurch district energy system
Thursday, 05 April 2012
As part of a consortium which included Swedish companies Bizcat and FVB, Aurecon undertook one of three studies, commissioned by Christchurch Agency for Energy (CAfE) in late 2011, to examine the feasibility of New Zealand's first District Energy Scheme (DES).
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Awards
Aeromarine positions to help in Christchurch rebuild
Wednesday, 04 April 2012
Leading composites engineering company Aeromarine Industries of Timaru is preparing to join the Christchurch rebuilding effort as Canterbury companies and industries look for partners.
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Events
Coming Events
Monday, 02 April 2012
Engineering Machinery & Electronics Exhibition New Zealand01-03 May 2012 ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland
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Awards
Rockwell Automation moves to state-of-the-art premises in Bayswater
Monday, 02 April 2012
After 25 years in the heart of Blackburn, Rockwell Automation, a leading global provider of industrial automation control and information solutions, has moved its South Pacific headquarters to Mountain Highway in Bayswater. The $4M facility provides a modern customer training centre to support local and regional industry and conduct proof-of-concept demonstrations to clients. It also includes a dedicated project engineering staging area along with a test and repair facility.
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Equipment
Positive change in geothermal drilling
Sunday, 01 April 2012
A $42 million investment in a new on shore drilling rig keeps MB Century at the forefront of their industry. The new hydraulic hoist rig, under construction in Italy, is quieter, safer, smaller and more mobile than existing rigs in the company’s extensive suite of drilling equipment. Following its arrival in New Zealand this August, the rig will be commissioned in a three-rig drilling operation to continue Contact Energy’s geothermal development program near Taupō. A 30-month contract, recently signed between MB Century and Contact Energy, has a four year right of renewal and is considered significant in the industry.
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Awards
New CEO to assume total responsibility for group operations
Sunday, 01 April 2012
The Southern Cross Engineering Group, one of New Zealand’s largest mechanical project engineering companies, has recently appointed Paul Thorn to the newly-created position of Chief Executive Officer, reporting to the Group’s Managing Director, Graeme McMaster. Paul has a Bachelor of Engineering degree with first class honours, majoring in Applied Mechanics, and is a graduate of the University of Technology, Sydney. He takes up his appointment from a former position as Auckland-based General Manager of Visy Recycling NZ Limited, where he held complete responsibility for strategic, financial and operational accountability.
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Awards
Rockwell Automation named one of world’s most ethical companies for fourth time
Thursday, 22 March 2012
For the fourth time, the Ethisphere Institute has recognised Rockwell Automation as one of the “world’s most ethical companies.” The Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. In announcing its sixth annual selection of the world’s most ethical companies, Ethisphere’s 2012 list highlights organisations, including Rockwell Automation, that show leadership in promoting ethical business standards.
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Equipment
RCR awarded turnkey energy contract
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Integrated engineering company RCR Tomlinson Ltd is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a turnkey contract to provide a process steam boiler plant for Fonterra’s Drier 2 Project in Darfield, New Zealand.
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Awards
Peter Thiel partners with NZVIF to invest in New Zealand
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
A $40 million New Zealand-based venture capital fund has been established involving a partnership between the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund and Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures. Valar has been operating since 2010 with the current investment round closing on January 1 of this year. Peter Thiel is a prominent United States technology investor. He co-founded and was CEO of PayPal before he sold it to eBay, and was the first outside investor in Facebook. Valar Ventures provides growth capital to early-stage New Zealand technology companies for the development of technology and expansion into overseas markets.
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Events
Fast track fire protection for V8 Championship
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Fire protection specialist Wormald will again provide the fire protection solution for the ITM400 Hamilton, which hits the track from 20 to 22 April 2012. Hamilton city will ignite during the three day event which will see championship drivers battle for victory through the city centre circuit. Wormald has been involved with the V8 Supercars Championship since the inaugural event in 2007 and will continue the partnership until 2014. Under the agreement, Wormald will supply over 200 fire extinguishers throughout the Hamilton race track and corporate hospitality tents. A comprehensive fire alarm system will also be installed in the main control building and in each pit bay.
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Awards
Alliances bring engineering careers to life
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Collaboration between Waikato engineers and educators is being upheld as a New Zealand model helping meet sector skills shortages. Waikato Engineering Careers Association (WECA) co-ordinator Mary Jensen said the region’s engineers and educators are among the best organised in New Zealand in working together to combat sector skills shortages.
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Equipment
LanzaTech’s commercialisation goes transtasman
Monday, 19 March 2012
A world-leading pilot project to convert waste gases to low carbon fuels and chemicals is being extended through a new agreement between LanzaTech and New Zealand Steel. The agreement gives NZ Steel, and its Australian parent company Bluescope Steel, the opportunity to use LanzaTech’s technology commercially.
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Products
Businesses urged to enter Skills Highway Awards
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
If your business is investing in its people by offering workplace literacy training, it’s time to enter the EEO Trust’s Skills Highway Award.
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Equipment
$15m sewage ponds contract awarded by Council
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
The culmination of years of work by the Timaru District Council to improve the way the district’s sewage was piped and treated was reached today with the awarding of a $15 million contract to upgrade the domestic waste water treatment plant on Aorangi Road at Seadown.
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