The 70-pound valve assembly includes a 3D printed body and complementary components produced using a standard manufacturing method. (Image courtesy Fairbanks Morse Defense)
The copper-nickel valve assembly is expected to provide the U.S. Navy with equal or better quality than can be achieved through traditional sand casting, in about two-thirds less time.
BELOIT, Wis.—Hunt Valve, a Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) company, was awarded a contract by the Maritime Sustainment Technology and Innovation Consortium (MSTIC) to produce a 3D printed valve assembly for installation on U.S. Navy submarines, according to a release from Fairbanks Morse Defense.
The 70-pound valve assembly is reported to be the first 3D printed assembly to be installed on a U.S. submarine. It is expected to provide the Navy with a product that meets or exceeds the quality produced through traditional sand-casting, in about two-thirds less time, the company said in the release.
“The utilization of additive manufacturing assembly with copper-nickel for large valve production is a real step forward for our industry,” said Andrew Pfister, vice president, aftermarket and product development at Fairbanks Morse Defense, in a statement. “Not only does it create a superior product in terms of quality, but the process can significantly reduce lead-in times.”
Until recently, additive manufacturing for submarine components has only been possible for small parts and pieces. Applications for challenging alloys, such as copper-nickel, have been rare, if done at all. Sand-casted copper-nickel is highly porous and often results in a high fall-out rate that challenges delivery timelines, according to FMD.
However, valve bodies created through 3D printing are reported to have drastically higher first-time yields. This ultimately accelerates the production and delivery timeframe because the manufacturer no longer needs to build in additional production time to account for the fall-out rate, the company said.
Hunt Valve’s contract with MSTIC will allow the 3D valve to be installed on any U.S. submarine class. The expanded use of additive manufacturing is expected to speed up the production of components for the Navy fleet by up to 75 percent. This is said to make the process an attractive option for increasing production efficiency and gaining greater control over the defense industrial base supply chain, as foundries would be able to focus on larger components.
“Innovative technologies, such as additive manufacturing, are essential for building the submarine industrial base to overcome supply chain challenges,” Pfister said. “By scaling additive manufacturing, we can reduce shipping from other parts of the world and increase the speed of production at home—which positively impacts the Navy’s overall strategic goal to deliver a 300+ fleet.”
Hunt Valve is collaborating with Lincoln Electric to develop the valve assemblies for the contract. Lincoln Electric is using additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, to produce the valve body. Unlike traditional manufacturing, which removes pieces from a base sheet or block of metal to create a component, additive manufacturing stacks layers of copper-nickel together to create the final product.
Once it is printed, the valve body is delivered to Hunt Valve, which uses the standard manufacturing method to manufacture the remaining components. The company then assembles all the parts to create the full valve assembly.
Hunt Valve, acquired by Fairbanks Morse Defense in 2021, is a longtime supplier of fluid power engineering products. The company specializes in severe-duty valves, linear motion products, durable electromechanical actuators, and complementary engineered components and systems for the defense and industrial markets.
Fairbanks Morse Defense said it “builds, maintains, and services the most trusted naval power and propulsion systems on the planet.” The company is a principal supplier of a growing number of marine technologies, OEM parts, and turnkey services to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and Canadian Coast Guard.