Fairbanks Morse Defense 3D-prints valve assembly for U.S. Navy submarines

Hunt Valve, a Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) company, has been 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.

Using the additive manufacturing process to create the 70-pound valve assembly – the first 3D printed assembly to be installed in a U.S. submarine – will provide the Navy with a product that meets or exceeds the quality produced by traditional sand casting.

“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. “Not only does it create a superior product in terms of quality, but the process can significantly reduce lead-in times.”

Until now, additive manufacturing for submarine components was only possible for small parts, and applications for demanding alloys such as copper-nickel were rare. In contrast to sand-cast copper-nickel, which is very porous and often leads to a high scrap rate, valve bodies created by 3D printing have significantly higher first yields.

“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’s contract with MSTIC allows the 3D valve to be installed on any U.S. Navy submarine class. The expanded use of additive manufacturing is expected to accelerate the production of components for the naval fleet by up to 75%. This makes the process an attractive option to increase production efficiency and gain greater control over the defense industry supply chain, as foundries could focus on larger components. The valve assemblies for this contract are being developed by Hunt Valve in collaboration with Lincoln Electric.