A Broader Engineering Offer for New Zealand industry

Posted on August 25, 2026August 25, 2026 by Motion

Motion’s engineering solutions capability in New Zealand is not confined to a single product line or workshop. It is increasingly about helping customers identify problems, design practical fixes, supply the right components, and support implementation across a wide range of industrial applications.

For many industrial customers, engineering support starts with a fairly simple question: who can help solve the problem, rather than just sell the part? In New Zealand, Motion is building that answer around a broader mix of technical knowledge, local capability, and hands-on support across rotating equipment, conveyors, sealing, hose, dust suppression, and more.

Stephen McKey, Strategic Account Manager at Motion, says that breadth is a key part of the value, “it’s identifying a problem, offering a solution, and then implementing it.”

McKey points to work such as dust suppression, conveyor rollers, drums, hose, sealing, and complete parts support as examples of where Motion’s offer goes beyond straightforward supply. In quarrying and other harsh environments, that can mean helping a customer reduce spillage, manage dust, improve roller life, or redesign a component for local conditions.

Local gearbox service

A key part of Motion’s capabilities is evident at Motion’s gearbox workshop in Mount Maunganui – a power transmission service centre, giving customers a local option for gearbox assessment, service, and repair. Jason Kennerley, Sumitomo Product Manager at Motion, says the workshop is the only recognised and certified Sumitomo service centre of its kind in New Zealand, although it is not limited to one brand.

“We’re the only ones certified and approved to do work on Sumitomo drives,” he says. “But we are not limited or restricted just to Sumitomo – we work on a large variety of brands.”

A lot of the work they do is focused on extending the life of gearboxes: “Rather than treating gearboxes as disposable, we look for every opportunity to repair, refurbish, and extend their service life. It’s about reliability, cost control, and sustainability all at once.”

That is especially valuable in industries where replacement is expensive and asset life matters. Kennerley says the workshop supports customers across timber and forest products, food and beverage, quarrying and mining, reflecting the breadth of New Zealand industry itself.

A more strategic approach to vibration analysis

If the gearbox workshop is about what happens when equipment comes in for service, vibration analysis is about understanding machine condition before failure happens at all.

Ewen McBeth, Technical Services Manager – Bearings & Power Transmission at Motion, says the goal is to move customers away from both run-to-failure and unnecessary early replacement. “It’s all about condition-based parts replacement – listening to the rotating equipment and planning for replacing parts so customers get maximum utilisation out of the assets they’ve got, while minimising downtime,” he says.

While Motion has offered vibration analysis services for some time, McBeth says the business now has a broader offering with solutions from market leading manufacturers such as SKF and Schaeffler, from simple handheld data collection devices through to sophisticated wired or wireless online systems which monitor critical assets continuously.

“In New Zealand, some customers are doing little or no condition monitoring. Others have mature vibration analysis programs that are reliant on highly skilled and experienced personnel. The opportunity for Motion is to help our customers identify where they’re at on their condition monitoring journey, to find the right entry point for them, and to build from there with the right mix of hardware, software, and service support”, says McBeth.

Extending wear life without hot work

Posted on July 30, 2026July 30, 2026 by Motion

In mining plants, abrasion at transfer points and/or changes in the direction of flow can turn into a constant cycle of patching, downtime, and cost. A LOCTITE® wearing compound, supplied through Motion, helped one gold mining operation dramatically extend wear life on a critical ball mill feed pipe – without welding, tiling, or specialist contractors.

Wear is a fact of life in mining. Any time rock and slurry change direction – through chutes, bins, elbows, and transfer points – surfaces are effectively ‘sandblasted’ by abrasive particles. Traditionally, sites have relied on hardened wear plates, ceramic tiles, or frequent patch repairs to protect vulnerable areas. The problem is that many of these fixes are labour-intensive, disruptive, or difficult to repeat consistently.

That was the situation for one Queensland gold processing operation, where an engineered elbow section on a ball mill feed pipe was wearing rapidly. “The ball mill feed pipe was copping a flogging from particle abrasion,” says Adam Schlatter, Product Manager – Adhesives, Sealants & Chemicals at Motion. “Previous coatings were only lasting four to six weeks, which meant constant recoating, heaps of downtime, and blowing the maintenance budget.”

The challenge: frequent recoating and an expensive alternative

The elbow feeding into the ball mill was not a standard off-the-shelf item. The mines Maintenance Manager says replacement would require fabrication and would cost “tens of thousands” to manufacture and install – before factoring in downtime.

The site had trialled other wearing compounds without success and eventually brought in a contractor-applied silicon carbide based epoxy system that required specialist application. It lasted longer, but it was very costly and logistically difficult to repeat. “They were looking for a cheaper way to achieve the same result,” Hoelzl says.

The solution: LOCTITE PC 9313 supplied through Motion

The alternative trial was LOCTITE® PC 9313, a high-impact sacrificial wearing compound designed for abrasive service. “The customer needed something tough that would handle the impact and provide extended wear protection,” Schlatter says. “LOCTITE PC 9313 offered serious abrasion resistance without the hefty price tag or extended shutdowns of other options.”

Application was straightforward, and critically, avoided hot work. “The old coating was abraded, washed down with clean water, and left to dry,” Schlatter says. “Then some PC 9313 was manually applied as a primer coating first, followed by the thicker sacrificial topcoat.”

Hoelzl describes the process as simple and accessible. “It’s like applying bog,” he says. “You don’t need hot work permits for welders and oxy torches. You don’t need a tiler to come out and replace ceramic tiles. One person can mix it and apply it.”

Results: longer wear life, less downtime, lower labour cost

The trial delivered immediate value. “The customer was blown away with how long it lasted,” Hoelzl says. Where previous products had only lasted a few weeks, “this lasted many, many months,” and became a go-to solution for other wear points in the plant.

Schlatter quantifies the improvement: “It provided a massive difference – the customer went from recoating every four to six weeks, out to 38 weeks of solid protection, which saved the customer thousands annually in labour costs alone, plus way less downtime.”

BOX OUT: What is a LOCTITE MRO wearing compound?

Trevor Hoelzl, Loctite Application Engineer at Henkel, explains that LOCTITE’s wear protection range includes epoxy-based composites designed to act as sacrificial wear layers. “They’re epoxy-based wearing compounds filled with ceramic beads and other wear prevention additives,” he says. “You mix Part A and Part B into a thick paste, then apply it as a protective layer over the problem area.”

Unlike weld-on plate or tile systems, the key benefit is repeatability. “Because it’s sacrificial, it slowly wears down,” Trevor says. “When it gets to a certain point, you just put another coat on. It’s infinitely re-coatable.”

Supporting safe, steady food production

Posted on July 29, 2026July 29, 2026 by Motion

In food and beverage manufacturing, maintenance products have to do more than work well. They have to support hygiene, simplify compliance, and help keep production moving. CRC’s food-grade range gives Motion customers in New Zealand a practical way to do all three.

In food processing, contamination risk is not limited to ingredients. It can come from lubricants on chains, grease on bearings, cleaners on machinery, or maintenance products used too close to production without the right approvals or documentation. To address all these needs, CRC has developed a wide-ranging offering.

At the centre of it is the CRC GREENLIGHT™ Food Safety Program, which is designed to make audit and compliance processes easier. Alongside MPI-approved maintenance products, it supports customers with centralised documentation, visual identification tools, site assessment, and ongoing compliance updates. For QA and maintenance teams, that means less time chasing paperwork and more confidence that the right product is being used in the right place.

Food-grade products for everyday maintenance

CRC’s food-grade range covers the practical jobs that keep plants running: lubricating, cleaning, protecting, and preventing wear. Standout products include Food Grade Silicone (3043) for dry-film lubrication, Food Grade CO Contact Cleaner (3102) for electrical and electronic equipment, and Food Grade Chain Lube (3091) for conveyor and drive chains. These are the kinds of products that matter in real production environments, where washdowns are frequent, hygiene is strict, and downtime is expensive.

Problems this range is built to solve

Audit and compliance pressure

Contamination risk near food production

Wear on chains, bearings, and moving parts

Electrical cleaning in high-hygiene environments

A safer parts-washing option

The new SW-33 Mobile Parts Washer gives customers a lighter, more mobile bioremediating parts-washing system, designed to clean effectively without the hazards associated with traditional solvent washers. It uses OzzyJuice degreaser and is a safer choice for both operators and the environment.

Why buy through Motion?

For Motion customers, the benefit is access to one of the largest CRC ranges in New Zealand, backed by nationwide supply, trusted service and technical advice. That makes it easier to source approved food-grade products and smarter cleaning systems through one reliable channel.

RELIABILITY DESIGNED FOR WASHDOWN AND REGULATION

Posted on May 26, 2026May 26, 2026 by Motion

In food and beverage manufacturing, bearing performance is measured not only in hours run, but in hygiene compliance and production uptime. SKF’s Blue Line units are engineered to withstand aggressive cleaning, reduce contamination risk, and support continuous operation.

Food and beverage processing is unforgiving. Production lines often run 24/7, cleaning cycles are frequent and rigorous, and compliance requirements leave little room for error. In this environment, bearings are exposed to far more than rotational load.

“Regular stringent cleaning requirements to eliminate contaminants and reduce bacteria place enormous pressure on manufacturing machinery to keep performing at maximum levels,” says Fabio Rebecchi, Product Manager – Industrial Bearings at Motion.

Frequent washdowns, Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) and Sterilisation-in-Place (SIP) processes, and exposure to caustic antibacterial cleaning agents create a harsh operating environment. Standard bearing units can suffer from corrosion, seal degradation, and lubricant breakdown, leading to premature wear and unplanned downtime.

“Frequent exposure to pressure washdowns and aggressive cleaning chemicals means the bearing unit has to be specifically engineered for that environment,” Rebecchi explains. “It’s not just about load capacity – it’s about how the materials, seals, and lubrication respond to repeated chemical and moisture exposure.”

Designing for compliance

Hygiene compliance adds another layer of complexity. Food processors must meet strict standards around contamination control, traceability, and audit readiness. Components that trap moisture or debris, or that are difficult to clean effectively, can introduce risk.

SKF’s Blue Line bearing units are designed with this reality in mind. The housings are manufactured from food-grade materials and finished in blue to support optical detectability during processing. In the event of component damage, the colour contrast assists with visual identification.

“The blue colour facilitates optical detection during food processing, which reduces the risk of undetectable product contamination,” Rebecchi says.

Material selection is equally critical. Certified food-grade grease compliant with stringent standards such as NSF H1 supports safe operation in the event of incidental contact. For manufacturers supplying multiple markets, additional certifications such as Halal and Kosher provide further assurance.

Reducing maintenance and downtime

Beyond compliance, reliability remains a commercial driver. Unplanned stoppages in continuous processing operations can have significant financial impact, from lost production to wasted product and labour.

One of the key differentiators of the Blue Line range is its sealed, relubrication-free design. By removing the need for routine greasing, the units reduce both maintenance labour and the risk of contamination introduced through manual intervention.

“Maintenance-free products allow the customer to maximise production uptime with the confidence that the product isn’t being contaminated by the maintenance process,” Rebecchi says.

Robust sealing systems further protect internal components from the ingress of moisture and cleaning agents. By preventing contamination from entering the bearing cavity, the design supports extended service life even under frequent washdown conditions.

In practice, this translates to fewer replacements, reduced maintenance frequency and more predictable performance across production cycles.

Supporting performance on site

Motion supports customers by ensuring ready access to the SKF Blue Line range through its national distribution network, enabling faster response for breakdown situations and planned maintenance.

“We are here to improve our customers’ performance,” Rebecchi says. “Our customers’ business isn’t to buy bearings – it’s to make product. If we can help them increase production, reduce downtime, and operate with confidence in a highly regulated environment, then we’ve done our job.”