Warwick Downing from RAM 3D accepting his award 

Warwick was recognised for his contributions to developing the metal additive-manufacturing industry in NZ.

The journey started in 2008 with the importation of the first ever metal 3D printer to NZ. The introduction of this ‘enabling technology’, has allowed NZ to have a significant presence on the world stage, making NZ world-class if not world-leading in this technology.

With possibly more metal additive manufacturing machines per capita than any other nation. NZ can be very proud of what Warwick has quietly achieved.

Award recipient Dr Nigel Evans with HERA Foundation Chair Noel Davies and the Minister of State Owned Enterprises Todd MacClay 

In 1968, Dr Nigel Evans returned to New Zealand from Cambridge University with a doctorate in physics to lead a small team of New Zealand graduates to develop the current technology for making iron & steel from Ironsands at New Zealand Steel Glenbrook. It wasn’t an easy start given the properties of the Titanomagnetite ironsand raw material which was lower grade in iron compared to more traditional iron bearing ores, had very fine particles and also contained a problem element Titanium in oxide form.

It was Dr Nigel Evans, Dr Richard Cooper and Peter Bates who studied all these problems and redesigned this difficult process. By 1981, after significant pilot plant trials, it was shown that the revised process worked and that it could provide a good rate of return for shareholders and New Zealand. Sir John Ingram, the founding managing director of New Zealand Steel, always singled out Nigel as being responsible for the company’s surviving those early technically challenging times and said Nigel’s contribution to and impact upon the business cannot be overstated.

In the early 1980s, Nigel also led the establishment of the coil painting facility at Glenbrook and the establishment of the Colorsteel brand in the New Zealand market. Dr Nigel Evans was the representative of New Zealand Steel on the HERA Executive from 1981 to 1987. Since 1988, he led the Woolf Fisher Trust in its role as a champion of educational excellence in teaching primary and secondary schools and of student scholarships and achievement in New Zealand Universities.

For 12 years, Nigel was also a director of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare contributing to the extremely successful research centred company with global reach. In 2013 Nigel received the Insignia of an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and the steel industry.

Award recipient Noel Davies (center) with on the right Jean Smith and HERA Chair Peter Hutton and his left wife Heather Davies and HERA Director Wolfgang Scholz

Awarded to the Director, Chairman and part-owner of Hydraulink Fluidconnectors Noel Davies, due to his many achievements including:

–  HERA Executive since 1992 and Chairman from 2004 to 2006,
–  Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2003 (Manufacturing & Distribution Category),
–  Trustee of HERA Foundation since 2004, and its Chairman since 2006.
–  Chairman and Board member of Metals New Zealand

Metals NZ Chairman Noel Davies, Award Winner Nick Calavrias and wife of the late Keith Smith – Jean Smith.

We were proud to present Nick with the prestigious Keith Smith Memorial Award for Distinguished Service in recognition of his countless contributions to the New Zealand metals industry, and earlier to work with him in his capacity as a HERA Executive member from 2001 to 2003.

Award winner Dr Charles Clifton with HERA Chairman Peter Hutton  

Charles was HERA’s structural engineer for nearly 24 years. In this time, he made significant contributions to the New Zealand structural steel industry being responsible for standards, guidelines and research program development. His passion for seismic and fire engineering and composite interaction led to many innovative solutions which are now daily used in the NZ structural steel industry and indeed make it onto the world stage.

When Charles started at HERA, the market share of multi storey steel construction was basically 0% – today it is in the order of over 50%. Dr Clifton’s work was probably the most important single person contribution to this amazing growth of structural steel in New Zealand. Now as Associate Professor in all matters structural steel and composite construction Charles continues to educate and train the next generation of structural engineers in New Zealand ensuring they are aware of the tremendous opportunities a career in structural steel has to offer.

Having a passion for everything seismic and following the Northridge and Kobe earthquakes, which showed that structural steel had also some performance issues, Charles engaged in in-depth research on how to improve earthquake resistance of structural steel-framed building systems. The probably best known outcomes are Charles’s damage tolerant moment resistant connection details, such as the sliding hinge, where following seismic action the connection goes back into its original position. These designs are now standard in New Zealand’s high-rise buildings making them a much safer place to be in an earthquake.

The 9/11, event where the two World Trade Centre Buildings collapsed, caused Charles some sleepless nights and he engaged in a study of this event leading to a publication after only about a week detailing the likely causes of the collapses. This early account of what happened was published around the world. However the most significant evidence of Charles’s knowledge, experience and judgement was the fact that, when after years of intensive investigations the official findings were revealed, Charles only needed to adjust some minor details to update his original report.

Award recipient Stuart Thomson with HERA Chair Noel Davies in background

Stuart Thomson has been associated with corrugated iron most of his life, as a plumber, sheet-metal worker, roofer, manufacturer, development engineer and building consultant. He has corrugated with Sir Edmund Hillary in Nepal, investigated cyclone damage in the Pacific, written the industry’s code of practice – and all the while collected fascinating facts and stories (and written light-hearted verse) about this versatile, colourful New Zealand icon. Stuart Thompson is also author of a book entitled Wrinkly Tin: The Story of Corrugated Iron in New Zealand and is the “icon”, not only of steel roofing and cladding, but has also serviced the wider sheet-metals industry and particularly NASH in New Zealand.

Keith Smith accepting his award with HERA Chair Noel Davies and HERA Director Wolfgang Scholz

The inaugural HERA award for Distinguished Service was presented to Keith Smith of Mobridge Ltd. Keith was chosen for the award for his outstanding service to the industry. Keith was instrumental in the establishment of HERA, and served on the Executive Board and was Chairman of the Heavy Engineering Educational & Research Foundation (HEERF) – now HERA Foundation. Then HERA Chairman Noel Davies and HERA Director Dr Wolfgang Scholz were pleased to present the award to Keith.