Rosebank Engineering – Meeting Defence’s Capability Needs
1 September 2005
Since its establishment in 1977, Rosebank Engineering has become familiar to those involved in the Defence aerospace industry in Australia . Rosebank has established itself as a leading innovator in advanced precision hydraulics, fine precision machining and ground support equipment (testing equipment) . Rosebank’s facilities are critical to Australia ’s defence self-reliance.
Rosebank’s engineering capabilities include, design, R&D, prototyping, machining, plating, painting, testing, sophisticated precision machining down to tolerances of 0.000005" (0.1µm) (or 1/300th of a human hair!) spares provisioning and component life cycle management. It also maintains an aerospace and defence quality electroplating / material processing, painting, shot peening and non-destructive testing facility.
In recognition of Rosebank’s continuing expertise, innovation, engineering capability and competence, the Director General of Technical Airworthiness (DGTA) has expanded Rosebank’s delegated level of engineering authority for all Defence aircraft (with the exception of the Hawk Lead in Fighter and the Sea Sprite helicopter). This will allow Rosebank to develop, approve and in many instances incorporate design changes on behalf of the Commonwealth.
Gordon Kennett Managing Director Rosebank Engineering, AIRCDRE David Tindal DGTA, SQNLDR Iain Skea AIRREG1and Mr Robert Rice AIRREG2A at the Signing Ceremony 5 September 2005.
This success builds on Rosebank’s previous success with the F/A18 Stabiliser Servocylinder rework. The first F/A18 Stabiliser Servocylinder rework at Amberley was released on the 14th of October 2003 and the 100th was released on the 21st April 2005. This has required an average output of over five items every month; this is a significant achievement considering the complexity of the items. There are also two F-111 items that have reached their 100th milestone since transition.
In September 2005 a team at Rosebank’s Bayswater facility has achieved National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) accreditation. Rosebank’s accreditation covers pre-non destructive Testing, etching, fluorescent penetrant inspection and magnetic particle inspection.
Nadcap is an aerospace and Department of Defence supplier accreditation program covering a range of non destructive testing and material processing activities. Its purpose is to reduce and streamline the large number of redundant quality systems audits being conducted on supplier organisations by Original Equipment Manufacturers.
Rosebank has also won the Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract for the support of Hornet flight control hydraulics undercarriage, wheels and brakes. The PBL contract is innovative as it allows Rosebank to utilise its innovation and engineering expertise to reduce maintenance costs whilst increasing product reliability.
Representatives of Defence and Rosebank Engineering at the signing of the PBL Contract
Rosebank’s focus on innovation and quality services continues to provide its competitive advantage and enable it win work from Defence.
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
At the Airshow earlier this year, Defence Minister Robert Hill and Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane announced that Sydney-based Goodrich Control Systems Australia had been selected by Goodrich Actuation Systems (UK) to manufacture key components fitted to the JSF weapons bay door drive system. Goodrich in turn selected Rosebank Engineering to manufacture and process critical sub-components. The companies are confident this work will lead to significant future production and servicing work on the JSF.
During September the first of these units were completed and successfully tested by Goodrich Control Systems Australia for fitting to the first aircraft designated A-1. Craig Butler, Rosebank’s General Manager stated that “the efforts by all parties had been outstanding and demonstrated an effective partnership of capabilities that has provided Goodrich and their customer Northrop Grumman with an effective and globally competitive turn-key operation”.
John Dwyer , Business Development Manager for Goodrich Control Systems Australia commented that “working in partnership with Rosebank to deliver JSF components demonstrates the effectiveness of the Industry Capability Team approach which we expect will lead to more work from Goodrich for the Australian aerospace industry.”