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New Construction Yard At San Pedro Capable Of Building 250,000-Dwt Tankers Announced By Todd Shipyards Corporation Artist's rendering of the new shipbuilding facilities being built by Todd Shipyards at San Pedro, Calif. Todd Shipyards Corporation has entered up- on a construction program at its Los Angeles Division's San Pedro yard which will provide a new shipbuilding facility capable of meeting the challenge for new and larger U.S. ships in the 1970s and future years. The announcement was made by J.T. Gilbride, president. The new San Pedro yard will incorporate the most advanced shipbuilding techniques and equipment. Emphasis will be placed on ma- chine and equipment-intensive operations which wiil be computerized whenever possible. The San Pedro yard has participated in many commercial and naval shipbuilding programs but with the advent of large tankers, con- tainerships, bulk and special-purpose vessels, larger and more efficient facilities are required. The present yard has three shipways capable of handling ships 550 feet long with 83-foot beams. The new facility wi'l have shipways capable of accommodating ships up to 950 feet in length with beams to 146 feet. By a slight modification, these two new shipways can be used as one so that 250,000-dwt tankers or large offshore drilling rigs can be built. It is anticipated that the daily steel fabrica- tion tonnage will be quadrupled through the use of steel handling equipment and high- capacity cranes. All steel entering the fabrica- tion shop wi'l be automatically surface pre- pared by shot blasting and a controlled coating process. A high-capacity magnetic yard-storage crane will operate in conjunction with a trans- fer-car and roller-table transport system to de- liver material to high-capacity shears, rolls and steel-forming equipment. Assembly schedules will be used to control the production of processed steel from minor subassemblies, to fabricated sections, to com- plete hull modules. Assembly efficiency will be achieved through the use of automated welding methods, large unit positioners, straddle car- riers and cranes. A "Goliath" gantry crane will straddle the new shipways. This crane will be capable of lifting pre-outfitted hull modules weighing up to 350 tons from the subassembly area and aligning them for joining to other hull units for final erection on the ways. In addition, a new wharf structure will be built containing the facilities necessary to com- plete outfitting. A 75-ton crane will provide the necessary lifting capacity to complete the out- fitting stages. The new yard has been designed as a com- pletely integrated, highly automated facility capable of economically and efficiently provid- ing a total capability for future shipbuilding requirements. In announcing this program, Mr. Gilbride stated: "We feel that San Pedro is the most realistic location for a shipbuilding plant of the planned dimensions. Our Los Angeles Division has extensive experience and proven capabili- ties in the art of ship construction, and pos- sesses the necessary expertise at the manage- ment and supervisory levels as well as an available and trained work force." Completion of this facility is scheduled for 1971—a date Todd Shipyards consider to be well in advance of any currently contemplated large shipbuilding projects. While the new yard is being constructed, the present facility will continue to maintain shipbuilding, ship repair and conversion capabilities. Mr. Gilbride pointed out that "this is not an expansion of present facilities but rather an entirely new ship construction plant which will place Todd Shipyards Corporation in a com- petitive position in the construction of ships of the future." Against the blast keep your marine rigs working Just put your marine electronic equip- ment under the maintenance care of RCA service technicians. At every major U.S. port of call, these special- ists can help retain peak reliability for your electronic navigation and com- munications equipment. Experienced to service fleets or individual craft, they are at your service the year 'round, in fair or foul weather. You'll find these RCA service techni- cians listed locally in your port direc- tory. Additional information available by writing: RCA Service Company A Division of RCA Marine Communications and Navigation Equipment Service Bldg. 204-2, Camden, N. J. 08101 Phone (609) 963-8000, ext. PY-4129 ItC/l June 15, 1970 23
