Original-equipment manu- facturer (OEM) Booyco Engineering has recently completed a contract to manu-facture heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equip-ment for two ship sets, which will be supplied by an international naval vessels OEM for a major North African end-user.

The contract, signed in 2013, was awarded to Booyco Engineering partly owing to its successful supply of naval-rated HVAC equipment for four South African Navy frigates in 2003, as part of a technology offset agreement.

These HVAC units are all still operating successfully, which demonstrates the superior levels of design and manufacturing that form an integral part of the Booyco Engineering ethos, says CEO Jeremy Pougnet.

“A focus on manufacturing our products to conform to the requirements of ISO 9001:2008, coupled with comprehensive performance testing, ensures uncompromising quality levels. We comply with global standards, as is evidenced by our Bureau Veritas accreditation, which we’ve had for the past 12 years,” says Pougnet.

He further highlights Booyco Engineering’s cost competitiveness, attractive lead times and previous experience in the sector as deciding factors in the contract award.

Prior to the start of manufacture in the last quarter of 2013, Booyco Engineering sent several of its employees and subcontractor employees for focused training. The training programme, which spanned three weeks, taught learners to handle the specialised aluminium used to construct air conditioning equipment.

Pougnet further notes that additional training on the systematic assembly of components was included in the extensive knowledge and skills transfer exercise.

Manufacturing of Booyco’s HVAC units was a six-month- long, stringently controlled process, followed by thermodynamic performance testing in the company’s in-house climate chamber, he adds.

These tests enabled Booyco to verify that the units met all the operating parameters specified. Each unit was then certified to ensure compliance with the relevant specifications prior to shipping to Hamburg, where the units were integrated into the larger HVAC system, says Pougnet.

“The OEM we worked with on this project is a leading global supplier of marine equipment for the shipbuilding industry, with an impressive track record. It is indeed a privilege for Booyco Engineering to be selected to provide part of the HVAC solution for this flagship project,” he notes.