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History
In March of 1988, the Company acquired the Nelson Marine Products Division from Nelson Electric and its parent, General Signal Corporation. L-3 Communications, Westwood Corporation, through its subsidiary NMP Division, is engaged solely in the business of designing and manufacturing shipboard equipment to U.S. Navy specifications. This equipment consists primarily of electrical control and distribution products. The Company's products are sold to naval shipbuilders for use in combatant U.S. and foreign Navy ships. The Company's equipment has been installed on the full range of naval vessels from nuclear powered aircraft carriers to destroyer escorts, submarines, and small special purpose ships. There are more than 1600 NMP Division manufactured power switchboards on approximately 180 active U.S. Navy ships and submarines. Many have 20 or more years of successful service. The Company is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Company's operations were originally founded in New York City during 1940 as Modern Metal Manufacturing Company, which supplied electrical equipment to the marine industry for use in combat environments. In 1968, it was acquired and moved to Tulsa by Tulsa-based Nelson Electric, a supplier of power distribution and switching equipment to the petroleum and petrochemical industries. Nelson Electric was a subsidiary of General Signal Corporation.
After the acquisition by Nelson Electric, the Company was renamed the Nelson Marine Product Division (NMP) of Nelson Electric and has participated in every major U.S. Navy shipbuilding program throughout the 1960's and 1970's. In addition to serving as a primary U.S. Navy supplier of signal switchboards during this time, the Company also developed extensive expertise in designing and manufacturing power switchboards as well as communication switchboards for combatant ships.
The Company's first sale to a foreign shipbuilder occurred in 1970. Additional sales to both foreign shipbuilders and to foreign navies soon followed to such customers as the Italian Navy, the Royal Saudi Navy, and Israel. The Company won a major contract award in 1979 to design and manufacture power, communications, and control switchboards for the Korean Navy. In 1981, the Company won contracts on two new switchboard programs for the Spanish Navy. Since that time, the Company has been active in Navy shipbuilding programs for Australia, Israel, Korea, Spain, Saudia Arabia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Foreign sales for the Company during 1998 represented 15.0% of total sales.
In 1983, the Company began designing low-noise, anti-magnetic equipment for mine countermeasure ships. The Company's development of this special purpose AC/DC equipment has established the Company today as a worldwide leader in mine ship applications.
In the late 1980's and early 1990's, the Company was successful in obtaining major contracts on LHD-1 and DDG-51 Class ships. To date, the Company has manufactured/delivered seven (7) shipsets of 60Hz Switchboards, 400Hz Switchboards and Interior Communications (I.C.) Switchboards for LHD Class ships. In 1989, the Company was awarded contracts for DDG-51 Class 60Hz Switchboards, 60Hz Load Centers, 400Hz Switchboards and I.C. Switchboards. Our contract provided equipment for DDG-55-78. In 1994, the Company was awarded the lead ship award for the U.S. Navy's first zonal AC electrical system. In addition to the Power Switchboards/I.C. Switchboards for DDG-79, the Company was also awarded a contract to design a new concept in microprocessor based hi-speed protective relay system that combined two stages of over power protection/reverse power protection with fault current detection. The Multi-Function Monitor, MFM-I, was the product that resulted, undergoing more testing than any other protective relay system used by U.S. Navy. The MFM-I is used on DDG-79-90,
LHD-5 and is scheduled for use on LPD-17 Class ships.
In 1996, the Company was awarded a contract to design the next generation of the Multi-Function Monitor family. Designated MFM-III, the new monitor is a quantum leap forward with fault detection in the 1-2 millisecond time frame, ability to communicate on the ship's data highway, and has built-in growth features. The MFM-III is scheduled for installation on
DDG-91.
In October of 1998, the Company was awarded a U.S. Navy contract to design/manufacture two DDG-91 Class 60Hz Switchboards using COTS technology mounted in shock isolated enclosures. This contract was the culmination of three years of researching and testing commercial switchboard components on our in-house lightweight shock and vibration machines.
In less than 120 days, the Company designed/manufactured the two COTS switchboards and turned them over to the U.S. Navy Underwater Explosive Research Department (UERD) for heavyweight shock testing. The switchboards were subjected to ten (10) heavyweight shots, including seven (7) shots at the maximum intensity for that type of equipment. The test was further complicated by the installation of a full set of power cables prior to the test. This represented the first time a fully cabled power switchboard was subjected to shock testing.
The COT's testing is significant. It indicates that the Navy can enjoy state-of-the-art power equipment in combatant ships without paying the extremely high prices associated with low volume highly unique products.
In June of 1999, the Company was awarded the LPD-17 60Hz Ship Service/Shore Power Switchboard contract with an initial order for two shipsets and options for ten more. The LPD-17 Switchboards will be the first U.S. Navy combatant switchboards to be controlled/monitored remotely via an RS485 serial data interface.
Since the Company acquired the Nelson Marine Products Division in March of 1988, the Company's business activities have remained relatively unchanged. The Company's existing employees and facilities remained intact after the acquisition. Today, the Company enjoys an excellent reputation in the switching and power equipment products business (especially in the world of combatant environment, high quality U.S. military requirements where the Company receives the predominant share of its business), and continues to remain committed to meeting stringent customer requirements in such areas as quality, pricing, delivery, technical support, and field service.
As part of Power & Control Systems Group, L-3 NMP is able to utilize the complete resources of SPD and its subsidiaries:
- SPD Electrical Systems, a leader in circuit-breaker design, engineering, manufacturing and testing for ruggedized applications
- SPD Switchgear, a provider of electrical power control and distribution products for commercial, industrial and military applications
- Power Paragon, specializing in power-conversion technology and advanced power systems for mission-critical applications
- Henschel, supplier of field-proven, technologically advanced electronic ship control and internal communications systems
- PacOrd, offering multifaceted DoD services, installation and integration of shipboard combat systems worldwide
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Profile
L-3 Communications NMP Division is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their Marine Engineered Products Line includes marine switchboards designed for the distribution of electrical power, interior communication, weapons systems, electrical plant control and power and lighting control on naval combat vessels. L-3 NMP's primary customers for switchboard products are the major shipbuilders that serve as prime defense contractors to the U.S. Government.
L-3 NMP Division has designed and built electrical distribution and control equipment for most major Naval shipbuilding programs since 1968, including many different types of power and signal switchboards. Sales are made directly to the Navy or other military purchasing agencies, and to the privately owned naval shipbuilding industry. Equipment of L-3 NMP Division has been installed on the full range of naval vessels from nuclear powered aircraft carriers to destroyer escorts, submarines, and special purpose small boats. The Company is especially proud of the "Forty-One For Freedom" award that was presented to the company by the U.S. Navy for its' role in the Polaris Submarine program.
One of the primary suppliers of power switchboards during the past three decades, the Company has extensive experience and a large library of design information in this area. The company also designs and builds signal switchboards for all types of applications. Component applications range in size from small molded case circuit breakers to the 4,000 ampere air circuit breaker needed for the control of power on large ships such as the new San Antonio LPD vessel.
More than fifty (50) products have been successfully tested to MIL-S-901C Shock and MIL-STD-167 Type 1 Vibration in the past decade. The Company has the necessary instrumentation to conduct MIL-STD-740 Airborne/Structure Borne Noise testing in house and routinely conducts this type of testing as part of the production tests on Navy shipboard products. Additional testing includes temperature rise, short circuit and electromagnetic interference.
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Services & Capabilities
Marine Engineered Products
L-3 NMP's marine engineered products line includes marine switchboards designed for the distribution of electrical power, interior communication, weapon systems, electrical plant control and power and lighting control on naval combat vessels. In addition to the actual manufacture of the switchboard and related products, L-3 NMP also supplies electrical and electronic components, panelboards, spare repair parts, support computer software, engineering and field services. L-3 NMP's primary customers for switchboard products are the major shipbuilders that serve as prime defense contractors to the U.S. Government. Equipment is also sold to Allied Foreign Governments with State Department approval, under the War Munitions Act.
Electrical Panels
L-3 NMP manufactures panels in accordance with MIL-P-23928 which provide the local distribution of electric power. These panels service the local electrical loads on a ship, such as lighting, convenience power and small machinery. L-3 NMP custom designs panels to meet any specific requirement. Additionally, L-3 NMP manufactures an extensive line of QPL17361 and QPL17588 circuit breaker mounting bases.
Electronic Protective Relays
L-3 NMP manufactures a variety of electronic protective relay devices used in U.S. Navy shipboard power systems. Those products are currently installed on DDG-51, LHD-1 and MCM-1 class ships. Those products include:
- Solid State Time Delay Relay
- Over Power Relays
- Reverse Power Relays (RP60-2)
- Multi-Function Monitors (MFM-1)
- Solid State Trip Unit (Cutler-Hammer ACB-2000/ACB-4000 Circuit Breaker)
L-3 NMP also designed/prototyped the Multi-Function Monitor (MFM-III) scheduled for installation on DDG-91 and subsequent ships. Manufacturing of the MFM-III has been transferred to L-3 Communications, Westwood Corporation, TANO Division.
From time to time, L-3 NMP also provides individual pieces of equipment to various shipyards and through the U.S. Navy as part of the Foreign Military Sales Program. Typical of the latter are Fire Control Switchboards for Germany, and 400 Hz. Submarine Switchboards for England. We also provide on-site training courses in the operation and maintenance of our equipment and the electrical systems.
Also available from L-3 NMP are a full range of Engineering and ILS Services, consisting of drawings, technical manuals, provisioning technical documentation, field service and training.
Weapons Systems Switchboards
In addition to the above programs, L-3 NMP has supplied switchboards for weapons systems as defined below for various U.S. Navy Destroyer/ Cruiser Modernizations, West Germany and Italy:
- Gun Fire Control Systems
- Missile Fire Control Systems
- Digital Fire Control Systems
- NTDS Command and Control
- Computer Switching Control Panels
- Casualty Weapons Control Panels
- Missile & Gun Firing Panels
A wide variety of special purpose panels for alarms and controls have been produced to meet various marine requirements.
L-3 NMP has designed, manufactured, and qualified several components used for the protection and monitoring of U.S. Navy switchboards. Those items include:
- MIL-M-24350 Reverse Power Monitors
- MIL-R-24563 Over-Power Relays
- MIL-S-24561 Current-Time Sensing Control Modules
- Shock/Vibration Hardened Electronic Stored Energy Time Delay Relays
- Shock/Vibration Hardened Resistance/Current Temperature Transducers
- MS17831 Bus Disconnect Links
- MIL-C-17361 Molded Case Circuit Breaker Bases
- MIL-C-17587 Circuit Breaker Subassemblies, Including Solid State Trip Unit,
Control Modules, Contact Assemblies and Frames
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