| |
Nightside News
April 2012
We’re proud to be celebrating 10 years in business in 2012 – a huge milestone for any business. It’s an appropriate time for reflection: with our electricity generator testing solution genassure successfully launched, we have been ‘returning to our roots’ lately and focusing on some exciting new test engineering projects and solutions, a couple of which are outlined below.
We’re also expanding and refocusing our efforts in the North Island with a new Auckland-based staff member, an upcoming exhibit at the EMEX trade show and some great new client projects. No matter where you’re based, Nightside is still the best New Zealand-owned test engineering solutions company. If you have a new idea or a project underway and need some help, give us a ring.
-Peter Brown
Managing Director
|
Welcome Tom Rolfe, Auckland-based Engineer
Tom is a seasoned professional with nearly 25 years of experience in software, instrumentation, electronics and machine maintenance – the last 19 of which were with Fisher and Paykel.
Tom is excited by the diversity of the new role at Nightside and looks forward to working with clients across a range of industries and with a variety of challenges requiring creative technical solutions. Originally from Whangarei, Tom also lived in Sydney for five years before settling in Auckland.
Please join me in welcoming Tom to the Nightside team. |
 |
Come and see us at EMEX 2012
We’ll be showcasing these solutions and more on stand ET7 at the Engineering, Machinery and Electronics Exhibition (EMEX 2012) at the ASB Showgrounds (Hall 2) in Greenlane, Auckland on 1-3 May. There's still time to register, and it's free! |
Case study: Air NZ Gas Turbines
Air New Zealand Gas Turbines specialises in the overhaul and repair of multi-million dollar marine and industrial gas turbines. They have over 50 clients around the world the naval forces of several countries, oil rig operators in the North Sea and power generating companies in the US. |
 |
 |
The team uses a rotating table (“rotab”) in the turbine overhaul process, but the existing rotab machines were beginning to break down and the supply of necessary parts was coming to an end – putting their high-end service business at serious risk.
Nightside designed and built a new system (based on a new manufacturer’s measurement probes that need to closely resemble the old equipment to minimise the training requirement), which resulted in a 25% time savings over the previous system, and much greater accuracy.
For more detail, read the full case study.
|
Case Study: IRL Cryocooler
Industrial Research Limited (IRL), an industry-focused Crown Research Institute, has developed a cryogenic refrigerator or “Cryocooler” which can reach -200 degrees C – enough to turn nitrogen into a liquid. With its robustness the product has potential for valuable applications in industrial settings.
IRL needed help extending the National Instruments hardware and LabVIEW software that monitor and control the Cryocooler during design testing. As the unit spins at 3000rpm it’s important to monitor internal pressure and volume changes along with cryogenic temperatures and a heater for 'dyno' testing. Nightside assisted the internal team and built a data acquisition system to improve ease of testing and automate test runs.
The full case study is coming soon.
|
|
Industry News
Our major technology partner, National Instruments, released their 2012 Embedded Systems Outlook report in February. It highlights some of the most pressing trends and challenges facing design teams building embedded control and monitoring systems. |
|
| |
