Quality Assurance
- Ensuring Consistent Quality and Reliability

Quality System
The complete Steerprop organisation is working according to a quality system that is expected to be ISO 9001 certified during the second half of 2002.

Factory Acceptance Tests
All Steerprop units undergo a factory acceptance test, before leaving the workshop. The object of the tests is to ensure that the propulsors have been built according to design, that the gears are according to design and correctly installed and to ensure that the control system is working correctly.

-- Full Torque Test
To ensure the infinite lifetime of the gears it is of utmost importance that a full torque test is performed, in order to check that the gear contact patterns are correct in both unloaded and fully loaded conditions.

click for enlargement

Loaded contact patterns on the
lower gear teeth

-- Running Test
A running test at nominal rpm is also performed, where the complete propulsor is mounted on the test bench and run with until lubrication oil temperature reaches 75°C.

During this test the complete power train,

including bearings is checked for possible installation or manufacturing errors, misalignments etc.

Control System Test
At the factory acceptance test each propulsor is controlled by the same controls that are delivered with the propulsor. Thus the complete control system and instrumentation as well as steering system can be throrughly checked and is faultless when leaving the factory.

Control System