drives & controls - Industrial Technology Magazine

COMPANY NEWSRightsizingin actionWatertight atextreme depthCPE has won a contract to manufacturewatertight doors for Astute Class submarinesThe right drive technologyThe right choice of modelsThe right optionsThe right software toolsCorus Process Engineering(CPE) has been awarded acontract from BAE SystemsSubmarine Solutions tomanufacture a range of long leadtime equipment for use on the AstuteClass submarine Boat Number 5.The contract involves themanufacture of watertight doors,including: all associated locking andinterlocking mechanisms; tunnel doorand shielding plug arrangement;tunnel hatch; re-fuelling plugs; and avariety of other blanking plugs andinserts. The watertight doors, whichwill be manufactured at CPE’sWorkshops in Workington, will bedelivered in stages along with otherequipment, starting from January2009 through to February 2010.This contract follows similarcontracts for the supply of equipmentto Astute Class submarines, BoatNumbers 1 to 4. Equipment forBoats 1-3 has already beendelivered, with equipment for Boat 4currently progressing through CPE’sWorkshops. Vaughan Wilson,project manager at CPEcomments: “CPE hasalready carried out numerouscontracts for similar work on theAstute Class submarine, includingwatertight doors, torpedo tubes andre-fuelling plugs. The watertightdoors in themselves are very complexitems. Some of the items requirespecial materials, heat treatment orneed to be fabricated, so it allinvolves a lot of engineering skillsand technical know-how.”He adds: “There’s a lot ofcomplex welding required on theproject. Fortunately, CPE possessesthe necessary experience and skillsin welding to do this. We use a rangeof different welding techniques onthe doors, including MIG, TIG andflux-cored arc welding, eithermanually or automatic.CPE manufactures highspecification doors for use insubmarines, surface vessels andplatforms, ranging from watertightdoors and tunnel doors. All these aremachined and assembled fromcastings and forgings,working from drawingsprovided by thecustomer.Lenze drives & automationRightsizing for:smaller sizeslower costsfaster buildsmore performancewww.lenze.co.ukLenze10 More details: Write in 100 on the free information cardINDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • October 2008