Photo By Shelby West | Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Shop 31 recently tested the pilot of the model line...... read more read more
Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) recently launched a model line effort in the Inside Machine Shop (Shop 31), taking principles from noted author and Navy advisor Dr. Steven Spear and learnings from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) to meet commitments and goals in inspecting, repairing, and testing auxiliary ballast tank hull and back valves repaired at the shipyard. Through teamwork from deckplate to support – the group was able to come together to complete the work that had taken approximately 150 days to overhaul in the past to 35 days, a more than 75 percent reduction.
“The Model Line Initiative is about creating a stronger emphasis on the preparation period prior to the start of a task, allowing time consuming actions such as paperwork processing and material orders to occur early and resolve all to allow mechanics to work, start to finish uninterrupted, with less churn,” said Mechanical Group Superintendent (Code 931) Benny Bray. “Our friends at Portsmouth were the first shipyard to launch model line initiatives under the guidance of Dr. Spear. We wanted to launch our own pilot and decided to test it within Shop 31 with the auxiliary ballast tank valve work. Our mechanics, engineers, Inspection codes with support from Code 100TO came together to plan ahead with precise granularity prior to beginning the repairs, ensuring all materials and parts were available and in hand ahead of the job. These are jobs that happen daily in our shop so being able to pinpoint these areas needed for attention ahead of time and ensure our mechanics have the materials and tools they need whenever they need them ensured a significant reduction in time it takes to complete the job.”
The team went over historical data prior to tackling the Model Line Initiative, learning that this particular job took so long due to material issues popping up throughout the job which caused the work to pause while the team waited on the needed parts. “In previous jobs, we would submit our unrestricted operations maintenance requirements cards (URO/MRC) as hard copies whenever we would need to conduct repairs, which would take more than a week to process. This would highlight the corrosion or different defects in the valve body, record percentages, and note what work needs to be done or performed,” said Section 500 Mechanic Jasmine Nixon. “In addition, we would have to wait long periods of time to get the material in house before we could continue to work the job which held up the process quite a bit. With the model line however, we took a hard look at everything together before we got started on the job, pinpointing what we needed in-house so that we could hit the ground running.”
Shop 31 General Foreman Cameron Williams added, “Planning was a big win for this initiative and it took a lot of coordination not only with Portsmouth Naval Shipyard but also with our various shops and codes across our waterfront. That planning and coordination really showed a huge difference in how we could get work done here at the shipyard. We learned a lot and were able to work together as a team to overcome whatever challenges cropped up in the process. Our teams came together and made this happen!”
“Having open communication with the engineers and the mechanics was beneficial overall,” said Code 265 Engineering Planning Department Submarine Piping and Mechanic Support Engineer Joshua McLin. “Our engineers were on the floor with the mechanics seeing the jobs firsthand, being present and ready to assist wherever needed. The team was sitting down together, going over the job, identifying any problems that should arise so we could get ahead of the curve. We wanted to ensure when the mechanics started the job, they wouldn’t have to stop until it was completed.”
During the process, the team encountered several roadblocks that were easily traversed thanks to identifying those possible issues early on in the process. Together, they were able to resolve those matters in record time, efficiently keeping the job on schedule to meet their goal of 35 days. In addition, they were able to capture lessons learned from this pilot initiative that will be incorporated in future model line efforts to improve the way the shipyard does business. They hope to continually knock goals out of the park and build more comradery across shops and codes of the shipyard.
“This was a huge win for not only our shipyard but all of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA),” said Bray. “When we have a solid process, clear understanding with the technical authorization and supporting materials readily available for our people, they can get the job done faster – so having that support from our stakeholders and material community was huge. We were able to put extreme focus in the pre-planning stages and removing barriers in advance so when our mechanics were ready to go, they were able to get the job done more efficiently and accurately. This can be done across the waterfront, we just need to ensure our support codes and leadership can act as change agents and foster solutions to make work easier for the mechanics.”
Williams added, “at NNSY, our mindset is centered around the mechanics doing the work and the non-stop execution of work. This type of initiative really highlights that mindset, ensuring everyone is able to come together and rally behind those mechanics to get the work done so we can return these vessels back to the fleet in top condition.”
Bray continued, “I like to think of these mechanics as the surgeons, ready to get down to business to complete the task so they can fix up these warships and get them back to sea. But in order to perform their tasks, they need that support to ensure they are able to get the job done and eliminate the barriers that stand in their way. I want our folks to have that satisfaction of accomplishment in their work, being able to complete their tasks safely and efficiently. So whatever I can do as a leader to help them through those obstacles, I’m ready to assist.”
Since this win for the shipyard, NNSY is already looking at other areas to test the model line initiative to help build a lasting mindset across the waterfront. “The hope is that this model line spreads throughout the shipyard, within all our shops and codes,” said Code 100TO Rick Madeira. “It’s a shift in mindset, making sure we have all the material out front, making sure we’re prepared to tackle whatever comes our way on the job. With this pilot, we saw how big the results can be for just one job. We’re looking forward to seeing what improvements we can make going forward together.”
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.04.2025 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 494593 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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