Y-12 Blog
At the Global Security Analysis and Training Learning Lab, the use of different virtual or augmented headsets allow people to communicate with others across great distances for common objectives.
The Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC) is under construction on the west end of the Oak Ridge Turnpike. It will be a state-of-the-art training complex that serves as the nation’s preeminent training facility for radiation response, nuclear processing, and emerging technologies. However, some of the ORETTC technology has been getting a trial run across town.
While ORETTC is being built, the training for radiological emergency responders has continued at Y-12. Relatively new to the mix is the Global Security Analysis and Training (GSAT) Learning Lab. The facility sits a short distance from the Y-12 site and its success is due in part to the challenges posed by COVID-19.
“We went from having all these face-to-face engagements to needing to do virtual engagements,” said Mary Lin, senior manager of Knowledge Acquisition and Performance Studies (KAPS).
She said technology became the solution.
Within the walls of the lab are instructional designers with expertise in video and technology. There is an attorney on staff for nuclear safeguards and policy instruction.
“Our augmented reality program came to life out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our distance learning and virtual-learning-use green screen technology. All that came out of the pandemic,” said Lin.
Green screens allow participants to be placed into virtual locations that simulate real-life scenarios.
“One of the things that we do with green screens,” said Lin, “is play videos, similar to a news production, allowing a person to point out things in the video for better comprehension. We also use iPads that let them be John Madden, who was famous for diagramming football plays on monitors. It allows [instructors] to kind of circle the event in a video and say ‘look at what’s happening.’ So it creates that immersive learning experience.”
Participants are offered a full menu of training resources. “We do everything from international engagements to domestic training, where we offer everything from alarm response training to international nuclear material accountancy and control courses,” Lin said.
Toby Williams, who heads GSAT, said the courses being developed at the learning lab will benefit all its programs and create a better learning environment.
“Augmented reality training allows us to engage with participants in an immersive manner in both in-person training and distance training,” Williams said. “It makes the training and concepts more interactive, which means the participants are more likely to remember what we taught,” he added.
Being off-site also has the benefit of lowering the risk level GSAT potentially presents to the site.
“Security is a huge deal at the site and understandably so. Moving to ORETTC will reduce the level of risk we present to the site, allowing us to challenge new processes, ideas, and concepts. Specifically, within our international engagements, we will be more adaptable.” said Williams.
Ashley Stowe is the new director of ORETTC.
“The GSAT group provides nuclear and radiological response training to our customers. The learning lab is a place where we develop the technologies and the course materials to deliver to our customers,” said Stowe. “In the gaming universe, they use this type of technology on a regular basis.
The use of different virtual or augmented headsets allow people to communicate with others across great distances for common objectives. It’s the same for us, but these are just toys until we provide the educational component, which the KAPS team provides.”
Stowe said working with their customers and subject matter experts, they are creating real-life simulations with gaming attributes. Add the educational component, and participants receive an enhanced training experience.
Stowe, Williams, and Lin all said the center will promote and challenge critical thinking in high-consequence operations or emergency response events, and will create a more adaptable and efficient training curriculum.
ORETTC is located on an 81-acre campus in Roane County within the City of Oak Ridge. It will consist of two facilities, the Simulated Nuclear and Radiological Activities Facility and the Emergency Response Training Facility, and will serve as a graduate-level academy for first responders, nuclear security professionals, and nuclear nonproliferation experts.
Stowe said they intend to host their first ORETTC training class with outside participants in early December.
Activities such as radiological material moves can be simulated in the Global Security Analysis and Training Learning Lab.
Personnel are shown in the NOC/SOC Control Room, surrounded by monitors used to assess the quality and security of the CNS network.
If you imagine Consolidated Nuclear Security’s network as an overall body of systems, applications, and workstations, the Network Operations Center/Security Operations Center (NOC/SOC) would be its central nervous system. Tasked with a combination of responsibilities from processing network information, monitoring, and alerting any instabilities of our network, the NOC/SOC runs a 24/7 operation with 14 personnel to ensure that everything from web based applications to computer systems are protected and functioning as normal.
Established in 2019, the NOC/SOC consists of a team of information technology experts as part of Information Solutions and Services’ (IS&S) IT Operations organization. While based at Pantex, the NOC/SOC is an enterprise wide service that plays an essential role for the continuity of business operations for both Pantex and Y-12. From server equipment and firewalls to telecommunications and dashboards, the team uses their primary system to proactively observe the state of our network around the clock.
The NOC/SOC was built from the ground up. Staff have gone from working out of conference rooms to having a centralized control room with modern equipment and technology.
With security being the top priority of our network, the NOC/SOC is integral to our sites’ cybersecurity posture as they are responsible for proactively monitoring any issues that could potentially impact or threaten our computer systems. As protocol, the NOC/SOC is also notified of any planned updates or maintenance impacts to our network in order to closely monitor its performance and ensure nothing is out of the ordinary.
Every case is treated with equal value, whether investigating a suspicious email or troubleshooting an application for enhanced performance. From application management, threat analytics, to end user support, the NOC/SOC holds a variety of proven skills that have cultivated personnel to continue to build their careers within IS&S.
More than 60% of the original NOC/SOC staff have advanced to other positions in IT and Cybersecurity. In addition to their knowledge, they have qualities that can’t be taught, such as attention to detail, a questioning attitude, and high standards.
While forming a model of excellence within the organization, the NOC/SOC is also working to develop the future of the IS&S workforce by growing the NOC/SOCteam and will continue to serve as an enterprise solution. As technology continues to become smarter and faster, so are the NOC/SOC staff. Their goal is to stay as up to date as possible, adapt to what’s new, and deliver for our national security mission.
Y-12 employees recently gathered to celebrate the conclusion of the roadmap.
Nuclear Criticality Safety is a foundation for much of the work performed at Y-12, and site leadership recognized the importance of improving the program to continue to ensure the safety of enriched uranium operations.
In 2018, the Nuclear Material Stewardship Site Initiative was created. It focused first on integrating the cross functional aspects of NCS. The NCS team took a risk based approach to investigate and analyze legacy issues, from equipment that had been out of service for decades to single items requiring proper disposition. The site initiative was used to ensure actions were executed as planned and were effective in preventing occurrence of accumulation events.
As the site initiative progressed, the task of coordinating all resources and actions became quite overwhelming. The Criticality Safety Management and Integration group was created under the Y-12 site manager to develop an integrated and resourced NCS schedule and to serve as the focal point for all Y-12 NCS activities.
A roadmap to success
In an effort to document the initiative, an NCS roadmap was created. The roadmap comprehensively captured the multiyear journey and clearly articulated remaining actions, as well as outlined the journey to becoming a best in class NCS program. An integrated schedule was fully used to track and complete actions, process descriptions were updated, and process drift awareness was initiated.
As the roadmap neared completion, a series of comprehensive reviews were completed and no significant gaps were identified. The roadmap completion took a great amount of effort from many organizations across Y-12, including Production Operations, Infrastructure, Training, Engineering, Quality, Safety and Industrial Hygiene, and others.
“The Y-12 NCS roadmap has been a true embodiment of the teamwork and can do spirit that makes Y-12 such a special and unique place,” explained Amanda Curtis, Y-12 Criticality Safety Management and Integration senior director. “Our workforce demonstrated that everyone is part of the NCS program. From the training team developing briefs on criticality safety evaluations to explain the ‘why’ behind the controls, the infrastructure team making modifications to improve the facility, the craft incorporating NCS into their daily actions, the engineering team who wrote procedures and drawings to implement improvements, the NCS engineers and Critical Safety Officers who wrote and implemented a huge number of improvements, and the countless others who worked on corrective and improvement actions, the culmination of these efforts has imprinted our NCS program on the collective DNA of the Y-12 workforce. It was a tremendous achievement.”
Process Engineering, through their improvement plan as part of the roadmap, updated all process descriptions to better define elements of each fissile processing system and held numerous classes to raise awareness regarding process drift. These items, in combination with efforts from all other NCS teams, were substantial improvements to prevent accumulation events.
“I am amazed at how far Y-12 has come in the area of NCS,” said Vice President of Mission Engineering Tony Boser. “The improvement to NCS processes and systems, along with the creation and execution of the roadmap, demonstrates what a healthy program looks like and that by working together we can achieve anything.”
After almost 5 years, the Nuclear Material Stewardship Site Initiative and the remaining roadmap actions were closed.
During a recent NCS roadmap completion celebration, Y-12 Site Manager Gene Sievers noted, “Arriving at the end of the roadmap signifies an immense amount of effort from multiple programs at Y-12. NCS is the fundamental and unique program at Y-12 as criticality safety impacts all organizations on this site.”
The goal of Best in Class
While the NCS risk and site initiative have been completed, the goal of becoming a best in class program continues.
“The best in class for NCS programs would be a very elite group, and there is no one in that group currently across the DOE complex,” explained Susan Kozemko, Y-12 Engineering senior director. “Best in class would mean that we have the best NCS program (comprehensively) and are set apart from the other NCS programs due to our ability to deliver the highest quality compared to our peers. We have made great strides over the last two years or so, but we have a number of things to accomplish to complete that achievement.”
To achieve the goal of best in class, the NCS team is developing a plan featuring comprehensive indicators that will indicate the total health of the program. Once those indicators are developed and agreed to by National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office, the NCS team will roll out the plan and use that to track program progress going forward and work toward achieving the title of best in class.
“It is important to see that, together as a team, Y-12 is setting the standard of what a best-in-class criticality safety program looks like,” exclaimed Rory Rauch, NNSA associate deputy manager of Operations at Y-12. “This could not have been accomplished without the entire Y-12 cadre working together.”
This team helps improve how weapons parts are machined.
In racing, a pit crew works fast to get a car back on the track. At Y-12, a group called the PIT Crew has helped speed up production of a weapon part and lowered costs.
The crew consists of machinists who are developing process improvements that reduce time to manufacture components.
The team is a first of its kind at Y-12 that specifically focuses on weapons production. They are production personnel on the floor who perform this work daily. Someone from the outside wouldn’t have the expertise and understanding that they do. The group said there is a better way.
The change not only increases production, but also facilitates more time and attention focused on other projects.
The improvement updated two machining setups. One setup positions and drills depth holes on one side of the part. Previously, this was done by a jig-bore machine and used a clamp to stabilize the part. Unfortunately, the clamp sometimes damaged the part if it was overtightened. Three hand-placed inserts (cutting tools) were used to center drill, drill length, and end mill the part’s bottom. Then, the part was removed and deburred (smoothed rough edges) by hand. The process took 35 minutes per part.
The other setup cuts the profile, then positions and drills the through-holes on the other side of the part. This was done by a K&T 5 axis mill, which is an older and sometimes unreliable machine. Because of its age, it was often difficult to find replacement parts. The equipment used six machining inserts, also placed by hand. Four hours were needed per part.
A machinist works at the Haas TM1 milling machine, where two setups were moved to speed up production of a weapon part.
Both setups were moved to the Haas TM1, which is a vertical computer numerical control (CNC) mill, which means the milling machine is moved and monitored by CNC rather than by hand. The mill has a tool changer, which is also a game changer, saving time and alleviating frustration.
The first setup now employs a vacuum fixture to hold the part in place, eliminating the possibility of damage from the clamp. Also, a deburring tool was added, eliminating manual finishing.
In addition, both setups share inserts, which reduces the number of inserts that have to be changed.
The move decreased machining time for the first setup from 35 minutes to three minutes per part, and from four hours to 20 minutes per part for the other setup. That equates to a 90% increase in productivity.
In addition to increased productivity, the improvement allows machines to be used for additional projects and removes time consuming bottlenecks. Another benefit of the change is that floor movement and material travel are reduced. Before, the machines used were sprinkled throughout the shop. Now, the Haas mill is across the aisle from the work station for a setup that occurs adjacent to both of the improved setups. This placement results in less movement and decreased tool handling, which minimizes injuries from sharp tools, tool setup errors, and tool damage. It also lowers man hours needed for the work.
Overall, the input from the PIT Crew is invaluable. The machinists know their opinions matter, and the changes make their lives easier.
Senior Director of Communications Jason Bohne explains facets of the Y-12 mission during a site tour for new summer interns.
The CNS summer interns have arrived to begin learning and working in organizations across Pantex and Y-12. A total of 52 interns, 35 at Y-12 and 17 at Pantex, began their summer with an orientation. Cristy Landrum, who coordinates the internship program at Y-12, said the interns represent 20 universities and 11 states, ranging from Florida to New Mexico. Of course, most hail from Texas and Tennessee, 18 and 25, respectively.
Chief Human Resources Officer Diane Grooms told the Y-12 interns that they should feel proud to have been selected from among 1,000 applicants. The internship program is integral to CNS’s recruitment efforts.
“The goal here is to see how you do,” Grooms said. “If you like us and we like you, we hope to hire you one day.”
Grooms asked the group, who got up at 4 a.m. that day, to get ready for the start of orientation at 6 a.m.
Alexander, a junior studying nuclear engineering at the University of Tennessee, raised his hand, saying he plans for the worst and needed a coffee, which drew a laugh from the group. At 28, he already holds a degree in political science from the University of Michigan, but wants to focus on nonproliferation.
“Policy and history are interesting, but this is more of a hands-on experience,” Alexander said.
Joshua, a senior studying finance and management at West Texas A&M University, is joining Pantex’s Operations Support in Project Controls. He said his duties align closely to his studies, thanks to careful matching by his Pantex internship coordinator Zuleyma Carruba-Rogel.
“Executing the internship program requires yearlong coordination efforts, which all come together when those students take their first seat at New Employee Orientation,” she said. “Their enthusiasm, inquisitiveness, and eagerness to learn is infectious.”
Joshua said he has worked several unrelated jobs to help pay for college and is happy his internship role mirrors his studies.
“I’m most excited about gaining an entirely new, professional skill set,” Johsua said.
Riley will be a senior at the University of Tennessee studying business analytics. Her father also works at Y-12. Her internship in Occupational Health Services might not seem like a good match. However, OHS's Gary Hall and Karen Lacey jumped on the chance to have Riley analyze CNS's COVID-19 database to study now the sites dealt with the pandemic. While making sure Riley’s experience is enriching, Hall said a secondary goal of the program is producing value for the organizations.
“I’m really looking forward to getting into the data and being able to showcase how well OHS has been handling Y-12’s employees’ safety during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.