After trouble-free service of 13 years, the New Zealand Navy has asked Trelleborg Industrial AVS to supply a new set of Metalastik® engine mounts for its Anzac Class frigates, to replace the mounts the company originally delivered to Tenix Defence Systems (now BAE) in 1993.
The bearings have been supplied through Hancock Industrial Ltd, Trelleborg’s New Zealand representative for this project. A total of ten ANZAC frigates were built at Tenix Defence Systems in Australia, of which the two belonging to the New Zealand Navy are now undergoing a mid-life refurbishment. When built, the Te Kaha and the Te Mana were each powered by one General Electric LM2500+ gas turbine and two MTU 12V1163 TB83 diesels driving two variable pitch propellers.
Now, the diesels are being replaced with two MTU 12V1163 TB93 engines, with a combined output of 8800 kW at 1350 rpm and weighing 16,000 kg each. The new engines, which will have their own sets of Metalastik® mounts, are each supplied by MTU on a raft. These rafts in turn will be supported on a total of 32 large Metalastik® Super-D mounts together with eight elastomeric buffers to restrain horizontal movement. The mounts are supplied by Trelleborg Industrial AVS pre-compressed to allow easy installation, so saving considerable amounts of working time at the shipyard.
Metalastik® Super-D mounts are rubber/metal bonded assemblies specially developed for arduous marine applications. They are capable of nominal static deflection of 23mm and up to 50mm shock excursions in any direction.