DEMM Engineering & Manufacturing Magazine

11/06/2026

Feasibility study of potential for Lithium battery recycling in New Zealand

Phoenix Recycling Group has announced a strategic partnership with Sumitomo Corporation to undertake a prefeasibility study assessing the potential development of an onshore lithium-ion battery processing facility in New Zealand.

The Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) signed between the parties will evaluate the infrastructure, market scale, logistics and processing requirements needed to support local battery pre-processing capability.

The initiative comes in the wake of a directive from the Japanese Government to establish circular return pathways for battery materials. Establishing a domestic resource circulation model that recovers battery resources used both domestically and overseas is viewed as essential to supporting the stable procurement of critical minerals within Japan

Phoenix Recycling Group has announced a strategic partnership with Sumitomo Corporation to undertake a prefeasibility study assessing the potential development of an onshore lithium-ion battery processing facility in New Zealand. The Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) signed between the parties will e...

08/06/2026

element14 Podcast Explores AI, Brain Science and the Next Frontier of Human-Centred Innovation

element14's Top Tech Voices podcast continues its second season with two new episodes exploring how neuroscience, AI and health technology are reshaping the way people think, behave and live.

The latest conversations feature renowned neuroscientist and Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Anil Seth, and Dr Julia Jones, a neuroscientist, former Olympic psychologist and founder of health‑tech start‑up Validity. Both offer a human-first perspective on the future of innovation.

element14's Top Tech Voices podcast continues its second season with two new episodes exploring how neuroscience, AI and health technology are reshaping the way people think, behave and live. The latest conversations feature renowned neuroscientist and Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuros...

04/06/2026

Toyota's New Basketball Robot CUE7 Unveiled

On April 12, 2026, a new teammate made its debut at an Alvark Tokyo home game at Toyota Arena Tokyo. It was CUE7, the newest generation of Toyota’s AI basketball robot, CUE.

Volunteers from the Toyota Engineering Society started the CUE project in 2017 with the goal of developing AI from scratch. In 2019, it succeeded in making 2,020 free throws in a row, earning a Guinness World Record™ for most consecutive free throws by a humanoid robot (assisted).

On April 12, 2026, a new teammate made its debut at an Alvark Tokyo home game at Toyota Arena Tokyo. It was CUE7, the newest generation of Toyota’s AI basketball robot, CUE. Volunteers from the Toyota Engineering Society started the CUE project in 2017 with the goal of developing AI from scratch. ...

02/06/2026

A few highlights from last weeks EMEX show

01/06/2026

Turck’s TIV Camera to revolutionise manufacturing and material handling sectors’ efficiency

AI is enabling self-learning solutions that can be deployed quickly – and on the factory floor - supporting real-time decision-making and process optimisation without the need for extra processing power or Cloud infrastructure” says Geoff Thorp, Managing Director for Turck Australia – one of the country’s leading automation firms.

He points to one of the company’s latest releases – the Turck Intelligent Vision (TIV): an AI-enabled camera for industrial image processing, designed to be deployed at the ‘edge’.

“Equipped with integrated AI, a high-resolution vision sensor and NVIDIA Jetson Nano GPU, it quickly carries out complex image processing tasks independently, increasing the reliability of machine vision inspections as the self-contained camera does not rely on separate processing units, servers or internet connection,” he shares.

Australia’s manufacturing and material handling sectors are turning to imaging technology to tackle operational challenges, with AI-powered solutions driving a new era of productivity and efficiency. “AI is enabling self-learning solutions that can be deployed quickly – and on the factory floo...

28/05/2026

How 3D-Printing Could Help Heal Broken Bones Quicker

New technology could potentially enable badly broken bones to heal stronger and faster, thanks to new research(link is external) at Edith Cowan University (ECU).

Engineering students at ECU’s Centre for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing have taken a big step towards replacing metal plates, traditionally used in surgery to stabilize fractures, with a lighter, smarter and more bone-friendly alternative.

The plates are made from carbon fibre and polylactic acid - but it’s the specially engineered internal lattice patterns that could help accelerate healing.

New technology could potentially enable badly broken bones to heal stronger and faster, thanks to new research at Edith Cowan University (ECU). Engineering students at ECU’s Centre for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing have taken a big step towards replacing metal plates, traditionally used in ...

25/05/2026

Webinar: How NZ's abundant wood energy resource can help gas users remain competitive

Natural Gas availability in New Zealand is declining rapidly, creating an urgent need for commercial and industrial heat users to assess alternative energy options and make informed investment decisions.

This webinar hosted by the Bioenergy Association will compare the capital (Capex) and operating (Opex) costs of industrial process heat generated from biomass(‘wood energy’ or ‘bioHeat’) against electricity and natural gas/LPG. The analysis demonstrates that the annual operating cost of bioHeat is typically less than half that of a gas boiler. Attendees will be guided through these comparisons step-by-step. The webinar is on Jun 23, 2026 02:00 PM

Natural Gas availability in New Zealand is declining rapidly, creating an urgent need for commercial and industrial heat users to assess alternative energy options and make informed investment decisions.

21/05/2026

The true cost of motors

Electric motors are the driving force behind many industrial processes, from pumps and fans to conveyors and mixers. However, while they run in the background, their energy consumption can make up a significant share of operational costs. Understanding exactly what a motor costs to run, and how to reduce that cost, requires more than just looking at the energy bill.

Electric motors are the driving force behind many industrial processes, from pumps and fans to conveyors and mixers. However, while they run in the background, their energy consumption can make up a significant share of operational costs. Understanding exactly what a motor costs to run, and how to r...

18/05/2026

The Nuclear Elephant - World head to speak at Hamilton conference

The energy world is buzzing over the potential for small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors (MMRs). Meta, Google, Amazon and the like are all investing in nuclear energy and nuclear start-ups receive around a fifth of all climate venture funding.

France has just published a roadmap to be completely fossil fuel free by 2050 and the backbone of its transition is nuclear powered electricity.

When New Zealand is in an energy crisis, when indigenous gas is all but expired and when we are reliant on imported coal to keep the lights on, is nuclear energy the elephant in the room? Or is the elephant white?

CEP believes these questions should be addressed from a position of knowledge, not one of ignorance. We have invited the head of the World Nuclear Association, Dr Sama Bilbao y León to address our conference on May 26th to pass on why she believes the world is turning to nuclear energy as a reliable, low carbon energy source and to take our questions on safety and waste.

The energy world is buzzing over the potential for small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors (MMRs). Meta, Google, Amazon and the like are all investing in nuclear energy and nuclear start-ups receive around a fifth of all climate venture funding. France has just published a roadmap to be comp...

11/05/2026

element14 Community launches global celebration for women in STEM

Women are building, testing, teaching and advancing technology worldwide, yet many of their contributions go unrecognized. INSPIRE HER FUTURE aims to highlight their work, encourage more women to share their experiences and create a global collection of stories that reflect the diversity of the STEM community.

“Women are shaping the future of engineering and technology every day, often without visibility or recognition,” said Andreea Teodorescu, Global Director of Product Marketing & element14 Community. “By sharing these stories, we’re creating representation, building connection and helping ensure the next generation sees a place for themselves in STEM.”

element14, an Avnet Community, has launched INSPIRE HER FUTURE, a global celebration recognizing women driving progress across science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Women are building, testing, teaching and advancing technology worldwide, yet many of their contributions go unrecognized.....