A publication of the Advanced Simulation & Computing Division, NA-121.2, NNSA Defense Programs
December 2008
NA-ASC-500-08—Issue 9
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Kansas City Plant Moves to TLCC Platforms to Support W76 AF&F Production
The Kansas City Plant (KCP) has leveraged the work done by the three NNSA defense labs in an effort to bring forward the next generation of capacity platforms to the Nuclear Weapons Complex. One of the latest Tri-Lab Capacity Cluster (TLCC) platforms is now positioned at KCP for weapons manufacturing support. KCP’s mission is to produce many of the non-nuclear components for systems and is constantly challenged with maintaining high quality output with small production runs. Simulation technologies only enhance this mission, with the TLCC platform now enabling more coupled-physics and parametric studies.
The timing could not be better for KCP in support of the current production builds for the W76 Arming, Firing and Fusing (AF&F) system upgrades. The current challenges include both early manufacturing variance issues and rate production methods.
Computer simulations allow for an understanding into process variables and margins, and allow for confidence in the generation of products. Applications being processed on the new hardware include braze operations on interconnect headers, welding of sub-assemblies for safing devices, forging operations in support of vendor-procured reservoir parts and cavity blown encapsulations. Typical solution applications using the SNL Sierra suite of tools are 64-256 cores in size.
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