Navy Solicits Qualified Sources To Overhaul Ships Machinery

The U.S. Navy is currently searching for companies capable of performing naval machinery overhaul work.

In an effort to improve the quality of naval machinery Class B overhauls, the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is implementing a program to direct procurement of repair services for selected shipboard mission- critical equipment. Central to the program's implementation is the development of a Qualified Services List (QSL), which will provide an index of industrial activities certified to overhaul specific equipment models.

A Navy briefing for industry on the QSL program will be held at the Crystal City Theatre in Arlington, Va., on March 30, 1983, starting at 9 a.m.

Class B overhauls restore the operational and performance characteristics of equipment to original design and technical specifications. This includes all repair, replacement, and adjustment of parts required to enable the equipment to carry normal loads and function at its rated capacity. Class B overhauls also include post-repair performance testing to ensure operation of the equipment at a level equal to identical new equipment. NAVSEA- approved technical repair standards must be used in the accomplishment of Class B overhauls.

Throughout the preceding decade, NAVSEA has experienced numerous failures of critical shipboard equipment shortly after completion of Class B overhaul.

Analyses revealed that the high incidence of failure was due in part to unsatisfactory repair by activities which were not fully capable of overhauling the equipment to Class B standards. The development of a QSL will ensure that only fully qualified activities perform Class B overhaul of mission critical equipment and will expand the industrial competitive base for such overhauls.

The QSL will be arranged by equipment nomenclature, manufacturer, and allowance parts list number. Each entry will reference the manufacturer's model number and provide an index of repair activities which have been certified by the Navy to perform Class B overhaul of that specific equipment.

Advertisements soliciting letters of interest from potential Class B overhaul sources have appeared or will appear in future issues of The Commerce Business Daily.

In June 1983, NAVSEA will initiate a program to certify activities for accomplishing Class B overhauls of selected equipment.

NAVSEA-certified Class B overhaul sources will be indicated on the QSL. NAVSEA field activities will be directed to restrict Class B overhauls of QSL equipment to NAVSEA-qualified sources.

Certification criteria are under preparation for approximately 20 generic equipment types.

In each case, the four major qualifying factors are: (1) necessary technical data; (2) shop capabilities such as adequate machine tools and welding facilities; (3) an approved quality assurance program; and (4) test canabilities sufficient to achieve complete testing of the overhauled equipment. Participants must have the capability to comply with military specifications.

The initial QSL will include the following equipment: main feed pumps, other selected unique centrifugal pumps, superchargers, all forced draft blowers (horizontal and vertical), fuel oil service pumps, lube oil service pumps, JP-5 service pumps, synthetic oil service pumps (CRP), oil-free high and low pressure air compressors, oil-free hi-capacity low pressure air compressors (for 02N2 plants), auxiliary turbine drives, submarine reciprocating high pressure brine pumps, and PRAIRIE-Masker air compressors.

For additional information on the Navy's QSL program, contact B.J. Walsh, Naval Sea Systems Command, Code 56421, Washington, D.C. 20362, or telephone (202) 692-6826.