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KINGSBURY TO SUPPLY MAIN THRUST BEARINGS FOR THREE NEW U.S. NAVY DESTROYERS |
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 PHILADELPHIA, PA, July 5, 2001 - Kingsbury, Inc. has received new contracts to supply the Main Thrust Bearings for the next three U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class (Flight IIA) Destroyers. Two of the ships, DDG 96 and DDG 97, will be built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, MS. The third ship, DDG 98, will be built by Bath Iron Works in Bath, ME. Kingsbury has provided bearings for critical U.S. Navy applications for the last eighty years. Including these three newest awards, Kingsbury has now supplied the Main Thrust Bearings on all 48 ships in this class, beginning with the U.S.S Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) which was commissioned in 1991.Each of the two propulsion shafts of the destroyer requires a Main Thrust Bearing assembly, whose primary function is to absorb the propeller thrust forces and distribute them to the hull. To achieve this requirement, Kingsbury provides a large machined housing which bolts to the hull of the ship. A double-acting 43.5-in. outside diameter, eight-pad equalizing thrust bearing is installed inside the housing. In addition, a 20-in. spherically seated journal bearing is included in each housing to support the weight of the shaft components. Kingsbury also provides the gearbox positioning bearings for the DDG destroyers, which are included in the gearbox vendor's scope of supply. The positioning bearings for the DDG program are 15.75-in. outside diameter, twenty-pad design. The DDG 96, 97 and 98 destroyers, which have yet to be named, are scheduled to be commissioned in 2005 and 2006. The Navy is currently projecting a need for another 10 ships of this class before switching to the improved DD-21 program, or Zumwalt-class Destroyer.  |
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