TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa.--Team Tobyhanna continues to grow in the efforts of modernization.
On 17 Aug, a team that collaborated on a new engineering facility celebrated the completion of the expansion project with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The area will be known as a Prototype Design Facility (PDF) and will be used by engineers to design, develop, and fabricate system components to support workload requirements. It will also be the location for the continuous improvement experts in the Process Improvement Division (PID) and the Technical Library, an operation vital to Tobyhanna’s mission.
This area is a critical development for Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD), and gives engineering services, and the equipment necessary to provide those services, a centralized location.
“This renovation allows for minor fabrication capabilities to support new designs, address challenges encountered with customer programs, realize design concepts, and develop processes that are more efficient,” said Michael Vivlemore, Chief of the Design, Development & Fabrication Division. “Most importantly, it makes way for new technology that will benefit the depot and all of their customers.” Vivlemore works in the Production Engineering Directorate.
The office area has been designed to provide a more ergonomic work environment. Process Improvement Specialist Chris Gogola emphasized that this area was a huge improvement for PID’s efforts, saying, “The renovation gave PID more organization. It allows for subject matter experts to collaborate and share knowledge.” The new space also includes a larger more functional conference area with a training room.
The PDF is going to be the home base for newer technologies such as Additive Manufacturing, where employees have made great strides in printing polymer (plastics) based products. Modernization included a new HVAC, upgraded electrical, a full vehicle exhaust system, and an overhead crane. The area also provides a dedicated location and space for the design and development of prototypes and first articles, which minimizes the need to utilize production shop floor areas for prototypes since challenges get worked out prior to production runs.
“The PDF will save prime shops time because challenges and issues will be worked out before production runs hit the shop floor,” said Darren Ruby, an Industrial Engineering Technician in the Mission Modernization Branch of the Production Engineering Directorate.
The renovated building space will serve cross functional purposes, giving a modern home to multiple missions, including that of the Technical Publications Branch, which produces Technical Manuals for equipment operation and executes validations and verifications to ascertain the accuracy of the manuals. The technical publications personnel have been allotted a dedicated space for engineers and technicians to evaluate systems and assets to develop technical manuals and documents without tying up floor space in prime shop areas, where production space is at a premium.
Project Manager Daniel Stapleton mentioned, “The ribbon cutting was an event several years in the making. The project was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and did not start on time. We had a lot of hurdles along the way.” Even though it took some time to complete it will be a beneficial improvement for the future. Stapleton works in the Installation Services Directorate.
“This renovation is a game changer,” said depot commander, Col. Daniel L. Horn in his opening remarks for the ribbon cutting ceremony, which celebrated the collaborative effort across multiple depot organizations to bring the modernization effort to fruition. “This is a perfect example of how you build a cohesive team.”
The modernization project is directly aligned with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2028-TOBY2035. The plan, which focuses on posturing the depot to be competitive in the future, has lines of effort dedicated to investing in its people by providing them world-class working facilities; providing superior C5ISR Readiness to America’s warfighters; and shaping the future through innovation and the pursuit of new technologies.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters.
About 3,500 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.
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