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, positioning the defense contractor as a first mover in this sector. Using additive manufacturing to create the 70-pound valve assembly – the first 3D printed assembly to be installed on a U.S. submarine – will provide the Navy with a product that meets or exceeds the quality produced through traditional sand-casting in about two-thirds less time.
“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 recently, additive manufacturing for submarine components has only been possible for small parts and pieces, and 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 which challenges delivery timeliness. In contrast, valve bodies created through 3D printing have drastically higher first-time yields, which ultimately accelerates the production and delivery timeframe since the manufacturer no longer needs to build in additional production time to account for the fall-out rate.
Hunt Valve’s contract with MSTIC will allow the 3D valve to be installed on any U.S. submarine class. The expanded utilization of additive manufacturing is expected to speed up the production of components for the Navy fleet by up to 75%. This makes 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.”
The valve assemblies for this contract are being developed by Hunt Valve in collaboration with Lincoln Electric. The valve body is produced by Lincoln Electric through additive manufacturing, or 3D printing. 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 “printed,” the valve body is delivered to Hunt Valve to manufacture the remaining components using the standard manufacturing method and then assemble all the parts to create the full valve assembly.
Images of the 3D-printed valve body and the full assembly are available HERE.
About Hunt Valve
Hunt Valve, a Fairbanks Morse Defense company, has been delivering fluid power engineering innovations and solutions to its core defense and industrial customers for decades. With unmatched reliability, Hunt Valve specializes in severe-duty valves, linear motion solutions, durable electromechanical actuators, and complementary engineered components and system solutions for the defense and industrial markets. The company was acquired by Fairbanks Morse Defense in 2021.
About Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD)
Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) builds, maintains, and services the most trusted naval power and propulsion systems on the planet. For nearly 100 years, FMD has been a principal supplier of a growing array of leading marine technologies, OEM parts, and turnkey services to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and Canadian Coast Guard. FMD stands ready to rapidly support the systems that power military fleets without compromising safety or quality. In times of peace and war, the experienced engineers and technicians of FMD demonstrate our commitment to supporting the mission and vision of critical global naval operations wherever and whenever needed. FMD is a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management.
To learn more, visit www.FairbanksMorseDefense.com.
About the Maritime Sustainment Technology and Innovation Consortium
The Maritime Sustainment Technology and Innovation Consortium (MSTIC) is a member led organization focused on innovative sustainment solutions to effectively address current and future security threats in maritime environments. MSTIC engages industry and academia to develop and mature technologies in the field of Maritime Sustainment that enhance the Navy’s mission effectiveness. The organization enables rapid research, access to innovative commercial solutions for defense requirements, and innovations from industry and academia.
For more information, visit https://www.mstic.org/.
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