ASC has been awarded Australia’s highest engineering honour for its world-first refurbishment of the Collins Class submarine HMAS
Farncomb – the
Australian Engineering Excellence Award.
Competing against Australia’s finest, ASC, formerly known as Australian Submarine Corporation, was formally recognised for its groundbreaking solution to the refurbishment of HMAS
Farncomb’s main motor.
In a world-first, ASC undertook the refurbishment in-situ instead of cutting the hull and removing the motor.
ASC’s Australian Engineering Excellence Award follows success in the South Australian arena in September, when the company took out South Australia’s highest engineering honour.
Greg Tunny, Managing Director of ASC, said the award was not only national recognition of engineering excellence and submarine maintenance capability but also ASC’s attitude and commitment to innovation.
“Over the last two years ASC has made the important transition from submarine builder to submarine designer, with responsibility for maintenance, support and design enhancements throughout the lives of the six
Collins Class submarines,” said Mr Tunny.
“This award signifies an excellent start to our recently renamed business. In addition, it acknowledges ASC’s exceptional high-end skills, production, project management and engineering capability.”
When HMAS
Farncomb arrived at ASC’s
Outer Harbor facility for its routine refurbishment, a proposal for improved maintenance procedures on the submarine’s propulsion motor was considered.
The additional work incorporated improvements to the aft compensating windings and electrical design enhancements, which were not part of the original work scope for HMAS
Farncomb’s refurbishment.
ASC considered two options for undertaking the refurbishment work on the propulsion motor: cut the aft section of the submarine and remove the propulsion motor for repair – the traditional method for this kind of work - or conduct the repairs within the submarine (in-situ), something never previously attempted anywhere in the world.
It was ASC’s innovation and engineering expertise in successfully carrying out the work in-situ that was recognised by the Australian Engineering Excellence Award judges.
“ASC’s ability to repair the propulsion motor in-situ has provided a world-wide ground-breaking solution,” said Mr Tunny.
“The repair method proved cost-effective and achieved minimal impact on the duration of the refit. And the emergency repair capability can be utilised by any other submarine class in the world.”
To successfully complete the task, ASC partnered with Jeumont Industries, the original equipment manufacturer of the propulsion motor.
“The success of the in-situ propulsion motor refurbishment will be used as a benchmark going forward with ASC’s through-life support activities on the Collins Class,” said Mr Tunny.
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