Page 44: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2, 2006)

44 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

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Responsiveness is focus at Ward Leonard

The nature of naval warfare is changing; the nature of technology is changing at the same time. Together, these changes are having a profound impact on vessels, human resources, tactics, and seaworthiness.

Leading edge electronics like those being designed by Ward Leonard Electric Co., are focused on highly demanding situations and the ever advancing require- ments of current and future naval systems. Command and control systems, as well as the technologies that translate orders into actions, must be more precise, more adaptable, and more durable than ever. The all-electronic Navy and the high-speed demands of immediate responses are creating an environment where suppliers have to create products that respond now.

At Ward Leonard Electric Co. Inc. of Thomaston,

Conn., experts and technology developers in naval motors and control systems as well as electronics and power systems, are responding to naval and marine needs on multiple fronts: a71 The company is focusing on making high- function products that take advantage of new technolo- gies and developments in materials and manufacturing techniques. a71 It is applying new developments in engineering to traditional and replacement products and making them lighter, faster, and simpler to use. a71 It is applying proven products and processes to new areas, including homeland security, mining, petroleum and construction.

All of this is supported by a new generation of engineers, steeped in industry knowledge and focused on the increasingly stringent demands of the market- place.

New Engineering Group

To meet the mission-critical requirements of customers who range from the Department of Defense to major defense contractors to OEM suppliers, a strategic engineering group has been formed under Bill Tortora, senior vice president of Advanced Business

Development. The first products from the group will hit a hungry marketplace shortly, and the group is influencing response to requirements from current clients by adding value and new technology. “We knew that our traditional great products were not going to be good enough going forward,” says

CEO Jon Carter. “So we leap-frogged the next turn of the technology wheel and created a dynamic team that is creating new products and processes at a pace that is exhilarating.”

Of course, taking care of business and customers who expect 100-plus-year-old Ward Leonard to be there when called is another mission that cannot be overlooked. The military business and the high-intensi- ty commercial customers receive the same personal service that has made Ward Leonard a consistent sup- plier to the Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. “After being around as long as we have, customers expect a high level of performance,” says Peter

Morehouse, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “As a result we set near term goals to decrease our response time to customer requests and product lead times for customer orders; our customer base is demanding this and we are eager and ready to respond to their needs.”

Morehouse adds that the precision of Ward

Leonard engineering and manufacturing are valued by engineers and designers in multiple industries, as are the improvements that are built into their products, new and existing alike.

For example, the company has just announced a new line of motor driven rotary relays, designed to switch current between controlling devices and electri- cal components. The relays, which directly replace earlier models that currently exist in the market, are designed for longer service than those produced by competitors. Ward Leonard will keep the most request- ed models in stock and has parts for the rest of the line on hand and ready to be assembled.

Acquisition, Advanced Applications

In response to a need that the company identified for modern naval applications, it developed a solid state communications controller that works with up to three overload relays aboard a ship, thus providing important management information and eliminating equipment previously required. The controller is designed to work with common local area net protocols and installs quickly and efficiently in most applications.

On another technology front, in mid-2005 the company acquired the assets and intellectual property of Mawdsley’s Motors of Great Britain, a well-known supplier of motors for multiple industries, including transportation, naval and military applications.

Ward Leonard is maintaining a design engineering presence with some manufacturing and test capability in the United Kingdom. The majority of the manufac- turing has been transferred to and will be conducted in the Connecticut plant.

During a recent visit to Ward Leonard

Headquarters, Rep. Nancy Johnson, R- Conn., high- lighted the company’s success in developing advanced products for defense and other high-stress applications during a tour of the development laboratory and man- ufacturing plant. Johnson is a senior member of the

House Ways and Means Committee and chairman of the Health Subcommittee.

With world-class engineering and a modern 140,000-square-foot research, development and manu- facturing facility, in Thomaston, Ward Leonard excels at developing and manufacturing innovative engineer- ing solutions that meet or exceed established standards for motor control and motor efficiency, reliability and resiliency. The company continues to focus on its traditional military markets, both as a direct supplier of replacement parts and assemblies as well as a key subcontractor on major construction and overhaul projects.

Ward Leonard quality assurance processes guaran- tee that motors and control systems are fault-free. The calibration system meets MIL-STD-45662 standards while all assurance functions meet MIL-I-45208 and

MIL-Q9858 as needed. “The outlook is exciting, as we develop new products, apply new technology to traditional products and move into custom engineering. Our vision is to be the most respected and responsive supplier in our industry,” said Morehouse.

Ward Leonard’s newly unveiled motor-driven rotary relay (MDR): one of the several new products responding to customer feedback.

Ward Leonard employees insert a contractor into a motor controller at the manufacturing facility in Connecticut.

A technician inserts coils into the stator of an AC motor.

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