Industry event a ‘must see’

Industry event a ‘must see’

EMEX 2012 is not to be missed by engineering, machinery and electronics industry professionals according to those in the know.

“The buzz this year is amazing,” says EMEX 2012 sales manager, Rob Lavender. “It’s looking like the best EMEX yet, and what I’m hearing from the 150-plus brands and exhibitors indicates it will exceed all expectations.”

One of the most exciting – and interesting – stands will be the New Zealand universities presence. Eight of the country’s leading institutions will show what the best and brightest have created, and what’s just over the horizon for the industry. They’ll also be showing that innovative engineering can have applications for business beyond the theoretical.

“Few sports would celebrate the natural environment as much as surfing but surfboard manufacture can be a toxic business,” says surfer and AUT product design graduate Michael Grobelny who has designed a strong, lightweight and eco-friendly wooden surfboard which eliminates the use of polyurethane foam, fibreglass and polyester resin. “I was inspired by the Hawaiians who invented surfing and used solid wooden surfboards, and researched different types of timber looking for something strong, light and sustainable. I settled on paulownia, a fast growing, locally available wood which is becoming popular in surfboard construction.”

In AUT’s product design workshop Michael had use of a CNC (computer numerical controlled) router which he used to shape the overall form of the surfboard and remove excess material to create an internal honeycomb structure. This buoyant body was then sealed with a bamboo veneer deck before being coated with a biodegradable varnish. The resulting board, weighing 3.3kilograms and measuring 1.9 x 0.5 M has the skeletal strength and high performance qualities obtained by synthetic short boards.

Michael’s wooden surfboard was a finalist in the IDEA, International Design Awards competition run by Industrial Design of America, and won the industrial design category of the Australasian Student Design Awards 2011.

First-time exhibitor Powerbox Pacific is another of those planning to make every visitor’s trip well worthwhile says general manager Alistair Jeffcoat. “Our smart solutions to power supply issues offer clients all over New Zealand a wide product range to suit any need. We specialise in AC-DC and DC–DC power supplies for a wide range of applications and sectors. Battery chargers and inverters are also no problem. Visitors will be able to examine industrial grade Din Rail PSUs with single and three phase AC inputs, chassis mount AC-DC PSUs, DC-DC converters, battery backup/DC UPS PSUs, and DC-AC inverters for remote sites.”

Rodney Oxford, managing director of Total CNC Products says visitors will see the new Vturn A26/130YCV lathe and the VC-A85 machining centre at EMEX 2012. “Everyone can see first-hand why Victor-Taichung has been so successful with these new models. They are simply superb in design, quality and value! A built-in oil cooled spindle assures high consistent accuracy (high Cpk value) because of no vibration from belts and longer service life because of no belt tension involved. The new A-series range of lathes and machining centres are Victor’s biggest export machine tool to the demanding Japanese, Swiss and German markets.”

CIGWELD’s Ken Durbin says EMEX 2012 visitors will be able to check out the new and versatile Transmig Multi-process inverters. “The new range has created quite a stir. The CIGWELD Transmig Series 3-in-1 multi process welding systems are changing the game in welding. They’ve set a new standard for portable welding equipment that delivers 3-in-1 MIG, Stick and TIG capability from one integrated system. The versatility of the Transmig Multi-process inverters means that you only need one machine to complete a range of jobs. For example a metal fabricator who is using a Transmig Inverter to build a steel staircase would be able to use all three welding processes to assist in completing the one job.”

Welding is often about joining things together, but cutting materials is the other side of the engineering and manufacturing coin. Roadrunner Ltd will highlight the Omax Maxiem line of cost-efficient, industry-standard waterjet cutting technology at EMEX 2012. One of the units is the Maxiem 1530, which in order to achieve position accuracy, uses exclusive Intelli-TRAX drive technology. The drive system is fully enclosed inside coated steel covers, making the 1530 robust and well suited for harsh environments.

Eduardo Morales says EMEX 2012 visitors to the AEC Systems stand will see how the latest version of Autodesk software will help lead the way in bringing your ideas to life. “Our technical consultants team has years of experience in engineering roles and will be there to show you the latest technology in the industry. They have built their skills and experience on digital prototyping and design tools such as FEA and mechanical simulation. Come talk to us and discover the advantages.”

EMEX 2012’s Rob Lavender says that’s just a glimpse of the event. “More than 150 of the industry’s top brands will excite and thrill around 4000 visitors. There is a great programme of seminars (including a leading Economist from BNZ), great networking opportunities, and fantastic show-only promotions from Ford for EMEX 2012 – plus the chance to win a brand new Ford Transit worth more than $50,000. Visitors will be able to enter the draw on Ford’s stand in Hall 3.

Along with all the new technology on display from exhibitors, XPO will be piloting at EMEX an event smartphone app to help visitors plan their visit and interact with exhibitors. The app is free to download prior to and at the event. Download from your app provider or on the website http://www.showgizmo.com/download-showgizmo - login with your email address and the password: emexnz12 to access exhibitor details and material, seminar schedule, floor plans and more.

EMEX 2012 is on 1 to 3 May at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland. It is endorsed by IPENZ and HERA There’s more information at www.emex.co.nz. Industry professionals wanting to visit EMEX can also find details on the website on how to register and get free entry.

ENDS

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