The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Inside Machine Shop recently created the first-ever Arctic Service Medal using additive manufacturing techniques.
Developed to recognize personnel assigned to a unit that conducted an ice-covered strait transit, or transit of the North Pole, the award is an extension of the existing Navy Arctic Service Ribbon created in 1987 to recognize service members who completed 28 days of service in the Arctic Circle.
When procurement of these medals would not have met timelines to properly award the crew of USS Indiana (SSN 789) for their dedication and effort, a call for alternatives was sent out. That’s when Commander, Submarine Squadron Two (CSS-2) and PNSY’s Additive Manufacturing team from the Inside Machine Shop enthusiastically answered the call, working with the Navy vendors to obtain the approved designs of the medal which were then converted to 3D models.
The AM team has been forging ahead of the curve and bringing PNSY and the submarine force to the forefront with 3D manufacturing of parts. Being able to find a way to 3D print a double-sided military medal was just one more challenge the team was ready to face head on.
With just 21 days to complete the medals and have them arrive in time for the ceremony, AM General Foreman Casey Hart, had a team in place ready to execute this very short fuse mission. “Everyone involved in the project is an expert in their field,” Hart said. “It was a difficult but fun challenge to complete and I’m proud of this team.”
“This process shows the flexibility of 3D printing in such a short amount of time,” said AM Engineering Technician Alex Kartaszewicz.
Certain details of the medal had to be adjusted in the computer model, such as the longitude and latitude lines so they would be more defined. CNC Program Engineer Technician John Johnson made the adjustments in the computer model for the 3D printing. “We didn’t want to lose those fine details in the medal,” said Johnson. “The North Star in the center of the medal was one of those details. I used a computer-run milling machine to make the North Star pop.”
The other challenge was building the medal double-sided while ensuring a quality and legible product. This is where Tool Maker Tony Lebel from the Inside Machine Shop stepped in to make the Arctic landscape and writing more prominent on the backside of the medal. “The 3D print wasn’t really shining through on the back of the medal,” said Lebel. “We decided to go a step further to use a laser engraver to really enhance those fine details.”
Tool makers are considered the senior machinists in their trade, and Lebel’s skills were used during one of the key parts of the process. Lebel designed and built a custom set of soft jaws to hold the medal in place while the back was milled to a clean finish before using a laser engraver to make those final minuscule details.
With the new medals delivered in time for the ceremony, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti presented them to submariners and civilian recipients, including some from PNSY, Sept. 17. At the ceremony, Franchetti said, “First I want to say thank you for answering our nation’s call to service and for being part of something bigger than yourselves – for being part of America’s Warfighting Navy – the world’s preeminent fighting force. I could not be more proud of the exceptional work you did in the Arctic Circle. Your three-week operation during [a training exercise] advanced the lethality of our submarine force and showcased to the world that our Navy can operate anywhere and anytime – in any maritime environment.”
Capt. Jason Deichler, Commodore, CSS-2 said, “From Sails to Atoms, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has been innovating and answering the call for quality parts and products for many years. When presented the challenge, the Additive Manufacturing team expertly rendered the medals presented by the CNO to crewmembers of USS Indiana. This type of innovation and production serves to both highlight the skilled workers we have here at the shipyard, and the necessity of investing in the future of additive manufacturing.”
