N E W S ARANZ Medical named Supreme Innovator of the Year Rockwell Automation: achieving a Connected Mine www.engineeringnews.co.nz 7 ARANZ Medical, a specialist in 3D scanning and informatics solutions for the healthcare sector, has been named the winner of the Bayer Supreme Innovator of the Year in the 2016 New Zealand Innovators Awards. The company was also named the winner of the Innovation in Technology Solutions category for its key innovations Silhouette and FastScan. Dr Bruce Davey, ceo of ARANZ Medical says, “This is a wonderful acknowledgement for our dedicated team who are passionate about developing innovative technology to help people heal people. We’ve replaced some of the most primitive processes in healthcare that hadn’t seen any innovation in decades with highly innovative and sophisticated yet easyto use medical technology.” ARANZ Medical’s 3D scanning and information solutions for skin and wound assessment transform clinical assessment processes, improve quality of care, and make healthcare more cost-effective. Key innovations include: Silhouette, an FDA-approved advanced wound surveillance system which supports precise and productive wound management in clinical practice and research; and FastScan which enables the custom-fit of orthotics and prosthetics. Dr Davey says, “We can help improve the lives of millions of people worldwide, including high risk groups such as diabetes sufferers and the elderly, by empowering healthcare providers to address challenging medical problems in wound care and orthotics/prosthetics. "Silhouette and FastScan literally shed light on changes in the skin with a level of accuracy and ease that has not been possible before, so healthcare providers can make better-informed decisions that could lead to better healing outcomes.” The company’s technology is being used in over 35 countries in a range of settings from clinical researchers in rural Africa studying the Buruli ulcer, one of the most neglected tropical diseases, to the largest healthcare providers in the US and UK. Dr Davey says demand for their technology is being driven by diseases like diabetes, an ageing population, more accountable healthcare and the emerging telehealth trend. Earlier this year the Christchurch based company won a Global ICT Excellence Award presented by the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) in Brazil. ARANZ Medical was also recently named a Supreme Winner at the Champion Canterbury Awards and was named as one of the Ten Hot Emerging Companies in the TIN100 Report. Improved ACC governance but risks remain The latest consultation on the level of ACC levies demonstrates the improved governance of the ACC scheme, says BusinessNZ. The proposed levies for 2017-19 are lower than in previous years across most ACC accounts, reflecting the fact that most accounts are now over-funded - containing more funds than needed to reach ‘fully funded’ status. BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope says employers, employees and others paying ACC levies would welcome the fact that excess funding was being returned to levy payers over time. “The recent passing of the Accident Compensation (Financial Responsibility and Transparency) Act has introduced a much more transparent process for levy determination,” Mr Hope says. “This Act has proved a major breakthrough in minimising - although not yet completely eliminating - the risks associated with government intervention in the levy setting process. “It is also pleasing to see a proposal to review the Motor Vehicle Account, in light of concerns that this account is out of step with other ACC accounts, through its continuing subsidisation of motor cycle accident costs by other road users. This continuing subsidy is inconsistent with the new transparent approach to levy setting. “It is also pleasing to see work being done to increase incentives for safe workplace practice, and business would like to contribute to this work to ensure an incentives system that is a clear improvement on incentive schemes currently in place.” BusinessNZ submission on the ACC levy consultation 2017-19 at www.businessnz.org.nz. The volatile commodities markets are forcing many mining operators to pursue solutions that maximise yield recoveries and improve operational efficiencies. Mining companies also face a growing skills shortage, driving the need to incorporate new systems and technologies for greater connectivity and improved information sharing. These challenges require mining companies to better understand operations, improve performance and reduce safety risks. Rockwell Automation has outlined key steps operators can take to achieve these goals through the creation of a connected mine. Through the convergence of information technology and operations technology, mining operators have the ability to streamline data management, gather better insights and predict recoveries. By collecting data from various equipment and distributed points, operators and managers are also able to make improvements across the operation – from hitting daily targets to improving asset performance and throughput. Much of the same data, pulled from a mine’s production infrastructure, can be used to produce more accurate energy reporting and forecasting, helping to optimise asset utilisation and energy efficiency without impacting output. “Controllers, smart devices and software in a connected mine can give you access to thousands of points of process and machine data that, until now, have been inaccessible,” says Geoff Irvine, mining industry manager, Rockwell Automation. “Throughput sensors can monitor feed and processing rates, flow, viscosity and other variables to help improve asset performance.” Rockwell Automation is also working with mining companies to establish a purpose-built control floor, giving workers real-time visibility across operations. Autonomous mining, and remote monitoring and control solutions impact overall employee safety across the entire supply chain. Modern distributed control systems enable fully integrated operations for flexibility and rapid decision-making. Companies looking to gain new flexibility in an effort to meet future supply-chain demands need to take the necessary actions to migrate control systems. Updating historically disparate systems will create a new level of operational intelligence and improved productivity for mining operators.
EN-Nov16
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