Overview
Project Number: S2886
Project Title: Dynamic Rules-Based Material Process
Period of Performance: AUG20 – FEB23
Objective
The current manufacturing process for nesting plates, cutting plates and cutting pipe at Huntington Ingalls Industries – Ingalls Shipbuilding (Ingalls) results in excessive material waste. Additionally, internal administrative constraints limit the fluid nature of production (e.g., nesting that addresses just-in-time schedule requirements across contracts, hulls, units, material types / sizes). This Naval Shipbuilding and Advanced Manufacturing (NSAM) Center project investigated how to make these processes more efficient.
This project created a rules-based process for effective consumption of whole material while reducing overall scrap. A dynamic nesting solution was evaluated with the goal of eliminating risk associated with cross-nesting (nesting across multiple bills, hulls or contracts) while decreasing material handling cost. A formal rules-based program was established that addressed the handling of excess material. These approaches add versatility to the processes and minimize manual nesting, touch cost and material waste. Additionally, the project addressed physical marking for material allocation (cost collection), tracking and locating.
This project also examined whether the opportunity exists to connect results automatically, via a digital solution with other ManTech projects to leverage existing technology like the S2160 VIRGINIA Class submarine (VCS) Material Management and S2107 Nested Material Manufacturing Technology Improvement projects.
Benefits/Payoff
Once implemented, Ingalls anticipates this project will create a reduction in plate and pipe material waste, as well as a reduction in engineering labor hours associated with touch labor, material handling and nesting process. Implementation of new technologies / products developed under this project is estimated to result in annual savings of $5.7M for DDG 51 Class destroyer and $16.5M for all platforms combined, creating a five-year return on investment (ROI) of 8.4:1.
Implementation
Ingalls completed implementation into their production environment in the 1Q FY2024 on multiple ship platforms, including in the construction of Amphibious Assault Ship (LHA) 9, Amphibious Transport Dock (LPD) 33, DDG 137 and Naval Safety Command (NSC) 12.
*Prepared under ONR Contract N00014-24-D-7001 as part of the Navy ManTech Program.
*DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. DCN# 2024-10-17-189; Approval Date: 10/24/2024
