WELCOME ABOARD!
The Australian Navy’s elegant new AWD, HMAS Hobart, took on a new crew member in the form of a purpose-built Aussie diesel engine-drive pressure cleaner. Called the Scud 350, the heavy-duty machine offers a capability to provide fast and efficient cleaning of key assets on board the vessel.
Designed and built in Australia, the Aussie Scud produces 3,000 psi pressure and 15 litres per minute flow. That combination of flow and pressure provides real impact that cleans fast without damaging paint work.
The machine was equipped with a 50-metre high pressure hose mounted on a stainless steel high pressure reel attached to the machine’s frame. That long length hose allows the operator the capability to clean the fore and aft deck without moving the cleaner.
The whole machine is encapsulated in a heavy-duty hot dipped galvanised frame and is fitted with four big 13 inch steel wheels with pneumatic tyres.
The ship’s crew were mighty impressed with the machine! The kit includes a flat surface cleaner for deck work that cuts cleaning times by 80% and is easy on the operator!
The double lance supplied as standard equipment with the machine provides the ability to supply low pressure detergent to any job. The other, high pressure, side of the lance can then flush it off promptly, cleaning greasy jobs with ease.
The big triplex pump is driven through a 2:1 reduction gearbox close-coupled to the Yanmar diesel engine. That close-coupling means no belts, pulleys, and a totally enclosed drive system that is impervious to dust or corrosion.
Apart from being a major Defence contractor, Australian Pump Industries is also the leading manufacturer of engine drive pressure cleaners in Australasia. Their 2 ½ acre factory at Castle Hill in Sydney has made major breakthroughs in efficiency over the last 2 years, bumping up production numbers.
“Our products are loaded with features that we charge no extra for!” says Aussie’s Chief Engineer, John Hales. “We’re an Australian-owned no frills business with a strong affinity to Defence and specifically to the RAN. API makes commercial machines and are very proud of the Navy-specific Scud 350 being used on HMAS Hobart”.
Further information on the Aussie Scud cleaning kit is available from Australian Pump Industries or authorised distributors throughout Australia.
