Page 24: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2021)

Back to the Drawing Board can result in a ? nancial disaster and we often advise against a off routines as long as the damage extent is known. Once the new construction yard engaging in repairs even if the damage damage extent is known the full design model can be used to occurred in their own yard. On the other hand, we also of- design the most ef? cient repair.

ten encounter too much improvisation in repair yards. Good I am not stating anything new here, but today this approach planning, tight process control and use of the most mature is rarely applied. I have yet to attend a major steel repair proj- new construction approaches can provide interesting oppor- ect where this level of information transfer actually occurred. tunities for the maritime community in ship repair and con- I can see there are various hurdles, and, almost ironically, the version. vessel’s builder may actually muscle in on the repair project

There has been a revolution in ship construction and only because they hold the keys to the deeper data and can there- a small portion of that revolution has been adopted in the fore reduce the repair cost. ship repair and conversion community. The adoption of those I am not saying the builder will be successful in getting the technologies, approaches, and systems into ship repair could project, because ships have a nasty habit of getting damaged very well change the way ship owners and operators regard in locations that are some distance away from her place of repair and conversion and that would result in new repair and birth, and often the vessel is incapable of being economically conversion approaches. moved. Regardless, this shows that technology adoptions re-

Major steel repair projects traditionally required the vessel sult in business model shifts.

to enter the repair yard and involved detailed surveys assisted While I have not seen the use of full digital models in a with ship’s drawings which then resulted in a repair plan. large steel repair job, the recent installation of Ballast Water

There may be CAD drawings and even a rudimentary 3D Treatment systems and scrubbers has made much more use of model, but only the newest ships would be fully built, con- digital construction details especially in the planning phase, ? gured and assembled with a full CAD model. A full CAD and these modi? cations were much more cost effective when model with all material properties, suppliers, part numbers a full E/R 3D model was available.

and models would make a major steel repair planning a hands So let’s dig a little deeper, because there are number of

Students Learn, the Fleet Saves: Naval Postg

By Edward Lundquist

The Navy is a step closer to achieving the vision of being able but also reduces reliance on lengthy, complex logistics chains.

to fabricate parts on demand. Xerox and the Naval Postgradu- “Global supply chains leave industries like aerospace, automo- ate School (NPS) have announced a strategic research collabo- tive, heavy equipment, and oil and gas vulnerable to external ration to advance 3D printing and additive manufacturing. risks,” said Tali Rosman, Xerox Vice President and General Man-

As part of a Collaborative Research and Development Agree- ager, 3D Printing. “Our goal is to integrate localized 3D printing ment (CRADA) between NPS and Xerox, a Xerox ElemX Liquid into their operations, and the real-time feedback from NPS gives

Metal Printer has been installed at the school’s Large Experi- us actionable data to continuously improve the ElemX.” ment Annex on campus. NPS is the ? rst site anywhere in the The CRADA agreement bene? ts the naval service as well as world to install this new technology. Xerox. “The military supply chain is among the most complex “From the age of sail to the nuclear era, Sailors have been in the world, and NPS understands ? rst-hand the challenges ? xing things at sea so they can complete the mission, said NPS manufacturers must address,” said Xerox Chief Technology Of-

President retired Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau. “This partnership is ? cer Naresh Shanker. “This collaboration will aid NPS in push- about the strategic ability of the Navy to have Sailors on ships ing adoption of 3D printing throughout the U.S. Navy, and will with the capability through creativity and technology to advance provide Xerox valuable information to help deliver supply chain their operations at sea. Through collaboration, NPS and Xerox, ? exibility and resiliency to future customers.” with the support of the NPS Alumni Association and Foundation According to retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Todd Lyons, NPSAAF (NPSAAF), are helping build a Navy for the 21st Century.” vice president, providing the right digital tools and the liquid met-

With access to the ElemX liquid metal printer and other state- al printer has helped transform the supply chain, as well as how of-the-art additive manufacturing equipment, NPS faculty and the Department of Defense (DoD) thinks operationally about students will be able to design and create on-demand items as supplying war. “This is one way to bend the cost curve so that part of thesis research. the DoD is not spending a thousand dollars for every dollar that

Creating parts when needed not only contributes to readiness, a peer competitor spends,” Lyons said. 24 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • April 2021

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