Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) announced an inaugural Naval Shipyard Innovation Fund of $1 million to test innovative shipyard projects designed to reduce the time and cost of repairing and returning ships to the fleet, July 7, NAVSEA said in a news release.
The fund is tied directly to shipboard maintenance work and support systems that enhance NAVSEA commander Vice Adm. Tom Moore's priority for Improving Ship Maintenance. It also embraces the Chief of Naval Operation's High Velocity Learning, including "Innovation - encouraging risk-taking and tapping into the creativity of the workforce to do things better and differently, without fear of failure."
"This is like a Kickstarter campaign - with a little seed money we can test an idea and see if it will deliver what we think it can," said Marissa Eyon, industrial process manager of NAVSEA's Communities of Practice (CoP).
The CoP offers an opportunity to test new ideas that have the potential to solve shipyard maintenance challenges and provides funding to allow shipyards to try them out and evaluate their worth to the command.
"Since there are no quick-fix technologies for getting ships out, these efforts are investments into increasing future capacity," said Eyon.
Under this program NAVSEA will evaluate these shipyard-proposed and shipyard executed projects monthly and at the end of the fiscal year to ensure each meets its goals in time, quantity, safety and cost projections. Each project must demonstrate the anticipated results to continue its funding.
"We must continue to support our innovators and reward thinking that is fundamental to an innovative culture," said Sharon Smoot, executive director for NAVSEA Logistics, Maintenance and Industrial Operations.
The Eight Innovations Projects
Projects in the ship maintenance process feature either technological advancements or improvements.
One of the pilot programs is automated tracking of paper and parts through radio-frequency identification (RFID). Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has already gained cost and schedule benefits through RFID tracking of boat components and work instruction across its industrial complex.
According to Jeff Campbell, RFID manager, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, saw the naval shipyard innovation effort as the best way to quickly acquire the assets needed to stand-up the RFID systems as well as maintain commonality/standardization across the corporation.
After pitching the idea to NAVSEA, "They set up the corporate review process and helped to manage the various timelines . . . so that we now have firm implementation plans," said Campbell. "NAVSEA has been a great partner. They bring a lot of resources to the table which helps to quickly stand up new process improvements."
Seven other initiatives are now underway across NAVSEA shipyards: 1) THz and infrared thermography for insulated piping; 2) iHAT - A hat with sensors; 3) 500 kilowatt motor generators - In place repair for nuclear-powered attack submarines; 4) Metal Laser-cutting - Streamlining a complex conversion process; 5) Laser metrology - Automating tank and void monitoring; 6) 3D training - Safety first for rigging and crane operators; 7) Fusion/Wiki - Secure project collaboration
This effort provides a great opportunity for the many shipyard workers seeking continuous improvement to further support the Navy, said Eyon. "So many people are hungry to do better."
NAVSEA is the largest of the Navy's five system commands with a mission to design, build, deliver and maintain ships and systems on time and on cost for the U.S. Navy.