News@MM Catamaran sets shipbuilder record Australian shipbuilder Austal announced on October 25 it would build its largest ferry by volume to date. The order for the 115 metre catamaran comes from Danish ferry operator Molslinjen. Austal chief executive, David Singleton, outlined how the ferry would be delivered. “To be designed in Henderson over a 12 month period and then built at our state-of-the-art shipbuilding facility in Balamban in the Philippines, the catamaran will feature Austal’s signature raked-bow and optimised hull form, and an LNG-capable medium-speed power plant that offers a powerful, yet economical and environmentallyfriendly solution,” Singleton said. Named Express 5, the Auto Express 115 follows from Austal’s agreement to deliver a 109 metre
The catamaran will operate between Ystad and Rønne in Denmark.
high-speed catamaran to Molslinjen, which was acquired by the company in January 2019. Construction on Express 5 will begin in the third quarter of 2020, and the vessel will be handed over to Molslinjen in 2022.
“With this new order, Austal has once again demonstrated a clear capability to offer the best, most advanced high speed ferries, cost competitively, reliably and to the highest quality,” said Singleton. The vessel has the capacity for
1,610 passengers, 450 cars and can operate at almost 37 knots. Inside, the vessel will house a full bistro and bar, children’s play area and leather appointed reclining seats with USB ports and Wi-Fi connectivity. The ferry will operate on the Bornholm route between Ystad and Rønne. The engines on the vessel can be upgraded to LNG if required in the future, to reduce the environmental footprint of the vessel. The construction of the vessels will commence at Austal’s shipbuilding facility in the Philippines once the second Fred Olsen trimaran is completed. “Express 5 will provide Molslinjen with a truly exciting high speed craft that will deliver a unique customer experience,” said Singleton.
Motorsport park puts the gas into advanced manufacturing Advanced manufacturing could have a new home at the Sydney Motorsport Park, with a vision for the transformation of the motorsports precinct into a hub for advanced manufacturing outlined on October 24. Located in Western Sydney, in the Blacktown region, the area is an economic “powerhouse” according to Mayor of the City of Blacktown, Tony Bleasedale. Five per cent of all businesses in the local government area are in manufacturing. The vision of the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC), which manages the race track, was outlined by Peter Larum, general manager marketing and commercial at the ARDC. Larum highlighted that with investments made by the NSW state government, such as the permanent circuit lighting, will enable the capacity of the facility to increase, opening up space for motorsportadjacent manufacturing. The idea is modelled off the 14 DECEMBER 2019 Manufacturers’ Monthly
Silverstone Circuit in the UK, which now sits at the centre of the Silverstone Technology Cluster, which provides a hub for precision engineering and manufacturing. “Motorsports remains one of the largest accelerator of technology there is,” said Larum. The Western Sydney racetrack will in future be home to the Motorsport Centre of Excellence, as well as the headquarters of supercar raceteams. The easy access to the facilities of a professional race-track, including the Brabham Circuit, will allow rapid testing and prototyping of designs, said Larum. One of those businesses which is looking to the capabilities offered by the precinct already is motoDNA, which as Mark McVeigh, founder and director outlined, is transitioning from a motorcycle rider school to a manufacturer of advanced safety equipment, in partnership with Yamaha. McVeigh and motoDNA are developing technology similar
to an airplane’s black box, which can provide real-time information to motorcyclists on their riding to prevent injury and accidents. The future advanced manufacturing hub will sit within a region where manufacturing is already prominent, with other local businesses, such as Vitex
Pharmaceuticals, the largest manufacturer of complimentary medicines in Australia. Having begun selling pharmaceuticals to the Middle East market, Vitex now operates as a contract manufacturer to large health supplement companies which sell to China and Southeast Asia.
Providing immediate testing facilities on track could enable the growth of precision engineering.
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