Curtiss-Wright and Sintavia collaborated on the component for installation in a U.S. Navy vessel.
CHESWICK, Pa.—In December, Curtiss-Wright’s EMS Division reported in a release that it delivered the first submarine component with an additively manufactured (AM) impeller that will be installed in a U.S. Navy vessel.
The release stated that Curtiss-Wright’s Engineered Pump Division (EPD, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc. (BPMI, Monroeville, Pennsylvania) and Sintavia, LLC, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, collaborated to develop, manufacture, test, and supply the first submarine component that uses a qualified, metal additively manufactured part.
Sintavia, a designer and additive manufacturer of critical defense components, provided the additively manufactured impeller after a thorough qualification process. The impeller was assembled into the pump and tested at Curtiss-Wright’s facility in Bethlehem.
According to the release, additive manufacturing technology offers a solution to the development of a product or component that, historically, has been difficult or costly to manufacture, often resulting in delays. The use of the technology is expected to provide a reliable and high-quality domestic source while leading to shorter manufacturing lead times, increased quality, lower risk in performance, and improved delivery to further meet the needs of the U.S. Navy.
“Sintavia has proven to be an invaluable industry partner, and we are excited about the opportunity to further solidify our partnership by increasing the number of additively manufactured parts for this application and other critical naval defense components,” said David Micha, senior vice president and general manager of Curtiss-Wright’s EMS Division, in the release. “In addition, we are proud to be providing the first critical service equipment utilizing an additively manufactured component to the U.S. Navy’s submarine program and look forward to expanding these capabilities in the future to more efficiently serve our customer.”
“We would like to thank both Curtiss-Wright and BPMI for the opportunity to leverage Sintavia’s additive technology in the production of this critical component,” said Sinatavia Corporate Vice President Lindsay Lewis, in the release. “Leading-edge manufacturing processes, such as AM, will continue to be key differentiators in developing superior defense components in the years to come.”
Curtiss-Wright’s EPD business unit, part of Curtiss-Wright’s EMS division, and its predecessor companies have provided naval and maritime technological expertise and products since 1847. Today, EPD is a major supplier of pumps and components that meet demanding and mission critical requirements for the world’s surface and submerged naval fleets, the company said in the release.
Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI) is a prime contractor for the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, providing high-quality nuclear power plant components for submarines and aircraft carriers.