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The official blog for Metabronze Industries Ltd.

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Merry Christmas!!!

Here’s wishing all our friends, families, staff, clients and suppliers a fantastic festive season. We hope you had a great 2016, and we can't wait to see you in 2017. Kind regards, Max, Laura and the Metabronze Team

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Dig this new accessory!

In the tranquility of the long summer twilight, you could be forgiven for thinking Angst was just another name for a German lager.

As the evenings get longer, and the garden starts to blanch in the sun, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a half hour or so in the evening out in the garden with the hose. It’s not so much the fact I’m nurturing my next salad, as the peace and tranquility I get from some alone time to reflect on my day.

But I have just one little niggle, and that’s where to put the blasted hose when I’m done.

I usually leave the hose coiled up in a corner of the deck, waiting for an unsuspecting bypasser to snag it around their ankle. But my ever-loving spouse who despises disorder loves to “tidy up”… … and no matter how hard I look, I’ll never guess it’s new location.

But recently I discovered a great new way of storing it out of sight and definitely out of mind, yet ready for action at a moments notice.

The Pipe Cube is a heavy duty plastic box which is designed to be sunk into your lawn (or garden or driveway). It connects to your water mains via an underground connection port, and stores your hose with spray nozzle and all connections under ground. An hour or so is all it’ll take you to install this little gem.

When it’s time for watering or washing the car, you simply lift the lid, and flick on the tap. The hose can be lifted out as needed, and when you’re done simply wrap it back around the four pillars, and shut the hatch.

Anyone can install it, and it’s great for reno’s as well as for new homes. It’s better if you’re still doing the landscaping, so you can accommodate the piping without too much angst.

Pipe Cubes come with all the fittings you’ll need, including 10m of hose, the tap and the quick-release connectors. 

Dig yourself out of your garden hose blues, by digging a hole and burying the mess. Once you’ve installed a Pipe Cube, you’ll never know how you got on without one.

Pipe Cubes are distributed by Metabronze Industries Ltd who are one of NZ's most recognised and respected names in Roof and Floor Drainage Systems for the past 40 years. For more information visit us online at www.metabronze.co.nz, or call us on 09 441 3824

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Liquid Assets

When it comes to rainwater outlets on flat roofs, there’s a couple of important factors to take in to consideration.

Your rainwater outlets determine the integrity of your roof. They are one of your key assets in your maintenance schedule, but they can also be a liability. Because if they fail - for any reason - your roof fails. Or worse – collapses under the weight of water pooling above.

When choosing the right rainwater outlet, arguably the most important factor to consider is the durability of the fitting, and that depends on the type of metal you choose. There’s no point installing a fitting which works great today, but tomorrow is breaking down and clogging up. They must stand up to constant build-ups of foreign matter, and also withstand the hash NZ climate – blistering sun in the summer, and plenty of precipitation in the winter. And chances are they will rarely – if ever – be serviced.

While most metals will do an adequate job, they’re eventually consumed by the elements. All, that is, except bronze (or gold), which can withstand 100’s of years of abuse with barely a patina forming. To illustrate the resilience of bronze, Captain Cook’s cannon were salvaged from the barrier reef after 200 years of sea, salt, sand and storms, and after a quick polish, were as good as new. So long after your building has passed it’s ‘use-by date’, your bronze rainwater outlets will still be performing as specified.

The second consideration is water loading, and designing the drainage system to deal with potential blockages. What happens if leaves accumulate on your roof? Or worse – plastic bags! They could block your outlets and create pooling which adds to the water loading on the roof, and leads to a breakdown of the waterproofing.

The obvious way to minimise the likelihood of foreign debris blocking the outlet is to utilize a dome cover. This protrudes upwards from the roof, and should be high enough to keep at least partially above the level of any surface water on the roof. Any buildup would likely be gradual over time.

But on a complex or large roof structure, it pays to have an insurance policy in the form of a secondary overflow outlet (or outlets) which are raised above the level of the others (using a higher lip, as pictured). This means that in the event of a primary outlet failure, once the water level builds up the secondary outlets come into action. In a well-managed system, any significant flow through the secondary outlets will alert the building management to issues with the primary outlets so that remedial action can be taken.

The size of the outlets on your roof will depend largely on the size and slope of your roof, and other factors such as adjacent foliage. But to avoid systems failure make sure your outlets have watermark approval, which certifies  outlets to operate up to a certain water loading. Outlets may vary in diameter from as little as 50mm, up to 200mm or more (as pictured above).

If you’re unsure of the type or size of outlets you need, please give us a call so that we can advise you of the optimum system for your job.

Metabronze Industries Ltd has been one of NZ's most recognised and respected names in Roof and Floor Drainage Systems for the past 40 years.  For more information visit us online at www.metabronze.co.nz, or call us on 09 441 3821

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Casting Calls

What type of casting process is best for you?

If you’re in the market for die-cast products it pays to know what type of casting methods your supplier is using, and whether that’s optimal for your circumstances.

Diecasting sounds a little bit like what James Bond does in a casino. But in reality, it’s far from the glamour and glitter of the movies. It’s a reasonably heavy industrial process using high temperatures to render molten metal into pre-determined objects in a heat-resistant mold. 

Casting has its roots in ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, using surprisingly similar materials and processes to those we use today. However modern advances in technology and materials has made this process significantly more efficient.

Today we use die casting for all types of manufacturing, from car parts to jewelry. And the type of molds and processes employed vary hugely depending on the budget, the metal used, the quality of the finish required, and how many pieces you’re casting.

Here’s what you need to know about Diecasting.

Sand Casting:

In commercial foundries that clay would be mostly sand, which has a high melting point, is inexpensive and easy to come by, and can be recycled.

Sand casting involves creating a mold in two halves on both sides of a pattern,  usually employing “Boxes” to encase the mold. The two halves are locked together before pouring in molten metal to occupy the space in between.  Once the metal has set, the mold can be unlocked and the item popped out.

Sand Casting is the preferred process in iron foundries, where the optimal temperature for molding is upwards of 1,300 degrees Celsius.It’s also the method of choice for short run production.

Gravity Casting (Permanent molding)

This process uses metal dies, which are more precise and hence result in smoother surfaces than Sand Casting. Because Iron has a high melting point and is rigid, it’s perfect to create molds for use with Aluminium, Lead, Zinc and Copper-based alloys. It’s more for high-run items, due to the relative cost of metal dies.

Many of the metal fittings and fixtures found around building sites are produced using the gravity casting process.

Investment Casting

When the chicken and the pig were discussing bacon and eggs, the pig said “you have an interest in the outcome, but I have an investment.” Likewise, the difference between investment casting and other forms is that the mold is “consumed” in the process.

In other words, where intricate designs with many facets need to be cast, you need to chip away or dissolve the mold to reveal the object. Examples of this include items of jewelry, or even drain outlets.

In the old days wax was “patterned” into an object, and then set in plaster or clay. But modern technology and materials mean that the patterns can be mass-produced using polymers or even lower density metals which are recycled when the mold heats up.

Rotational Molding (slush molding)

Used to create hollow castings, where the mold is spun as the metal cools allowing a shell to form around the outside of the mold. Once the desired thickness is reached, the remaining alloy is poured out and recycled.

Whereas the integrity of conventional casting processes reduce as scale increases rotational molding eliminates the effects of gravity and can used accurately to produce almost any length, diameter or thickness. Regardless of the inner dimensions it produces precise outer dimensions, and can be used with many materials, including concrete, plastic, glass and rubber.

Pressure Diecasting

This process involves injecting molten alloy into a mold at high pressure, similar to injection molded plastics, and is arguably the most precise method of casting. It is used where complex molding and consistently high tolerance finishes are required, such as engine blocks and product casings for the auto industry.

The investment in casting equipment and high quality dies usually means this process is reserved for large production runs using non-ferrous metals. It’s ideal for aluminium, as well as zinc, copper, lead and tin-based alloys.

Metabronze Marine is world renowned and respected for its hand crafted cast bronze marine fittings. For more information visit us online at www.metabronzemarine.co.nz or call us on 09 441 3821

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Dry Run

It’s the smallest details which make all the difference on the biggest projects.

When the Waterview Tunnel opens next year, it’ll arguably be one of the most complex civil engineering feats in NZ history. And every detail has been carefully designed and modeled to make sure there’ll be no hiccups when it’s operational.

You don’t need to be a Civil Engineer to know that one of the most common threats to the smooth operation of any tunnel is surface water – particularly around the entrances when it rains. And while Metabronze products are more commonly found on commercial buildings rather than motorways, we were delighted to be called upon to supply the project with king-size domed rainwater outlets for use around the entrances to the tunnel.

Although bronze would have been the preferred material for this job, we advised the contractors and designers that lowering the spec of the material had little impact on the integrity of the job, but drastically reduced the likelihood of theft (bronze fittings at street level would be a tempting target for thieves).

Consequently we fabricated bespoke fittings manufactured in cast iron with a cast aluminium dome screwed in place on top. They were approximately 200mm in diameter, and designed to fit standard pipes being used in the plumbing of these areas. They are supplied fully assembled, and ready for action.

The end result is a custom designed robust rainhead which will be a breeze to install. And once fitted it will operate effectively even with quite a build-up of contaminants (such as leaves or paper) and is easily cleaned and maintained.

Metabronze Industries Ltd has been among NZ's most recognised and respected names in Roof and Floor Drainage Systems for the past 40 years.  For more information visit us online at www.metabronze.co.nz, or call us on 09 441 3821.

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Spring in to action.

Act now if you want grass on your driveway this Summer

Us Kiwi’s have always had an affinity for natural grass. There’s nothing quite like a living breathing refreshing cushion under our feet in the warmth of a sunny summers afternoon.

But in the middle of winter, those of us who have endured with grass patios and driveways are usually contemplating a change of heart. The truth is, grass tends to take a beating in high traffic areas, and if grass gets trampled and muddy it loses it’s appeal entirely.

We’ve noticed a trend towards artificial turf these days. But no matter how they’ve improved the look, it’s still not the kiwi thing to do.

And many try concrete paving with space for the grass to grow, but that tends to act like a threshing stone, and pretty soon your grass is gone anyway.

So what is the answer to keeping a lush green carpet of natural grass on your pavement or patio? We turn to the Italians for the answer.

There’s a number of products on the market which promise to protect your grass as it grows, but none have the simplicity or ease of installation and maintenance as Green+ from Metabronze.

It’s an ergonomically designed latticework which lays directly onto your substrate. It’s built out of incredibly strong high-density poly-ethylene which can withstand loads of up to 5 tonnes (which is significantly more than your average kiwi runabout).  And it’s green, so as the grass grows through it the protective shell blends in with the lawn (if you haven’t already noticed, recheck that top picture - you can see the top of the GreenPlus in amongst the dirt).

Spring has sprung! It’s time to get your Green+ going.

It’s ideal for the DIYer, as the tiles clip together like a jigsaw, so no slippage or movement once the surface is laid. You can lay it directly onto an even water-permeable base, or even onto concrete (we suggest you put a sand and chipping mix base down first). And once it’s down, sprinkle in some soil and grass seed, and your lawn will be the toast of the neighbourhood in weeks.

Greenplus is distributed in NZ by Metabronze Industries Ltd , NZ's most recognised and respected names in Roof and Floor Drainage Systems for the past 40 years. For more information, contact us at http://www.metabronze.co.nz