Northern Utah Chapter Tours Northrop Grumman Electronics Production Facility
The Northern Utah chapter was treated to a comprehensive tour of Northrop Grumman's
Salt Lake City facility where a myriad of inertial sensors and systems are produced.
Application of these products ranges from high g tactical to low noise, high accuracy
missile and satellites. This was formerly a Litton facility, which has been in SLC since
1957.
The inertial components produced at this facility range from conventional spinning mass
instruments to state of the art ring laser and fiber optics gyros. In most cases, these
products are assembled into systems and fully tested across the environmental range to
demonstrate that they meet customer requirements. However, NGES does provide some
components to the general market. The inertial components and systems are supported
by a state of the art pick and place and wave solder facility for their printed wiring
assembly needs. This facility also produces PWAs for other customers within Northrop
Grumman.
The tour was arranged by Keith Schramm, Systems Engineering lead , a 10 year NG
employee. The tour was supported and conducted by Keith, Jesse Black, Dan Brett,
Brad Maxwell, Ryan Roush, Barry Swank, and Warren Warren representing their areas
of production expertise. Some of these engineers are interns from University of Utah
and several are former interns, emphasizing the importance of mentoring students by
industry early in their careers. Note that the AIAA believes this mentoring should begin
as early as the fifth grade.
Attendees from the Northern Utah chapter were Charlie Vono (Chair), , Casey Roberts,
Geoffrey Jeram, Ron Reed; Brian Long, Roy Merrell, Bradley Stringer; David
Baxter, Charley Poe, Jim York, and Clark Taylor.