Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) partnered with Newport News Shipbuilding – Huntington Ingalls Industries (NNS-HII) to bring the Integrated Digital Shipbuilding Mobile Experience (MX) Trailer to the shipyard July 31-Aug. 1 in an effort to share knowledge and explore innovative ideas that could benefit the workforce, as well as to highlight the innovative technologies readily available at NNSY.

The MX trailer is a 1,000-square foot mobile training facility that can be tailored to the need of the user. NNS-HII fitted the interior with innovative technologies and software associated with ship repair and savings, including the latest in augmented/virtual reality and additive manufacturing.

“I am currently on the NNSY team that gives feedback to NNS-HII’s Ford-class aircraft carrier design 3-D CAD model and how the program can be modified or adapted to better serve us during our overhauls at the shipyard. The model was showcased in the trailer and I thought after seeing the model and what was featured in the trailer it would be a great opportunity to bring the trailer to NNSY and showcase what technologies are available and some we already have access to,” said Code 2320.1 Cleanliness and Innovation Engineer Donny Hoover. “Modernizing the shipyards has become a high priority across the enterprise and the public and private shipyards have the chance to work together to achieve this goal. This includes sharing the knowledge regarding special tooling and technology that can enable us to work on ships more efficiently.”

The Nuclear Innovation Group, Code 2320.1, aimed to bring the trailer onboard as a way of showing employees firsthand what the new technologies can do and the savings they can provide, all while driving positive change and process. Hoover and his team then met with CVN 69 Reactor Plant Planning Yard On-Site Representative Kenny Weeks and the planning began to bring the MX Trailer to NNSY.

“We ironed out the planning for two months to bring the trailer onboard for two days, providing various hour-long sessions throughout the day to representatives from the different departments who could utilize the technologies available,” said Code 2320.1 Nuclear Cleanliness and Innovation Supervisor Rodolfo Dulce, Jr. “In addition, we also planned an hour-long open house during each day to provide the workforce with a chance to see everything firsthand. We wanted to provide the opportunity for everyone to see what innovations are available and motivate our people to find ways to improve their day-to-day operations.”

Weeks said, "It's the first time we were able to bring the trailer to the public shipyards so this is very exciting for our team. We want to open up dialogue and create an opportunity to share what knowledge we have with one another. The MX event is all about communicating your ability to the rest of the workforce and seeking out ways that knowledge can be used. With the trailer, we are able to provide a hands-on approach to the workforce, letting them see just what is possible. When people are able to put that technology in their hands, you really see the wheels turning. They imagine ways technology can make their jobs easier. And that's what we want to do - empower them to improve and innovate."

The trailer was onboard for two days, each hour-long session having at least twenty employees experiencing what NNS-HII had to showcase. This provided them the chance to test out the equipment and ask questions to subject-matter experts for each technology.

“I thought the entire presentation was well-put together and it showcased technologies our shipyard could really benefit from,” said Additive Manufacturing (AM) Subcommittee Co-Lead for the NNSY Technology and Innovation Community of Practice (NNSY T&I COP) Adam Seamster. “NNSY already works in technologies such as additive manufacturing and virtual reality; however, it’s an ever-evolving technology and sharing our knowledge with one another greatly benefits the mission and helps us all take the steps needed to succeed as we progress into the future of the shipyard. We can learn a lot from each other.”

Weeks said, "We've had a lot of folks come out for the guided tours and the open house. It has been an amazing experience seeing everyone engaging in the conversation, asking questions, and sharing knowledge. It opens up the floodgates for people to begin to think creativity and share ideas with one another. You can see a passion to innovate there and they are looking for ways to make improvements happen. Let's work together to make our jobs easier and more efficient."

“Each and every person who joined us is a master of their craft,” added Hoover. “Their expertise and ideas are essential to our efforts in shipyard modernization and process improvement.”

“We’ve generated a lot of interest in what we can do to improve the way the shipyard works and our team especially wants to continue to push that interest and invest in innovation at NNSY and across the corporation,” said Dulce. “There’s always a chance to improve and through that dedication and collaboration I think we’re another step closer to endless possibilities. Big thanks to NNS-HII for coming out and sharing their knowledge with us.”

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