Hull of a job

Travel along the River Clyde and you will soon see one of the new 7,350 tonne type 45 Daring anti-air attack destroyers being constructed for the Royal Navy at BAe's famous Govan shipyard.

Being Certified
The hull is constructed in sections at Portsmouth and floated to the Govan yard where they are assembled, a method that is being replicated for the two 750,000 tonne new QE class aircraft carriers that are also being constructed at the yard. Pirtek Paisley's involvement with the class 45s began 5 years ago when they obtained the MoD certification DEFSTAN 47/2 which enables them to hold and supply specialist naval fire retardant hoses.

Quality Assurance
Having learnt from the fire that destroyed HMS Sheffield in the Falklands war, the MoD completely re-specified the materials used in all new warships. Now all naval hoses are audited in the ship's register from creation and installation through to their removal and replacement. The hoses have to be smoke retardant to an MoD standard, pulse tested and NATO marked. Stock must be used within a year of manufacture or it is refused. Pirtek has had to make sure all of the hoses supplied meet with strict quality assurance regulations before they can be added to BAe's preferred supplier list - not an easy feat on a list that has been slashed by 75 percent in recent years - and requires not just a complete manufacturing breakdown and quality control but full details of the company's financial history and stability.

Valued Supplier
"Pirtek are suppliers of hoses and hose connections to the Type 45 program and in this role, they have proven to be a valued supplier with timely deliveries and an excellent product range,” says a spokesman for the Supply Chain Lead at BAE Systems. "Pirtek Paisley has enjoyed a long relationship with BAe and we have supplied general hydraulic hoses to them for many years,” says Pirtek Paisley Centre Manager David Macneil. “Having achieved MoD certification, we are looking forward to supplying hoses for the new ships and to continuing to supply hoses to the submarine fleet."