BAE Systems Australia said on Thursday that weeklong tests of its laser scanning solution to form 3D models of pipe components of Hunter-class frigates indicated that the technology can help streamline the development of the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac class replacement.
The Hunter warships are set to be built by ASC Shipbuilding at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia, where the laser scanning trials were conducted.
BAE Systems completed in November the Hunter-class program’s preliminary design review, which started in July, to check if the ship’s blueprint is operable and ready for further detailed work.
The company noted that thousands of pipes with varying dimensions are required for each Hunter-class frigate. With the laser scanning, BAE Systems said precise 3D models of up to 100-200 microns can be created in as short as five minutes.
The 3D models rendered can then be stored to form a digital twin of each pipe to be used in the shipbuilding process for a more accurate digital rendition of the Hunter-class frigate, BAE Systems added.
BAE Systems said its laser scanning technology also demonstrated the potential to support the maintenance of RAN’s existing fleet, as the solution provides the capability to reverse engineer, fabricate and replace pipes and their connections.