Simon Bickerton University of Auckland professor of Mechanical Engineering Simon Bickerton has had an interesting time of it over the past few years as a result of his break from academia and ultimate return. Going back, this Auckland native completed his bachelor of mechanical engineering degree at the University of Auckland in 1993. Thereafter he completed his PhD at the University of Delaware’s Centre for Composite Materials in 1998. Since 1999 his main research focus area has been fibre-reinforced plastics or composite materials used for modern vehicles, sport equipment and the like. He says of significance is understanding and developing cost-effective manufacturing processes for industry which is cost oriented. Taking a break from academia in 2012, 2013 and 2014, Bickerton took up a full-time secondment to the BMW Group in Munich, Germany. This role saw him working in the department responsible for the manufacture of carbon fibre plastics for the chassis BMW’s i3 electric vehicle and the i8 hybrid sportscar. Of interest is that the i3 is selling quite well but the i8 is a bit too expensive for most according to Bickerton. He was lured back to academia in 2015 when he took up the his current post as Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He is also currently director of the University of Auckland’s Centre for Advanced Composite Materials and its Innovative Manufacturing and Materials Programme. 26 Annual Directory 2017 Simon Hartley Simon Hartley is Unitec’s project manager for vehicle development. He grew up in Taupo surrounded by the great outdoors and access to his father’s toolshed for recreation. Since a young age Hartley showed an avid interest in all things mechanical and electrical as well as being a “huge petrol head” as manifest in his repair and racing of motor bikes and rally cars and participation in motorsports at age 13. Alongside this passion existed the pull to computers. This saw him working as a computer technician part time until he left high school. He then worked for a few years as a mechanical engineer before returning to computers. By age 23 Hartley had itchy feet which motivated his move to Australia where he managed the multimillion dollar parts department of Surfside Buslines as well as re-establishing Global Auto Spares as the market leader and preferred supplier in the Currumbin community. In 2012 Hartley returned to New Zealand to study, completing his bachelor of automotive engineering degree in 2014 and winning the esteemed ‘senior scholar’ award. He went on to become a lecturer of automotive and mechanical engineering, all the while continuing to study and finally completing a masters of design degree in 2016. His most recent projects include building a hydrogen fuel cell utility vehicle, a programmable engine management computer and a portable engine test rig for tertiary education. Dr Thomas Krom Dr Thomas Krom is leading ARANZ Geo’s endeavours in the engineering and environmental area. He has been working in this area since he got his masters in geological engineering in 1988, and has enjoyed an active career in New Zealand, North America and Europe. His speciality is hydrogeology, focusing on uncertainty in groundwater models used for contaminated sites as well as fresh waters. He pushes the use of new techniques in real-world problems as well as making sure that the results are usable and understandable by all stakeholders. Over his career his interest has spanned early applications of geostatistics to support understanding of uncertainty in both geology as well as contaminant spreading. This involved work with the Centre for Geostatistics at the Paris School of Mines and later - during PhD and post-doctorate work - his ideas were integrated into the application of optimisation technology. That too included cooperation between industry such as power companies and universities like Stanford, USGS and Danmarks Technical University. Krom has been actively engaged in developing new applications around the world for ARANZ Geo’s tools since 2008. Wolfgang Scholz The New Zealand Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) director Wolfgang Scholz looks back on 2016 as yet another typical year for an industry organisation which combines the function of a research association with that of a member-based industry association. “On the innovation front the most exciting development was my ‘Factory of the Future’ study tour to Germany which greatly exposed me to the German ‘Industry 4.0’ development,” says Scholz. “Presenting on the ‘Industry 4.0’ development at numerous occasions, including at the Hayley Media EMEX presentation series, helped to put this fourth industrial revolution on the New Zealand industry development map and I am pleased to see that Engineering News now also runs a specific section on this.” On the advocacy front HERA’s general conviction that some Wayne Driver Wayne Driver is managing director for SMC Australia and New Zealand. Through the close relationship between Driver’s father Peter Driver and the chairman of SMC Pneumatics in Japan, Australia became the first SMC company outside Japan in 1980. This was the beginning of a worldwide expansion that saw SMC in Australia become the blueprint for the 80 countries which followed and became permeated by the customer-centric Japanese business approach and high standards of quality. As a result of being so close to the business and growing up in this way, SMC and the Japanese way of dealing with customers became an inherent part of Driver’s DNA. It is no wonder then that he was appointed managing director of SMC New Zealand in 1997, and was based in New Zealand for a period seven years. Today the company’s sales team of 88 sales people are feet on the ground, communicating feedback on customer requirements. The company has set up manufacturing facilities in five locations and its 18 full-time engineers design bespoke customers solutions to make sure customer requirements are always met. “The Japanese way of doing business is to please the customer,” concludes Driver. “The company exists because of customers and staying innovative and designing for their unique requirements is what drives me.” steel products had not been conforming to specification – confirmed by negative reviews - has been addressed. “The most noteworthy outcome was the nearly unanimous steel construction sector agreement ‘that all critical building products independent of material should be third party verified’,” points out Scholz. He adds that it is heartening to see that the sector is leading by example and is now implementing this policy in 2016’s Steel Fabrication Certification (SFC) scheme. This year - only the second year of SFC scheme operation - saw the 21st company certified. This represents around 75% of New Zealand’s fabrication capacity. “I congratulate the industry on this fantastic achievement which is making it worthwhile for me to go to work every day even after 30 years with HERA,” concludes Scholz. WHO'S WHO
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