Manufacturing Research News

During a seven-week Arctic transit aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB 20), researchers from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) will study the impact of the extreme environment on crew performance and potential mitigations, as well as advanced Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies in adverse sea conditions.The studies, which commenced with Healy’s departure from Kodiak, Alaska on Aug. 26, will be led by principal investigator Dr. Nita Shattuck, a professor in the NPS Operations Research (OR) department.

A new agreement between BAE Systems Australia and Flinders University will see students and industry working together to develop new ways to provide Australia’s defence force with the evolving capability it needs and train the shipbuilding workforce of the future. BAE Systems is one of three companies bidding to build nine Anti-Submarine Warships for the Royal Australian Navy. The company is proposing an Australian variant of the Global Combat Ship currently being manufactured in the UK for the Royal Navy. Flinders University will receive access to BAE Systems’ digital shipbuilding tools, processes and methodologies and turn these into development programs to train the people who will build the Future Frigates and integrate the ships’ complex operating systems…

ExxonMobil announced it will supply fuels that comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 0.5 percent sulfur cap in ports in Northwest Europe, the Mediterranean and Singapore, with additional locations to be announced throughout 2018. “Our new suite of compliant fuels will include residual and distillate grades. We are at a very advanced stage in the development of these fuels, therefore making us well positioned to help customers meet the reduced sulfur limit ahead of the IMO’s 2020 implementation date,” said Luca Volta, Marine Fuels Venture Manager, ExxonMobil.

Business owners across the U.K. wanting to drive growth in the maritime sector are being urged to engage with the newly opened Maritime Knowledge Hub in Birkenhead, Liverpool City Region. The hub, based near Cammell Laird shipyard, is celebrating the formal completion of its recent fit-out and is now planning a busy agenda of events, seminars, training and networking. The completion of Phase 1 of the Maritime Knowledge Hub is a joint venture between Mersey Maritime, Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Wirral Council on behalf of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The fit-out was completed by Wirral based Beech Group, which specializes in demolition, but have a refurbishment division.

Rolls-Royce recognised as one of the best in Europe for 'Technology Management' by the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology. The 'Successful Practice Award' was presented recently at a ceremony held in Vaals, the Netherlands. Rolls-Royce, which has invested over £7.5 billion in the last ten years on Research and Development, was commended for its long-term strategic approach to technology development. Also highlighted were its network of University Technology Centres…

The American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Women in Safety Engineering (WISE) Common Interest Group has honored  100 women from around the world for making a difference in the safety, health and environmental (SH&E) field as part of the WISE ‘100 Women, Making a Difference in Safety’ project. Mary Armstrong, who is based in the Seattle area, was honored for her dedication to protecting people, property and the environment. Armstrong is the vice president of Environment, Health and Safety at Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company. She joined the company in 1984 as a process engineer for manufacturing research and development, and steadily ascended the chain of command during the last two decades.

The Naval Sea Systems Command announced the selection of Rear Adm. (sel.) Gregory R. Thomas as the next commander of Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). He is currently serving as the commander of Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY&IMF). Capt. Brian Osgood has been selected as the next commander of PHNSY&IMF. Rear Adm. (sel.) Thomas will be responsible for overseeing a business base of submarines, carriers, ships and intermediate level maintenance at NNSY and will be the 104th shipyard commander of NNSY. Capt. Osgood is currently serving as Maritime Readiness Branch Head on the OPNAV N43 staff. Capt. Osgood will become Pearl's 45th shipyard commander. Thomas is a native of Portsmouth, Va.