The UK Royal Navy has received four HS 4000 high-definition precision plasma cutters from Techserv Cutting Systems to help speed production of its new aircraft carriers.
The plasma cutters are being used to help manufacture the steel plate bow sections of two new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.
Each plasma cutter consists of an advanced fully synchronised four-axis motion control system to provide the precision movement needed for tight tolerance, large-scale profile cutting.
The steel bow sections of the warships are being fabricated at the Appledore (Devon) shipyard of Babcock Marine Division, and will be transferred to Babcock’s Rosyth shipyard for integration and final ship assembly.
Techserv’s HS 4000 plasma cutters can produce high-quality cut parts from steel plate sheets up to 5m wide and 35mm thick.
The first aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will enter service with the Royal Navy by 2016, while the second, HMS Prince Of Wales, will follow by 2018.
The UK’s Aircraft Carrier Alliance, an alliance comprising industry participants and the Ministry of Defence has received the precision plasma cutters as part of the manufacture phase of the aircraft carriers.
