MG Engineering gets to work on Hunter class frigates

Adelaide manufacturer Marine & General (MG) Engineering has joined in the BAE Systems Maritime Australia construction programme building Hunter class frigates at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide.

BAE Systems has long wanted to involve shipbuilder MG Engineering in the Hunter project as it diversifies the skills and facilities dedicated to the massive project.

MG Engineering is located on the Port River in Adelaide less than 10km away from Osborne.

The company has previously built ship blocks for BAE, ASC and Luerssen and manufactured a series of mini blocks that are being used to test potential new technologies and systems for use in Hunter at the Flinders University Factory of the Future.

Now MG Engineering is constructing bulkheads and side shells that join together to form ship blocks to be assembled together to create the final ship.

The company and Century Engineering have been appointed to BAE Systems Maritime Australia’s Strategic Supplier Panel as part of a pilot programme for the integration of production methods, processes and technologies across Adelaide marine engineers.

The Managing Director MG Engineering Anthony Brdar said: “Being part of BAE Systems’ strategic Supplier Panel is successfully enabling MG Engineering to build its Naval Ship Building fabrication capability.

“Not since the air warfare destroyer (AWD) build programme where MG Engineering successfully built three Mast Blocks between 2011-2014 have we had the opportunity to once again supply larger type ship product from our facilities.”

A digital ‘thread’ linking MG Engineering’s manufacturing facilities and BAE Systems’ operations at Osborne enables the MG Engineering team to complete the initial construction of each section of the ship before it reaches the shipyard.

This build process tests MG Engineering’s capabilities and fosters its alignment with the Hunter programme’s systems and manufacturing processes, according to BAE Systems.

This both reduces production risks and enhances production by using an alternative site and workforce to deliver ship sections when the Osborne Naval Shipyard is at full capacity.

The side shells, each weighing in excess of ten tonnes, will be delivered to Osborne and installed on the Hunter programme’s fourth prototype block prior to it undergoing abrasive blasting and painting.

The Program Director Hunter Class Frigate Programme Jason Loveday said: “Trusted industry partners, such as MG Engineering, are critical to the success of the Hunter Class Frigate Program.

“Thanks to digital technology, we can work even closer with our suppliers than before by sharing production at partner sites and collaborating on manufacturing systems and processes to ensure the outcomes are world class.”

Picture: MG Engineering