SHIPYARD TOUR
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Steel Preparation
Prime Plate Facility
Located just outside of the shipyard, this facility receives plates from the steel mill, and then shot blasts and primes them with a weldable zinc primer, also known as a pre-construction primer. The cycle takes place in an indoor controlled environment for proper surface preparation, and is completed in less than four minutes.
Steel Storage Area
Thousands of tons of primed steel are sorted and stored in the 108,000-square-foot steel field, and brought into the main production facility by means of a 16-ton magnetic crane and a roller conveyor system.
Prefabrication & Subassembly
Large Panel Line
Plates are edge-prepped and robotically welded together to form large panels up to 20m (65ft) long by nearly 16m (52ft) wide. Panels are then trimmed, holes are cut, and stiffeners are mounted and fully welded in place.
Double Bottom Line
Double bottom sections are assembled from subassemblies and welded utilizing a traveling robotic fillet welding gantry. Units are moved down the line by hydraulic activated lifting trains riding floor or subfloor mounted rails.
Web Shop
A CNC plate cutter uses high-definition plasma or oxyfuel to cut precise parts up to 120mm thick. Small, irregular stiffened panels are fabricated using a robotic optically controlled fillet welding gantry.
Bulkhead Shop / Panel Line
Plates are edge-prepped and robotically welded together to form small panels up to 16m (53ft) long by 12m (39ft) wide. Stiffeners are then mounted and welded into place.
Outfitting Shop
The majority of outfitting, such as pipes, cableways, ventilation, equipment foundations, and platforms, gets installed on both inverted and ship-shape blocks in the outfitting shop.
Curved Panel Shop
A 600-ton hydraulic press and 1270-ton roll press form curved plates, which are joined and fitted with structural members to form subassemblies on tilting pin jig tables.
Section Assembly Shop
Sections up to 300 tons are assembled from subassemblies and prefabricated steel parts.
Building & Outfitting
Grand Block Shop
Blocks or sections are joined together to form Grand Blocks, weighing up to 660-tons.
Cabin Factory
Recently, we made an investment into developing a Cabin Factory where modularized cabins will be assembled to support the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) project.
Paint Shop
Grand blocks are painted in one of two identical fully enclosed and ventilated 30m (98ft) wide by 48m (157ft) long paint and blast halls.
Paint Shelter
Additional covered space for painted grand blocks to dry without exposure.
Warehouses
Brand new centralized material storage warehouses with advanced logistics systems are being constructed which when completed will more than triple our covered storage space.
Cable Cutting Tent
Our electrical subcontractor utilizes this facility for the cutting of cable to proper lengths for installation on the vessel.
Grand Block Assembly Area
Equipment and other outfitting is installed on recently assembled or painted Grand Blocks.
Docks & Cranes
Material Laydown Area
Grand Blocks are staged at the North end of Dry Dock 4 prior to erection.
Dry Dock 4
One of two identical 330m (1,092ft) long by 45m (150ft) wide U.S. Coast Guard certified graving docks that date back to World War II. Dry Dock 4 is used as a dry dock for vessel erection, and can be subdivided by an intermediate dock gate for erection of two vessels in tandem.
Goliath Crane
Our 660-metric-ton gantry crane is the largest in U.S. commercial Jones Act shipbuilding, and is used primarily to transport grand blocks into Dry Dock 4.
Luffing Cranes
Two 50-ton capacity cranes flank Dry Dock 4 to support rigging of material and equipment onto the vessel during erection.
Dry Dock 5
One of two identical 330m (1,092ft) long by 45m (150ft) wide USCG-certified graving docks that date back to WWII. Dry Dock 5 is used as a wet berth for vessel final outfitting and commissioning.
AL-94 Crane
This 60-ton capacity crane services Dry Dock 5, running the length of the East side of the dock.
Administration
Training Academy
Our apprenticeship program begins here at a dedicated training facility which houses a mix of classroom and hands-on welding spaces.
Main Gate / Security
Our main security checkpoint and gate where visitors and vendors are processed into and out of the shipyard.
620 Main Administration Building
Originally numbered as “620” by the U.S. Navy, this building serves as our main administration office.
Material Control Office and Storage
Material Control is responsible for control and regulation over purchasing, storing, and consumption of materials so as to maintain a smooth flow of production with optimum investment in inventories.
