Mat Bancroft

MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Skills Overview

Mat Bancroft brings a diverse and well-rounded foundation in mechanical and product design engineering. His career spans the industrial safety, automation, composites, and emerging technology sectors, reflecting a consistent ability to adapt across industries and deliver practical engineering outcomes. He excels at taking projects from concept through to production, and approaches engineering challenges with equal confidence whether developing new products from scratch or solving complex problems within existing systems. His combination of hands-on technical depth and project leadership makes him a reliable and versatile engineering resource.

PRODUCT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT – Mat’s career began at GVS RPB, where he led the full development cycle of multiple products in the industrial respirator industry, including the C40, Z-Link, and PX4. Working independently from concept through to production, he developed strong expertise in complex surface modelling, injection moulding design, design for manufacture (DFM), electronics integration, and robust design methodology as well as early experience managing junior engineers and industrial designers.
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS & AUTOMATION – At Ullrich Machine Company and Scott Technologies, Mat applied his mechanical engineering skills to industrial production line design. His work has included structural analysis from first principles, motion analysis, servomotor selection, and design for fabrication, as well as the design of transfer stations, robotic welding integration, and SolidWorks macro development to streamline drawing and data workflows.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES & STANDARDS – As Engineering Team Leader and later Operations Manager at Gracol Composites, Mat led the development and refinement of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) products including handrail systems, ladders, and platforms. He worked with clients to optimise profiles for pultrusion manufacture and composite stress performance, and developed a thorough working knowledge of composite design codes and access standards including AS/NZS 1657, AS 3996, and NZS 1170.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT & CLIENT ENGAGEMENT – Mat has consistently taken ownership of projects at every stage, managing scope, risk, timelines, and stakeholders across multiple industries. At Pyper Vision, he managed a drone-mounted fog dispersal system from brief to working prototype, leading a small team of student engineers and a technical contractor, identifying project risks early, and delivering a flight-ready system on a tight deadline. His broader experience at GVS RPB and Gracol Composites further reinforced his ability to manage client expectations, lead design reviews, and contribute to strategic planning.

Caliber has experience in the Agriculture industry

Caliber has experience in the Aerospace industry

Caliber Design has experience in the Biofuel industry

PERSONAL STATEMENT

From an early age I was drawn to understanding how things work and how they could be made better. That curiosity is what led me to Mechanical Engineering at the University of Canterbury. I get genuine satisfaction from taking a problem, stripping it back to what really needs to be solved, and building a solution that is clean, practical, and built to last. Across industries as varied as industrial safety equipment, automation, composites, and production machinery, I’ve found that the best engineering outcomes come from staying hands-on, thinking simply, and taking ownership of the result from the first sketch through to the final product.

The tinkering doesn’t stop when I leave the office, you’ll find me pulling apart espresso machines, tuning longboards, building our home automation systems, or wanting to improve my powder on skis. If it can be improved, I’ll find a way to improve it.

Project Experience

GRAYCOL

Pultrusion Machine Upgrade (6T to 22T)

Managed the full upgrade of a pultrusion machine, increasing pulling force from 6 tonnes to 22 tonnes. The project required reverse engineering the existing hydraulic and control systems, designing new hydraulics, implementing structural modifications to the machine frame, and designing the replacement control system. Worked closely with a controls and electrical contractor to deliver the integrated solution, managing the relationship alongside component sourcing, detailed engineering drawings, and overall project coordination.

GRAYCOL

Manta 5 SL3 Hydrofoil Profile

Worked with Manta 5 to develop a pultruded FRP hydrofoil for their SL3 electric hydrofoil bike, contributing to the full assembly concept from the ground up. The project involved optimising the profile for pultrusion manufacture while meeting the structural and hydrodynamic requirements of the application. The result was a production-ready solution delivered at a third of the cost of the equivalent carbon fibre component manufactured in Taiwan.

PYPER VISION

Drone Fog Dispersal System

Managed the design and development of a drone-mounted fog dispersal system to prove airport fog-clearing technology. Led a small team of two student engineers and a technical contractor, identified key project risks early, and delivered a working prototype built from off-the-shelf components capable of being flown under a helicopter, subsequently refined for lightweight drone deployment in just 3 months.

Modular Deer Fencing Line

Designed key mechanical systems for a new modular deer fencing line, including the crimp drum and take-up rollers. Work involved structural analysis from first principles, motion analysis, servomotor selection, design for fabrication, and the production of detailed engineering drawings.

Production Line Development

Contributed to two production line projects. On a fridge door line, reviewed and updated legacy design data to current standards, developed SolidWorks macros to streamline the process, and designed transfer stations ensuring compatibility across all door variants.

GVS RPB

Personal Air Conditioner Development

I worked there straight out of uni and started developing new products for them in the industrial respirator industry. While working their I was in charge of my own projects from idea to production. My first project for RPB was developing the C40 personal air conditioner. It is a vortex tube that turns compressed air into hot and cold streams, then mixes them back together at the user’s preference.