Newport News shipbuilders are thinking ahead when it comes to work on Doris Miller (CVN 81), having already developed an orbital welding fixture that can be used during construction.

The fixture, developed in the Pipe Shop, offers greater portability and works more efficiently with the new Lincoln welding equipment, said Ryan Leroux (M30), a general foreman. He recently hosted an informal session that allowed welders to begin familiarizing themselves with the new fixture, as well as members of the Trades Business Office.

“This is in anticipation for work aboard CVN 81,” he said. “We didn’t wait for the work to start. We’re ready to go now.”

Even better, the fixture is made largely out of scrap metal, which provides significant savings. “We’re making use of what the company was going to throw away,” he said.

Leroux credited shipbuilder Dan Page, a welding fabricator, with designing and fabricating the fixture.

“It’s a rare skill set to be able to envision something, fabricate it and put it into practice,” Leroux said. “That’s harder to find now than it’s ever been. We really appreciate the effort by Mr. Page. This is no small undertaking.”

The work has implications across NNS, as other programs have already expressed interest in fabricating similar fixtures since viewing the one developed by the Pipe Shop.

In the interest of promoting first-time quality, Leroux said the Pipe Shop also developed a weld coupon – essentially a practice mock-up to simulate production work. This allows welders to get a feel for the job in a low-risk setting.