Navy Metalworking Center

Overview & Representative Projects

This presentation was prepared by the Navy Metalworking Center, operated by Concurrent Technologies Corporation,

under Contract No. N00014-10-D-0062 to the Office of Naval Research as part of the Navy ManTech Program.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

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Concurrent Technologies Corporation CTC is an independent, nonprofit, applied scientific research and

development professional services organization.

• 1,400+ professionals; 50+ locations

• More than 600,000 sq. ft., including 33,000 sq. ft. of lab space and

180,000 sq. ft. of high bay work/demonstration space

• Top 100 Government Contractor (Washington Technology)

• One of the World’s Most Ethical Companies (Ethisphere Institute)

• Quality/EH&S Management System comprised of industry-best

models: ISO 9001:2008 (Quality); ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental),

AS9100 (Aerospace), CMMI ® Development Version 1.3

(Systems/Software Engineering); and OSHA VPP Star (Health and

Safety)

NMC Overview

• Provide for the development of metalworking

manufacturing technology to meet the needs of

selected weapon systems or Program Offices under

industrial production and sustainment

• Improve the affordability and mission capability of Navy

systems by engaging in manufacturing initiatives that

address the entire weapon system life cycle

• Primary Focus: Implementation of technology

Focused Investment Strategy Concentrate resources on few high-priority naval

platforms for maximum benefit

PEO (Subs)

VIRGINIA

ORP

PEO (Ships)

DDG 51 Class

PEO (Carriers)

CVN 78 Class

PEO (JSF)

F-35

Affordability Initiatives

PEO (LCS)

LCS

Technical Areas • Metals and advanced metallic

materials

• Metal-based composites

• Ceramics

• Metal/non-metal interface issues

• Shape-making processes

• Joining techniques

• Surface and heat treatment

• Primary metal materials

manufacturing processes

• Materials

characterization/testing

• Process design and control

• Product design and structural

performance

• Environmental issues and

recycling

• Information and data handling

and transfer

Teaming Approach • Extensive use of Integrated Project Teams (IPT) in all NMC

ManTech projects

• Team members selected based entirely on having the “right” mix

of technical skills and capabilities, regardless of company size

Project Development Process

• ManTech project concepts come from several sources:

• Ship and Aircraft Program Offices

• NAVSEA and NAVAIR Technical Codes

• NMC and Other ManTech COEs

• Shipyards, Prime Contractors and DoD Contractors

• Successful SBIR and STTR projects

• Industry Partners, including Small Businesses

• Projects are evaluated for:

• Alignment with NMC Scope

• Technical Maturity

• Platform Support

• Likelihood of Implementation

• Return of Investment

• Industry cost share / program office cost leverage is encouraged and

is a factor in our project selection process

Metalworking Technologies

At the heart of the Navy Metalworking Center’s work

is improving metalworking technologies used in the construction of Navy weapons systems.

Representative projects by capabilities

This project developed optimal

forming practices for Alloy 625 in

several critical CVN 78 components.

Newport News Shipbuilding

successfully implemented the

practices developed in this project

when forming these components.

Benefits

• Minimize risk of cracking during

forming of this costly material

• Reduce schedule delays

• Avoid costs to re-fabricate

components

Indentifying Optimal Alloy 625 Formability

CTC photo

Cold Forming of Alloy 625 Fittings

NMC and the IPT confirmed

that a closed-die, cold forming

technique can be

economically and successfully

applied to large-bore,

seamless Alloy 625 elbows on

VCS and CVN piping

systems.

Benefits

• Cost savings in excess of $500K for

Alloy 625 fittings on CVN ranging in

diameter from 2- to 8-inches. National Technical Systems photo

NMC explored alternative manufacturing

processes to produce the WjIT entry

edge for the Lockheed Martin LCS. A

three-piece, near-net casting was

developed and implemented using

advanced casting technologies.

Waterjet Inlet Tunnel (WjIT) Manufacturing

Marinette Marine Corporation photos

Benefits

• Reduced production cost

• Reduced shipyard duration

• 75% reduction in labor hours

• 23% reduction in weld length

• 30% reduction in weight

• Improved geometric accuracy

This project addressed cryostat

configuration and manufacturing

issues associated with fabricating

long lengths of flexible, vacuum-

jacketed cryostats. Cryostat

multilayer insulation systems

devised on the project using a

standardized cryogenic test

facility have been validated on

five-meter-long test samples.

Development of Long-Length, Flexible,

Vacuum-Jacketed Cryostats

Potential Benefits

• Cost savings and weight reduction

ONR Program Code 33 photo

Improved sand molding

and molten metal pouring

practices were developed

and implemented at the

NNS foundry to

significantly reduce

casting defects

Improved Steel Casting Practices

Benefits

• $700K/yr cost savings

• Reduced delivery time by up to 55 days for large steel castings

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) photo

An NMC project optimized the

laser peening process for two

Navy aircraft applications. The

NMC project demonstrated and

validated the potential of laser

peening for improving the fatigue

performance of these

components.

Benefits

• Improved fatigue and stress

corrosion cracking resistance

• Increased service life

Optimizing Laser Peening for Navy Aircraft

Metal Improvement Company photo

Technology Demonstrator titanium

structural components for the N-

UCAS were manufactured using

Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing

technologies. In addition, lightweight

aluminum spars and ribs were

produced using advanced high speed

machining.

Electron Beam Direct Manufacturing

Benefits

• Acquisition cost avoidance

• 35% weight reduction of affected parts

Sciaky photo

NMC developed and implemented

novel manufacturing approaches to

reduce part count and innovative

forming technologies to reduce

manufacturing cost and material

waste in the construction of the M777

Lightweight 155mm Howitzer. The

part count for the spade was reduced

from 60 to one through near-net-

shape casting.

Titanium Components for M777 Lightweight Howitzer

Benefits

• Single-piece investment cast spades saved more than $40M

CTC photo

Joining Technologies

The Navy Metalworking Center

is leading project teams

to optimize several metal

joining technologies for use in shipbuilding applications.

An NMC project developed a

transportable, low-cost FSW

system that produces

stiffened aluminum panels by

edge-welding extruded

aluminum shapes.

Benefits

• Significant cost savings

through reduced capital,

labor and scrap cost

Low-Cost Friction Stir Welding (FSW) System

CTC photos

NMC developed an enhanced

friction stir welding (FSW) system

for use on Joint High Speed Vessel

(JHSV) product forms such as thick

plate and hollow core extrusions.

The system could reduce ship

costs, improve welded joint quality,

and decrease vessel weight. The

project team also devised

processes and tooling for JHSV

products.

Expanded Capability for Low-Cost FSW

Benefits

• Capable of welding more product forms and sizes

• Broader application throughout shipbuilding and other industries

Nova Tech Engineering image

Hybrid Laser Arc Welding of T-Beams

An alternative manufacturing

process using HLAW was developed

to produce thin-sectioned HSLA-80

T-beams for DDG 1000 with minimal

distortion. American Bureau of

Shipping approved the procedure

and Applied Thermal Sciences is

qualified to manufacture HLAW T-

beams in HSLA-80 and other steel

alloys.

Benefits

• 45% lower fabrication cost

• $600K overall cost savings per DDG 1000 hull

ATS photo

A prototype flame brazing

system will address problems

associated with manual flame

brazing for CVN and VCS

construction. After successful

qualification, the system was

implemented at Newport News

Shipbuilding in June 2012.

Prototype Alternative Brazing System

Benefits

• $2.6 million construction cost savings in the construction and

overhaul of CVN and VCS

• May benefit other platforms requiring flame brazing

CTC photo

An NMC project developed installation

and repair procedures for exothermic

(thermite) welding for Navy shipboard

power applications. Newport News

Shipbuilding will implement the

procedures to complete installation of

the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch

System on CVN 78 in the fall of 2013.

Exothermic Welding for CVN

Benefits

• Reduced risk to quality and schedule

• Reduced labor-hours for installation and maintenance

• Increased system reliability and availability

• Initiation of a fleet-wide process for splicing large diameter power cables

Erico Products photo

An NMC project team developed a

cladding procedure that optimizes

hot wire Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

(GTAW). The modified cladding

process increases the deposition

rate with equal or superior weld

quality and low capital cost.

Improved Arc Cladding Procedure

Benefits

• Capable of increasing deposition rate from 7.4 lbs/hour to 12.8 lbs/hour

Arc Applications photo

Shipyard Processes

The Navy Metalworking Center

teams with shipyards to develop

improved shipyard processes.

A mechanized weld reinforcement

removal system is significantly

increasing removal rate. The tools have

been implemented at BIW in the

construction of DDG 51 and DDG 1000

and are awaiting implementation on an

LHA at Ingalls Shipbuilding. The system

has also been adapted to perform back

gouging of weld joints and is being used

at BIW in DDG 1000 construction.

Mechanized Weld Removal System

Benefits

• Weld shaving = $2.77M cost reduction for 3 DDG 1000 hulls

• Back gouging = $2.63M cost reduction for DDG 1000, LHA-6, LPD-17,

and NSC

BIW photos

An NMC project recommended

an environmental control system

to minimize lost workdays

associated with painting.

Implementation was originally

planned on SSN 785, but partial

implementation was expedited

for SSN 782 construction in the

summer of 2010.

Environmental Control System in VCS Construction

Benefits

• Nearly $300K cost savings per hull

• Minimized lost workdays associated with environmental conditions falling

outside of the specification

CTC image

Improved welding and cutting processes

were developed to weld the shoes of the

DDG 1000 deckhouse to the deck without

exceeding the temperature limitations of

the deckhouse composite. The processes

developed were implemented at Ingalls

Shipbuilding in July 2010.

Improved Welding Procedures Prevents

Overheating of Composite Joint

Benefits

• Reduced labor by 4,700 hours per ship by allowing the welding to be

done in long increments rather than the 18 inches permitted by the

previous procedure.

• $840K total savings for the three ships in the class

Ingalls Shipbuilding photo

NMC is leading a project to improve the

process for blasting submarine hull

structures during new construction. The

project team will optimize the blasting

parameters to improve grit blasting

efficiency and will develop more efficient

ways to protect piping during blasting

operations. Initial implementation is

expected in 2012 for SSN 787.

Optimization of Blasting Operations

Benefits

• $350K savings per hull in reduced labor,

materials, and disposal cost

CTC photo

BIW is modifying and evaluating changes to its handling of HSLA-80 steel

plates as a result of an NMC project that investigated distortion issues

with the plates to be used in the construction of DDG 1000. This project

identified the potential root causes for the distortion and determined

revisions for future procurement specifications for HSLA-80 plate.

HSLA-80 Plate Distortion Mitigation

Benefits

• Cost avoidance in

production

BIW image

This project developed pipe fitting

tools that reduced the manual pipe

preparation and welding labor of

small diameter pipe details on

VCS. Several inspection and

welding tools identified by NMC

are in use at the Electric Boat and

Newport News Shipbuilding.

Pipe Preparation and Welding Tools

Benefits

• Prototype pipe fixture and alignment clamping tools

demonstrated a reduction of 2,400 labor-hours/hull ($168K)

• Reduced fatigue demonstrates an additional 1,000 labor-

hours/hull reduction

CTC photo

NMC developed a

Web-based welding

procedure system to reduce

rejection rates of vendors’

submitted procedures.

Newport News Shipbuilding

and Electric Boat implemented

the software tool in 2010

Web-based Welding Procedure System

Benefits

• Reduce the rejection rate of vendors’ procedures from 90% to 20%

• $1.65M annual savings from vendor and shipyard savings alone

WeldQC, Inc., image

NMC is developing a prototype

system to minimize the amount of

manual grinding on large plates to

be welded in DDG 1000 class

construction.

Benefits

• 25% increased production rate

• $2.5M savings per hull

• Potential 50% reduction in

shipyard injury claims due to

grinding

Plate Edge Preparation Improvements

BIW photo

Advanced Metallic Materials

The Navy Metalworking Center

is improving Navy ships

through the development and improved processing

of advanced metallic materials.

NMC led a project team in the development

of HSLA-115 steel, which provides

increased yield strength with good

toughness. Construction of CVN 78 began

with HSLA-115 material in December 2009.

More than 2,000 tons of HSLA-115 have

been procured and delivered for CVN 78.

HSLA-115 Evaluation and Implementation

Benefits

• Acquisition cost avoidance

• 132 long tons of topside weight savings on CVN 78

ArcelorMittal photo

This project developed a modified 15-5PH corrosion-resistant

steel to replace K-Monel® in several critical components in the

torpedo tube muzzle door operating linkage of Navy

submarines. The project also developed critical forging and

heat treating parameters that will result in material properties

tailored for this specific application. Implementation will start

with VCS new construction and retrofit existing components on

other classes in FY14.

Development of Corrosion-Resistant Components

Benefits

• $9.4M cost savings over

the remaining life of 70 in-

service hulls

• Material cost savings

• Mechanical improvements CTC photo

Design for Manufacturability

The Navy Metalworking Center uses a

design for manufacturability approach

when evaluating the manufacturability

of components and assemblies.

This project successfully reduced

manufacturing cost and weight for the

DDG 1000 Advanced Gun Systems

(AGS) through various manufacturing

improvements.

Improved Manufacturing of Advanced Gun Systems

Benefits

• $5.3M per hull manufacturing cost

reduction

• Reduced system weight that will

improve safety and survivability

functions

CTC photo

This project is using Lean

Manufacturing and Design for

Manufacturability (DFM) principles

to identify opportunities for

improving the producibility of the

submarines’ weapons cradles. The

cradles have a long, thin shape

and complex fabrication and

application requirements, which

create construction challenges.

Improving Producibility of Weapons Cradles

Benefits

• 10% reduced rejection rate and rework

• $612K to $1.2M cost savings per hull

U.S. Navy photo

This project optimized the LASCOR (LASer-

welded corrugated-CORe) design for materials,

manufacturability, joining, structural and

protection performance, weight and cost.

The technology has been implemented into

the Deck Edge Safety Berms and Personnel

Safety Barriers on DDG 1000.

Berms PSBs

LASCOR Panel Evaluation and Implementation

Benefits

• Reduced weight

and cost

• Less distortion

• Corrosion

resistance

Coatings Application and

Removal

Determining the optimum coatings application and removal process, as well as what surface treatment to use,

can have a large impact on a weapons system’s performance.

This project evaluated various

aspects of the DDG 1000 hull

treatment system in an effort to

reduce the cost for procurement,

installation, repair, and

decommissioning of hull treatment.

Several recommendations are

being incorporated in the

development and modification of

hull treatment specifications.

Alternative Materials / Application of Hull Treatment

Benefits

• $3.5M per hull cost reduction CTC photo

The project team will investigate,

modify, and demonstrate temporary

coatings / materials that prevent or

reduce damage and corrosion that

occurs during shipbuilding.

Implementation is expected on

some CVN 79 modules in FY12;

future DDG 51 Class vessels, DDG

113 and DDG 114; and LHA 6.

Temporary Coating Protects Ships

During Construction

Benefits

• For CVN 78 Class, Estimated $1.5M per hull savings

• For DDG 51 Class, Estimated $125K per hull savings

General Chemical Corp. photo

This project found alternative

materials and installation methods

for damping tile on VCS. The IPT

down-selected pressure-sensitive

adhesives and are currently

evaluating performance to verify

they meet the requirements for this

application. It is expected that the

results of this project will be

implemented on SSN 786 in 2012.

Alternative Damping Materials

Benefits

• Estimated $700K cost savings per hull.

NNS photo

For more information, contact:

Dan Winterscheidt

814-269-6840

winter@ctc.com