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NGRAIN Saves US Army School $14 Million a Year

Posted on: Monday, 30 November 2009, 08:00 CST

Fort Leonard Wood Applies Savings to Extend Training Program

ORLANDO, FL, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ - (I/ITSEC) - NGRAIN, a leading provider of interactive 3D equipment simulation solutions for maintenance training and support, today announced that the US Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood - which trains soldiers how to repair and overhaul construction equipment that supports ground missions - is achieving a $14-million (USD) savings each year by using NGRAIN solutions. The savings has enabled the school to extend the curriculum to include training on new vehicle technology.

"With NGRAIN-enabled courseware in our classrooms, we are able to shave 12 hours off the 40-hour brake system training block," explained Cecil Caldwell, Chief, Maintenance Training Division, Fort Leonard Wood, US Army. "With an annual training load of approximately 1,200 students, this one-and-a half day reduction in training time translates to more than $14-million in savings per year. We now apply this savings to deliver training for new vehicle technology, including wet brakes maintenance and repair."

Like other military training organizations, the school at Fort Leonard Wood has a restricted training budget, yet it must ensure soldiers rapidly attain required skills. Before turning to NGRAIN, the school was using 16 physical brake systems for its construction equipment repair course. These old systems - which would have cost $1.3-million (USD) to replace plus an additional $80,000 per year to maintain - were in a constant state of disrepair, with half of them out of service at any given time. This meant students had to work in teams of two or three, increasing the risk of failure for those who learned at slower paces.

Instead of replacing the costly and ineffective hard trainers, the Army implemented NGRAIN's solution for maintenance training, integrating 3D simulations of three different vehicles and their brake systems into computer-based courseware. The new courseware, which follows Army Training and Doctrine Command instructional design practices, presents students with troubleshooting scenarios, text from approved technical manuals used in the field, and the NGRAIN interactive 3D simulations.

"In the midst of a struggling world economy, the military has a mandate to train personnel effectively, while lowering costs and boosting operational readiness," said Paul Lindahl, CEO, NGRAIN. "Unlike other 3D simulation solutions, NGRAIN allows instructors with no 3D experience or programming skills to set up interactive tasks. This provides training organizations with more cost-saving opportunities. NGRAIN is proud to support our troops by delivering training and maintenance support solutions that improve and accelerate training."

With NGRAIN, Fort Leonard Wood students can remove and replace virtual parts in real time when performing repair tasks enabling them to learn faster than before. Using NGRAIN, students can access training materials outside of class hours and are more knowledgeable and time efficient when they move to the shop bays to work with physical brake systems.

To learn more about how NGRAIN is transforming maintenance training and support for Fort Leonard Wood and other armed services, visit www.ngrain.com/casestudies, or visit NGRAIN at I/ITSEC booth # 2173. Visit http://www.ngrain.com/iitsec/ for more information.

Return on investment calculations are based on the average daily cost of $7,900 stated by the US Army Training Doctrine and Command (TRADOC) to train a soldier (from the Trainees, Transients, Holdees and Students account).

About NGRAIN

Sixty-five cents of every dollar spent on a piece of equipment goes towards sustainment. NGRAIN enables organizations to dramatically reduce these costs by maximizing the effectiveness of equipment training programs and maintenance support systems with interactive 3D equipment simulations. With NGRAIN's breakthrough 3D simulation capabilities, customers have been able to accelerate the communication of knowledge by 60 percent, and improve operational efficiency by 30 percent.

NGRAIN makes 3D attainable. With NGRAIN, Subject Matter Experts can easily produce, integrate, and distribute 3D simulations, delivering unparalleled real-time 3D interactivity over the web to everyday desktop, laptop, and tablet computers. NGRAIN makes it possible for organizations to transform how they share information, making complex ideas simpler and more accessible to all.

NGRAIN delivers solutions to a host of industries worldwide, including Aerospace & Defense, Energy, and Technology. With its proven, award-winning solutions, NGRAIN has proved to be one of the most trusted names in the realm of 3D technology. NGRAIN's customer base includes all branches of the United States and Canadian militaries, Lockheed Martin, Standard Aero, CAE and other industry leaders.

SOURCE NGRAIN

Source: PR Newswire

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