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Marine Coatings Get R&D Funding Boost

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2013


Several projects aimed at improving shipyard coatings and inspection processes will get a $430,000 boost in funding from the National Shipbuilding Research Program.

On Oct. 16, the NSRP Executive Control Board announced 19 new research and development projects as part of its program's core mission to reduce costs associated with Navy shipbuilding and repair. The projects total about $2.5 million and will be executed through NSRP.

The board is the governing body of NSRP and consists of a senior management representative for each member shipyard.

Coatings, Surface Prep Projects

Four of the projects aim to improve coatings and surface preparation activities for ship building, repair and inspection processes.

NSRP project awards
Photos: NSRP
NSRP awarded a total of $430,000 to four projects related to coatings, inspection and surface prep, including measuring metals in paint and analyzing polysiloxane systems for cost effectiveness and durability.
NSRP project awards
Photos: NSRP

NSRP awarded a total of $430,000 to four projects related to coatings, inspection and surface prep, including measuring metals in paint and analyzing polysiloxane systems for cost effectiveness and durability.

Under the Risk Management category, the project "Metals in Paint Analysis Using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)" was awarded $103,000. The project, developed by Golder Associates, aims to develop a functional method to measure lead, chromium and cadmium levels used in maritime paint during shipbuilding and repair activities.

The measurements would be done using an onsite, real-time sampling method, instead of the current practice of sending samples to a laboratory.

One of three projects in the Surface Prep & Coatings category, "Cost Savings Comparison in Application of Polysiloxane vs. Silicone Alkyd Topcoats" will compare polysiloxane coating systems to current new construction specifications for cost effectiveness and durability in an extended shipyard industrial environment.

The project was awarded $140,000 and is a joint effort by Bath Iron Works; Marinette Marine, Elzly Technology; PPG; International Paint; and Sherwin-Williams.

Also under the Surface Prep & Coatings category, "Reducing Inspection Costs Using the Latest Digital Inspection Tools" was awarded $37,000, and "Robust Functional Paperless Paint Phase II, Future State Implementation" received $150,000.

The "Reducing Inspection Costs" project will evaluate efficiencies of each method and calculate cost savings with a goal of reducing inspection time, paperwork generation time and audit time, as well as reducing or eliminating erroneous readings and non-conformances due to user error and transcription errors.

The project is being developed by Elcometer; Newport News Shipbuilding; BAE Systems—Southeast Shipyards; Ingalls Shipbuilding; NASSCO—Earl Industries; and NAVSEA 05P.

A joint effort by BAE Systems; Marinette Marine; TruQC; and Elzly Technologies, the "Robust Functional Paperless Paint" project aims to update the existing paint software system that has been designed to populate the Navy Standard Item 009-32 appendices.

Projects Awarded

The remaining projects and their awards are:

Shipyard R&D

Nineteen projects will receive a combined $2.5 million from NSRP to research new ways to reduce costs associated with Navy shipbuilding and repair.

Electrical Technologies

  • "Low Voltage Quick Connector Evaluation"; $141,000;
  • "Flexible Interface for Automated CIrcuit Tester for Level 1 Testing"; $150,000;

Environmental

Quikspray, Inc.
Just Like New Overspray Management
  • "Control Technology Comparison for Heavy Metals Removal from Shipyard Storm Water Runoff"; $149,000;
  • "Develop a Data Management Application (Emissions Tracker) to Reduce Labor and Increase Accuracy in the Regulatory Reporting of Environmental Emissions"; $149,000;

Information Technologies

  • "Requirements for a Shipbuilding Drawingless Environment"; $148,000;

Planning, Production Processes & Facilities

  • "Modular Scaffolding for Block Outfitting"; $118,000;
  • "Validation of Analysis Methods for Padeye Attachment Under Dynamic Loading through Destructive Testing"; $139,000;

Risk Management

  • "Noise Control for Portable Ventiatlion Blowers"; $150,000;

Ship Design & Material Technologies

Tarps manufacturing, Inc.
Modern Safety Techniques
  • "Outfit Attachments on Thin Plate Vessels"; $113,000;

Ship Warfare Systems Integration

  • "Standardized Foundations Database for Combat Systems"; $150,000;
  • "Ship Warfare Systems Interface Descriptions"; $150,000;
  • "Copper and Fiber Optic Test Equipment Integration into Shipyard Processes"; $135,000;

Welding Technology

  • "Development and Evaluation of ICE Welding Procedures for Thick Plate"; $145,000;
  • "Survey of Small (< 3" NPS) Valve Welding Techniques to Protect Heat Damageable Material"; $148,000; and
  • "Autogenous Pipe Welding"; $139,000.

A portfolio of all of NSRP's ongoing and completed projects can be found here.

About NSRP

NLB Corporation
base painters

Co-funded by the U.S. shipbuilding industry and the U.S. Navy, NSRP is a collaboration of U.S. shipyards working together to reduce the cost of building, operating and repairing Navy ships by improving productivity and quality through advanced technology and processes.

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Tagged categories: Awards and honors; Elcometer; Funding; Inspection; International Paint; National Shipbuilding Research Program; Polysiloxane; PPG; Program/Project Management; Research; Sherwin-Williams; Shipyards; Surface preparation; TruQC; U.S. Navy


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