09 Dec 2009 | Ref. 239
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Engineers from Glasgow
have won the automotive and marine award at this year’s Engineer Technology & Innovation Awards.
Glasgow, United Kingdom: Engineers from Glasgow have won the automotive and marine award at this year's Engineer Technology & Innovation Awards. The team received the prestigious accolade for its work to reduce the number of bumps formed in steel during the ship building process, helping to save time and cost in the programme to build Type 45 destroyers for the Royal Navy.
Engineers from BAE Systems worked in partnership with the Universities of Strathclyde, Newcastle and Malta, as well as Corus and NST Welding to develop a robust solution to prevent distortion to thin steel plates, which is common in shipbuilding. As a result, the team reduced straightening rework on the Type 45 programme by a staggering 75%.
Norrie McPherson, Steelwork Development Manager at BAE Systems' Surface Ships business, said:
"This award highlights the close working relationship we have with our academic and industry partners - this initiative is a real team effort and we couldn't have achieved such great results without their input. It's a real honour to receive this recognition from our industry peers, especially when the standard of competition was so high."
Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering, Peter Hughes, said:
"This is a wonderful example of a company working closely with academics to take forward excellent technology and thereby enhance the whole engineering sector."
Where plates of less than 6mm thick are exposed to high temperature processes such as welding, it can often lead to distortion or buckling of the metal, which requires a significant effort and resources to correct.
BAE Systems brought together experts from within the business, industry partners and academia who investigated all aspects of the shipbuilding process including design criteria, assembly and welding practices over a 15 month period.
The team identified and introduced a series of measures to minimise distortion to steel during the build of Type 45, including the handling of steel parts to help retain shape as well as reduce the heat put into the structure during the welding process.
Spurred on by these impressive results, the team is continuing work together to identify additional factors affecting distortion, which are expected to bring further benefits to the design and build of future warships.
The Technology & Innovation Awards are run by The Engineer magazine and aim to recognise and reward collaborative links between UK businesses and universities. Winners received their awards at a ceremony held at the Royal Society in London on Friday 4 December.
About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is the premier global defence, security and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. With approximately 105,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £18.5 billion (US $34.4 billion) in 2008.
For further information, please contact:
Kristina Crowe, BAE Systems
Tel: +44 (0) 239 289 6232 Mob: +44 (0)7540628673
kristina.crowe@baesystems.com
Lindsay Walls, BAE Systems
Tel: +44 (0)1252 383074 Mob: +44 (0) 7793 427582
Lindsay.walls@baesystems.com
Issued by:
BAE Systems, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6YU, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1252 384719 Fax: +44 (0) 1252 383947
24hr media hotline: + 44 (0) 7801 717739
www.baesystems.com
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