Manufacturing Center News

Austal USA Advanced Technologies is working with the US Navy on technical solutions that will power the next-gen of navy assets. Don Hairston recently took the helm of the AAT team, and discusses how additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence are powering the future of naval asset design, construction and lifecycle maintenance.Don, what specifically attracted you to the position as GM of Austal USA Advanced Technologies?I liked Austal USA as an up-and-comer; it offers tremendous growth opportunities.

Maritime servies firm Drew Marine announced it will launch a new cargo hold solution product segment, and that Alexandros Strigkos has been named as the Global Market Manager of the product segment.With its recent acquisition of CHEMO Hellas, a Greece-based company, Drew Marine added a number of products, including notably its cargo hold cleaning chemistry and related equipment.Strigkos had long been an important part of CHEMO’s cargo hold business. He has expertise in the technology…

Victaulic appointed Rick Bucher as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding John F. Malloy, effective January 31, 2021. Dr. Bucher was named President of Victaulic in April of 2020, following a June 2019 appointment as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Victaulic in 2009 as Vice President of Engineering, Dr. Bucher worked for 15 years for W.L. Gore, a manufacturer of technologically advanced composite materials. Dr. Bucher received a B.S. and M.S. in engineering from Rice University and a Ph.D. in material science from Virginia Tech.Dr.

Sembcorp Marine earns 3D printing certifications for parts used in construction and repairsThese certifications will help the Group unlock significant efficiencies and reduce supply chain risksSingapore-based Sembcorp Marine has received certifications qualifying its 3D printing procedures and specifications for components used in its construction and repair projects, paving the way for new efficiencies and reduced supply chain risk, the company said.Awarded by quality assurance and risk management company DNV GL…

The new center, which is supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), will focus on developing competence including qualification, certification and training for additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing. While AM is raising more and more interest in various industries, as the benefits of speed and cost against traditional product manufacturing become apparent, the adoption level in the O&M sector is still low due to challenges in qualification and certification.

Victaulic, a manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining solutions, has unveiled a plan to build an additional state-of-the-art manufacturing center in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. The 400,000 square foot facility is the result of increased domestic demand for the company’s products. The facility is expected to break ground later this year and be fully operational in 2019. “This new facility will play an important role in meeting increased customer demand, while also producing the highest quality products in the industry -- something our customers have come to expect from us since our first innovation nearly 100 years ago,” said John F. Malloy, CEO of Victaulic.

Hoover Container Solutions (“Hoover”), Ferguson Group (“Ferguson”) and CHEP Catalyst & Chemical Containers (“CCC”), three leading global providers of container solutions products in the energy, petrochemical and general industrial markets, have finalized their merger to form the independent joint venture company, Hoover Ferguson Group (“Hoover Ferguson”). Global supply chain solutions company, Brambles Limited, the owner of Ferguson and CCC, and First Reserve and Hoover management, the owners of Hoover, completed the transaction on October 21, 2016. The joint venture is 50% owned by Brambles and 50% owned by Hoover shareholders. Hoover Ferguson brings together three market-leading service providers with demonstrated commitments to world-class customer service…

Hoover Container Solutions (“Hoover”), Ferguson Group (“Ferguson”) and CHEP Catalyst & Chemical Containers (“CCC”), the three global providers of container solutions products in the energy, petrochemical and general industrial markets, announced that they are merging to form Hoover Ferguson Group (“HFG”). Global supply chain solutions company, Brambles Limited, the owner of Ferguson and CCC, and First Reserve, the owner of Hoover, a leading private equity and infrastructure investment firm exclusively focused on energy, reached an agreement on August 4, 2016 to form a 50:50 joint venture through the merger. Hoover Ferguson Group brings together three industry-leading service providers with demonstrated commitments to world-class customer service, operational excellence and quality.

U.S.-based maritime technology firm WR Systems has expanded its commercial maritime service network within the U.S. The opening of strategic service centers in Tampa, Fla. and New Orleans, La. complements the existing service hubs of Norfolk, Va. and Jacksonville Fla., the company said. WR devotes almost 100 technicians to the support of commercial, military and publicly owned vessel NAVCOM systems. The company is authorized to supply and service a wide range of leading marine electronics suppliers including Furuno…

Strategic European hub location offers fastest transits from France to U.S. Gulf. CaroTrans announced a new, weekly LCL export service from Le Havre, France to Houston which will commence April 5. This direct service shortens shipping time by 5-11 days for freight moving from France to the U.S. Gulf region including: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Laredo Austin, New Orleans, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, as well as Los Angeles on the West Coast. The Le Havre departure point eliminates the congestion, delays and additional handling associated with routing via Antwerp and Rotterdam.

Aker Solutions received a Letter of Award from Total for the delivery of a subsea production system for the Moho Nord project in the Republic of the Congo. The contract value is approximately $850 million (U.S.). The Moho Nord project, located approximately 75 km off the coast of the Republic of the Congo, consists of the two developments Moho Nord and Moho Bilondo 1bis. Aker Solutions and Total will run both developments as one integrated project. Scope of work within the contract includes the delivery of 28 vertical subsea trees including wellhead systems…

Halliburton opens its newly constructed Completion Technology and Manufacturing Center in Singapore. The new state-of-the-art facility is located on about 43 acres in Jurong Industrial Park and includes more than 500,000 square feet (46,451 square meters) of manufacturing and administrative space. The facility includes technology laboratories and test facilities, which house complex processes such as high-alloy material precision machining, electrode discharge machines, small deep-hole gun drilling and fully automated high-pressure testing. A second phase of development is underway which includes the construction of the technology administration building…

Hundreds of current and future shipbuilders will be trained in Marinette pursuant to a contract signed today by Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) and Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC). “At Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, we are committed to meeting the marine manufacturing industry’s need for skilled shipbuilding workers,” said Dr. H. Jeffrey Rafn, NWTC president. Through the two-year agreement, NWTC will provide 130,000 hours of training to MMC new hires and incumbent workers. Focusing on electricians, shipfitters, welders, and pipefitters, the training will be provided at the NWTC Marinette campus, MMC facilities, and at the new NWTC North Coast Marine Manufacturing Center which is scheduled to open February 1, 2012, on Main Street in Marinette.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) won a follow-on and additional task order contracts totaling $69m from the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) for the Navy's Integrated Topside (InTop) program. InTop is an innovative, scalable suite of electronic warfare, information operations and line-of-sight communications hardware and software for use on naval surface platforms. The new suite will reduce the number of multiple topside apertures that naval vessels currently use, increasing bandwidth and resolving electromagnetic interference and compatibility issues caused by the large number of antennas on modern ships. The $66 million option award on the first contract funds the continued development…

at its Ship Systems sector's Gulfport Operations in Gulfport, Miss. The modernization project is expected to create the first large-scale advanced composite manufacturing facility to produce U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships. The modernization will dedicate $30 million to increasing capacity for composite construction, $19 million for ship construction and outfitting improvements, $8 million for additional support facilities, and $7 million to upgrade distributive systems. Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, principal speaker at the ceremony, told more than 200 guests and shipbuilders in attendance about the partnership between Northrop Grumman and the state and how this expansion project will economically benefit all parties involved.

ShipTech 2012 will be held on February 14-15 at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando, FL. Deadline for Abstracts has been extended to October 28th 2011. ShipTech 2012 is currently accepting abstracts for presentations on technology initiatives that improve U.S. shipbuilding and repair efficiencies and reduce total ownership cost through the use of innovative systems, processes or technologies. ShipTech 2012 is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research – Navy Manufacturing Center and the National Shipbuilding Research Program.

Aker Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd has won a contract from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) Malaysia Star reported. Aker Solutions opened a hi-tech manufacturing center at the Port Klang Free Trade Zone last year.  Aker Solutions said the contract was for the delivery of a complete deepwater marine drilling riser system with a buoyancy package and associated equipment.  This is the fourth similar contract from DSME to Aker Solutions this year. Source:  Malaysia Star

Aker Kvaerner will officially celebrate the expansion and state-of-the-art upgrade of its integrated subsea engineering and manufacturing facilities in Tranby, Norway on May 10. Aker Kvaerner invested NOK 65 million in 2006 and 2007 to develop the manufacturing operation into the world's most efficient subsea christmas tree manufacturing facility. Work on the facility has now been completed, just 12 months after Aker Kvaerner announced the investment. The new streamlined operations will increase Aker Kvaerner's ability to respond to customer needs with reduced lead times and more rapid execution. Aker Kvaerner Subsea has another two facilities coming on line this year.

Aker Kvaerner's multi-million dollar integrated subsea oil and gas centre in Malaysia was officially opened today, marking the successful conclusion of an ultra fast-track schedule to bring the facility on stream. Located in Port Klang Free Zone, Pulau Indah, Klang, the purpose-built manufacturing centre, with a total investment value of USD 100 million, is the first of its kind in the world. With a presence in Malaysia dating back some 20 years, Aker Kvaerner has provided design engineering services, local fabrication and project management consultancy for a range of clients in the offshore and onshore oil and gas industry over that time. Recently, the company has been building up capacity in the region.

The Port of Brunswick’s newest vehicle processing center for Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) opened its doors today with the arrival of more than 1,600 Mercedes-Benz autos. This shipment marks the first delivery of import Mercedes-Benz autos to Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal. “The opening of our new Vehicle Processing Center in Brunswick, Georgia is a milestone for our company that aims to increase efficiencies in our distribution process which will ultimately benefit our customers and dealers,” said Mercedes-Benz USA’s Vice President, Sales Operations Michael Slagter.