Company News

Aurecon and Seequent lead on NZ’s largest transport infrastructure project

Global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon and Seequent, a developer of revolutionary visual data science software, are leading the way for digital engineering on New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure project ever to be undertaken. Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) project is a 3.45km twin-tunnel underground rail link up to 42 metres below the city centre, transforming the downtown Britomart Transport Centre into a two-way through station that better connects the Auckland rail network. Infrastructure projects this size are challenging enough, without the added complexity of building them in a city located on a volcanic field. Embarking on a massive project like the CRL through an area of complex geology, including volcanoes, requires a very clear assessment of the ground conditions. This demanding task fell on the shoulders of Aurecon. To help attain and communicate this detailed technical analysis, Aurecon used Seequent’s 3D geological modelling solution, Leapfrog Works, which is specifically designed for the Civil Engineering and Environmental industries. Helping reduce risk on infrastructure projects Critical in any major infrastructure project, Aurecon needed to carry out detailed technical analysis of the ground conditions to identify the risks and then clearly communicate and mitigate these risks to the consortium of engineers and architects involved. Philip Kirk, Geotechnical Team Leader, Aurecon, says, “We didn’t want the construction team to encounter unexpected ground conditions that would compromise or delay the project. We had to get it right.” Seeing the complex volcanic geology To make informed decisions on structural design, services locations and construction methods, engineers and construction teams needed to ‘see’ how these ground conditions interacted. Using Leapfrog Works, Aurecon’s ground engineering and engineering design colleagues were able to readily visualise in 3D and were quickly surprised by how effective a communication tool Leapfrog Works was. A key feature in the development of […]

Aurecon appoints CSIRO leader to manufacturing practice

Will bring advanced technical capability and strategic thought leadership to Aurecon’s manufacturing business. Global engineering and infrastructure advisory company Aurecon has appointed Dr Ingrid Appelqvist as its new Client Director for Manufacturing. The appointment of Dr Appelqvist, effective September 17, comes as Aurecon grows its manufacturing work in response to Australia’s and New Zealand’s growing importance as a food supplier to Asia. The Australian Trade Commission says that by 2050, 60 per cent of the global demand for food will come from Asia.[1] Dr Appelqvist is a distinguished food scientist with a strong track record as a leader. She joins Aurecon from CSIRO, where she led the Food Structure group at the Agriculture and Food Business Unit – a position that saw her working on healthier foods that retain palatability and nutrition-uptake in the body. Her expertise in food design includes advanced food manufacturing processes and technologies, an expertise she will facilitate for Aurecon’s agri-food clients. Dr Alex Wonhas, Managing Director – Energy, Resources and Manufacturing at Aurecon, said the hiring of Dr Appelqvist will bring advanced technical capability and strategic thought-leadership to Aurecon’s manufacturing business at a time when Australia’s and New Zealand’s agri-business industries are gearing up for growth. “There is growing demand for high-quality and innovative food products from Asian markets. The ANZ agri-food-dairy industry has an opportunity to capture the most lucrative segments of these value-chains,” said Dr Wonhas. “Dr Appelqvist will help our clients implement leading-edge technologies and processes to give them an advantage in these growth markets.” Dr Wonhas said advanced manufacturing techniques – underpinned by new innovative process technologies, sensors, automation and machine learning – could enable higher quality and higher margin products. Aurecon’s food manufacturing practice takes a supply-chain view of the industry and focuses on quality of the product, food safety […]

Manufacture like a boss

Every part manufactured has a story – the story of how something is made, how much something costs, how much something can be sold for, and if you make it again. A good manufacturing story will be filled with precise detail, perfect accuracy, and guide your future based on a truthful history. And this means your customers will want more. Why? The answer is simple – if you are manufacturing you: Master the four key transactions: Purchasing Receipts, Issuing Material, WIP to FG, Shipping/Invoicing. Know your costs (freight, labour, outside services, overhead, other, material) with accurate precision. Price your parts competitively and profitably. Quote your jobs correctly with speed and accuracy. Reduce your risk by knowing and not guessing. When you are doing the above you are making parts faster, making parts better, watching it all in real time, and knowing exactly what everything costs – otherwise known as “manufacturing like a boss”. Prepare to win Manufacturing can be won or lost in how prepared your company is, not just a person. Employees must be well trained to accurately capture data. Garbage in, garbage out. Employees must hold each other accountable. If you see something, say something. Employees must understand daily processes and how each action impacts costing. If you do not know, ask first. Accurate bills and routers When a work order is generated to drive how much and how long it will take to make the parts, the accuracy of the bill of materials and routers impacts runtime, setup, lead times, and quantities. If the lead time is incorrect, it will tell purchasing to order material at the wrong times, leading to overstock of product or expedited fees to get product in. Realistic due dates If the due date on a work order (often driven by sales) is […]

James Hardie appoints Jack Truong as CEO

Louis Gries and Dr. Jack Truong. James Hardie has announced that Dr Jack Truong, currently the Company’s President – International since April 2017, will succeed long-standing CEO Louis Gries as the incoming CEO of James Hardie Industries. Dr Truong who continues to be based out of North America, will be formally appointed to the CEO role toward the end of the company’s 2019 fiscal year, at which time Mr Gries will step down as CEO and from the Board. The Board has determined that a structured transition is in the best interest of shareholders and an approximate six-month handover period has been established, during which time Mr Gries will remain in the CEO role and Dr Truong will become President and Chief Operating Officer with the responsibility of running the Group’s global business. He currently has responsibility for the operations of the Asia Pacific Fibre Cement business and the Europe Building Products business. Jack Truong offers the ideal combination of commercial expertise, operational excellence, and leadership in order to continue to grow the business and maintain the industry-leading performance, across multiple geographies, established by Louis Gries over a long period. Louis Gries joined James Hardie in 1991, becoming CEO in February 2005. During this time James Hardie delivered strong top-line growth and differentiated returns while increasing the market capitalisation from less than A$3.0 billion to A$9.21 billion.

Sludge dewatering solves environmental and disposal issues

A compact and cost-efficient alternative to conventional dewatering technologies is being introduced to Australia and New Zealand to eliminate costs and OH&S hazards associated with damper and heavier output from poultry processing and major food preparation operations. The KDS Multidisc Separator system from CST Wastewater Solutions – requires no washwater, while capturing 90-99 per cent of solids – is engineered to overcome the limitations of technologies such as screw presses, belt presses and centrifuges currently used. Applications include small-to-medium poultry, fish, meat and dairy plants as well as large-scale food and beverage kitchens and catering facilities which face the challenge not only of handling heavy, sticky wet waste, but also the volume and cost and OH&S hazards of transporting such unhygienic material to disposal facilities. Benefits of particular importance to installations for the poultry industry include: Removal of solids from waste streams Dewatering of sludges and solids Screening and dewatering of chicken processing wastes Removal and dewatering of solids from waste waters Dewatering of chemical sludges from DAF floats The largest energy saving KDS unit can handle about 100kg DS (dry solids) an hour at 98 per cent solids capture, to produce this more hygienic and more compact output that is easier and cheaper to handle and transport. Used for dewatering of dissolved air flotation sludge – a very common application throughout waste water operations – The KDS achieves solids capture of 97 per cent thickened sludge at a dryness of 17 per cent. Waste activated sludge dryness levels are typically 15-18 per cent dryness. The high quality, Japanese-manufactured technology: Uses minimal energy, consuming as little as 06kW hr of electricity Operates at low (63dBa) non-intrusive noise and vibration levels Requires minimal daily maintenance, saving cost and enhancing OH&S performance Occupies typically half the space or less of conventional dewatering […]

SYSPRO Australasia appoints new sales manager

Global ERP solutions provider SYSPRO, has appointed Greg Urand in the role of Sales Manager with immediate effect. Greg will be responsible for driving sales aimed at increasing market presence across Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands. Greg has over 20 years of sales management and business development experience in technology having worked for companies including Exact, CCH, Travelport and Targus. He is passionate about empowering multi-faceted teams to drive extensive revenue growth, performance improvements, and business expansion to exceed KPIs and corporate objectives. SYSPRO is a global, independent provider of industry-built ERP software designed to simplify business complexity for manufacturers and distributors. Focused on delivering optimized performance and complete business visibility, the SYSPRO solution is highly scalable, and can be deployed on-premise, in the cloud, or accessed via a mobile device. SYSPRO’s strengths lie in a simplified approach to technology, expertise in a range of industries, and a commitment to future-proofing customer and partner success. SYSPRO has more than 15,000 licensed companies in over 60 countries across six continents.

Phebra unveils $10m upgrade of Sydney manufacturing plant

Leading Australian pharmaceutical firm Phebra has boosted the size and production capacity at its Sydney manufacturing plant with the installation of new European-designed machinery, which can aseptically fill up to 7,500 vials with critical medicines every hour. The Bosch aseptic-filling machine, designed and purpose-built for Phebra, is the centrepiece of a $10 million upgrade of the company’s multi-purpose sterile manufacturing facility at Lane Cove West. Phebra CEO, Dr Mal Eutick, said the new machinery would significantly expand the company’s range of critical medicines produced for local and overseas markets. “Our investment in this state-of-art machinery and ancillary infrastructure, delivers additional production capacity and allows Phebra to meet the demands of future growth, especially export opportunities,” Dr Eutick, said today. “The machinery is supported by a newly approved microbiological testing laboratory and other critical support systems and infrastructure and will ensure we maintain high-levels of compliance along the production line in accordance with Phebra’s best practices and focus on the highest quality.” Dr Eutick said technicians from Bosch spent three months installing and testing the machine with Pheba’s local staff. “The machinery has expanded technical capabilities and skills development for our existing staff and will create new employment opportunities as we ramp-up our production across the range of our critical medicines,” he said. “The new machinery has been successfully installed and secured and testing and validation is currently underway.” *Phebra is an Australian based specialty pharmaceutical company which develops, manufactures and markets critical medicines in Australia and across the world.

DECO has new manufacturing facility

Australian-owned Decorative Imaging Pty Ltd (DECO) has announced it has signed agreements to acquire a new manufacturing facility in Airds Road Minto, New South Wales. The new facility, which is currently operated by metal finishing specialist Impreglon Australia Pty Ltd, will be available for operation by DECO from 2 October 2018. This facility will considerably increase DECO’s ability to offer a wider range of surface finishes for architectural and industrial applications and will support the further expansion of this rapidly growing, family-owned Australia manufacturing business. The facility’s current powder coating operation will also be upgraded to Qualicoat standards, so as to enhance DECO’s capability to provide excellent quality and service to its valued customers. DECO will relocate its business operations to the new site in January 2019.

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3D printing aircraft parts using new laser technology

A team of RMIT University researchers led by Professor Milan Brandt are using laser metal deposition technology to build and repair defence aircraft parts in a two-year collaboration with RUAG Australia and the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC). The technology feeds metal powder into a laser beam, which when scanned across a surface adds new material in a precise, web-like formation. The metallurgical bond created has mechanical properties similar, or in some cases superior, to those of the original material. “It’s basically a very high-tech welding process where we make or rebuild metal parts layer by layer,” explains Brandt, who says the concept is proven and prospects for its successful development are extremely positive. Head of Research and Technology at RUAG Australia, Neil Matthews, says that by enabling onsite repair and production of parts, the technology could completely transform the concept of warehousing and transporting for defence and other industries. Currently, replacement parts typically need to be transported from local or overseas storage and suppliers. “Instead of waiting for spare parts to arrive from a warehouse, an effective solution will now be on-site,” says Matthews. “For defence forces this means less downtime for repairs and a dramatic increase in the availability and readiness of aircraft.” The technology will apply to existing legacy aircraft as well as the new F35 fleet. The technology is also being adopted in RUAG’s recently established robotic laser additive manufacturing cell. A move to locally printed components could mean big savings on maintenance and spare part purchasing, scrap metal management, warehousing and shipping costs. An independent review, commissioned by BAE Systems, estimated the cost of replacing damaged aircraft components to be more than $230 million a year for the Australian Air Force. CEO and Managing Director of the IMCRC, David Chuter, believes application of this technology […]

A circular future with stewardship at the centre

Adele Rose – 3R Chief Executive Mention the term ‘product stewardship’ to the first person you bump into on the street and chances are you will be met with a blank look. Suggest that manufacturers and retailers should take responsibility for the products they make and sell throughout the lifetime of those products (the definition of product stewardship), and the blank look will probably turn into a puzzled one. Fast-forward to the year 2050 and this will be a different story. The terms ‘sustainably produced’, ‘fair trade’, ‘organically grown’ and the like were little known or not even coined 20 or 30 years ago but are now part of everyday life. In the same way talking about product stewardship will certainly be common place 32 years from now. The reason for this is product stewardship is a cornerstone of the circular economy – another little-known phrase which will certainly become common place long before 2050. The circular economy is the economy of the future, and ironically also one from the past. Circular principals In generations past there was a far higher value placed on things. When your TV broke you didn’t immediately throw it away, you had it repaired if possible. Things like children’s toys were more durable and weren’t bought on mass. We generally had less stuff, and the stuff we had lasted longer, was repaired and reused. Simply getting rid of something and buying new wasn’t the knee-jerk reaction it is today. Moving to a circular economy isn’t about nostalgia or an ideologically nice thing to do. It’s also not because it’s the environmentally responsible thing to do, but rather because the linear economy and its basis of infinite growth from finite resources is intrinsically flawed and cannot survive. We cannot survive it. In a future in which […]

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