P U B L I S H E R ’ S D E S K EN070 IT’S A STEEL, IT’S A DEAL: IT’S THE BUY OF THE CENTURY www.engineeringnews.co.nz 3 Tar. Brush. Forever tainted. The recent blowout by Fulton Hogan and HEB Construction over a steel deal that seemed too good to be true - was too good to be true – has left many in the engineering and civil engineering industries with eyes wide open to make sure no suit is followed. Mainstream media hasn’t missed a beat in highlighting that the price was too low to be of compliant standard, with sources saying that the winning bid for the weak steal – imported by Steel & Tube - used in the $458 million Huntly bypass project was about 30 to 40 percent below average market prices of some $1.5m for 1600 tonnes. That cost is a similar one to fix the stuff up and move on. Rumblings through industry have been strong, and Chinese steel has taken another huge hit in reputation. But it isn’t all that way. A recent trip to the South Island by myself and Engineering News’ sales manager Keith Falloon unearthed a Chinese steel that could very well be the real deal: albeit composite. And we found it in Timaru, of all places. Gary Fahey of Composite Solutions, a subsidiary of Dan Cosgrove 2014 Ltd, had alarm bells go off to when he was contacted by the Changsong Group about its composite clad panel. Surely, he thought, the deal was too good to be true but he couldn’t help but envisage multiple product applications. With stainless steel on the faceplate, galvanised on the other, the composite clad panel has a strong macromolecular polymer resin adhesive in between. And yes, although the stainless steel/galvanised composite material has a host of quality assurance paperwork, he took the process a step further and tested it for his own peace of mind. It can be machined, laser cut, bent and punched (P33). And although he admits it will have its limitations the key though is the cost, at a third of the price of regular stainless steel. Local councils are already knocking at his door and so are a host of other product manufacturers. “Imagine it in water, waste water and effluent tanks too, there’s a host of applications where people want the finish of stainless steel and its superior corrosion properties just on one side but also the protection of galvanised steel, which is well accepted on the outside in the atmosphere. This does both, but with a major cost advantage over normal stainless steel. Everyone I show this to experiences that ‘lightbulb moment’ where it clicks and the most common statement is, ‘It just makes sense’, Mr Fahey told us. The composite material is available in 304 and 316 grades of stainless steel and can have copper or aluminium bonded to the galvanised steel as well. Innovative for sure, and the find was just part of a host of products, services and companies doing things right in the deep south. We called in at Scotts Machinery and had a gander at the host of machines on offer in the showroom. Though we needn’t have; in nearly every engineering workshop visited we saw brand new Scotts machines that have recently been installed. Boom, for Scotts, fits. Then on to Contour Engineering (P18) where they impressed by what the tight-knit team were doing. Sitting down with owner Roland Auret, we were flanked by a business mentor one side and marketing guy the other. Contour has an impressive operation and its latest Doosan is just another key investment to ensure it leads the pack in hi-tech machining. There was a similar experience at South Fence Machinery (P30). Its new Okuma CNC machining centre takes pride of place among a host of much, much older Okuma machines. And they are all in working order and contributing to a Kiwi company that is taking its wire fencing machines to the world. We’re already scheduling trips throughout the country, such was the innovation on hand. Engineering News is making it a policy to get around the land more so than ever before because we want to bring you the very best... because in the engineering industry companies are not only competing on the world’s stage, but leading the way. EMEX 2016 was a cracker and the show too is another indicator that Kiwis are making stuff, really good stuff, more than ever before. Exhibitors have reported huge additions to order books. Forget Brexit, the dairy industries continual woes and all the other negativity... engineering and subsequent export from the sector is riding high. Long may it continue to do so. Greg Robertson Publisher, greg@hayleymedia.com
EN-Jul16
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