34 | ENGINEERING PW Engineering T T Russell Fredric Experts operate across the country The family-owned engineering business is based in Mosgiel, but operates nationwide. Through its specialised ability to design, manufacture and commission high-capacity bulk material handling systems, PW Engineering occupies a unique space in New Zealand. The family-owned engineering business is based in Mosgiel, but operates nationwide and has accumulated an impressive portfolio of projects since it was founded by managing director Peter Wharehinga in 1991. Its comprehensive services cover design, fabrication, machining, installation and maintenance, and with 40 staff, PW Engineering is a significant employer in Mosgiel. This scope of operations provides turn-key ability to handle an entire project from concept to delivery, including installation and commissioning, which is a considerable competitive advantage, along with being attractive to companies it contracts to. Peter’s son, Nick Wharehinga, a qualified fitter-welder, is the company’s operations manager and has worked for the company for more than 15 years. Prior to the Covid pandemic, which had a “profound impact”, much of its work was centred on large agriculturally based fertiliser and primary industry businesses, but this has increasingly become centred on the design and fabrication of multi-purpose bulk-material-handling equipment. PW Engineering was contacted late 2018 by Gyptech, an international specialist in the design, construction, and commissioning of wallboard equipment and services with a concept for an extensive conveyor system for Winstone Wallboards’ new $400 million plasterboard factory in Tauranga. PW Engineering’s design department employs skilled staff, who use leading-edge software to create 3D modelling, along with employing FEA (finite element analysis) simulation software, which assesses factors such as mechanical stress and vibration, fatigue, motion and heat in mechanical systems. “We are probably one of the only firms, particularly in the South Island, that’s doing this level of project work that has a full in-house design team, and quite a big one. We’ve got six in-house designers all full 3D modelling, which is how we are able to participate in the large-scale projects. We are not really general engineering as we were 20 years ago, but now we are involved in multi-million-dollar project works, which is where we are targeting.” Winstone Wallboards’ plant includes a 260m-long automated intake conveyor that can carry 1000 tonnes an hour of raw gypsum rock – the core material for Winstone’s plasterboard products. The gypsum is offloaded straight from vessels at Port of Tauranga into large hoppers, then to trucks, which drop their loads into inground hoppers and a conveyor system into a gypsum storage shed. The systems designed and manufactured by PW Engineering are contributing to increasing the plant’s capacity by up to 50% compared to Winstone’s Auckland manufacturing site. Construction of the 67,000sqm plant was able to continue during the pandemic due to its national significance and was completed late 2023. “That was the biggest project that PW Engineering has ever undertaken. It was cool to be involved, given that we are down in Mosgiel. I would say that 90% of the work that we do is outside of Dunedin.” Among its equipment, PW Engineering has a fully equipped CNC-capable machine shop that specialises in general engineering machining and production machining for industries such as timber, meat processing, and appliance manufacture. During the past decade, Ravensdown has been a key client for which PW Engineering ELECTRICAL SERVICES LTD AUTOMATION CONTROLS ELECTRICAL PLC PROUD TO SUPPORT PW ENGINEERING Importers & Wholesale Suppliers of: • Conveyor Belting & Conveyor Componentry • Conveyor Belt Installation Services • Comprehensive Conveyor Solutions • Geared Motors & Power Transmission Products • Industrial Hose & Fittings 24/7 Conveyor Belt Installation Service 100% NZ Owned & Operated Russet are pleased to be suppliers to PW Engineering Source Supply Service O800 RUSSET
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=