July 19, 2017
WASHINGTON – Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) was awarded three prestigious value engineering awards at the Department of Defense (DoD) Value Engineering (VE) Achievement Awards Ceremony Tuesday at the Pentagon auditorium.
Crane employees took the stage to be recognized for their outstanding achievements in realizing cost benefits exceeding $46.7 million for the DoD.
“These value engineering awards are a testament to the dedication of the Crane workforce in support of the mission and our warfighters,” said Capt. Mark Oesterreich, commanding officer of NSWC Crane. “The cost benefits from these three awards for the DoD is extraordinary and showcases the national leadership that resides at NSWC Crane.”
The Wide Field of View Night Vision Goggle (WFOV-NVG) Development Team from NSWC Crane’s Special Warfare and Expeditionary Systems Department received an award for inventing an innovative, biologically-inspired optical design resulting in a system-wide physical size, weight, and power improvement of nearly 40 percent. The team developed a retro-fit kit, reused existing hardware, saved $8 million, and realized a cost avoidance of $32 million for the U.S. Navy and DoD.
NSWC Crane’s WFOV-NVG team members include:
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Mr. Aaron Cole, Lead Scientist/Co‐Patent Holder
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Mr. Roger Shaw, Task Manager for Visual Augmentation Systems
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Mr. Adam Schulte, Engineer/Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)
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Mr. Richard Woodruff, Engineer/ COR)
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Ms. Brenda Flanagin, Assistant Program Manager (APM) for Visual Augmentation Systems
AN/ALQ-218(v)2 Factory System Bench (FSB) Build Team from Crane’s Spectrum Warfare Systems Department was recognized for building and delivering the FSBs in compliance with the Navy’s shortened time requirement, resulting in a savings of 12 months and a realized cost benefit of $9.53 million.
NSWC Crane’s AN/ALQ-218 (v)2 FSB Build team members include:
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Mr. Matt Harvey, Task Manager
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Mr. Nicholas Schuetz, Task Lead
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Mr. Zane Ubelhor, Systems Engineer
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Mr. Brian Townsend, Lead Technician
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Mr. Justin Emmons, Technician support
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Mr. John Heatherly, Lead Radio Frequency Technician
The Stand Up Alternate Air Manifold Team from NSWC Crane’s Spectrum Warfare Systems Department received an award for determination through testing that 3D printed Electrostatic Dissipative (ESD) safe air manifolds would meet the same functional requirements for airflow and space as the original air manifolds. Cost benefits resulting from this effort reached $130k.
NSWC Crane’s Stand Up Alternate Air Manifold team members include:
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Mr. Philip Schulthies, Mechanical Engineer
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Mr. Eric St. Ours, Mechanical Engineer/Additive Manufacturing
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Mr. John Nicholson, Mechanical Engineer Technician
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Mr. Schuetz, Engineering Task Lead
“These awards showcase our workforce as one that truly cares about reaching our strategic goal for a 'Culture of Affordability' while continuing to deliver products and services that meet the needs of our warfighter,” said Tina Johnson, value engineering officer for NSWC Crane. “Our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters deserve the most advanced technology in-hand and ready to use to meet today's ever-changing threats. In today's world of greater demands and fewer resources, methodologies such as VE are critical to maintain a balance without compromising capabilities.”
Value engineering is a systematic approach to analyzing systems, equipment, facilities, services, and supplies to ensure they achieve their essential functions at the lowest life cycle cost consistent with required performance, reliability, quality, and safety.
NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's warfighter.