Manufacturing Today Issue - 222 March 2024 | Page 67

______________________________________________________________________________ Damen Naval – F126 Project
SIGMA 10514 , ARM Benito Juárez built for Mexico .
our customers , as it will have positive effects during the operations and sustainability of the vessels . Lastly , and most importantly , are our people . We have managed to recruit new people , not only from The Netherlands but also from many other EU countries ,” Frank expresses .
“ Engineers and other professionals feel attracted to this project as it is very challenging and demanding . And , as I mentioned , we have reliable partners who can add their unique capabilities to the project . Many partners have been involved since the beginning and are making contributions in all phases from concept and design to engineering and production ,” he adds .
When asked what the two gentlemen find most unique about this project , Frank had this to say : “ We are building the ships completely at German shipyards . That adds another dimension , as demarcation and integration with the yards are key elements to make the project a success . This is what makes
the project exciting . We need to guarantee that the thousands of project activities follow planning , and when a delay or unexpected event occurs , we adapt . This is my most important role . I need to keep an overview and enable our people to react to or prevent challenges .
“ The good thing is that I have an excellent team around me , that supports me , or corrects me when necessary . This project is again an example where more than being a skilled engineer is needed . We have implemented a concept that stimulates people to keep looking for solutions and offering support to others . This is also important for our engineers , so they understand that more than technical solutions are needed for a project such as ours . We need an integral approach where engineering is an essential part in the execution , but needs to be integrated with logistics , quality , testing , and many other aspects ,” he says . Damen Naval is expected to
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