Used for assembling reactors in Astute class nuclear submarines, this 18-year-old crane at BAE Marine in Barrow-in-Furness required major mechanical and EC&I upgrades in order to keep pace with nuclear safety standards.
Providing high integrity, high safety nuclear lifting duties over the submarine, the crane was located in a clean room and comprised a 40-tonne main hoist, plus a 5-tonne auxiliary hoist.
SCX Special Projects removed, stripped, cleaned, reinforced and reinstalled the entire crane, in addition to fitting a number of new features to enhance safety and improve reliability.
This required appropriate measures to be taken during the refurbishment to respect the cleanliness and containment of the facility, as well as the need to install additional safety features onto the crane to prevent any contamination from dropped loose articles.