(Concurrent Technologies: Johnstown, PA) -- In an effort to save costs in ship construction and maintenance, the Navy Metalworking Center (NMC) is conducting a Navy ManTech project that is developing a prototype system for inspecting tapers of main propulsion shafts for submarines and aircraft carriers. Power is applied to submarine and aircraft carrier main propulsion shafts through a tapered connection between the shaft and the inboard coupling. To prevent mismatch, tapers are inspected using heavy and cumbersome gauges to perform blue-contact checks. Each taper requires from six to 10 inspections as the taper is carefully shaped to the correct contour.

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