The details of the news I reported to you on November 22nd are becoming clearer. It has been determined that the main cause of the problem is not preheating.
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), one of the U.S.’s largest shipbuilders, is addressing a critical issue in its shipyards: skipped preheating steps during welding processes. This oversight has resulted in faulty welds on over two dozen U.S. Navy vessels, including active-duty ships and submarines. The affected vessels span Virginia-class submarines and Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, critical components of U.S. maritime defense.
Preheating, a process where metals are heated to a specified temperature before welding, is vital to ensuring weld strength and integrity, especially in high-criticality applications like naval ships. HII’s internal investigation revealed that fewer than two dozen welders had bypassed this crucial step. While HII emphasized that the issue stemmed from human error rather than malice, the repercussions are significant. Engineers and the Navy are now meticulously assessing welds to determine the scope of repairs, potentially delaying ship completions.
Source:
Peter Suciu
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