Composite Materials Applications for Engineered Reduced Maintenance in the Navy's Surface Fleet

INTRODUCTION:

Our efforts have supported the Navy Engineered for Reduced Maintenance (ERM) program that strives to reduce life cycle costs and enhance material condition. These evaluations and developments have resulted in the NAVSEA approval for fleet wide installation on naval surface combatants.

APPLICATIONS

1. Catwalk Grating: The current deck surfaces are hot-zinc coated, bar steel which require frequent replacement as a result of several issues. The installation of the composite grating is easily accomplished by intermediate maintenance activities or ships force utilizing 316 CRES fasteners.

2. Composite Vent Screens: The composite screen is a molded fiberglass product whose resin matrix includes fire retardant additives. This type of performance is desired for the HVAC applications. A fastening scheme has been developed that uses all 316 stainless steel components.

3. Aircraft Elevator Safety Stanchions: Metal stanchions are regularly deformed during routine Flight Deck operations, causing restriction or inoperability of aircraft elevators. Fiber reinforced polyurethane stanchions provide the corrosion resistance and meet load deflection requirements.

4. Composite Fairwaters and Ropeguards provide low cost able to be removed/replaced by divers during pier-side operations. Legacy ropeguards were made from carbon steel to enable waterborne repair. Composite materials enable the use of more favorable hydrodynamic shaping for less drag and greater bearing lubrication.

5. Composite Electrical Enclosures are currently being evaluated for use on the weather decks of all surface ships. There are chronic internal and external corrosion issues that result in ship’s force dedicating an inordinate amount of resources replacing and repairing equipment that has faltered or failed due to corrosion.
Summary:

The judicious and appropriate application of composite components to Navy corrosion problems in the Navy can pay big in total  ownership costs. This paper shall discuss a number of specific applications of composite materials to the Surface Fleet to address chronic maintenance problems on the weather decks.