Manufacturing

 

Austral are one of the few companies in the world dedicated solely to the manufacture of marine propellers. We produce propellers of all types up to 72" (1.83m) diameter for use on both pleasure and commercial craft.

Austral are marine propeller specialists and as such our plant and equipment is purpose built with this aim alone. Our facility is totally self contained and includes a CAD/CAM design centre, pattern shop, modern non ferrous foundry, machine shop with CNC capability, finishing section and quality control department. State of the art technology is used extensively throughout the plant in propeller design, tooling manufacture, production scheduling, electronic propeller balancing, quality inspection and calibration.

Austral prides itself on its ability to satisfy a total propeller design concept within a short manufacturing lead-time. We manufacture propellers of superior styles, to a high quality standard and at a "value for money" price.

Watch Video - Austral Machining a Stainless Steel Propeller

Manufacturing Process

CAD drawing of pattern

CAM machining of pattern

Propeller styles are designed and new patterns are produced using the latest CAD /CAM computer technology.

For greater accuracy our propeller castings are made from "full" metal patterns, not indexed from single blade wooden patterns.

Fixed Patterns

 Pattern Plates

Moulding - Kaplan Propeller

Moulding - Aquafoil Propeller

Most propeller moulds are made from a special resin sand which forms a rigid two part mould ensuring more accurate and sound castings.

Only Premium grade metals are used in the manufacture of Austral propellers. Each metal batch is independently certified to conform to alloy specification before delivery to our premises.

Casting - Large Propeller

Casting - Small Propellers

Machining - Flat Bed Lathe

Machining - Electronic Lathe

A variety of CNC machines and specialised boring, facing and electronic lathes are used to accurately machine Austral propellers

Austral uses PropScan® pitch verification measurement equipment during the manufacturing process to ensure pitch accuracy conforms to ISO class tolerances at pre-determined radii across the blade face.

Pitching with PropScan®

Pitching Station

Belt Finishing

Hand Finishing

The propeller castings are then ground on various special purpose abrasive machines

For smoothness, propellers are firstly static balanced then finally electronically balanced on a computerised balance machine. Dynamic balancing is also available.

Electronic Balancing

Dynamic Balancing

Quality Control

PropScan® Pitch Verification

During manufacture and upon completion, each propeller is individually checked for accuracy of track, diameter, pitch, balance, blade form and finish. Manufacturing details of each custom made propeller are recorded for future reference.

Austral propellers are now exported to over 40 countries worldwide. Austral produces high quality marine propellers at very competitive prices within particularly short manufacturing lead times.

Crating for Export

Propellers ready for Airfreight

Take a Look Around Austral Propellers Factory

CAD/CAM AND CNC MACHINING

The use of the latest technology and advanced CAD/CAM software is an integral part of Austral's manufacturing procedures . The design can be assessed for shape and profile then individual sections can be analysed to determine their effectiveness, or otherwise, in operation.

Once the design has been theoretically proven, the computer generates machining toolpaths using surfaces from the propeller drawing. Basically the complete machining of the propeller can then be simulated on the computer screen to verify such things as tool selection, cutter direction, clearances, surface blending etc.

When these machining toolpaths have been verified they are then down loaded to a CNC vertical machining centre (VMC). By transmitting precise X-Y-Z co-ordinates guides the VMC tool to machine the propeller pattern exactly as it was originally drawn. Using this technology, new prototype "test propellers" are produced and water tested within our ongoing R&D programme.

Once a new design has been proven by exhaustive testing the latest technology can then parametrically produce toolpaths for any combination of diameter and pitch. Resulting from this extensive R&D programme some exciting new propeller designs have been produced. This advanced technology ensures Austral propellers are not only of superior design, but the finished products are now consistently superior, both in terms of overall quality and accuracy, to propellers made from traditional manual pattern making methods.

Austral Metals

NIBRAL (Nickel Aluminium Bronze)

This premium high tensile alloy is recognised, throughout the world, as one of the best metals available for marine propeller manufacture. The alloy basically has no zinc and with an average tensile strength of 85,000lbs per sq.inch gives much greater resistance than Manganese Bronze to bending, flexing and corrosion. Its durability makes it ideal for cupped propellers, high HP engines and for heavy commercial use.

ALUMINIUM

This high strength premium magnesium aluminium has good ductility which means in most cases, upon impact the propeller will bend rather than break. The alloy is saltwater resistant and unlike die castings Austral propellers can easily be altered in pitch or cupped. It is used to produce our saildrive, outboard and sterndrive propellers.