HII installs first additively manufactured valve manifold on US Navy aircraft carrier
March 6, 2025
HII, America’s largest shipbuilder and a global defence provider, has announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division in Virginia, USA, has successfully installed the first additively manufactured valve manifold assembly on a new construction aircraft carrier.
The valve manifold assembly, a specialised assembly that allows the distribution of a single source of fluid to multiple points on the ship, is installed in a pump room on the Gerald R Ford-class aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80). The assembly, which is approximately 1.5 m long and 450 kg, was produced in collaboration with DM3D Technology, a company which uses Directed Energy Deposition (DED) to additively manufacture large structures such as this manifold.
Following the successful installation on the Enterprise, it was stated that similar manifolds planned for the Doris Miller (CVN 81) will employ Additive Manufacturing rather than traditional casting methods. This will help reduce schedule risk and improve efficiency.
“What started as a proof of concept quickly turned into a tangible result that is making a meaningful difference to improve efficiencies in shipbuilding,” stated Dave Bolcar, NNS vice president of engineering and design. “The benefits of this innovation will extend well beyond Enterprise (CVN 80), as we incorporate our expertise in Additive Manufacturing into the fundamentals of shipbuilding.”
This latest development and deployment of Additive Manufacturing builds on NNS’ prior certification and approval as a supplier of Additive Manufacturing components on Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) platforms. To date, the shipyard has created more than 55 additively manufactured parts installed on both new construction vessels and those currently in the fleet, with plans to install over 200 additional parts this year.
