A Partnership Driving Progress: Collaborative Efforts to Prepare for the Third Generation of Secure Transportation
Within the nuclear security enterprise, the continued partnership of Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) with Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) has led to meaningful progress in fostering cross-institutional synergy and innovation — efforts that are essential to advancing our shared national security mission.
Powering the Next Phase of Innovation
One of the many projects KCNSC and Sandia are working together on is the Mobile Guardian Transporter (MGT), the third generation of secure transportation under development by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to safely transport nuclear materials.
KCNSC’s New Mexico Operations (NMO) team is responsible for the production, refurbishment, and life-cycle maintenance of the fleet used to safely transport nuclear materials across the country. NMO is working alongside Sandia to design and produce the new trailers.
To improve efficiency and outcomes, Sandia -- the design agency -- and NMO -- the production agency -- are collaborating to streamline the testing process from creative concepts to production needs which will reduce the overall project timeline by two years. Traditionally, the tester design process for such complex systems has followed a linear approach where Sandia would first design the trailer and its associated modules and development testers to create the requirements needed for the production agency. These documents would then be passed on to NMO to use as a guide in the design of the requisite production testing apparatus for validation and verification of the modules and trailer.
This conventional methodology often resulted in extended timelines, as the sequential nature of the process delayed the integration of testing capabilities with design iterations.
Collaboration Leads to Innovation
In a paradigm shift aimed at enhancing efficiency and reducing project timelines, the collaboration for the MGT had Sandia and NMO’s Test Engineering team engage in a parallel design process. This strategic move not only enabled the simultaneous development of the trailer and its modules by Sandia, it also allowed NMO to concurrently design the testing equipment necessary for validating those modules.
By co-locating engineers and program management teams from both organizations in the same workspace, a collaborative environment was fostered to promote real-time communication and knowledge-sharing. This co-located setup facilitated immediate feedback and rapid adjustments as the design evolved, significantly enhancing the overall design process.
The integration of design and testing in parallel reduced the overall timeline of the MGT tester development effort by an impressive two years. This acceleration was due to engineers being able to directly interact, in real time, to address challenges and incorporate insights that might have otherwise delayed the process had the teams worked independently. As engineers collaborated on the technical aspects of the MGT trailer, program managers could oversee the project’s progress more effectively, ensuring that both design and validation stayed aligned with the mission objectives.
Momentum in Motion
The advantages of shared knowledge and concurrency not only streamlined development timelines but will also enhance the quality and reliability of the final product. By uniting the unique expertise of Sandia, KCNSC, and NMO, all entities were able to leverage their complementary strengths, resulting in a more robust and effective process.
The shared MGT project exemplifies a successful model of innovation driven by collaboration, showcasing how breaking down traditional silos can lead to more efficient processes and superior outcomes in complex engineering projects.
As national security demands continue to evolve, the lessons learned from this partnership could serve as a blueprint for future initiatives, reinforcing the value of real-time collaboration in a rapidly changing technological landscape. Ultimately, the innovative collaboration between Sandia and KCNSC reflects a commitment to enhancing the safety and security of the nation through improved design methodologies and operational efficiencies.
