By Shelly Sikes-Diaz, NAVAIR Jacksonville, Public Affairs and Betsy Haley, NAVRIIP Communications Team

JACKSONVILLE, Fl. – Barrier removal teams (BRT) significantly eliminated power supply readiness barriers that have positively impacted turn around time and overall productivity for the H-60 type-model-series (T/M/S), since the last NAVRIIP leadership team’s visit to Naval Station Mayport.

Cmdr. Jeri Sue King, officer-in-charge, Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Detachment (AIMD), Mayport, hosted the NAVRIIP leadership tour of the AIMD facility, and updated the group on vital cost-wise readiness improvements and resolved readiness barriers.

King explained the recent barrier with the air conditioning system in the tailored minivast automated testing equipment (TMV) work center. The system frequently stopped functioning, requiring the benches to shut down. When the benches were turned back on, the power surge caused circuit cards to fail, and the replacements were difficult to obtain. As a result, the backlog in the shop could reach more than 100 components. The failures were due to clogged filters, providing the momentum to improve local air conditioning maintenance procedures with coordination with the public works department on station.

“This NAVRIIP visit gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our successes with reducing customer wait times and increases in productivity that we have achieved since the last visit,” said King. “We also shared our lessons learned and the processes used to incorporate the barrier identification and removal into the way we do business.”

King’s department also experienced decreases in production due to frequently shutting down circuits and benches during thunderstorm conditions, which are frequent in the Mayport area. A constant, clean power source was needed to prevent down-time due to lightning strikes or brownouts. BRTs worked to procure an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for the shop. Once the power supply barriers were resolved, the component backlog dropped to approximately 30. Due to the UPS system, over 258 lost production man-hours were gained and cost avoidance savings totaling approximately $180,000 annually was realized.

“NAVRIIP seeks to provide cost-wise readiness for the Warfighter,” said VADM Walter Massenburg, commander, Naval Air Systems Command. “The profit of the Naval Aviation Enterprise is our future. This means that the efficiencies gained in process improvements affords the Enterprise more resources towards re-capitalization in support of CNO’s goals,” he continued.

The AIMD team also implemented Lean Manufacturing techniques in the power plants work center. The team’s efforts were apparent in the SH-60 T-700 engine shop, where dramatic changes have taken place.

“The barrier removal team increased engine power, and stabilized a negative time-on-wing trend,” said Capt. Bill Shannon, NAVAIR program manager, SH-60 T/M/S. “The team is now actively working on improving time-on-wing, while also working to reduce engine bare firewalls to zero, increasing engines product availability and increasing aircraft ready for operations,” said Shannon.

“Lean has greatly affected our productivity,” said ADC Michael Padro. “The number of physical steps involved in building the engine was reduced from 3,039 to 348, and turn-around-time (TAT) has been reduced by over 20 days. Our work processes are flowing much more smoothly now than before implementing Lean,” said Padro. “The training is very valuable.” He also expressed that the team hopes to further reduce engine TAT time and see further gains in production by continuing with the processes.

During the last leadership trip to Mayport Naval Station, teams identified more than 180 mission barriers to readiness. By the end of this visit, BRTs were able to resolve many of those barriers locally.

Photo Caption:
AD3 Scott Surprenant and AD1 Joseph Carrico explain the tear-down process of the T-700 Engine in AIMD Mayport’s Lean production line. Photo by Shelly Sikes-Diaz, NAVAIR Jacksonville, Public Affairs