Case Study: Complete Sub-System Design

The defence customer required a stand-alone power supply system for a harsh environment.

Why They Chose Rockford

Rockford was chosen for its pedigree in defence and harsh environment electrical systems.

The Challenge

The customer required a power supply to be designed and manufactured to provide power to the turret via a slip ring. The unit had to be located in the hull but not electrically connected to the hull electrical system.

Additional design objectives were:

500AH 24V capacity
300A peak current
Hard mounted
Supply all electrical and mechanical hardware
Charging required from an external source
Full safety documentation required
Additional outputs for hull-mounted equipment

The Solution

Rockford was commissioned to design and develop the complete electrical and mechanical assembly. Rockford was also tasked with the installation of the equipment.
One of the deliverables for this contract was a complete documentation suite. This included:

Harness drawings
Block wiring diagram
Theoretical wiring diagram
Mechanical data pack
Operating instructions
Safety case support
Installation instruction
Full system test certification

Week 1: Initial meeting and whiteboard solution. The fully-costed proposal included risks by Friday.
Week 2: Contract placed and detailed design began. We did a vehicle visit and survey for final mechanical interfaces.
Week 3: Detailed design complete and approved by the customer.
Week 4: Manufacturing began.
Week 7: Test fitting of the frame and mechanical components.
Week 10: System complete and testing.
Week 12: System installed and commissioned into the vehicle.

The Result

As a result of Rockford’s high-speed design and production, the customer was able to meet a key milestone in their development program. Rockford delivered a full documentation pack, which included user instructions and provided training in the use of the system to the customer’s technicians.