MACHINISTS EMPLOY PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO REDUCE

USSMissouri Joins The FleetIn SubBaseCommissioningCeremony • 2

MachinistsWinGDManufacturingAward • 3

EarnedHours • 3

WelcomeTo EB • 4

University Of ConnecticutStudents Visit EB • 4

Retirees • 5

ServiceAwards • 5

HealthMatters • 6/7

Marine SystemsNews • 7

Safety Performance • 8INSIDE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010

MACHINISTS EMPLOY PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO REDUCE COST,SCHEDULE; WIN GD MANUFACTURING AWARD

Accepting the General Dynamics Manufacturing Excellence Award are seated from left, Randy Grout; RC Miller; Christine Coutant; Armand Allen; GeneralDynamics Chairman and CEO Jay Johnson; Doug Bourque and General Dynamics Executive Vice President David Heebner. Standing from left are Electric BoatPresident John Casey, Charlie Montalbano; Rich Baruffa; Bob Van Dyne; Chris Monaco; Mike Alu; JoeWalsh; Will Lennon; Frank Sestito; and Dennis Stuligross.President John Casey, Charlie Montalbano; Rich Baruffa; Bob Van Dyne; Chris Monaco; Mike Alu; JoeWalsh; Will Lennon; Frank Sestito; and Dennis Stuligross.Not in the photo is Frank Stewart. See story on page 3.

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INSIDEINSIDEINSIDEINSIDEINSIDEINSIDEINSIDE

one word — stealth,” he said.“The sheer range of operations that a

Virginia-class submarine can tackle isawe-inspiring,” said Adm. Gary Roug-head, chief of naval operations. “It trulyis the ultimate stealth weapon... It willalso deliver an extraordinary return onthe nation’s investment.”

Missouri will directly enable five of thesix Navy maritime strategy core capabili-ties — sea control, power projection, for-ward presence, maritime security, anddeterrence.

“Although hermain goal is to preventwar, this vessel can in fact win a high inten-sity conflict once started,” said Skelton.

Construction onMissouri began inDecember 2004; the submarine’s keel wasauthenticated during a ceremony on Sept.27, 2008 at Quonset Point. The subma-rine was christened at the shipyard Dec.5, 2009, by Ship Sponsor Gates, wife ofU.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

Missouri is the fifth Navy ship to benamed for the “Show Me State.” The lastUSS Missouri, the legendary battleship,was the site where Fleet Adm. ChesterNimitz, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, andmany other U.S. and Allied officersaccepted the unconditional surrender ofthe Japanese at the end of World War IIon Sept. 2, 1945.

USSMissouri Ship Sponsor Mrs. Becky Gates,wife of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, andher daughter, Eleanor, are escorted in front ofthe Virginia-class attack submarine during itscommissioning ceremony at the Naval Subma-rine Base in Groton.

U.S. Navy photo

The 65-month delivery schedule beat

the previous best for aVirginia-class

submarine by five months. In addi-

tion, Missouri required 600,000

fewer labor hours to finish than the

last submarine delivered at EB,

USS New Hampshire (SSN-778).

2 I August/September 2010 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS

process improvements enabled ElectricBoat to deliver Missouri nine monthsahead of schedule and 21 months aheadof the lead ship of the class, Casey said.“This achievement demonstrates the ded-ication of the men and women of ElectricBoat, and will help ensure our success inthe future,” he said. “I deeply appreciatethe efforts of everyone involved.”

U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri,chairman of the House Armed ServicesCommittee, was the keynote speaker ofthe event, which drew a crowd of about3,000 people.

“There is none better,” said Skelton,referring to the Missouri. “This amazingsubmarine and the other submarines ofthis class are vital to our national secu-rity. The simple reason is contained in

With Ship Sponsor BeckyGates giving the traditionalfirst order “man our ship

and bring her to life,” sailors assigned toUSSMissouri (SSN-780) boarded theVirginia-class submarine during its recentcommissioning ceremony at the NavalSubmarine Base in Groton.

Three days earlier, Electric Boat deliv-ered the submarine to the U.S. Navy in arecord 65 months and 8 percent undertarget cost.

The 65-month delivery schedule beatthe previous best for a Virginia-class sub-marine by five months. In addition, Mis-souri required 600,000 fewer labor hoursto finish than the last submarine deliv-ered at Electric Boat, USS New Hamp-shire (SSN-778).

Speaking at the commissioning, Elec-tric Boat President John Casey creditedthe Navy, the shipbuilders and the sup-plier base for achieving the early deliverydate. “Missouri is a testament to the skilland craftsmanship of the Navy/industryteam, and a clear reflection upon thenation’s commitment to a strongdefense,” he said.

A continuous series of production and

USS MISSOURI JOINS THE FLEETIN SUB BASE COMMISSIONING CEREMONY

Sailors salute during the commissioning ceremony for the Virginia-class attack submarine USSMissouri(SSN-780) at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton. Missouri is the seventh Virginia-class submarine.

U.S. Navy photo


ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I August/September 2010 I 3

With a commitment to continu-ous improvement andemployee empowerment, the

Groton machinists have created an envi-ronment that fosters breakthrough results,an achievement that has been recognizedwith a General Dynamics ManufacturingExcellence Award.

The award recognized both the Insideand OutsideMachinist organizations forapplying LeanManufacturing, Design forProduction andModular Design Buildtechniques to improve the design, manu-facture and test of the Virginia-class Logis-tic Escape Trunk (LET) andWeaponsShipping and Handling System (WSHS).

� Modular construction enabled paralleloutfitting of the LET’s threemain parts, andmade it possible to perform the final assem-bly, system grooming and testing of theWSHS earlier in the construction process.

� Lean Manufacturing principles elimi-nated unnecessary process and reworksteps and improved ergonomics for saferconstruction.

� Design for Production methodsresulted in parts that are manufacturedfaster and less expensively, with enhancedsafety and consistency.

LET ProjectThe Virginia-class LET is a complex

tank-like structure that provides entry oregress from the submarine through twowatertight hatches. Envisioning improve-ments to the outfitting process, machinistsfrom Dept. 100 explained their ideas toMachine Shop management, and inte-grated teams comprising engineers,designers and trades people were formedto develop and implement the concepts.

“This effort has been a textbook con-tinuous improvement project,” said DougBourque, general foreman of the InsideMachinists. “I'm especially proud of thecollaboration and persistence of differenttrades and support disciplines in identify-ing improvement opportunities.”

The major change introduced to theprocess involves outfitting the LET’s three Earned Hours—WhereWe Stand

MACHINISTS WIN GD MANUFACTURING AWARDsections in parallel while in a horizontalposition before joining them together,providing mechanics with better accessand enhancing safety. Additionally, thenew approach requires less climbing,stooping and kneeling, and improves airquality and the visibility of the work.

In another improvement in LET manu-facture, the machinists used Lean Manu-facturing principles to develop the con-cept, design and application of a hatchrealignment fixture. This fixture hasnearly eliminated alignment-related issueswhile reducing hatch installation time.

One of the improvement project’s goals— to reduce design-driven costs andexcessive spans — was realized by usingDesign for Production methods toincrease part and process standardization.This had the additional benefit ofimproving safety by eliminating repetitive,non-ergonomic manual processes.

Lastly, the establishment of integratedteams with representatives from Engineer-ing, Operations, Manufacturing andInstallation trades gave the disciplines anappreciation for each other’s issues andcapabilities and has provided the avenuesneeded for continuous improvement.

WSHS ProjectTheWeapons Shipping Handling Sys-

tem is a major element in the critical pathbetween a submarine’s float-off and itsdelivery, a period when installation costsare at their highest and schedule delayshave the greatest impact. The project’s goalwas to implement design and processchanges that would shorten manufacturingspan and allow earlier testing, which wouldremove theWSHS from the critical path.

This was accomplished by building andtesting the system using a modular, off-hullapproach to the greatest extent possible.

A team comprising Operations, Design,Planning and Engineering representativeswas formed to find ways to more accu-rately install the weapons module withoutadding cost, and develop a program toprovide an almost completely tested mod-ule as early as possible in the ship’s pro-duction schedule.

The team also developed a plan to movetest requirements from a waterborne, fullyoutfitted ship to a land-based module.These two projects have saved an estimated11,000 hours on the SSN-782; to date, 15months of production span have beeneliminated from the LETmanufacturing.



252 Raymond AguirreRyan BarronStephen BaumPhilip BrownRichard ChioccolaMichael DavisDiane DonovanChristopher EversDavid FaraciAlbert GimbertSteven HaydenBruce HutchinsonJoshua JessopWilliam KorcakJustin KunakErnest LalloJeffrey LalloCarl LaroseDaniel LavalleeJohnMcIverJustin MongeauJeffrey NewlonRobin Pacheco

Andrea RamosGerald RenaudDale SchaarschmidtWayne SilvernailRobert SochaOza StewartBrendan TrainorJeffrey WallaceScott WatsonMichael WhiteRandyWilliamsLeoWilson

323 Timothy BarberJoe Hoang

411 Jeffrey CloutierRyan CornellCalvin RobertieBryce Snarskit-Pierce

412 Kyle AllenPierce CashinAndrew PeckJennifer Tsang

413 Daniel Mittelman

414 Jamelaa Jones415 Thomas LaRiviere

Ivan Lee416 Joseph DeMello425 Andrew J. Barnousky427 Todd Fisher

Kevin KroegerMaturin LitaPaul Saikowski

428 Sam BobbChad GordenPeter KurczyKevin MoffatBradleyWaters

431 Ben Parker433 Lawrence Chan

Jordan LeachMatthew Sleeper

434 Joseph T. Masucci435 Hemanth Jasti436 Scott Wu437 Chris Stubbs443 Donat Tetreault

447 Craig M. BodnarChad Owens

449 Benjamin Harkins454 Dawn Boch

Spenser DavisonStephen Lawrence

462 Lindsey McGrath463 Roman Alferos

Amanda JenkinsPeter McDowell

464 David ArsegoJohn K. GalineyLeif MelhusKathleen O’BrienJohn PringleAndrew VenookerStephanieWoloshin

472 Joan Gaynor492 Dean Jaworski493 Ryan Franz

Peter McDowellMary Schultz

494 Phillip Wagner

496 Alex DonaldsonJustin Roelofs

604 Joshua Hollander605 Greg Rose626 Jacqueline A. Steere646 Brian Howard650 Paul Julius660 Adam Brown

Gian CamardellaJames FurtadoMichael GriffenGregory HavensDerek JervisJohn A. MerrillMatthew OatesCarmelo OrtizChris PhilpenaJason PopeFrank TomkoMark VaynbergStephenWalasonLatashaWarren

WELCOME TOELECTRIC BOAT Please help welcome the following employees,who have recently joined the company:

Approximately 60 students andfaculty members from theUniversity of Connecticut’s

BRIDGE Program visited Electric Boatrecently for a series of presentations onengineering activities and relatedopportunities.

BRIDGE, a component of the UConnSchool of Engineering’s Diversity Pro-gram, focuses primarily on incomingengineering freshmen who are membersof groups traditionally underrepresentedamong the nation’s engineers, includingwomen, African-Americans, Hispanics,Puerto Ricans and Native Americans.

The intense five-week on-campus pro-gram includes classroom instruction,study sessions and tutoring designed toprepare participants for the freshmanyear experience, and typically includesvisits to local companies to see firsthandthe roles and opportunities for engineersin the state.

The students’ visit to Electric Boatincluded model room tours,Design/Build and electronic visualizationdemonstrations, engineering design andanalysis presentations, and a shipyardtour. There were also several opportuni-ties for the students to interact with EB

University Of Connecticut Students Visit EB

engineers – several of whom were recentUConn graduates, including past partici-pants of BRIDGE.

“We enjoyed everything about thevisit, from the presentations, to hearingPeter Halvordson’s thoughts, seeing themodel room and the shipyard tour,” saidKevin McLaughlin, director of theUConn Engineering Diversity Program.“I think quite a few students especiallyenjoyed talking with BRIDGE alumniwho are now working at Electric Boat.

“The students were amazed at the sizeand scope of what EB builds as well asthe kinds and variety of problems your

engineers have to solve,”McLaughlinsaid. “They were equally impressed withthe knowledge their tour guides pos-sessed, and talked about how committedall of the engineers were to EB. Morethan one of your engineers mentionedthat they really loved working at EB andthat they had thought when they startedworking at EB it was only going to be astint, not a career.

“I asked many students if theythought we should go back next year ifwe were invited, every student saidabsolutely! It was a great field trip,”McLaughlin said.

Engineering VP Pete Halvordson addresses a group of incoming University of Connecticut freshmenwho plan to study engineering. The group, participants in the UConn school of engineering’s BRIDGEprogram, received a series of presentations and a shipyard tour.


Retirees243 Harry J. Walker

34 yearsPipefit-HagrRes 1/C

252 James A. Ciofi36 yearsCarpenter 1/C

274 David F. Katusha37 yearsSto-Sv En-Meh 1/C

321 Edward R. Goode47 yearsInspector-StrOC Spec

408 Jayendra S. Parikh37 yearsEngineer, Principal

408 Thomas E. Scott25 yearsEngineeringSpecialist

411 Wayne B. Fletcher36 yearsEngineer, Principal

412 Ronald G. Stevens27 yearsEngineer, Principal

413 Harry L. Pearson21 yearsEngineer, Principal

423 Luke E. Beagan Jr.42 yearsInspectr-Mec-NQC Spec

438 Michael R.McClure36 yearsDosimetry Techn1/C

438 Wilbert G. Zurliene29 yearsSupervisor,Engineer

448 William A. Davies37 yearsEngineer, Principal

449 Edwin D. Randolph21 yearsProgram Rep Sr

456 George R.Robbins Jr.37 yearsElect Sr Designer

467 Linda M.Bergemann35 yearsEngineer, Principal

467 Laura B. Gillis11 yearsAdmin Specialist

707 John C. DeBartolo49 yearsSite MgrEngineering

744 Michael J. Kelly35 yearsMgr ofRadCon-Site

795 Steven M. Gemma34 yearsPlanning Special-

ist

902 Brenda L. Johnson24 yearsInstall Tech III

902 John S. Kakela20 yearsStruct Fab Mech I

902 Robert A. Maglio34 yearsInstall Tech III

903 Paul D. Jeffrey34 yearsInstall Mech I

Dan Barrett, Editor

Bob Gallo, Gary Slater,Gary Hall, Photography

Electric Boat Newsis published monthly by thePublic Affairs Department,75 Eastern Point Road,Groton, CT 06340

Phone (860) 433-8202

Fax (860) 433-8054

Email [email protected]

45Years472 Edward M. Suter650 David A. Gienau

40Years228 Edward E. Barber241 KennethW.

Moriarty Jr.241 Ronald W. Poole243 John L. O’Neil244 Victor R. Henschke330 Mary Anne Alfieri355 John R. Morris425 Ronald O. Espinosa

35Years210 Gary M. Slater243 Antonio A. Tavares252 James E. Chapman355 Leonard J. Devoe355 Alan G. Kuhse406 Stephen Zeiba III436 William D. Higgins452 Bernard L. Deleon Jr.456 Dennis J. Severns740 George C. Mowell795 Thomas J. Kiely904 Bernard I. Brammall911 Peter D. Lee935 Norman J. Baxter Jr.950 Randall Blankenship

30Years210 Wilford L. Kalbach226 David L. Triplett

229 Kevin M. Chapman230 Michael A. Carver244 Russell E. Barker251 Richard E. Barker251 ToddW. Emard251 Carrie M. Traynham252 Michael J. Hague252 Susan I. King321 Harry H. Hubbling Jr.341 Robert J.

Archambeault341 Magaly Lopez355 Michael J. McCarthy400 Stephen R. Menno403 Raymond A.

Hamilton Jr.409 Gary J. La Belle428 William D. Minor Jr.438 Brian P. Huard452 John D. Kressley453 Ernest R. Wightman455 Rita A. Grant456 James Bass456 Michael H. Cahoon459 John F. Gervasini459 Larry J. Kloiber459 Beverly J. Makar459 Sherman L.

Montgomery459 Robert W. Perry459 Michael S. Sandrey459 Harry W. Smullen472 Richard D.

Sheridan Jr.493 Gary A. Deal626 John C. Brown

645 Ellen M. Romyns650 William P. Heuer Jr.660 Rosemary A. Rendeiro663 Kevin M. Cassidy902 Michael R. Flanagan915 Lascom E. Rice915 Leonard L. Totten921 Eduardo Espinola935 Michael D. Radkovich951 Stuart Fraser955 David R. Lees

25Years229 John R. Myshka403 David A. Gauthier433 Peter J. Smith449 Jay L. Moss545 James V. Lewis553 James K. O’Neill615 Steven J. McAuliffe660 Donald S. Kuchyt915 Charles Botelho935 William E. Rekrut

20Years241 AllenW. Choate Jr.242 Gordon F. Wright246 Steven L. McNair252 William J. Audette271 Jennifer L. Topham330 Donald T. Connors438 Anthony J. Priolo452 Stephen E. Babik705 Douglas M. Whitney904 Raymond E. Lavoie

ServiceAwards

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I August/September 2010 I 5



Most of us are born withall our senses intact.There are five main

senses — vision, taste, hearing, smelland touch. What would happen if oneof those senses were to diminish orvanish completely? This articleaddresses the loss or decrease to oursense of hearing. The auditory systemhas a tremendous capacity for convey-ing information. It stays at attention24/7, 365 days per year. Our ears canprocess sound without warning. Hear-ing allows our brains to make decisionsbased on what it perceives as an incom-ing signal. This keeps us aware of oursurroundings even if we are asleep ornot paying full attention. So whatwould happen if the signal didn’t get toour brains due to hearing loss?Many ofus or someone close to us lives with thisissue daily. Is there anything that canhelp with diminished hearing abilities?

I am going to provide reviews ofassistive devices created to help hear-ing impaired persons. Some of theproducts can also enhance relativelynormal hearing. We should takeadvantage of technology that canimprove our hearing.

Hearing aidsHearing aids have benefited from

the micro-processor, especially in thepast ten years. The negative side effectsthat were present in hearing aids havebeen resolved to a great extent. Thenew digital hearing aids have designfeatures that deliver more of what youwant and need, not unnecessarysounds. Technological advances haveeliminated feedback (unwantedwhistling), difficulty hearing in back-ground noise, and improved ability todetermine where a sound comes from.Listening to music or TV now soundsmore natural, and some hearing aids

EBHearingConservationProgram

even have Blue Tooth capabilities. Thenewer hearing aids no longer amplifysounds so uncomfortably loud thatthey become distorted. The hearingaids have been designed to be comfort-able to wear without having the feelingof something blocking your ear andare inconspicuous, improving cosmeticappeal.

Are hearing aids good foreveryone?

The answer is — hearing aids aregood for many, but not good for every-one. In the 25 years that I have dis-pensed hearing aids, satisfaction rat-ings have improved from around 20percent to well over 60 percent, withmuch of this increase occurring in thepast decade. However, a number ofpeople who need hearing aids don’tpurchase or wear them. In additionmany people purchase hearing aidsand subsequently don’t wear them.

One reason hearing aids are not pur-chased in the first place is cost. Anaverage set costs about $5,000.Another problem is fit/comfort. Eventhough new hearing aids are smaller,less visible and often designed to letthe ear feel open, the fact that some-thing is resting in your ear can be irri-tating. Hearing aids don’t restore ourhearing to our normal hearing abilitiesand they are of limited help with cer-tain types of hearing deficits.

For example, if someone has a lossof speech intelligibility, a hearing aidmay not help them understand what isbeing said. This leaves the wearer frus-trated and still unable to communicateeffectively. Hearing aids are only an aidto our hearing, not the cure for hearingloss. Unfortunately the amplificationprocess of hearing aids can still leavegaps in performance for many hearingimpaired individuals.

HEALTHMATTERSBy Carol Kisner, AuDAudiologist


Phone assistive devices. Thereare many amplified corded phones onthe market. It would be best to shoparound and decide what features youneed. If you are a current hearing aiduser and are purchasing a new cellphone, look for one that is telecoilcompatible. This will allow you to useyour hearing aids with the phone.Some cell phones come with extraamplification. If you use Blue Toothdevices and you have Blue Tooth capa-bilities with your hearing aids, you canlisten to the phone through your hear-ing aids.Alerting assistive devices.

These include special alarm clocks forhearing impaired persons guaranteedto wake you up either through vibra-tion or volume. Some will even attachto your lamp and flash when it is timeto wake up. There are special smokealarms, doorbells and vibro-tactilewatches, all designed for the specialneeds of the hearing impaired.Theater/classroom assistive

devices/personal FM systems.At certain theaters, including movietheaters, rental apparatus is offered forthe hearing impaired. These work on aloop system installed throughout thetheater. A special earpiece is worn bythe user allowing them to pick up aclear and amplified direct audio signal.There are also individually worn per-sonal amplifiers that work either by acord or FM transmission. These areadvantageous for someone who does-n’t want to wear hearing aids but stillneeds additional help to hear speech.Their uses are diverse and their cost isreasonable.

In closing, I am happy to help findpersonal audio equipment for anyonewho is interested. I am located in theYard Hospital. Please feel free to con-tact me at 860-433-6107.

ELECTRIC BOAT NEWSELECTRIC BOAT NEWS IAugust/September 2010 I 7

Still, I have seen great success withhearing aid use. Hearing aid use can-not be generalized to all users; it is aunique experience for each person.Restoring auditory performance is ademanding process that is different foreach person. As medical professionals,we always recommend each personreceive a hearing aid evaluation. Hear-ing aids are dispensed on a trial basis.In Connecticut, the law states thathearing aids can be returned for a fullrefund within 30 days minus a fittingfee which is usually 12 percent of thecost of the hearing aids only. I wouldstrongly recommend a trial of hearingaids for every hearing impaired personregardless of severity or type of hear-ing loss present. More than half theusers are satisfied and that numberincreases consistently with improve-ments in technology.

Assistive devicesAuditory assistive devices are avail-

able for everyone with or without sig-nificant hearing loss. The most populartypes can be purchased directly fromthe internet, from a HearingAid/Audiology practice or from retailstores.Television assistive devices.

They work either corded (attached) tothe TV, or by infrared signals. Theyplug into the audio jacks and sit witha transmitter on the TV set. Popularbrand names are TV Ears orSennheiser Sets. The cost variesdepending on the model. The weareruses a specially designed ear piece witha receiver. These devices can be usedwith or without hearing aids. Theadvantage of this system is the directsignal from the TV right to your ears,with no distance or interference fromoutside noise. The volume can beadjusted to your preference.

Electric Boat Receives$9.2Million for SubmarineWork at Pearl Harbor

The U.S Navy has awarded ElectricBoat a $9.2 million contract to supportSSN-688 class submarine repair work atPearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

Under the contract, skilled trades peo-ple from Electric Boat will support sub-marine maintenance availabilities to beperformed on USS KeyWest (SSN-722),USS Columbus (SSN-762) and USSChicago (SSN-721).

Up to 76 employees will be assigned tothe work at its peak.

GDAISAwarded $12Millionto Upgrade SubmarineWeapons Control System

FAIRFAX, Va.General Dynamics Advanced Infor-

mation Systems has been awarded an$11.5 million modification to a previ-ously awarded contract to provide engi-neering and technical services for theAN/BYG-1 weapons control system forSeawolf, Virginia and Los Angeles-classsubmarines.

This contract modification is the sec-ond-year option of a multi-year contractawarded in July 2009.

The AN/BYG-1 integrates the tacticalcontrol, weapons control and tacticalnetwork subsystems on U.S. Navy andRoyal Australian Navy submarines. TheGeneral Dynamics-developed weaponscontrol system is based on an open-architecture and open-business modelapproach which facilitates systemenhancements.

The majority of work under this con-tract will be performed in Pittsfield,Mass.; Fairfax, Va.; and Middletown,R.I. Remaining options under the con-tract could extend work into 2018.

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MACHINISTS EMPLOY PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS TO REDUCE