KCNSC hosts NSE's inaugural On-Machine Inspection Symposium

More than 100 production experts gathered at the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) Sept. 15–17 for the Nuclear Security Enterprise’s (NSE) first-ever On-Machine Inspection (OMI) Symposium to study how inspection within production lines enables faster, more reliable output in support of deterrence.

The three-day event featured site OMI status and technical presentations, posters, and panel discussions from representatives from across the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) labs, plants, and sites, spotlighting OMI as a production enabler – integrating inspection, monitoring, measurement, and control directly into manufacturing to deliver mission-ready hardware faster.

Serving as a collaborative forum, the symposium brought together key stakeholders to share best practices, identify redundancies, and explore strategies for advancing and deploying critical capabilities across the enterprise.

David Hoagland, Executive Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), opened the symposium by noting OMI's significance as a milestone in modernizing the infrastructure, technology, and operating culture of the NSE amid a shifting geopolitical landscape. He underscored the importance of reinforcing technical strengths and stated, "OMI is key to tackling the challenges ahead of us."

KCNSC's implementation of On-Machine Measurement (OMM) and Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) technologies has delivered faster, more precise, and objective data for product acceptance and process control.

By moving inspection to the point of manufacture, KCNSC reduces rework and wait time, increases first pass yield, and shortens program timelines—directly advancing production readiness and deterrence. OMI integrates measurement and inspection into the machine tool itself, enabling real time quality decisions that keep production flowing

Elizabeth Fossey, KCNSC's Vice President of Engineering, emphasized the foundational role of OMI: "OMI is not a luxury; it is foundational to how we manufacture and lends itself to Enterprise-wide transformation, unlocking operational speed, agility and digital integration." OMI’s data rich approach shortens feedback loops and empowers teams to act quickly—aligning production performance with national security priorities.

Building on this momentum, the next OMI symposium is scheduled to be hosted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in September 2027. The focus will be scaling proven OMI solutions across sites to accelerate delivery of mission critical components.