| Alfred Leo Pelletier General Dynamics Electric Boat Division Dept 243 Pipefitter 1st/class-Foreman-Supervisor-54618 (1968-1978) |
What is a Pipefitter Responsibilities?
Pipefitter:
Pipefitters are responsible for the fabrication and installation of piping systems that carry the ship’s
life blood in the form of liquids and gases under varying pressures. The pipefitter must acquire a
range of skills including measurement, fit-up, bending and installation techniques to comply with
close tolerances demanded in such a complex craft. Pipefitters work with piping ranging in size
from very small tubing to very large diameter piping. Piping materials and fittings are made from a
variety of type of metals and alloys depending on the system pressure and function. Systems
include hydraulic, lube oil, high and low pressure air, high and low pressure steam, sea water,
chilled water and potable water. Pipefitters are also responsible for grooming systems in
preparation for company, Navy and government inspections.
Imagine a vessel that survives the ocean's crushing depths and freezing temperatures.
Imagine a vessel that does not need refueling during its entire service life.
Imagine a vessel that is virtually silent while underway.
Imagine a vessel that does all that and protects the freedoms of the people of the United States.
Now imagine the immense challenge it is to create such a vessel.
Electric Boat designs and builds nuclear submarines. This is the challenge to every engineer at
Electric Boat. Great minds do great things when faced with great challenges. The engineers at
Electric Boat are second to none.
Designers at Electric Boat are responsible for designing the most complex ships ever to go to sea.
The highly trained men and women who make up the design force at Electric Boat utilize state of the
art computer systems to support ship design from concept design through detailed design,
construction and life cycle support. Designs are developed utilizing disciplined processes within a
team environment to ensure that designs meet producibilty, affordability and quality requirements
while satisfying stringent operability requirements.
The designers at Electric Boat strive to be the best in the world and the success of the Submarine
service is a testament to their capabilities.
The submarine has long been the silent backbone of United States Naval supremacy. For more than 100 years, Electric
Boat has designed and built these incredible machines.
Electric Boat has a proud history dating back to its incorporation on Feb. 7, 1899, and the delivery of the first practical
submarine to the U.S. Navy the following year. During the ensuing century, Electric Boat has been at the forefront of
every innovation in submarine technology. Today we are the nation's premier designer and builder of nuclear
submarines.
As warships, submarines began to come into their own during World War I, but it wasn't until World War II that
submarines proved their indisputable capability by playing a critical role in the Allied victory in the Pacific. U.S.
Submarines accounted for 39 percent of all enemy vessels sunk in that campaign, and Electric Boat contributed mightily
to the effort, delivering more submarines to the U.S. Fleet than any other shipyard. At the height of production, Electric
Boat was launching a boat every two weeks.
In 1951, Electric Boat answered the call from then-Capt. Hyman Rickover to design and build the world’s first nuclear
submarine. Launched in 1954 with much fanfare, the USS Nautilus went to sea the following year and embarked on a
distinguished career, breaking every endurance record ever posted for an undersea craft. Nuclear submarines provided
the Navy with vast capabilities that seafarers could only dream of prior to the Nautilus.
Driven by the challenge of the Cold War, Electric Boat developed innovation after innovation to support our fleet. From
the development of the fleet ballistic-missile submarine for nuclear deterrence to designing the exceptional stealth
capabilities that are the hallmark of America's attack submarines, we have helped our Navy establish and retain its
leadership in undersea superiority.
Today we're the lead designer of the Virginia-class submarine and are the prime contractor for the first 10 boats of that
class. The Virginia class is the first major warship completely designed using computers, a capability pioneered here at
Electric Boat.
Electric Boat is also developing the technologies that will maintain the U.S. Navy’s dominance in submarine warfare well
into the 21st century. We have finished the conversion of four Ohio-class submarines to an SSGN configuration, a
program widely cited as a model for military transformation in the 21st century. We are a key player in the Defense
Advanced Research Project Agency’s Tango Bravo program, intended to develop breakthrough technologies such as
shaftless propulsion, electrification of major systems and other advanced concepts. We were selected to investigate the
potential for very high speed, manned submersibles, and are engaged in concept studies for the next-generation
submarine. Our goal is to make Electric Boat the logical choice for designing and building the Navy’s undersea force of
the future. Exceptional capabilities take exceptional people. Become part of this exceptional team of professional ship
builders.
The Groton, CT shipyard, which EB acquired in 1911 when it purchased the New London Ship and Engine Co., has two
major functions: first, submarine design and engineering; and second, submarine assembly, test and delivery. All
Electric Boat design and engineering work takes place in Groton, supported by a network of modern digital design and
analysis tools.
The heart of the Groton shipyard is its Land-Level Construction Facility, where submarine hull sections are assembled.
Upon arrival from EB's Quonset Point Facility, the hull sections - weighing as much as 2,000 tons each - are positioned
using small electric transfer cars and then joined together using an automated, cost-efficient welding process.
Manned by a Navy crew, the submarine undergoes a challenging series of tests in the shipyard and at sea to
demonstrate the ship's readiness. Ultimately, these trials confirm EB's success at integrating thousands of complex
components into a smoothly operating, highly effective ship.
Throughout this complex process, efficiency and success are dependent on the esprit de corps and teamwork between
EB's engineers and tradespeople, the U.S. Navy's management team and the submarine's crew.
Construction of Electric Boat submarines begins at the Quonset Point, R.I., manufacturing facility, located on the shore
of Narragansett Bay 50 miles east of Groton, Conn. Established in November 1973 at what was then the Quonset Point
Naval Air Station, the Quonset Point Facility produces submarine hull cylinders up to 42 feet in diameter at its
Automated Frame and Cylinder Manufacturing Facility.
Major submarine components are manufactured using digitally controlled machines for cutting, machining and bending.
This precision process, bolstered by the completion of the new Automated Steel Processing Center in 2001, is driven by
the digital design data transmitted electronically from the Groton design team.
The completed submarine hull cylinders are outfitted with tanks, propulsion and auxiliary machinery, cruise missile and
torpedo tubes, piping, wiring and lighting, and are then transported by barge to Groton, CT or Northrop Grumman
Newport News in Newport News, VA for completion.
Workforce Diversity at Electric Boat:
Electric Boat strives for diversity in the workplace. Our workforce, comprised of more than 10,000 employees,
represents a dynamic blend of people who come from versatile backgrounds and offer valuable experiences, skill sets,
and perspectives.
We share a dedication and commitment to delivering quality products to our customers. Our interdisciplinary team of
engineers, administrators, and support personnel fosters a collaborative and comprehensive work environment by
offering innovative approaches to Electric Boat initiatives.
As part of our mission in maintaining a vibrant and dynamic professional community, Electric Boat regularly attends
national diversity events. We participate in The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) conferences, The
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) career fairs, The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) conventions, the Hire
the Disabled Career Expo, and the Black Engineer of the Year Conference.
Six Electric Boat engineers were recognized at the 2007 Black Engineer of the Year Conference, and two were
recognized at the 2008 event.
Electric Boat has earned the All Star Award and the Rising Star Award at the 2006 Women of Color Technology
Conference.
Electric Boat also employs four of the nominees for the 2008 Women of Innovation award; three were recognized as
finalists.
These awards showcase our employees’ achievements as well as highlight Electric Boat’s commitment to cultivating a
work environment that supports our employees in our shared quest for success.
Working in Design at Electric Boat:
Designers at Electric Boat are responsible for designing the most complex ships ever to go to sea. The highly trained
men and women who make up the design force at Electric Boat utilize state of the art computer systems to support ship
design from concept design through detailed design, construction and life cycle support. Designs are developed utilizing
disciplined processes within a team environment to ensure that designs meet producibilty, affordability and quality
requirements while satisfying stringent operability requirements.
The designers at Electric Boat strive to be the best in the world and the success of the Submarine service is a testament
to their capabilities.
As a new designer at Electric Boat you will be assigned a mentor. A mentor is a senior member of the design community
who will lead you through the sea of processes and requirements required to design a superior product. CATIA and
AutoCad are Computer Aided Design (CAD) software packages that are widely used.
Alfred Leo Pelletier, Pipefitter 1st/class, helped build the SSN
681 BATFISH. The US SSN 681 BATFISH change the course of
history to end the Cold War.
681 BATFISH. The US SSN 681 BATFISH change the course of
history to end the Cold War.
