Photo By James Cleveland | KITTERY, Maine, Mar 24, 2025: Mold Loft Metrology Team poses for a photo with...... read more read more
In the last year, the Naval Coordinate Metrology (NCM) team (formerly Mold Loft Shop) at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, has been involved in several innovative ways to help revolutionize PNSY’s capabilities. Thanks to forward-thinking employees, the shipyard is ushering in a new era in efficiency using portable coordinate measurement machine (PCMM) technology.
Driven by a team of highly motivated and technically competent personnel, the NCM has garnered support from multiple stakeholders, enabling the team to expand its reach and impact throughout the Navy.
"This team’s development was truly a grass roots approach without prodding from management,” said Structural Shop Superintendent Harry Knox. “They took it upon themselves to exploit better ways to improve our business with the constant mindset of wanting to do what's right for the shipyard and the Navy. Their successes are a testament to the level of character that exists and continues to be nurtured among them."
“I started my journey as an apprentice working with the Mold Loft and have loved the challenges of learning a new highly technical skill set and the advantages it gives our shipyard,” said Mold Loft Leader Eric Nevejans “As a trainer for aspiring Metrologists, I enjoy passing on this knowledge and building the foundations of a coordinate metrology community.”
The name Mold Loft reflects the shop’s original purpose and location. Residing in a building constructed in 1905, the Mold Loft was designated to the loft space of the building, where it has remained since the beginning. This shop’s focus is manufacturing 3D shapes and box molds.
“The original ship layout plans were full-scale 2D drawings laid out on the floor,” said Precision Measurement and Alignment Team Manager Robert “Bob” Wakefield. “At the start of all boat construction, tradesmen would use these 2D plans to gather data and transfer it into 3D templates, shapes, and stretch-outs, to aid in the production of structural components that conformed to the ship's molded lines.”
PNSY possesses comprehensive knowledge and expertise of all facets of Coordinate Metrology, which is consolidated within the NCM team. The team involves experts in several Coordinate Metrology disciplines including, Articulating Arms, Laser Trackers, Total Stations, Photogrammetry, 3D Scanning, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing Analysis, Reverse Engineering, System Alignments, and Component Alignments (dynamic and virtual).
“Together the team performs research for new pre-arrival situations, engineer coordinate metrology solutions, develop measurement processes, create written procedures, data execution, complex post-processing, customize data reporting, reverse engineering and design/manufacture custom tooling, all with the goal of exceeding customer expectations,” said Wakefield.
PNSY has excelled in the development of the NCM Training program, hosting and delivering training for production shops and engineering codes for all public shipyards. Additionally, the NCM team collaborates extensively with the other public shipyards and Warfare Centers, sharing knowledge, standardizing processes, work practices, equipment verification standards, training qualifications, software licensing, IT solutions, and various other aspects critical to supporting this specialized work.
“Our team works directly with CTC and Technical Warrant Holders (TWH) in identifying problems and clarifying the essential deliverable,” said Wakefield. “We have helped drive innovation with reliable data, presented in an easy to digest format resulting in improved decision-making. Having accurate 3D data available enables the CTC’s and TWH’s to make expedited informed decisions, transforming the culture from analog to digital data.”
The NCM team has accomplished more than 70 process improvements in the last 15 years, revolutionizing the shipyard’s ability to work more accurately, quickly, safely, and efficiently compared to traditional methods. This has been possible thanks to the self-motivated, highly trained, and mechanically inclined personnel within the NCM Team. Moving forward with collaborated efforts between Cognizant Technical Codes (CTC)’s, production personnel, and the NCM group, the shipyard will further enhance safety, and first-time quality, while reducing exposure, cost, and rework across all PNSY availabilities and support capacities.
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2025 10:04 |
| Story ID: | 494354 |
| Location: | KITTERY, MAINE, US |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Reaching Lofty Goals: Mold Loft Evolves Into Naval Coordinate Metrology, by Alana Demo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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