NNS Foundry Casting Improvements
CNM teams with Newport News Shipbuilding to investigate and develop foundry processes to reduce defects in cast products. Preliminary investigations have shown that a generic solution (shrouded pouring) has been successful in isolating the molten metal from the ambient environment during the pouring process which then leads to a reduction in the formation of ceroxide and/or re-oxidation related defects in cast products.
Reduction in Coating Removal Labor via Weld-through Preconstruction Primer (PCP)
The Office of Naval Research ManTech awarded the “Reduction in Coating Removal Labor via Weld-through Preconstruction Primer (PCP)” project to Newport News Shipbuilding. The team is using a Design of Experiments (DOE) approach to establish the means and methods for welding through preconstruction primer to assemble HSLA-65:HSLA-65 fillets. If successful, this project will produce procedures (coating parameters, welding process parameters, other TBD factors which are discovered to be important) which enable NNS to join HSLA-65 fillets without removing PCP.
Adopting GMAW for Robotic Panel Line Fillet Welding Operations
CNM has teamed with Newport News Shipbuilding to develop an optimized robotic Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) weld files for Surface Ship structural applications by investigating the use of the robotic mechanized gas metal arc welding in lieu of robotic mechanized flux cored arc welding.
Robotic Process for Installing Hull Inserts
The Office of Naval Research ManTech awarded the automation-focused “Robotic Process for Installing Hull Inserts” project to General Dynamics-Electric Boat to improve the hull insert installation processes for the VIRGINIA and COLUMBIA Class Submarines that increases weld quality and reduces production man-hours
Alternate Leak Detection Methods (Complete)
CNM teams with Huntington Ingalls Industries – Ingalls Shipbuilding to evaluate candidate nondestructive testing (NDT) methods as alternatives for soap bubble leak detection on DDG-51 Class ships.