The company, which developed an automated solution for brisket cutting and evisceration for Ovine Automation Ltd, was presented with the award at a black-tie function in Wellington last night.
Milmeq Ltd has nearly 60 years' experience designing and manufacturing systems for the refrigeration and meat-protein processing industries.
The award recognised outstanding activities associated with the development of improved or new products, processes or services using mechanical engineering, mechatronics, or those which arose in the manufacturing sector.
In 2008, ovine processors in New Zealand were having trouble attracting sufficient process staff to fully staff their plants.
Alongside that came the growing realisation that the core processing workforce was ageing and new workers tended to be transitory.
The ageing workforce also accounted for continuing growth in ACC claims.
Ovine Automation Ltd, a consortium of nine Meat Industry Association member companies and the Government (through the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology), aimed to bring about a step change in sheep processing through the use of automation and approached Milmeq Ltd.
The re-engineered outcome was a substantially different system from the one that had been used, and incorporated new and novel conveyor design, independent robotics with custom end effectors and task reconfiguration.
It made labour savings by re-engineering the process line and adding automation.
It achieved safer working by eliminating difficult tasks and, through automation, was providing higher surety of hygienic processing.
Patents have been applied for and ongoing returns to New Zealand have already been generated through royalties.
Expressions of interest have been received from around the country and internationally.
