Annual 'Mega Rust' Conference Seeks Tools, Processes to Curb Corrosion

From Naval Sea Systems Command Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Military, government and industry experts convened for the seventh consecutive year to discuss the latest technologies and preventative methods to combat damaging rust at the annual Mega Rust Corrosion Conference in Norfolk, Va., June 6-9.

The conference focuses on corrosion planning in acquisition as well as the reduction of total ownership costs through preventative measures.

Vice Adm. Kevin McCoy, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) commander and keynote speaker, led the group in technical discussions.

"With 73 percent of our Navy's 313-ship Navy already in today's fleet, it is critical that our ships maintain full operational readiness to meet our projected missions," said McCoy. "By harnessing new preservation technologies as well as refining our acquisition, engineering and design practices, we can mitigate corrosion costs and maximize the material readiness of the fleet."

Leaders and technical warrant holders from across the NAVSEA's enterprise, such as the Engineering Directorate; Submarine Maintenance Engineering Planning and Procurement Activity; Naval Surface Warfare Center; and Regional Maintenance Center, led a number of presentations, technical sessions and discussions.

Rear Adm. James McManamon, NAVSEA Surface Warfare deputy commander, discussed some of the recent initiatives the command has implemented to reduce corrosion as well as the need for an integrated corrosion control approach across commands and programs to attain expected service life.

"Corrosion control must become a way of life and must be viewed, resourced, and managed as a critical mission across the surface fleet," said McManamon. "Right now we are focusing efforts on developing and executing a standardized preservation plan to maintain and sustain the highest level of surface force preservation across asset life cycles. We need a common approach to combat corrosion and to best utilize the Navy's scarce maintenance dollars."

Other corrosion-control initiatives discussed by McManamon were implementation of watertight door coatings; single-coat, edge-retentive high-solid epoxy coating paint system; installation of electronic corrosion-control tank monitoring systems; installation of additional internal and external deck drains for deck preservation; and the establishment of corrosion control assist teams to follow up on survey reports, provide crews training, tools, equipment and technical support to accomplish perseveration requirements.

These efforts will be further leveraged by the Corrosion Control Knowledge Sharing Network, a multi-agency working group to coordinate, manage and focus corrosion mitigation efforts on the areas that are most advantageous across the surface fleet.

In addition to NAVSEA participation, Mega Rust 2011 included representatives from all of the Navy's system commands, U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

The four-day event also featured vendor exhibits, corrosion workforce certification courses, and working group taskings.

The Mega Rust conference was established in 2005 by consolidating four major corrosion control conferences into one event to create a more comprehensive forum on corrosion. Working groups established at the conference provide a coordinated and practical accounting for what's happening across the Navy, and the data accumulated by these groups provides planning and budgeting metrics.