Imagine you’re a NASCAR fan, waiting for your favorite driver to pass by on the track. As they turn and roar past, you recognize a new eye-catching logo that curiously says “BuildSubmarines.com”. The car's driver, Brad Keselowski, does more than race. He’s also the co-owner of RFK Racing and owner of Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing (KAM), an integrated manufacturing tech company. At IMTS 2024, Keselowski sat down with Lindsay Cline, Gulf Coast workforce program manager of the U.S. Navy Submarine Maritime Industrial Base, and Kevin Kidd, director of software and analytics at RFK Racing, on the IMTS+ Main Stage to discuss how advanced manufacturing is stepping up to support a vital national security initiative: building America's next-generation submarine fleet. “"It’s really about national security at the end of the day,” explained Keselowski, in their discussion, titled “Racing into the Future of Advanced Manufacturing with Brad Keselowski and RFK Racing.” As its URL implies, the BuildSubmarines.com campaign aims to rally the skilled workforce needed to construct U.S. Navy submarines. Submersible technology forms a crucial pillar of the U.S. military's nuclear triad, alongside air and land launch capabilities. However, an aging fleet and evolving global threats make the production of new Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines more vital than ever before. Keselowski and Kidd estimate that more than 140,000 workers — welders, metrology experts, CNC machinists, and other skilled manufacturers — will be required to achieve this goal in the next decade. They also must be domestically sourced, which poses an interesting challenge. “[RFK Racing] needs many of the same skill sets, whether that’s additive manufacturing or metrology," noted Kidd, who oversees racing operations on Keselowski's team. By linking motorsports with this initiative, Keselowski and his team have realized that the two industries are remarkably similar, and their technicians can easily cross-pollinate into the defense industry. It is only a matter of attracting the right talent and getting students excited about this career path with the right tools and equipment. As an example, race cars maximize performance with lightweight, complex parts made possible only thanks to additive manufacturing. But the technology doesn’t exist in a vacuum — the approach must be integrated with other advanced manufacturing tools to unlock its full competitive edge. “Additive, in most cases, doesn't just work in its own ecosystem,” Keselowski explained. “It still has to be surrounded with CNC equipment that can properly finish it, or metrology that can properly inspect it, or great engineering teams that can do the proper design for manufacturing around it.” This approach is nearly identical to the complex production of U.S. Navy technology. The integration of additive manufacturing, CNC machining, metrology, and other cutting-edge tools is necessary to build the durable and dependable components of these military systems. Companies can benefit from implementing these tools because they attract the next generation of manufacturers while gaining the ability to produce mission-critical parts for the submarines that keep our country safe. Blueforge Alliance (BFA), a non-profit defense industrial base integrator that supports the U.S. Navy’s industrial base initiatives, owns and operates BuildSubmarines.com. Through the site, BFA has contributed to the awareness, advocacy, workforce development, and technological integration to support this critical national security effort. Kidd explained further, “What we’re finding is it doesn’t take much to get [workers] proficient to where they can actually be up to speed and running.” “If something goes wrong in the race car, maybe I get an accident or crash. For a warfighter, they might lose a fight, they might lose a battle,” Keselowski explained. The stakes are high on the racetrack and the battlefield, but the manufacturing community is rising to the challenge. Check out the full conversation at IMTS.com/RacingintotheFuture to get all the details or to get involved. Learn more at BlueForgeAlliance.us and BuildSubmarines.com to see how they are forging the future with advanced technologies and a skilled, dedicated workforce to empower America’s security. Visit IMTS+ to watch dozens of presentations to gain insight into the people and technologies that drive advanced manufacturing.
Imagine you’re a NASCAR fan, waiting for your favorite driver to pass by on the track. As they turn and roar past, you recognize a new eye-catching logo that curiously says “BuildSubmarines.com”.
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