Photo By Harrison Cox | NORFOLK, Va - Members of the Satellite Communications branch (Code 283) pose for a...... read more read more
NORFOLK, Va – The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) has implemented a cost-saving measure that drastically reduces the time and expense of replacing critical communication antennas on ships.
Gregory Hodges, branch head for Satellite Communications (Code 283), spearheaded an initiative that cuts the replacement time for Navy Multi-Band Terminal (NMT) antennas from 120 days to as few as four business days, marking a significant improvement in efficiency.
“We’ve basically gone from 12 weeks to less than one week,” Hodges said. “The response time is what’s important. When we identify a faulty slip ring, we no longer have to create a departure from specification request to get it done.”
Previously, replacing a faulty NMT antenna required a service contract costing approximately $30,000 per incident. The process involved a 45-day solicitation period and a minimum 60-day performance period to account for ship availability and crane scheduling. This lengthy timeline often resulted in operational delays and additional costs.
Hodges, drawing on his prior experience in the forklift industry, developed a new in-house process. MARMC now utilizes an existing warehouse contract for storage and transportation, and purchased an $839 forklift beam through GSA Advantage to facilitate antenna handling.
“When you can fix something that normally would take 120 days in four days, that helps the ships stay mission ready,” Hodges explained.
The new procedure was first implemented on the USS Bainbridge (DDG 96). A faulty part identified on a Friday was replaced the following week, with only weather delaying the reinstallation.
The innovation is expected to save MARMC approximately $120,000 annually, based on an average of four antenna replacements per year.
NMT antennas are crucial for shipboard communications, carrying IP services including email and internet traffic. The new process can be applied to any Navy ship equipped with NMT antennas.
“The improvement was an entire team effort, involving cooperation between the NMT team, the contracts department, and rigging specialists to ensure safety standards were met.” Hodges added.
As MARMC finds innovative ways to increase efficiency, similar initiatives could play a crucial role in modernizing maintenance procedures.
MARMC, a field activity under Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), provides surface ship maintenance, management and oversight of private sector maintenance and fleet technical assistance to ships in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
| Date Taken: | 08.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.02.2024 10:17 |
| Story ID: | 477627 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 109 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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