In a production milestone for the Hunter-class frigate program, the first constructed prototype block (Block 16) has been moved out of the block consolidation hall into the blast and paint chamber.
On 27 March, BAE Systems Australia started the ‘blast and paint’ process at the company's shipyard in Osborne, South Australia – a critical shipbuilding process led by subcontractor Altrad.
Block 16 is the first constructed prototype block, and BAE Systems Australia says construction is progressing at pace on the four subsequent prototype blocks. Block 16 weighs 141 tonnes and is 452 square metres.
According to BAE Systems Australia, the blast and paint process for Block 16 will take seven weeks: two weeks for blasting and then cleaning up the chamber, followed by five weeks of painting.
The total Block 16 surface that will be painted is nearly 4,600 square metres, with nearly 3,800 litres of paint estimated to be used to paint the interior and exterior of the block. The external paint finish is expected to last seven years, while the interior is expected to last up to 25 years.
“We’ve worked closely with the BAE Systems team to ensure we are ready to start the blast and paint process and we look forward to the challenge of Block 16," Altrad Site Lead Jeremy Davies said. “The blast and paint chamber is state-of-the-art and there’s nothing like it elsewhere in Australia.
“We have provided our expertise during the facility commission stages into operational mode. Block 16 provides an opportunity to stretch the facility, optimise equipment settings, test our operational processes and procedures, and ensure ongoing operations are at their most efficient for the first batch of three frigates.”