Thirty-seven world-class companies demonstrated maintenance and sustainment capabilities with the potential to solve Naval battle damage repair scenarios at the Repair Technology Exercise (REPTX) Expeditionary Ship Assessment and Repair (ESAR) demonstration from January 30 to February 1. Working in partnership with NAVSEA 05T, NCMS helped to organize and execute the demonstration at Marine Hydraulics International (MHI), adjacent to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). This demonstration marked the third iteration of REPTX since its beginning in 2022. At REPTX, industry and academic partners demonstrate sustainment and maintenance capabilities that may be needed to keep ships operational in an expeditionary environment during times of conflict. This event brought together more than 300 people: 135 industry representatives, 120 observers, and about 50 evaluators event support staff.
NCMS identified industry and academic partners from its trusted, vetted network with technologies that can meet Naval maintenance and sustainment needs. At the REPTX ESAR demonstration, partners displayed technology solutions in adhesives, advanced manufacturing, electrical, fasteners, fluid system analysis, surface preparation, and more. Pieces of equipment, hydraulic lines, electrical components, and more were taken from Navy vessels and brought to the event to serve as tools for hands-on training, diagnostics, and repair preparation.
“The ESAR event was a fantastic demonstration of new sustainment and repair technologies, with vendors operating in the field, and cooperating to solve challenges together,” said Mike Schmitt, CEO of SPEE3D Inc. “It was great exposure for our company and our cold spray additive manufacturing capability leveraging SPEE3D Inc.’s WarpSPEE3D system. We worked with a team to demonstrate 3D scanning and reverse engineering of a component, with scanning to heat treated part in just 24 hours, showcasing how this can benefit the shipyards, depots, and ultimately our warfighters.”
Participants from OSD(MR), NAVAIR, Coast Guard, NNSY, MARMC (Mid-Atlantic Repair Maintenance Center), Huntington Ingalls, and several Naval Surface Warfare Centers observed and documented novel maintenance and repair processes and technologies focused on keeping ships operational in a wartime environment.
“I had a positive experience at the REPTX Expeditionary Sustainment & Repair (ESAR) event,” said Peter Steinke, Military Liaison at HYTORC, an industry bolting company. “We demonstrated our Lithium-Ion Torque guns, our Reaction Washers, and the HYTORC Nut. We did a few cross-platform demonstrations as well. One demonstration had a vendor drill through a 4” metal plate automatically. We then attached a repair item through the bored hole and torqued to a specified level, representing a repaired connection. Another live repair simulation had HYTORC remove bolts from a rusty, painted flange for replacement. It appeared that none of the other vendors were able to remove the bolts, but we used our LST-1200 tool and a reaction arm to back the nut off. Meeting all the different supporting companies and seeing the various technologies made the event memorable.”
Hands-on demonstrations in real-world scenarios proved extremely valuable for both the Navy and industry participants.
“The ESAR event provided an excellent opportunity for us to reconnect with existing customers and establish connections with new ones,” said Scott Meller, CEO of Atmospheric Plasma Solutions (APS), which specializes in chemical and media-free surface treatment systems for both DOD and commercial applications. “Demonstrating our system’s capabilities in real-world scenarios directly relevant to attendees from various organizations proved immensely valuable for us. Moreover, presenting tangible equipment samples to showcase our coating removal system left a significant impact. We even facilitated hands-on experiences with the PlasmaBlast® system, allowing attendees to witness firsthand its efficiency, safety, and user-friendliness.”
Following the demonstrations, the REPTX ESAR leadership team reviewed the industry and academic capabilities and are working to prioritize next steps for each that the team believes will improve expeditionary sustainment processes and keep ships in the fight. Due to the overwhelming positive response and proof of successes that come from REPTX demonstrations, NAVSEA 05T is investing in additional REPTX demonstrations to take place throughout 2024 and well into the future.
To learn more about REPTX, visit https://www.ncms.org/events/reptx-expeditionary-maintenance-2024/
