BAE Systems Australia has conducted successful trials at the Osborne Naval Shipyard (in South Australia) and the Henderson Shipyard (Western Australia) using laser scanning technology to create 3D models of pipes used on the Hunter class frigate.

The weeklong trials, which followed initial testing at the Line Zero – Factory of the Future facility in Adelaide’s south and BAE Systems Australia’s Henderson shipyard, proved the capability of the technology in a real manufacturing environment.

Working together with BAE Systems Australia’s production and dimensional control teams, the company’s research and technology team identified potential efficiencies in time spent checking the quality of product produced by specialist pipe-bending equipment.

Each Hunter class frigate requires thousands of pipes with unique dimensions and using a hand-held scanner, the pipes — of varying sizes, some up to three metres long — can be scanned and a 3D model created in as little as five minutes. The equipment, and software, are precise up to 100-200 microns.

The 3D model can be stored to create a digital twin of each individual pipe used in construction, resulting in a more accurate digital representation of the Hunter class frigate.