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Fabrication capabilities and skillset unique to Enterprise

In a little-known world deep within Pantex, parts and tools are machined to perfection - in one instance to within 39 millionths of an inch - to ensure the absence of variation. Perfection is sought because these aren't just any parts and tools. They are fabricated, modified and repaired for work on nuclear weapons.

"Everything we do is related to a weapons process or supports it in some form or fashion," said Danny Brito, Production Tooling section manager. "Some of the tooling we fabricate is classified and must be made on Plant site. Onsite facilities allow for availability of resources and quick turnarounds."

Tools and packaging created at Pantex to service and protect our nation's nuclear deterrent at times require the use of unique processes and materials made exclusively at Pantex.

One such process used specifically by Pantex in the Machine Shop is called Lumiclading. It coats and protects aluminum alloys, is electrically conductive and provides a smooth and durable finish suited for use in tooling and tester parts for nuclear weapons. New within the last five years, the Lumiclad black oxide process is in demand both by national laboratories and the United Kingdom.

Working hand-in-hand with the Machine Shop is the Pantex Plastics Shop. Molds for parts are at times created in the Machine Shop, and then sent to the Plastics Shop for use. Other times, the Plastics Shop forms PVC using a vacuum process, then sends it to the Machine Shop to be cut to specification.

"The two craft shops openly discuss any issues and share their vast knowledge to ensure we all are successful as a team," said Jody Elliott, Production Tooling craft supervisor in the Plastics Shop.

Adiprene, the material used most often in the Plastics Shop, was created at the Plant nearly 40 years ago and is specially designed to protect nuclear weapons. With its various colors denoting hardness, or durometer, Adiprene is used to make seals, packaging and tools. Most recognizable of the products may be the red W76 nose cone.

When asked the "coolest" thing made out of Adiprene, Elliott said, "Believe it or not, spatulas to support operations where working with high explosives is a concern."

It's the people behind the products that make the difference, explained John Herrera, Production Tooling craft supervisor in the Machine Shop. "Excellent math skills, blueprint reading skills and computer programming knowledge enable our craftsmen and women to do this kind of work,"
he said.

The Machine and Plastics Shops have built a solid reputation at Pantex and elsewhere for quality, Brito said, adding that the traits shared by these unsung heroes that set them apart are their attention to detail, dedication to their work and holding themselves accountable to produce a high-quality product.

Largest federally owned wind farm to help weapons facility meet Administration energy goals

Construction officially begins Tuesday on the Pantex Renewable Energy Project, which will use the energy stored in Texas Panhandle winds to help power one of the key facilities in the National Nuclear Security Administration’s weapons complex.

The project, known as PREP, will provide more than half of the annual electricity needs for the Pantex Plant when it goes live in approximately one year, and will be the largest federally owned wind farm in the country upon completion.

Officials from NNSA, Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and project contractor Siemens Government Technologies, Inc., will gather at the plant today to break ground on the project.

The wind farm will consist of five 2.3 megawatt turbines located on 1,500 acres of land east of the Pantex Plant. Pantex is the primary site for the assembly, disassembly and maintenance of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile.

PREP will be a one-of-a-kind project that joins the national security mission of the NNSA with DOE’s mission to secure the country’s energy future through use of renewable energy sources. The windfarm will play a key role in helping Pantex achieve President Obama’s directive that the federal government lead the way in clean energy and energy efficiency. The Administration set a goal for the federal government to get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

PREP will generate approximately 47 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which is more than 60 percent of the annual electricity need for Pantex, or enough electricity to power nearly 3,500 homes. The project will reduce CO2 emissions by over 35,000 metric tons per year; the equivalent of removing 7,200 cars from the road each year or planting 850,000 trees.

Siemens will construct PREP under an Energy Savings Performance Contract, delivering a turn-key wind farm system with an annual energy production guarantee for 18 years. Siemens will be paid directly from the value of guaranteed energy savings generated by the turbines, an amount expected to average $2.8 million annually.

The project has been in development for more than five years and relied on partnerships with numerous other entities, including Texas Tech University and the Federal Aviation Administration, which helped secure approval for siting the 400-foot tall wind towers in the controlled airspace near Pantex. The EPA was also a key contributor, partnering with Pantex to help continue a long tradition of environmental stewardship at the Plant.

Construction is expected to last until July 2014, when the blades of the project will start spinning in the strong Panhandle wind, delivering renewable energy to the Pantex Plant.

The PREP groundbreaking will start at 10 a.m. August 13 at the Pantex Plant, located 17 miles northeast of Amarillo, Texas; north of U.S. Highway 60 on Farm-to-Market Road 2373.

Media wishing to cover the event should first contact Brenda Finley at the numbers above. You should plan to arrive by 9:30 a.m. CST at the 16-12 Visitor’s Service Building north of the main gate on FM 2373. Transportation will be provided to the groundbreaking site. A variety of background visuals will be available for photo and video. Interviews with top officials from DOE, NNSA and Siemens will also be available.

Joint Test Assemblies heighten confidence in nuclear stockpile

A mock nuclear weapon leaves California aboard a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. Radars in the United States and across the globe pick up its movement. Minutes later, the mock W87 plummets to earth over Kwajalein Island. Though it carries no special nuclear materials and, as such, is not capable of a nuclear yield, the value of this JTA is beyond measure.

Information gathered from the weapon’s sensors and instrumentation allows scientists and engineers from national laboratories to assess its performance to ensure that the weapon
functions as designed. This vital program enables the laboratories to annually validate the effectiveness of the nuclear stockpile to the President of the United States.

The Joint Surveillance Flight Test Program, under which JTAs are administered, is a collaboration between the NNSA and the Department of Defense. Testing has been ongoing for the life of the stockpile, and there are currently JTAs for all weapons except the W84, for which testing was discontinued several years ago.

“The labs design the JTAs, and we build and ship them to the military for test flights,” said Curtis Chamberlain, Pantex Production manager. “We also do post mortem or disassembly of the JTA after the flight on the B61, B83 and W80.” Others, such as the high-fidelity JTA, which use main charge high explosives, are destroyed on impact, though data gathered during the JTA’s flight is transmitted to naval ships or to ground stations.

Building the JTAs is a more detailed process than building a full-up nuclear weapon, according
to Chamberlain, because of the telemetry or “brains” that measure performance. Unlike protocol for production technicians elsewhere onsite, those working on JTAs can work alone and call on others for assistance when needed. “These guys are meticulous,” said Chamberlain.

“The most challenging part of these builds is the uniqueness of each build within the same
program. With those challenges comes the most rewarding part of building these units — we
confront and address each challenge and get the job done,” said Trey Gillman, Production section manager. “The production techs I have worked with and now supervise are some of the best on Plant site, and I consider that one of the biggest rewards also.”

JTAs are built using parent-unit parts to test their in-flight capabilities along with off-the-shelf and
vendor-supplied components, explained Ronnie Navarrette, Production Tooling department manager and former Production manager over the JTA program.

Technicians see the process from beginning to end — times four. Parts from recovered JTAs
may be used as many as three times if the mock weapon is dropped using a parachute. At their
fourth use, the parts are used on JTAs that are sent into free fall.

“JTAs are one of our end products, and I like the fact that they are actually used by our military,”
said Navarrette. “I like the deterrence value that they provide, playing an important role in
the security of our nation. And, they leave some fascinating contrails behind.”

For 20 years, the Pantex Lunch Bunch Club has been working to develop the gift of gab.

This week, the members of the Toastmasters International club gathered at Pantex to celebrate two decades of learning to be better speakers and better leaders. About 20 members, including three who were there for the founding of the club, celebrated the achievement, said Roger Coffey, one of the charter members.

Coffey said the club started in 1993 as a way to create a Pantex speaker’s bureau. Members worked to develop better presentation skills to represent Pantex at other sites and in the community. Over the years, more than 100 Pantexans passed through the organization, improving their public speaking skills by creating speeches and presentations for other members.

Many of the Lunch Bunch crew advanced to area, division, district and regional Toastmasters competitions.

For much of the past decade, the club was honored annually as a President’s Distinguished Club based on the members’ high level of achievement and participation, Coffey said.

Pantexans showed their community spirit June 13 when employees, along with their families and friends, volunteered their time at two local nonprofit organizations.

More than 40 volunteers came to an America Supports You Texas event to assemble care packages for our troops in Afghanistan. America Supports You Texas was founded in 2005 to create awareness and support for active military men and women, as well as veterans in our area. Over 200 boxes filled with snacks, personal care items and books were mailed overseas the next morning.

Another group of Pantexans and their families went to the High Plains Food Bank to lend a hand with its community garden. The garden was severely damaged in hail storms last month. The majority of the garden’s produce benefits children and afterschool programs throughout the year.

The garden has only two full-time employees and relies heavily on volunteers to help out. With the help of the Pantexan volunteers, the garden is expected to recover and produce fruits and vegetables well into the fall season.

Pantex biologist, Canadian scientist to study birds this weekend

Pantex wildlife biologist Jim Ray will be teaming up with York University researcher Dr. Kevin Fraser from Toronto this weekend to help study the movements and behaviors of Purple Martins.

Ray, Fraser and several volunteers will be capturing the Martins, which are the largest member of the swallow family in North America, and affixing small geolocator tracking devices to help expand scientific knowledge about the birds. The geolocators were provided by the Department of Energy and Pantex in connection with a Presidential directive to help study and preserve migratory birds.

“Purple Martins are declining in some areas of the United States, and it is critical we continue to learn about their year-round needs and protect them,” said Ray, who studies a variety of wildlife species in his work at Pantex.

Ray said Purple Martins have been popular among bird watchers since early settlers found Native Americans providing the birds with living quarters in hollowed-out gourds. Providing birdhouses has been a popular pastime for birders ever since.

“I’ve been fascinated by Purple Martins since I was exposed to them when I went to graduate school in South Dakota,” Ray said. “Although I have been studying and promoting them for 25 years, it took me 16 years to attract my first nesting pair.”

Martin aficionados like Ray place specially constructed bird houses in their yards. Ray, who along with Fraser holds a permit to capture the birds, has banded more than 10,000 Purple Martins. Since 2007, geolocators – which weigh 1.5 grams and estimate the location of the birds by recording sunrise and sunset times – have expanded the scientific knowledge of the birds’ movements. Researchers discovered the small birds spend up to a month and a half flying south to Brazil in the fall, but return north to their U.S. breeding colonies in only two weeks during spring.

The Purple Martin Conservation Association (www.purplemartin.org) supports geolocator efforts like the one this weekend.
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CONTACT
Greg Cunningham
Public Affairs
Office (806) 477-5140
Pager (806) 345-1560

More than 100 Pantexans attended the annual Armed Forces Day Celebration at Pantex Wednesday. For more than 15 years Pantex has hosted a lunch and ceremony to honor those who fought to keep our country free. This year, the Pantex Fire Department Honor Guard presented the colors, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the National Anthem.

More than 700 Pantexans are veterans of the armed forces.

Leadership Group Visits Pantex

Leadership Amarillo and Canyon program participants visited Pantex May 9 and viewed a security weapon display, toured the Firing Site, and experienced the Visitor’s Center. They also received an overview on the history of Pantex. The 10-month Leadership Amarillo and Canyon program is designed to introduce leadership development, networking, community awareness, and social consciousness to those who desire to make a difference in their community. Because Pantex tours are not open to the public, this visit was a unique opportunity to learn about one of the top three employers in Amarillo.

Senior executives from The Babcock & Wilcox Company visited Pantex today to tour the facility and meet with key leaders. Here, executives pose with “Freedom,” the Plant’s 125-pound fiberglass American Quarter Horse sculpture.

About the photo:
Left to right: B&W Senior VP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary James Canafax, B&W Pantex General Manager John Woolery, B&W President and CEO Jim Ferland, and George Dudich, B&W Technical Services Group president.

Area middle schoolers build renewable energy vehicles

​B&W Pantex sponsored its Electric Battery Car Race Saturday as part of the annual Science Bowl Competition. Nearly 30 teams from middle schools across the Texas Panhandle competed in the races, which were won by Bovina Middle School. Panhandle Junior High came in second and Dumas Junior High was second.