Stirring The Pot

Bridging innovation: 3D printing

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we talk with MX3D CEO Gijs Van der Velden - all the way from the Netherlands!

His company has a clear mission to introduce the advantages of 3D metal printing to new, high impact industries. Designing intelligent, robust and easy to use robotic additive manufacturing technology to enable users to 3D print large objects in metal.

He’s also the creator of the first of its kind 3D printed steel footbridge in Amsterdam, and we’re excited to have him as key speaker at our Future Forum – 20/20 VISION next year. 

In this podcast we'd like to introduce a new way of thinking around 3D printing within our membership, and spark thinking around it's potential for our future of business.

 

Connect with Gijs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gijs-van-der-velden-2b795112/

 

Connect with MX3D

Website: https://mx3d.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mx3d/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mx3dbridge

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mx3d.metal.printing/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxyC9Aae05wP5U5_U0avzAg

 

Want to hear more from Gijs? Come to our Future Forum - 20/20 VISION conference next year!

Find out more & register today! http://bit.ly/2020VIS

Got a question? Contact our Event Manager: brian.low@hera.org.nz

 

Sustainable product development with EPD’s

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we talk with NZ Steel Environment Manager Claire Jewell and Fletcher Steel Marketing and Innovation Manager and Former Technical Manager, Scott Morrison.

We delve into their work in environmental product declarations (or EPD’s for short), the process they’ve gone through to achieve them, and the benefits of doing so. 

This is a great podcast to gain visibility into what our NZ metals industry is moving to do, in order to meet the growing need to address sustainability, natural capital and climate change.

We hope it also inspire other companies to look more closely at what they’re doing and how they can adopt similar practices and also align to a transformation agenda in this space.

 

Connect with New Zealand Steel

Website: https://www.nzsteel.co.nz/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-zealand-steel/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NewZealandSteel

 

Connect with Fletcher Steel

Website: https://www.fletchersteel.co.nz/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fletcher-steel/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fletchersteelnz/

 

Connect with Scott:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-morrison-9aaa2515/

 

Become a member of the Sustainable Steel Council

Website: https://www.sustainablesteel.org.nz/

Become a member: https://www.sustainablesteel.org.nz/become-a-member/

 

An industry partnership with government to address skill & labour shortages

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we talk with Amanda Nicolle - Director of Industry Partnerships at the Ministry of Social Development.

She leads an MSD initiative to create strategic partnerships with industries and employers that have skill and labour shortages. Working with them to identify the skills required, and how their programs and services can be tailored to meet these specific needs. Their aim being to ensure our industry is able to hire employees with the right skills when they need them.

We get to the nuts and bolts of this program - how it works, how it'll benefit our industry, what it involves and how it fits in with ITO's and the changes happening in this space.

 

 

Find out more about the Industry Partnership Program:

Mana in mahi: https://workandincome.govt.nz/employers/subsidies-training-and-other-help/mana-in-mahi.html

Skills for industry: https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/employers/subsidies-training-and-other-help/skills-for-industry.html

 

Join Kotahitanga - our HR innovation cluster group:

A group of like-minded people interested in exploring new ways to better attract and retain staff provided access to practical tools, expert advice and workshops that are all geared towards creating a stronger employee experience. 

Contact Greg for details: gbuckley@hera.org.nz

 

 

Making seismic steel fabrication more cost effective

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we're excited to share the expertise of our very own technical team at HERA - General Manager Welding Centre, Michail Karpenko, Finite Element Analyst Nandor Mago & PhD Scholarship Recipient and (since recording) now team member – Hafez Taheri.

They’re giving insight into the seismic research program they've been working on to specify weld details for critical seismic connections in New Zealand. A move, which will make steel fabrication more cost effective while ensuring adequate performance of the connection in service.

Join us as we chat about how this research is relevant to designers, fabricators & NZ's built environment, as well as future collaborations and opportunities, and how we'll be sharing our research benefits to industry moving forward.

 

Connect with Michail or find out about joining our Design Innovation Cluster

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michail-karpenko-4ab13730/

Email: mkarpenko@hera.org.nz

 

Connect with Nandor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandor-mago-aa362751/

Email: nandor.mago@hera.org.nz

 

Connect with Hafez

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hafez-taheri-7a238859/

Email: hafez.taheri@hera.org.nz

 

Avoid death by a thousand cuts and automate!

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we talk with Professor Chris Cook who is the Former Executive Dean of Engineering at the University of Wollongong in Sydney, Australia.

He was involved with the Facility for Intelligent Fabrication - who deliver expertise, technology, equipment and training in automating steel fabrication to help manufacturing businesses adapt and compete. Their knowledge and resources drawing on decades of research-based welding and automation expertise and training.

He also was part of a trip to New Zealand with colleague John Norrish to identify opportunities for improvement and automation at some of our member companies. Conducting audits and offering in-depth insight into the latest developments in the field of welding automation while here.

This podcast i great if you want to explore smarter ways of doing things, IP concerns, examples of automation in action and more.

 

Connect with Chris

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-cook-4096881/

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/350285397

 

Join our automation innovation cluster

Contact our Welding and Research Engineer, Holger Heinzel: holger.heinzel@hera.org.nz

Read more about our automation cluster works: https://www.hera.org.nz/automation-defence-clusters/

 

Learn more about automation & join us at our 20/20 Vision this 21 February 2020!

Register: https://www.hera.org.nz/event/futureforum-2020/

Got a question? Email Brian: brian.low@hera.org.nz

Welding through the lens of Industry 4.0

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we talk with Kemppi Managing Director David Green.

David is very familiar with global technology trends in welding, and Kemppi is also a key sponsor of our Future Forum 20/20 Vision conference being held next year.

We start with the 'so what?' of Welding 4.0 and why adoption by industry is pivotal if we're to remain competitive, improve quality and streamline productivity. There’s no escaping the gravitational pull of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. So, deciding what we do about the new machine era will be the single biggest influence on what our future success looks like.

This boils down to leaders shifting their mindset away from just dollars in the bank right now. Instead, allocating and protecting a pool of resources and investment solely focused on the future - while of course, also running business as usual!

 

Connect with David

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-green-7a40b9b1/

https://www.kemppi.com/en-US/

 

Join us at our 20/20 Vision on 21 February 2020!

Register: https://www.hera.org.nz/event/futureforum-2020/

Got a question? Email Brian: brian.low@hera.org.nz

 

 

How to speak LSF.

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we talk with Tim Ng – Deputy Secretary and Chief Economic Adviser for Treasury.

Together, we discuss the Governments Living Standards Framework – or LSF for short. A newly developed and broader way of looking at things which has been used to help Government decide it’s five Wellbeing Budget priorities.

Most importantly we relate it back to NZ’s metals industry, and why we should care.

 

More about Tim

Tim Ng is a  macroeconomist by training, and an expert in the area of monetary, fiscal and financial system policy.   He’s been with the Treasury for a number of years, but has also worked for the Reserve Bank and as an economist at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland and at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

 

Want to know more about the Treasury’s Living Standards Framework?

Head to their website: www.treasury.govt.nz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nztreasury

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nztreasury/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-zealand-treasury

 

Focuses for our Welding Centre's FY20 research.

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we talk with our General Manager Welding Centre on what research projects his team will be focused on to assist our membership in the New Zealand metals-based industry.

We discuss the Welding Research Panel, who is represented on it, and how they were able to choose the projects to focus on for industry, as well as the projects themselves:

• seismic research program,
• advanced design capability program,
• performance of coastal weathering steels,
• national register for certified welders,
• training and international visitors planned,
• engagement program with SMEs,
• the Innovation Centre initiative,
• Automation and Defence clusters, and
• our future vision for the Welding Centre team. 

This podcast is part of our commitment to provide greater transparency and visibility of the R&D focuses we have.

 

Did you know that HERA members can propose projects for HERA to work on?

Find out more details on the process and how you can tell us about problems you'd like solved through R&D: 

https://www.hera.org.nz/call-panel-projects/

 

Demystify our research levy and how all of industry can leverage it (including SMEs):

https://www.hera.org.nz/hera-research-levy-projects/

Focuses for our Structural Systems FY20 research.

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we talk with our General Manager Structural Systems Stephen Hicks on what research projects our Structural Systems team will be focused on to assist our membership in the New Zealand metals-based industry.

We discuss the Steel Research Panel, who is represented on it, and how they were able to choose the projects to focus on for industry, as well as the projects themselves:

• design software for composite beams and slabs,
• guides for designing composite beams,
• the ROBUST project,
• revisions for design provisions in category 3 seismic load resistance, 
• structural fire design for steel framed car parks,
• development of steel and concrete composite standards for buildings and bridges,
• training and international visitors planned, and
• our future vision for the Structural Systems team.

This podcast is part of our commitment to provide greater transparency and visibility of the R&D focuses we have.

Please note that Stephen is due to leave HERA to pursue an exciting new career as Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Warwick in the UK at the end of July 2019. To ensure continuity we’ve been making sure that his panel projects are handed over to our existing team during his remaining time with us.

We hope this will mean there will be little to no delays in moving these along once a successor is appointed.

 

Did you know that HERA members can propose projects for HERA to work on?

Find out more details on the process and how you can tell us about problems you'd like solved through R&D: 

https://www.hera.org.nz/call-panel-projects/

 

Demystify our research levy and how all of industry can leverage it (including SMEs):

https://www.hera.org.nz/hera-research-levy-projects/

 

 

 

Is pre-fab NZ's missing piece to the housing puzzle?

In this episode of Stirring the Pot, we talk with Pamela Bell. Founder and Former CEO of PrefabNZ whom we crossed paths with due to her involvement on the NZ Construction Industry Council.

Pamela has been on a mission to innovate in New Zealand’s built environment and create a hub for prebuilt design and construction. We were keen to chat to her about this, as prefabrication has come up as one of the top interests our members are keen to explore in our recent innovation survey.

This is a not to be missed episode if you're curious to know if prefabrication could answer Auckland's housing crisis, or if there is sufficient volume of construction for your business to invest in prefabrication. 

Join us as we discuss the benefits of prefabrication, challenges to overcome, relevance of this trend to our metals industry, opportunities for our future pipeline, traceability and conformity to seismic standards, and more.

 

Connect with Pamela:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-bell-2195b564/

 

View the 'How to pre-fab' case studies mentioned in the podcast:

http://www.prefabnz.com/resources

 

View HERA's research to explore light steel framing multi-story buildings in New Zealand:

https://www.hera.org.nz/solving-auckland-housing-crisis/