SUPERIOR BATTERY SYSTEMS FOR WORLD-CLASS SUBMARINES
SUBLIME CAPABILITIES
Supplying superior battery systems for world-class submarines, product knowledge and reputation for engineering excellence.
Writer: Lily Sawyer | Project
SUBSEA CAPABILITIES
submarines, PMB Defence sets itself apart through its niche excellence. We take a deep dive with Stephen Faulkner, CEO Manager: Cameron Lawrence
As the defence environment in Australia undergoes a period of significant change, particularly in terms of policy, companies operating in this space must constantly evolve to remain ahead of the curve.
PMB Defence (PMB), a worldleading defence manufacturer with a core focus on submarines, is currently in the early stages of a generational change in sovereign capability.
“Overall, it’s an exciting time to be a manufacturer in this industry,” opens Stephen Faulkner, CEO.
Specialising in submarine battery systems and associated products and services, PMB’s current customer base includes naval forces across Australia, the UK, Canada, and Sweden. Its products include main storage batteries for conventional submarines, back-up batteries for nuclear
submarines, battery management systems, technical support, and sustainment services.
The company’s overall aim is to assist customers in maximising the overall performance of their batteries and, therefore, their submarines.
“Our single focus has been the submarine domain. This makes us unusual as most entities that supply submarine battery systems focus on the wider battery market,” he informs.
Employing around 200 people across its two sites – the Osborne Naval Shipyard precinct in Adelaide, Australia and a smaller nickel-zinc (NiZn) manufacturing facility in Ebbw Vale, Wales – PMB is well placed to serve international markets.
10 YEARS OF EVOLUTION
A decade ago, PMB’s core focus was delivering supplies to the Royal
Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarines whilst positioning itself for success on the Australian Future Submarines (AFS) programme, one of the largest capability acquisition initiatives in the country’s history.
“Both these endeavours significantly grew our sovereign capability, meaning that by the time bidding into AFS came about, we were confident in our ability to deliver a superior outcome to the selected designer,” Faulkner details.
Work on the early stages of lithium battery development in Sweden, meanwhile, further bolstered the company’s credibility.
At the same time, it was developing an exclusive understanding of the challenges associated with designing, building, and maintaining a system for the unique Australian mission profile.
“MANY
OF OUR TECHNICAL AND MANAGEMENT STAFF HAVE PREVIOUSLY WORKED IN THE DEFENCE INDUSTRY, WHICH HAS TRANSLATED INTO WELLINFORMED INTERACTIONS WITH CUSTOMERS IN THE SECTOR BOTH IN AUSTRALIA AND ABROAD”
– STEPHEN FAULKNER, CEO, PMB DEFENCE
opportunities also arose to gain new capabilities, with the company acquiring NiZn battery equipment, intellectual property (IP), and in a separate transaction, designs and equipment for various
“Establishing these new capabilities, in both Wales and Australia respectively, occurred largely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which amplified the difficulties involved. However, our teams did well to navigate these,” he prides.
Since then, PMB has successfully delivered products to a diverse range of customers inherited over the course of this period and won further contracts in an increasingly competitive market environment.
As such, its production volumes have grown approximately fourfold over the past five years.
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE
Focused on a ‘whole of system’ engineering approach in terms of the submarines it facilitates, PMB’s outlook is unusual and serves as a key differentiator.
To support its operations, the company has a broad spectrum of technical staff on hand, including both traditional chemists and chemical engineering experts.
PMB also employs a wide group of mechanical, electrical, electronic, and mechatronic engineers, a metallurgist, and even a physicist who collectively assist the manufacturing and system delivery process to provide better outcomes.
PROLIFIC PARTNERSHIPS
As a relatively small company, partners and suppliers are very important to PMB.
With quality and responsiveness at the top of its priority list, local suppliers are preferred as they generally translate to a degree of care that is harder to come by from suppliers who do not see PMB as a key or essential customer.
However, whilst localising its supply chain is important, the company notes how it must carry this out carefully and choose partners wisely given the significance of product quality in the defence industry.
“A localised supply chain is certainly our preference. Whilst we still procure some key components from overseas, the majority of our supply is now local,” Faulkner confirms.
“Many of our technical and management staff have previously worked in the defence industry, which has translated into wellinformed interactions with customers in the sector both in Australia and abroad,” Faulkner reveals.
The company’s widespread credibility, meanwhile, has helped it to acquire and retain the right customers over the years.
“The fact our services are so specific within the defence manufacturing domain has given confidence to our stakeholders that we are in it for the long haul,” he outlines.
As such, PMB’s overall value to Australia’s defence sector, specifically in terms of its niche submarine battery manufacturing capabilities, is second to none, supported by the long-standing trust it has gained from clients and its reputation for engineering excellence.
A WEALTH OF EXPERTISE
In addition to its prolific engineering abilities, PMB is proud to be involved in ongoing R&D initiatives to optimise
submarine battery performance.
For over a century, the default battery for submarines has been leadacid. Whilst not risk-free, management of this technology is generally well understood by stakeholders.
Moreover, new technologies such as lithium-ion have been explored over the past two decades, however, safety concerns have continued to make in-service use challenging and therefore rare.
“Back in 2018, we identified that NiZn may be a strong candidate for use in submarines due to its high energy potential and relatively benign failure modes when compared to lithium-ion,” Faulkner recalls.
Having successfully completed an initial study of the material, PMB has since translated this into a larger development programme that continues today.
Elsewhere, battery management and decision support tools are a key focus for the company, especially since most in-service submarines have relatively poor monitoring of cell and therefore system health.
Utilising our industry knowledge along with our multiple sales and distribution centres across Australia and New Zealand, we aim to service our customers with a comprehensive range of high-quality products and solutions, all of which are competitively priced and delivered on time with superior technical support.
Our key strengths include low-cost operations, strong brands which are synonymous with high product quality, and an extensive and efficient distribution network around Australia and New Zealand. Product development and quality control are supported by our modern in-house laboratory.
CAgroup offers products and services in four distinctive markets as detailed below:
CAgroup & PMB
Including bullet lead wire, electroplating anodes, solder, D-lead hygiene products, and more.
Including white metals, heritage lead alloys, tin, zinc, aluminium, electroplating metals, jewellery, and more.
Providing high-quality electroplating anodes to clients across the globe, as well as recycling services to reduce the amount of scrap metal that would otherwise end up in landfill.
Including roof flashing, damp proof courses, foil insulation, silicone sealants and applicator guns, concrete expansion joints, brazing rods, radiation lead, and more.
CAgroup has been a business partner with Pacific Marine Battery (PMB) for 30+ years, and in that time a strong collaborative partnership has formed between the two companies. CAgroup has worked together with PMB in the development of new lead alloys and parts.
Accredited to ISO 9001Quality and 45001 Safety & Occupational Health standards, CAgroup aims to supply goods to the highest standards. CAgroup’s in-house technical team is equipped with the latest analytical testing equipment to ensure the highest levels of tolerances and specifications are adhered to in the supply of parts and alloys to PMB.
To ensure the highest quality and consistency, CAgroup uses only primary lead alloys in the manufacture of PMB alloys and parts.
Recycling
CAgroup is Australia’s recycler of lead and tin-based metals, providing PMB with a closed loop solution for their scrap and waste products. These products are reprocessed in a safe and environmentally-responsible manner. Our main site at Thomastown is an EPA regulated site with the strictest controls on emissions. In recycling these products, we are helping in a small way to preserve the scarce natural resources of our planet.
Solder Strip Parts
Ingot Casting Line
Parts
A YEAR OF MILESTONES
Reflecting on a year of tangible success, PMB celebrated significant contracts, awards, and milestones in 2024. These included:
• Securing a £13 million contract with the UK Ministry of Defence.
• Winning Export Business of the Year at the Defence Connect Australian Defence Industry Awards.
• Qualifying as finalists for the Defence Teaming Centre (DTC) Teaming Award.
• Chairman, Kim Scott, receiving the Tony Martin Defence Industry Achievement Award from DTC.
• Celebrating the graduation of several team members from various industry programmes.
• Establishing a charity partnership with Returned and Services League of Australia in the Northern Territory and Broken Hill, New South Wales.
• Welcoming 21 new permanent employees across its multinational teams.
• Celebrating 22 staff members reaching significant service milestones, including five that were amongst the first hired in Wales.
“We have products that provide excellent data, as well as a wealth of experience in the interpretation of this information,” he elaborates.
For PMB, expertise in this area is important as it recognises how small improvements in the understanding of battery status and management can have a material impact on the capabilities of a submarine.
“For example, whilst an extra hour travelling at four knots would result
in a search area of approximately 107 square kilometres (sqkm), two hours at this speed would expand the area to approximately 707 sqkm,” he explains.
REFLECTING ON SUCCESS
As a smaller, product-based company, PMB is proud of the quality of talent that it continues to attract and its ability to keep them engaged.
“Our work is very hands-on, meaning that staff can see their fingerprints – sometimes literally – on the products and services we deliver,” Faulkner reflects.
This is not always the case when working within the wider defence industrial landscape, as bigger projects lasting many years with thousands of employees are not always able to provide staff with the same reward feedback.
As the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) markets continue to evolve at a fast pace, PMB is engaging with potential new technology applications in this field, particularly in the UK.
“We think we have both the product knowledge and industry expertise that would be applicable in these areas,” he confirms.
The company’s experience and understanding of the process involved in moving new battery technology from prototype to qualified, particularly in the submarine domain, is significant and not something that is well understood more broadly.
Reflecting on a successful year for PMB, Faulkner observes the significant volume of contractual deliveries as well as prospects that are coming to maturity.
“Progressing the technical maturity of a number of our products is a key focus, and success in this area will position us favourably for future growth,” he concludes optimistically.
Tel: +61 87077 5500 enquiries@pmbdefence.com.au pmbdefence.com.au
◊ Thick Film Ceramic Hybrid Assembly
◊ Engineering Design and Development
◊ Product Test and Qualification
◊ Prototype and Production Manufacturing
◊ Box-Build/Turnkey Assembly
◊ Production Tester Development
◊ Custom Cable Assemblies
PHONE: +61 8 8401 9800 WEB: hendonsemiconductors.com
EMAIL: hendon.info@hendonsemiconductors.com
High Quality Engineering Services in Adelaide
A1Anco Engineering is an Australian owned and operated manufacturing and engineering company, supplying a diverse range of products and services to clients within Australia and around the world for over 50 years.
Using the wide variety of machining, fabrication, and welding processes, A1Anco manufactures precision components or complete products, ranging from simple pins through to complex, technically advanced products with fine tolerances.
A1Anco is capable of machining or welding a range of materials including: brass, aluminium, stainless steel, mild steel, bronze, bisalloy, copper, titanium, high tensile (all types), nylon and plastics, castings (all grades), and forgings.
The products we make are as diverse as the customers we service.
