NSRP to fund 12 new shipbuilding R&D projects

OCTOBER 1, 2012 —The Executive Control Board of the National Shipbuilding Research Project (NSRP) has selected 12 new R&D projects as part of the program’s core mission to reduce the costs associated with Navy shipbuilding and repair. The National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) is a collaboration of U.S. shipyards working together to reduce the cost of building, operating and repairing Navy ships by improving productivity and quality through advanced technology and processes. NSRP leverages public/private cooperation to manage cost-shared R&D based on a consensus.

The 12 new projects, totaling approximately $1.8 million, will be executed through the NSRP panels indicated on the listing below.

The projects selected are:

Identifying Opportunities to Reduce Grinding Labor
Panel: Planning, Production Processes & Facilities
Team: Newport News Shipbuilding
Award $149,000

Objective
Determine if labor can be reduced by using more efficient grinding methods and/or reducing the total amount of grinding that must be done

Compatability of “Single Coat” Tank Coating with Retained Preconstruction Primer
Panel: Surface Preparation & Coatings
Team: Elzly Technologies, NASSCO, BAE SE Shipyards, Ingalls Shipbuilding
Award $149,000

Objective
Expanding upon a previous panel project, continue testing and analysis of the performance of “single coat” tank coatings systems over retained pre-construction primer through a two-year period

Highly Portable Video System for Limited Access Shipbuilding Welds
Panel: Welding Technology
Team: Visible Welding, Applied Thermal Sciences, Newport News Shipbuilding, Vigor Shipyards, Ingalls Shipbuilding
Award $150,000

Objective
Develop a portable video system designed for welds in areas of the ship that have limited access, thereby eleminating the less efficient “mirror welding” practice. The system could be also be used weld inspections and on-the-job training

Lightweight Fillet Weld Tack-Gun for Precision Structure Fabrication
Panel: Welding Technology
Team Edison Welding Institute, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding, Bollinger Shipyards, Electric Boat, Bath Iron Works
Award $150,000

Objective Develop a lightweight, one-handed, weld shield-free, cordless tack-gun that can deposit small fillet welds on thin steel

DFP Rules Delivery / Technical Memory Management System for Shipyards
Panel: Business Processes
Team Bollinger Shipyards, NASSCO, Emergent Systems Corporation
Award $150,000

Objective
Evaluate the business impact of the formal assessment capability within the E2ks toolset for two distinct shipyard engineering environments

Robust Functional Paperless Paint
Panel: Surface Preparation & Coatings
Team: BAE Systems SE Shipyards, Marinette Marine, TruQC
Award $147,000

Objective Take a commercially available, off-the-shelf software system for quality assurance paint inspection and tailor it to comply to Navy Standard Item 009-32, potentially replacing the previous paperless systems with a robust new system application

Customiziation of Femap FEA Preprocessor for Shipbuilder Needs
Panel: Information Technologies
Team: Ingalls Shipbuilding, ATA Engineering, Bath Iron Works
Award $150,000

Objective Reduce the man-hours required in the Femap (modeling software) environment to augment and simplify CAD geometry, such that it is suitable for finite element mesh creation, with the goal of reducing the engineering and tool experience required to develop meshable geometry, and to implement a Femap toolbox to increase applicability to shipbuilders’ analyses

Removal of Metals from Shipyard Storm Water Runoff
Panel: Environmental
Team: Environmental Compliance Services, Inc., Ingalls Shipbuilding, BAE Systems SE Shipyards
Award $145,000

Objective Determine if sponge technology can reduce cost and maintenance of removing heavy metal concentrations in storm water and comply with National Pollution Discharge Systems (NPDES) permit standards

Managing Simulation and Analysis Data and Activities
Panel: Information Technologies
Team: Electric Boat, Jotne North America, Lockheed Martin, Product Data Services
Award $150,000

Objective Investigate the applicability of SimDM as a ship geometry data exchange and access format

Production Information Standards for Incorporating Lifting Lugs and Backup Structure
Panel Planning, Production Processes & Facilities
Team NASSCO
Award $149,000
Objective Utilize the previous studies of rigging analysis and current rigging production information processes to develop best practices on integrating rigging devices into the ship design

Materials and Components for Exterior Electrical Connections and Sealing
Panel Electrical
Team D’Angelo Technologies (D5T), Ingalls Shipbuilding, University of Dayton Research Institute, 3M, TE Connectivity, Bollinger Shipyards
Award $150,000

Objective Test materials, components, assemblies and sealants, which potentially could extend the life of exterior electrical system installations and preserve EMI (electromagnetic interference)/EMP (electromagnetic pulse) integrity

Standardized Welding Curriculum and Testing for Shipyards
Panel: Workforce Development
Team: Ingalls Shipbuilding
Award $150,000

Objective Develop and pilot a standardized welding training program, based upon assessments of current welding curricula in shipyards and determining training gaps and issues