N E W S RAPID.TECH TO REACH HYPERSPEED The aerospace industry is in the vanguard when it comes to integrating Additive Manufacturing (AM) and 3D Printing into parts manufacturing and spare parts supply. Now, the sector is preparing to reach yet further heights by becoming even faster, more qualified and more industrialised using Additive Manufacturing. At Rapid.Tech, international trade show and conference for Additive Manufacturing, which takes place from June 14–16 2016 in Erfurt, the Trade Forum ‘Aviation’ is discussing trends and new developments. http://tinyurl.com/RTECHreg A NEW GROUND PLAN The University of Canterbury has signed a partnership with geotechnical engineering firm Pells Sullivan Meynink to sponsor a new senior lecturer position in Engineering Geology in the Department of Geological Sciences for five years. Engineering Geology began at the University of Canterbury as a BSc Honours programme in the late 1960s. This evolved into a full MSc Engineering Programme in 1980. The only full degree programme of its kind in Australasia, the UC programme is of strategic importance to the geotechnical industry in the region. NMW 2016 ON CHECK With just over two months left until National Manufacturing Week 2016, the Sydney Olympic Park Dome is nearly sold out. If you have been thinking of exhibiting at NMW this could be your last chance to book your preferred stand before it disappears. With an impressive line-up of high profiled speakers presenting on hot topics, including five manufacturer’s sharing their case studies, live demonstrations on the exhibition floor, and the co-location with Safety First Conference & Expo, and Inside 3D printing, NMW 2016 is expected to draw in the crowds. http://tinyurl.com/NMWshow16 8 May 2016 Martin Aircraft has replaced the engine in its jetpacks with a rotary engine from UK-based Gilo Industries Group. The engine will be supplied by Gilo’s wholly-owned subsidiary Rotron Power, which has been specifically adapted for unmanned air vehicles. Testing has been underway since last year. Christchurch-based Martin Aircraft says it had never planned for the custom-designed and built two-stroke V4 engine it has used in developing its jetpacks to date to be its commercial offering and it began investigating other options in June 2015. That testing will continue as the company moves to align the engine delivery with the production build, it said. “The Rotron engine delivers greater fuel and payload flexibility, improved operational range and a multi-mission capability that fits well with our product development roadmap for the Martin Jetpack and Jetpack products,” chief executive Peter Coker says. The engine has a higher power-to-weight ratio than any other specific engine while remaining small, lightweight and reliable with almost zero vibration, the company says, making it an ideal engine for manned and unmanned aircraft. Last August, Martin Aircraft reported an annual loss of $5.2 million as it continues developing the world’s first commercial jetpack. The 17-year-old company has said it hopes to make first deliveries in the second half of this year, with a personal jetpack available from the second quarter of 2017. The machine can be flown by a pilot or remote control and its potential uses include search and rescue, military, recreational, and commercial applications. It can fly for up to 30 minutes at a maximum speed of 74 kilometres an hour at an altitude of 1,000 metres. The Christchurch-based company raised $28 million in an initial public offering on the Australian Stock Exchange in February 2015, which saw Chinese entrepreneurial investor KuangChi Science become the largest shareholder with 22.7 percent. Martin Aircraft shares last traded at 45 Australian cents, below the 60 Australian cents listing price but ahead of the 40 Australian cents IPO issue price. VANZ TO FIRE UP QUEENSTOWN If you are a reliability engineer, or a person managing a program (or hoping to start a condition monitoring or reliability improvement program) then the VANZ conference in Queenstown is for you, starting May 10. The Asset Management Awareness Day features a host of great topics and programmes including: Justifying the program and selling it to senior management; Understanding criticality and failure modes;; Designing the maintenance program: condition based maintenance, preventive maintenance and run-tofailure maintenance, Condition monitoring technology overview; Precision skills: alignment, balancing, lubrication and more; Defect elimination: optimising design, procurement, MRO spares management, planning, scheduling, maintenance and operation; and Implementing a successful and sustainable initiative Presentations and guest speakers in the main conference are: Tod Baer: Building a CM program and sustaining it over 30 years; Tod Baer: The triangle of sustained reliability (O&M management program, materials management program, reliability engineering program; Mark Gurney: High return on investment motor management; Mark Gurney: Managing the reliability culture; Dare Petreski: Easy wins for improving plant reliability and plant performance; Dare Petreski: A practical look at the hidden cost of cost cutting; Rejwan Ali: What is a smart investment in maintenance?; and David Barker: How the power of data can help manage your assets Visit www.vanz2016.co.nz REGISTRATION WEBSITE Martin aircraft secures supply of newly developed engines
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