Completely composed locally

C-Quip managing director Paul Hackett (left) with Ken Olsen (centre) and Wayne Smith in front of a sleek composite crane destined for a European superyacht.

A new business operating from Massey University's e-centre business incubator at the Albany campus aims to help the marine industry to reduce costs and increase productivity.

Wayne Smith and Ken Olsen have pooled their talents to form Complete Composites, a software developer and consultancy they believe will bring a range of benefits to composite marine projects, including significant cost reductions.

Olsen says smart engineering and process design of each project enables the parts to be produced efficiently, with ease of assembly in mind.

"It is all about looking at the total cost, not just engineering or finishing in isolation, because 80 per cent of manufacturing costs are built in at the design stage," he says.

"We have found that key decisions made early have a significant impact on the ability to complete a project profitably."

The company is developing a software package for best-practice composite manufacturing which will benefit New Zealand and international composite builders.

It has fine-tuned its methods for defining project scope, reducing the parts count, using generic materials and applying a more pure manufacturing methodology.

"We aim to be change agents," says Smith. "The New Zealand boatbuilding industry has an international reputation, but it could be more profitable. The luxury yachts being built here are hand-crafted.

"The imported boats coming here are off a production line which has enabled them to be built with more cost efficiency. This means the local industry has been forced into a custom-building niche."

Smith's CV includes some big projects, including an 87m multi-hull, and a continuing composite design role for mast builders Southern Spars. Along the way were projects for top designers, including Brett Bakewell-White, Ray Beale, Roger Hill, Alan Mummery, Laurie Davidson and Malcolm Tennant.

He was responsible for the structural design for Team New Zealand's 1995 and 2000 campaigns before moving to One World in 2003.

Since 1984 Olsen has been involved in managing the construction of a host of boats, from production powerboats and offshore race boats to custom and one-off performance boats up to 26m.

He also has considerable experience in costing and cost control, quality management and complex manufacturing techniques, including big composite marine projects with major international companies.

He has also written a number of the composites unit standards for the Boating Industry Training Organisation.

One of the pair's satisfied clients is the Mt Wellington company C-Quip, a market leader in luxury yacht hardware.

The company makes sophisticated deck cranes, side boarding stairs, passerelles (gangplanks), sea stairs and watertight doors and hatches.

C-Quip was founded by the family owned company KZ Marine, internationally recognised for its Sea Rig yacht rigging systems and Leisure Furl mainsail and boom furling systems. The companies are now integrated in a purpose-built 6096m facility.

Managing director Paul Hackett says the input received from Complete Composites has been invaluable.

His company developed its first carbon fibre deck cranes in 2003. These provide a state-of-the-art alternative to the heavier, corrosive-prone aluminium and stainless steel previously used in mainstream crane construction.

"The use of carbon fibre has enabled us to supply the superyacht industry with marine hardware that is aesthetically sophisticated, structurally efficient and able to exceed performance expectations.

"It has allowed C-Quip to make the most of its lightweight, non-corroding and shape-moulding properties to manufacture products that are structurally efficient and durable while still carrying the designer's curves and fashionable elegance."

The input from Complete Composites to the C-Quip operation extends to a review of the factory floor layout to ensure maximum efficiency between departments and specific phases of the operation.

At the Albany campus, the company is working with the e-centre to create for the composites industry a high-level manufacturing management training programme that will help the composites industry with training specific to their needs.

A pilot scheme will be under way early next year. Olsen and Smith are also helping students and graduates to find work experience and jobs in the sector.