NAVAIR Depot Jacksonville Oceana Detachment completed another phase of Operation Shipshape in Hangar LP-167 at Chambers Field, Norfolk, Va.
The Detachment occupies 34,000 square feet of hangar space in LP-167, excluding offices. To date approximately 26,000 square feet of floor space has been painted with an approved epoxy-based floor coating which incorporates the latest paint technology and non-skid surfacing ingredients.
Close liaison with Norfolk industrial hygiene technicians allowed Detachment personnel to prepare the hangar floor with a concrete blasting machine. Once stripped, the floor was then pressure washed to remove debris and clean the seams. Using a closed-loop retrieval system, the wastewater was properly disposed in accordance with local directives.
“Operating the Det activity in an industrially approved facility is a bit tricky and we had to ensure all safety and health concerns were properly resolved before we began this phase of our Lean transformation,” said Kevin Brinkman, production assistant.
Brinkman was placed in charge of the effort and has ensured all oversight activities were given consideration before commencement. “The entire hangar glows like a new car,” said Cmdr. Jeff Spearman, Detachment officer in charge. The benefits far outweigh the costs associated with this project.
Detachment personnel were concerned with foreign object damage and tool control because the previous floor surface was dark and cluttered with indelible markings. Now everything is easily seen on the surface of the hangar and additional cost savings will be realized by turning off more overhead lighting due to the brightness of the new flooring. “We will continue the transformation of the new flooring by painting the deck with various other colors to outline support equipment, work benches, storage racks, tool boxes and various other components that will support the IMC program,” Spearman said.
Commercial industry has taken the lead in the Lean organization of manufacturing floor space. The Detachment hopes to mirror those successes and prove a radical transformation into Lean re-manufacturing techniques which will be both cost effective and productive.
Prior to the floor coating, the walls of the entire hangar were given a fresh coat of latex paint. Included in that paint job was a blue stripe the entire length to symbolize the NAVAIR blue. “We asked the work force to help in this endeavor and they eagerly volunteered because they saw the benefit to the entire team,” said Chris Rice, Detachment manager. Using this all-volunteer work force saved thousands of dollars, contractual obligations and expedited the completion.
The Oceana Detachment still has a long way to go in its transformation, coupled with a very aggressive production schedule. They have embraced the fact that it is better to have clean organized spaces, as it is the baseline for improvement in all areas associated with depot level repair.