Photo By Daniel DeAngelis | Norfolk Naval Shipyard Reactor Servicing Team (Code 2370) Shift Refueling Engineer...... read more read more
Having a questioning mindset is a valuable thing at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) – being able to take a hard look at the processes in place and how we do work, noting if there are areas of improvement, and seeing what can be done to innovate the way we do business. When Reactor Servicing Team (Code 2370) Shift Refueling Engineer (SRE) Candidate Alexander Pierzchala stepped onto an inspection job and saw the difficulty his team was having working a vacuum in spaces onboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), his immediate thought was, “how could we do this better?”
“We recently underwent shifts in our inspections to be more inclusive and more in-depth; however, we learned quickly that in order to get these inspections done by the new standard, we didn’t have the required tooling in place to perform them,” said Pierzchala. Innovative by trade, he had experience in additive manufacturing (3D printing) and came up with a design that could improve the way the job worked. In addition, he recalled his time in new employee onboarding at the shipyard and stepping into the Innovation Lab and he knew he had the path he needed to make something happen. “I was enthralled by the lab when we toured it and it’s been something I wanted to explore more since I first entered the shipyard. I knew that with 3D printing, we could make tools that worked perfectly for our needs and they would be able to help. I got involved with the team here and through the process of developing, testing, performing trials shipboard – we were able to get some tools together to help us perform those inspections as needed.”
Pierzchala and the Code 100TO.32 Rapid Innovation Branch were able to develop a vacuum adapter for their inspections to reach into crevices that were previously unable to be reached through piping areas. Through testing, they were able to come up with several iterations of the design until they found a prototype that best fit the needs of the Reactor Servicing Team. When Pierzchala’s supervisor saw how this design worked, a new question began to rise. What’s next?
“My supervisor was thrilled with what we came up with and he saw my drive to finding solutions for what problems we may face in the work our team does daily. So he said – let’s make more and let’s see what else we can make. Put a tool kit together with these designs,” said Pierzchala. “I was on it and now since that first design, the Rapid Innovation Branch and I have worked on more than 30 designs, with more and more being developed each month as we continue to explore what else we can do to improve.”
In addition to various vacuum adapters to reach into grooves and hard-to-maneuver spaces at various sizes, another item of note includes the borescope guide tube. A borescope is a visual inspection tool with a flexible tube with a small camera at the end to inspect narrow, difficult-to-reach cavities on the ship. However, as the team was working with the borescope and reaching certain areas, it was like fishing for them, without a clear way of guiding the tool exactly where it needed to go. The team was able to come up with the guide tubes that come in multiple pieces to fit the need of the user, who would then be able to take it on the job, easily put it together to the length or direction they want in a few minutes, and guide the borescope through the tubes to those needed areas with ease. Once the job would be complete, they would then be able to disassemble the guide tubes however needed. “We’ve used them on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and these have been huge for the team and being able to use them shipboard,” said Pierzchala.
Other designs the team has worked include various types of clamps, including ones with magnetic inserts to ensure items are secured in their grip; stop collars; piping deflection gauges; the third arm assembly; and more. Though some are still a work-in-progress, the team has been able to come together at every turn to work through these ideas and turning them into a reality.
“We’ve been able to do a lot of cool things like adding fixtures and magnetic inserts into the prints,” said Code 100T.32 Mechanical Engineer Dixie Cox. “It’s all testing out and pushing our printers to their limits to find the best ways to develop these prints. We also continue to learn and grow from our previous jobs and use those lessons learned to address the needs of our other clients. And we’re able to generate these items pennies to the dollars so it becomes a cost-effective solution to addressing those needs head-on.”
To Pierzchala, innovation and utilizing 3D printing isn’t "the future", it’s "the present" and should be something that everyone is able to utilize in their workplace in some capacity. “3D printing isn’t an end all, be all. However, it should and can be leveraged in unique ways to solve problems. It helps us get the needed tools in the hands of our employees while lowering costs so we can focus that money on the parts and tools we need that can’t be printed in-house. Having the lab here and being able to have that innovative mindset really helps us highlight that mechanic at the center mentality – let’s find those problem areas that put additional pressure on our teammates and let’s work to find those solutions. It will give our mechanics the freedom they need to complete their work to the best of their abilities, saving them time, money, and ensure they are safe.”
“Here at the lab, we aim to help our shipyard workforce find innovative solutions to what problems they may face in their job, pinpointing the issues that can be addressed and finding ways to make their job easier for them,” said Cox. “Anyone can come to us with an idea, or even just noting a problem that they are dealing with, and we will do the backend work to see what solutions we can find. We’ll put in the research, do site visits, even develop those designs for you. We have more than 40 printers currently at the lab with more on the way, and each of them is working hard to develop items for the shipyard. We’re here to help!”
Pierzchala added, “The lab has been absolutely instrumental in this entire process. Not everyone has the experience I do in 3D printing – but with the lab, you’re able to come in and tell them your needs and they hit the ground running. They are so good about taking raw problems and turning them into solutions. They have the experience here, the machines, the personnel, and the workflow to solve problems in real time.”
When asked why innovation was so important for NNSY, Pierzchala said, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying. We as humans, if we’re trying to stay at our same level, we fall short of our ultimate goals and we decrease our ability to do something. However, if we try to improve, you will get to some things that work and some things that won’t – you’re adding to your knowledge, your skillsets, and that’s the only way to maintain your abilities and competence. This started as such a simple idea, I saw a problem and was able to address it with the help from the Lab. I thought about the design and went…just do it. We can own the work we do and improve in our spaces – but we’ve got to take those steps to make it happen.”
Cox added, “my supervisor always said maintain a questioning mindset. When you come across the different jobs and processes at the shipyard, questions may pop up like why are we doing work that way or is there another way this can get done. Even if you don’t have the specific questions, you can share with us your frustrations for those jobs and we can take a hard look and pinpoint what can be changed or what can be developed to help ease those burdens. Let’s take those ideas and see what ways we can tackle it together.”
What started as a simple idea to improve the work being done became a massive project, working to provide the inspection teams the tools they need to get the work done safely and efficiently. Interested in working with the Innovation Lab? Visit the NNSY SharePoint site at https://flankspeed.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/NAVSEA_NSY_NORFOLK and click the Hot Links section to reach the 3D Print Request form. Provide your contact information and a description of what you need and the team will reach out to coordinate further details, files or designs, as well as schedule visits to the space to assess on-site. In addition, you can also visit the Code 100TO.3 Innovation & Tech Insertion Division in Bldg. 31 First Floor to bring your ideas to them firsthand.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2025 11:15 |
| Story ID: | 544518 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Eye on Innovation: Code 2370 Engineer Bands Together with Code 100TO.32 Rapid Innovation Branch to Develop 3D Printed Tool Kits, by Kristi R Britt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
