Strattera, New Zealand’s voice of the minerals industry, keeps careful tabs on what’s happening globally in the industry, including reference to Deloitte’s “Tracking the Trends 2015” that identifies the top ten issues mining companies will face this year, some of which provide some useful insights for the New Zealand metals industry. One of these insights…
As mentioned in our last HERA News, the HERA Executive supported an ongoing research activity run by HERA to gather more specific data characterising our heavy engineering industry. This research activity included a proposal for the performance of a benchmarking study of the structural steel fabrication industry as a pilot for other subsectors subject to…
For the first time in New Zealand, the Above Ground Geothermal and Allied Technologies (AGGAT) program will be presented on an international scale. The date and venue for this conference will be on the 30th April at the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland. The Conference focuses on above ground geothermal engineering, with an emphasis…
As reported, HERA House is in last phase of an extensive $2m refurbishment which allowed us to catch up with long deferred maintenance, provide for a more efficient use of space, and give the metals industry a meeting place with a more contemporary and future-focused industry look. HERA has just received confirmation that the Minister…
Simon Bridges, MP for Tauranga and Minster for Energy and Resources, recently visited HERA member company BOP Gear Cutters Ltd at their Mt Maunganui operation where he toured the 650m2 purpose-built facility with Managing Director Bill Ross. A highlight of the tour was an opportunity to see a large wind turbine gear being worked on.…
Following the successful contract renewal of the Above Ground Geothermal and Allied Technologies (AGGAT) programme with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the AGGAT Team research leaders kicked off the new year with a meeting to discuss project plans. The additional members in the group are primarily from the University of Auckland and…
The International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) has launched a new publication on Stainless Steel in Agricultural Applications. From a simple feeding pail to the most advanced fully robotised milking equipment, stainless steel is found on farms in numerous applications, where it is an alternative to plastics, light metal and galvanised steel. This new brochure from…
3D printing and additive manufacturing are two of the newest and most discussed topics in design and manufacturing in recent years. A component can be created in almost any shape using successive layers of material, making rapid prototyping and manufacturing a reality and bringing with it low one-off manufacturing costs. What impact can engineering analysis…
It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Dr Nigel Priestley, who was most well-known for his leadership of the investigation of the Canterbury Television (CTV) building collapse. Priestley gave evidence to the Canterbury earthquakes Royal Commission and chaired a panel that examined the collapse of the CTV and Pyne Gould…
According to Matt Roberts, Executive Director of the Energy Storage Association in the USA, “markets are born at the intersection of policy, technology and opportunity.” This is a simple but fairly profound statement and highlights what should be obvious, which is that policy, technology and opportunity working together make things happen. It’s a bit like…
Quality management of structural welding fabrication The introduction of the Steel Fabricator Certification (SFC) scheme in 2014 was an important milestone for NZ’s structural steel fabrication industry. This half-day seminar will provide comprehensive insights on how to specify welding quality requirements, how a QA system such as the SFC is to be established, and how…
The New Zealand heavy metals-engineering industry had an outstanding year of growth. The 12 monthly rolling total for heavy steel usage to the end of September stood at 151,000 tonnes p.a., while a year earlier it was 130,000 tonnes p.a., an increase of close to 16%. However, the fact remains that the industry is still…