Project Number: S2794

Project Title: Portable Welding Robot for VIRGINIA and COLUMBIA Class Submarines

Period of Performance: MAR19 – JAN23

Fabrication of major assemblies is a highly labor-intensive, manual process that is both physically demanding and highly complicated. Major assemblies are manufactured in permanent fixtures and are unable to be moved. As a result, welders are required to move over and around assemblies to complete difficult welds.
The Portable Welding Robot project will develop and implement a portable welding robot to aid in the construction of major assemblies of VIRGINIA and COLUMBIA Class submarines (VCS and CLB, respectively). Portable robotic technologies exist for commercial applications, however, the technology has not been tested and proven for submarine construction. This Center for Naval Metalworking (CNM) project will improve major assembly welding for VCS and CLB by creating a portable robotic solution that increases weld quality and reduces the welding labor requirements.
Insertion of a portable robotic welding process is expected to increase productivity, decrease manufacturing costs and potentially decrease major assembly manufacturing span time. A portable robotic welding system that can be quickly deployed and programmed to weld major assemblies will greatly expand the use of robotic welding in shipbuilding.

This CNM project is expected to provide an estimated savings of $568.0K per VCS hull, $756.0K per VCS hull with VIRGINIA Payload Module (VPM) and $1.2M per CLB hull for five-year savings of $13.3M.

The solution technology is expected to be implemented at General Dynamic – Electric Boat’s Quonset Point, RI, facility during the second quarter of FY2024.