Pat Conroy, the Minister for Defence Industry, and Carol Brown, the Assistant Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, visited advanced manufacturing company PFG to view the companies operations and experience The Sentinel 1100. The aim of the visit was to showcase the virtues of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) as a boat building material and how it compares to other materials used in boat building.

During their visit, the ministers experience The Sentinel 1100, a tactical response vessel, built using HDPE. A ride on the Derwent gave both Ministers the opportunity to observe the stability, durability, and resilience of the Sea Boat in action. HDPE has advantages over other traditional boat building materials such as aluminium, fiberglass, and composite materials. For instance, HDPE is highly resistant to abrasion, impact, and puncture, and requires minimal maintenance compared to other materials.

After experiencing The Sentinel, the ministers toured PFG’s workshop, where they observed how HDPE is applied in boat building. A display with various advantages of using HDPE over other boat building materials, including its exceptional buoyancy and stability in rough water conditions, its ability to withstand harsh weather conditions, and its resistance to corrosion, rot, and other forms of degradation was available.

Overall, the visit by the ministers was an opportunity to showcase the benefits of HDPE as a superior material for boat building. The Sentinel 1100 boat built using HDPE is a perfect example of how the material can be used to produce high-quality, long-lasting boats that require minimal maintenance and can withstand even the harshest weather conditions.

The post THE SENTINEL DOES NOT DISSAPOINT appeared first on PFG.

One of the main goals of this project is to establish a second fabrication line, therefore increasing PFG’s production capacity. This will involve implementing improvements to logistic processes and providing staff training to ensure high-quality manufacturing. The second fabrication line will effectively double PFG’s production capacity, enabling the company to take on more international defence contracts and compete in the global marketplace.

Additionally, PFG will upgrade its facility physical and cyber security. This will ensure that PFG’s manufacturing operations are secure and protected against any potential security breaches. These upgrades will be critical in enabling PFG to secure and maintain international defence contracts that require a high level of security compliance.

Overall, this project will improve PFG’s manufacturing capability and facility suitability for international defence contracts, enabling the company to continue delivering quality Australian-manufactured products. By enhancing its production capacity and security measures, PFG will be able to compete effectively in the global defence marketplace and contribute to Australia’s defence industry.

The post PFG AWARDED THE DEFENCE GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS GRANT appeared first on PFG.

Tasmanian advanced manufacturing group PFG has today officially launched The Sentinel 1100, the latest in its Family of Sea Boats designed for high-performance defence, security and emergency services.

The stealthy, low-profile vessel has a reconfigurable design for elite defence requirements, such as high-speed pursuits, air drops, hard beaching, or the insertion of troops. The next generation 11m boat can be networked with cloud-based monitoring and control systems for optional autonomous operation.

“A major point of difference for The Sentinel 1100 is its innovative construction from high-density polyethylene (HDPE),” says PFG Chief Executive Officer, Rob Inches. “This is the next evolution of a material PFG has pioneered for decades; tried and tested in harsh Southern Ocean environments to be near-indestructible and rapidly repairable in action.

“Duty of care is paramount when our elite defence forces deploy into the field. HDPE has unique vibration-dampening properties, meaning The Sentinel 1100 can achieve maximum speed, stability, and handling with minimal personnel fatigue.

“It brings our service men and women home safe.”

 

The Sentinel 1100 is designed in partnership with Sydney-based One2Three Naval Architects, informed by the operational experience of PFG’s Defence Capability Advisory Committee – a board of navy and security veterans.

The vessel has already generated buzz when previewed at defence trade shows in Australia and the US this year. The Hon. Madeleine Ogilvie MP, Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries officially launched The Sentinel 1100 in Hobart on Tuesday.

“It’s so exciting to see innovative Tasmanian businesses like PFG come to the fore, as Australia looks to strengthen its sovereign defence capability and do all we can to keep our people safe,” Minister Ogilvie said.

“The Australian Defence Force has identified shipbuilding as a priority area to be delivered by local industry, and ‘specialised watercraft, maritime products and advanced services’ is also a priority area under the Tasmanian Defence Industry Strategy.

“In Tasmania, we are building the essential skills, technology and intellectual property to keep Australia secure.”

“We’re confident The Sentinel Family of Sea Boats puts PFG in a competitive position for upcoming ADF tenders next year,” says Mr Inches.

The post CUTTING-EDGE TASMANIAN TACTICAL DEFENCE VESSEL MAKING WAVES appeared first on PFG.

The high-density polyethylene (HDPE) vessels combine the best of materials technology with Australian design ingenuity and an innate knowledge of local conditions.

HDPE is our boatbuilding material of choice for The Sentinel family of tactical defence vessels, not least because it’s so hard to break, and so easy to repair.

Any damage can be patched in situ, with no specialised equipment or hot works required.

HDPE’s combination of safety, durability and performance make the vessels perfect for tactical applications.

They feature a highly configurable layout and can be fully networked with the latest software for intelligent invigilation and autonomous operation.

HDPE’s shock-absorbing, vibration-dampening properties mean the vessels can achieve maximum speed with minimal personnel fatigue, while compromising nothing in execution and handling.

The Sentinel range is the next evolution of PFG and One2three’s decades of experience pioneering HDPE marine products and workboats, tried and tested in punishing Southern Ocean environments.

From design to manufacture to end-of-life recycling, the Sentinel is a truly Australian vessel crafted for the highest level of strategic operations and emergency response – when failure is not an option.

We will be at Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition in Brisbane 4-6th October, where our CEO Robert Inches will demonstrate the reparability  of HDPE.

The video below demonstrates the repair of HDPE

The post REPAIRING HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE (HDPE) appeared first on PFG.

The Sentinel range is the next evolution of PFG and One2three’s decades of experience pioneering HDPE marine products and workboats, tried and tested in punishing Southern Ocean environments.

From design to manufacture to end-of-life recycling, the Sentinel is a truly Australian vessel. Crafted for the highest level of strategic operations and emergency response – when failure is not an option.

The post THE SENTINEL IS AUSTRALIAN MADE ACCREDITED appeared first on PFG.

The Sentinel 1100 has been designed to demonstrate PFG’s proven boat building capabilities and its application to the defence sector.

PFG Chief Executive Officer, Robert Inches, said the Sentinel 1100 is an adaptable platform designed to deliver advantage in insertion, extraction, and interdiction operations, enhancing mission capability for defence and security organisations.

“HDPE is the next generation boat-building material delivering a vessel of unparalleled safety, survivability and performance in interdiction boarding, pursuit, tactical assault, and first response applications,” he said.

“Cutting edge Hamilton jet propulsion and dynamic positioning systems work in tandem to provide precision manoeuvrability at low speed, resulting in propeller-free propulsion for personnel safety.

“The Sentinel range is the world’s only tactical watercraft manufactured from HDPE, autonomous ready, offering superior durability and reliability in the face of sustained force, optimised for airdrops and hard beaching and ultimately delivers enhanced capability to tactical missions.”

HDPE’s absorption properties dampen noise, vibration and personnel fatigue, while its high stability and responsive handling reduce rollover risk.

Mr Inches said the construction of this vessel was an important step in demonstrating PFG’s ability to deliver next generation world class tactical watercraft.

“We provide a sovereign capability with Australian design, manufacture, and sustainment. In partnership with One2three naval architects, PFG has developed and delivered an adaptable platform deployable to a range of mission sets, offering unmatched performance, safety, and stability,” he said.

“The construction of this vessel was made possible with the support of the Tasmanian Government and its focus on assisting Tasmanian businesses like ours to secure future opportunities across domestic and international military and security domains.

“We were grateful to have Tasmanian Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries, Madeleine Ogilvie, present at the expo to officially unveil the vessel today.”

The Sentinel 1100 vessel will be available for demonstration and sale on return to Tasmania in the coming weeks.

The post FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY, PFG UNVEIL NEXT GENERATION DEFENCE VESSEL AT INDO PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL MARITIME EXPO appeared first on PFG.

Eleven Australian innovators from both the defence and civil sectors have been shortlisted for the prestigious Innovation Awards, worth $30,000, with three other Tasmanian companies as finalists.

The entry centred around High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) as a ‘next generation’ boat building material, PFG’s use of which is understood to be a world-first for defence. HDPE has been proven to deliver advantages in industrial and workboat outcomes for over 30 years, and while we pioneered this in the southern hemisphere, our main goal has been to incorporate this material into a high-performing naval craft. In order to achieve this, we have been required to develop a deep working knowledge of the material, highly innovative methods of construction, and a strong partnership with design teams and end-users.

This introduction and adoption of HDPE as a boat building material for tactical watercraft for the application in the defence industry, is the reason we have been short-listed for the Indo Pacific 2022 National and SME Innovation Awards.

The winners will be announced at a special online event on 26 April and receive their Awards during the Indo Pacific 2022 International Maritime Exposition at Sydney’s International Convention Centre (ICC) at Darling Harbour.

PFG would like to congratulate all other short-listed organisations and look forward to updating you on the outcome after the winners are announced.

The post PFG FINALIST FOR THE INNOVATION AWARDS AT INDO PACIFIC appeared first on PFG.

The contract, which represents one of the largest single orders of speciality craft yet undertaken by PFG, has helped open-up new market opportunities for the local boat builder.

PFG recently won a contract to build three 12.5 metre speciality watercraft for the New Zealand Defence Force  – a deal that is already exposing the firm’s capabilities to other customers in the highly competitive national and international defence force market.

PFG’s Chief Executive Officer, Rob Inches, said the opportunity to build watercraft for the military and for emergency services was in keeping with the company’s vision.

“Our aim is to build boats that complete the missions they are tasked to undertake and to then bring their crews homes safely. In that context, we delighted in building these boats for WADFES since they are specifically designed and constructed to provide rescue services to communities in times of natural emergencies,” Mr Inches said.

To mark this milestone of the WA contract, PFG today brought together its employees to personally thank them for their efforts in fulfilling the contract which has kept the business working around the clock for the past 18 months.

Mr  Inches said the reasons for the company’s growing success could be attributed to its innovative design and construction, the use of new generation materials and technology, and PFG’s local, skilled workforce.

“Without our people and our local suppliers, we would not be where we are,” he said. “We cannot thank them enough. We are very proud of what we do, and very proud that our boats are used in such vital services.”

In addition to currently constructing vessels for the New Zealand Defence Force, PFG has also recently won its first ever contract with an  Australian Government agency and is building two vessels for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

The post FROM ONE MILESTONE TO THE NEXT appeared first on PFG.

The Sentinel range has evolved to include a broad range of RHIBs and vessels capable of achieving many mission sets.

PFG’s latest demonstration boat, The Sentinel 1100 is currently under construction and is taking shape in the Goodwood workshop.

Production over the last month is progressing with the 1100 configurable to a range of defence and security applications.

In collaboration with our partners, the development and delivery of the tactical watercraft are expected to hit the water ahead of Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition 2022.

Workshop update in pictures

The post THE SENTINEL 1100 PROJECT UPDATE appeared first on PFG.

The two vessels, based on PFG’s proven Aquatruck Responder design, will be delivered to Brisbane and Darwin, represent the next generation of oil recovery watercraft.  These vessels are designed to be mobile and highly-manoeuvrable in order to be able to rapidly respond to environmental oil spill incidents and to be able to efficiently recover floating oil and oil debris which can be disastrous for the environment.  Oil spreads out rapidly across the water surface to form a thin layer which can be very harmful to marine ecosystems and needs to be contained quickly.

The vessels, designed by One2three Naval Architects and constructed in high density polyethylene (HDPE) will be high-performing and durable with significantly reduced whole of life operating costs. HDPE is easily repaired in-situ with no hot works, allowing reliability and therefore less downtime of the vessel.

PFG Senior Business Development Manager, Stephen McCullum said today that PFG’s Aquatruck range of work boats offered proven performance based on over 25 years’ experience of constructing hard-working vessels for Australian coastal conditions.

“Aquatrucks are legendary in the Australian maritime industry as reliable and virtually indestructible work boats,” Mr McCullum said,

“These new vessels are designed specifically to operate at a high level of performance and reliability and will be at the front line of protecting Australia’s precious coastline.”

The AMSA contract follows PFG’s recent announcement that it had secured agreement to design and construct three Sentinel 12.5 metre craft for the Royal New Zealand Navy.

The post PFG’S OIL RECOVERY VESSELS TO DELIVER ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS appeared first on PFG.