Norfolk Naval Shipyard Improves Productivity & Efficiency with Custom Low-Profile Clamshell
Located in Portsmouth, Virginia, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) is one of the oldest and largest industrial facilities belonging to the U.S. Navy, and specializes in repairing, overhauling, and modernizing ships and submarines.
On a Mission to Restore Readiness
However, maintenance at NNSY is comprehensive and time-consuming. As part of the U.S Navy’s ongoing effort to improve shipyard maintenance and restore readiness, NNSY must increase workflow efficiency and decrease the number of days of labor required to complete ship maintenance.
While conducting routine operations, the team at NNSY needed to remove two lines welded to an Inconel tee; but the project presented unique challenges.
The Customer’s Challenge:
• Since foreign material exclusion (FME) requirements were extremely stringent, a plug had to be inserted once the Inconel tee was severed and a chipless cut had to be used to prevent contaminants from falling into the tee.
• Once the original lines were removed and plugged, the elbow required a J-bevel and counterbore prep
A Custom Solution
Tri Tool developed a custom low-profile clamshell (604LP) designed specifically to operate in areas of tight clearances, with zero FME, and extremely precise J-bevel and counterbore prep.
Low clearance, tight tolerance design• Next, the tool module was transformed to a chipless roller cutter to complete the severing operation.
• A plug was inserted once the tee was severed as a supreme layer of protection against FME.
• The CBM is an attachment that makes it easy to machine the weld profile to the inner surface without readjusting the machine after cutting and beveling the pipe.
Rapid, Dependable Performance
Tri Tool’s custom low-profile clamshell delivers improved performance, speed and ease-of-use while maintaining the power and durability our customers have come to expect. Now, NNSY can reduce machining time, optimize maintenance workflows, and enhance readiness.
Tri Tool’s custom low-profile clamshell enables:
• Greater accuracy: The custom 604LP performs consistent, highly accurate cutting in extremely tight spaces.
• Safe and reliable operation: The machines utilizes chipless cutting to prevent FME and a high alloy cutting wheel performs the final severing to not generate any debris.
• Higher productivity: NNSY reduces labor and time requirements with one simple set-up of the mounting fixture that can remove the elbow and machine the leg of the tee.
• Cost-savings: With greater efficiency, minimal risk, and higher personnel productivity, the custom 604LP enables more cost-effective maintenance workflows.
As a prime contractor for the U.S. Navy and Army IDIQ contracts, Tri Tool is well equipped to handle the most complex and unique projects, including ones under high security clearance, involving extremely tight tolerances, or with environmental concerns, such as nuclear radiation.
Have a unique challenge? Let us design a custom solution.
Contact our engineering team at +1-916-288-6100 or email us at Government@tritool.com and visit tritool.com
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