Category Archives: The Xpress Engineer

With diesel costs and emissions pressures tightening across agriculture, bearings may not be the first place farmers look for savings – but they should be, says Chris Johnson, managing director at specialist supplier SMB Bearings. “Every tractor, combine, baler or conveyor depends on bearings to keep parts moving, but those same bearings also create resistance,”ContinueContinue reading “How better bearings can cut farm fuel use”

With entries closing on November 30 for the inaugural Most Valuable Coach (MVC) award, nominations from across New Zealand have highlighted a remarkable group of workplace mentors shaping New Zealand’s skilled workforce. More than 165 entries have been received by industry training organisation Competenz, covering every corner of the country and every section of theContinueContinue reading “Nationwide search for NZ’s top trades coach closes soon”

New Zealand’s food industry adheres to rigorous quality and safety standards recognised globally. Concurrently, the nation demonstrates leadership in sustainability, as manufacturers continually strive to balance operational efficiency with environmental stewardship. Advanced inspection systems play an integral role in supporting these objectives. Fortress Technology understands this dual challenge. Too often, large-scale machinery is excluded fromContinueContinue reading “Built to last, designed to evolve”

More than two years after the loss of a key piece of machinery, Meridian’s West Wind Farm is back to full health and once again making the most of Wellington’s wild wind. In May 2023, West Wind Farm – on Wellington’s western hills – developed a problem with one of its two transformers that meantContinueContinue reading “Collaboration the key in marathon effort to restore West Wind Farm”

When it comes to inspirational tradies, it’s hard to go past recently qualified general engineering apprentice Billy Robinson. The Ashburton 37-year-old dropped out of school at just 14, after years spent struggling with numeracy and literacy. He tried his hand at a host of different jobs (from dairy and crop farming to gold mining andContinueContinue reading “Ashburton father overcomes challenges and thrives in engineering apprenticeship”

Mount Maunganui-based aerospace engineer Keshika Warnakula has been named a 2025 Aerospace & Defence Rising Star by SAE Media Group, with the announcement published in Aerospace & Defence Technology magazine in the United States. The award recognises outstanding emerging talent shaping the future of the global aerospace industry. As a senior flight mechanics design engineerContinueContinue reading “Rising star: Kiwi engineer recognised on global stage”