Employee suggestions recognized
By Susan Brink, NAVAIR Depot Jax, Public Affairs Specialist

On July 17, 2002, Capt. Karl E. Yeakel, Commanding Officer, Naval Air Depot Jacksonville (NAVAIR Depot Jax) awarded Depot employees through the Valuable Ideas Save Investments Of NADEP (VISION) Program.

Raymond C. Battle, electronics mechanic, received recognition for two suggestions. Battle recommended and constructed two additional Rotor/Gimbal test and run-in stations for the PS-10 Electronic Gyroscope. This idea allows up to ten rotors or gimbals to be built and tested on individual production lines, thus significantly increasing productivity and reducing turn-around-time (TAT). The second suggestion was to develop a new procedure used during the build-up process of the PS-10 Electronic Gyroscope. This simple, but effective technique uses a six-inch 28 gauge Buss wire, which is inserted into the thin copper filler tube, thus preventing damage to the fill sensor tube. This idea eliminates re-work and saves labor and material, thus improving component TAT.

Pipefitters Thomas S. Hartin and Shawn E. Kennedy earned official recognition for two suggestions. They recommended the installation of local isolation valves on air and non-potable water supply at each “station” in the paint bays of Building 868. This suggestion not only improves accessibility and decreases outages during maintenance periods; it also minimizes impacts to production and most importantly, improves safety. The second suggestion was the installation of a Filter system for Tank #14, which pumps acid upstream into the heat exchanger. The design incorporates a removable filter, precluding all foreign matter from entering the heat exchanger, thus preventing clogging and rendering the system ineffective. This idea reduces system downtime, and improves overall system performance and reliability.

Garrold R. Truman, aircraft ordinance system mechanic, recommended the use of a Dry Film lubricant in the overhaul of C-2/E-2 inertia reels. This process will prevent approximately 80 percent of all inertia reels from being scrapped and replaced with new parts, thus reducing material cost. Over $18,000 in tangible savings was realized the first year of implementation.

Yeakel commended the recipients of the VISION awards and applauded them for their efforts to improve quality, productivity, and economy at NAVAIR Depot Jax.

Photo by Amy Cheshire, Public Affairs Specialist.

Photo Caption: From left: Garrold Truman, aircraft ordinance system mechanic; Ray Rivera, electronics mechanic supervisor; Thomas Hartin, pipefitter; Shawn Kennedy, pipefitter; (not pictured) Raymond Battle, electronics mechanic.

– USN –