“Quality: Everyone Owns It. We Protect It.”

These words are posted in many work spaces throughout the X67 Non-Nuclear Inspection area of Bldg. 6, home to a team of inspectors and trainers who take accountability for Newport News Shipbuilding’s promise of first-time quality.

Rob Smith (X67) is just one of the non-nuclear product trainers responsible for evaluating shipbuilder needs and the planning, development and coordination of training programs that address those needs.

Recently, Smith noticed a need among mechanics who were struggling to identify proper flow direction through globe valves. “Globe valves have certain bridge wall markings we interpret, because they are one of the few valve types that have a set, single direction for fluid flow,” Smith explained.

His solution was not to put them through more training. Rather, he prototyped a low-cost reference tool that both mechanics and inspectors can use to verify proper installation of these specific valves – a transparent card that can hang on shipbuilders’ lanyards.

The card includes the bridge wall symbols, a marker for the valve stem and arrows that indicate flow direction. Because the card is transparent, it works for valves installed in any orientation.

After distributing a handful of samples to waterfront supervisors, the card quickly gained popularity for its accuracy and simplicity. This presented Smith with a new issue: how to mass produce the card. “I timed myself making a prototype,” Smith said, “and it took me seven minutes to make just one. I couldn’t keep sitting down to make them.”

Smith eventually coordinated his final design with the O14 Office Services reproduction team, which can now reproduce his design as needed. Aaron Mingle (O39), a product trainer in nuclear quality inspection, said that he is distributing the card to all inspectors who attend new inspector orientation and requalification classes. “They are a simple, cheap and effective tool to identify correct valve installation,” Mingle said.

“If you go onto a Virginia-class submarine, globe valves are everywhere. I want to make sure my people are as well-equipped as they need to be, no matter how long they’ve been in the shipyard,” Smith said. “What’s cool is when I’m walking through the shipyard and I see someone I don’t know, and they have one of these cards attached to their lanyard.”