Hunt Valve to produce first additively manufactured valve assembly for US Navy submarines

April 9, 2024

Hunt Valve will produce additively manufactured valve assemblies for installation on US Navy submarines (Courtesy Fairbanks Morse Defense)
Hunt Valve will produce additively manufactured valve assemblies for installation on US Navy submarines (Courtesy Fairbanks Morse Defense)

Hunt Valve, a Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) company based in Salem, Ohio, USA, has been awarded a contract by the Maritime Sustainment Technology and Innovation Consortium (MSTIC) to produce an additively manufactured valve assembly for installation on US Navy submarines.

Using Additive Manufacturing to create to 32 kg valve assembly – reportedly the first AM assembly to be installed on a US submarine – will provide the US Navy with a product that meets or exceeds the quality produced through traditional sand-casting in about two-thirds less time.

THE WORLD OF METAL AM TO YOUR INBOX
Subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter
Register now

“The utilisation 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.”

Hunt Valve’s contract with MSTIC allows the additively manufactured valve to be installed on any US submarine class. The use of Additive Manufacturing is expected to speed up the production of components for the US Navy fleet by up to 75%. This makes the process an attractive option for increasing production efficiency and gaining greater control over the defence industrial base supply chain.

“Innovative technologies such as Additive Manufacturing are essential for building the submarine industrial base to overcome supply chain challenges,” Pfister added. “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, which additively manufactured the valve body. Once manufactured, 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.

www.fairbanksmorsedefense.com

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Aluminium Additive Manufacturing: How a new generation of alloys will fuel industry growth
  • Shaping a national Additive Manufacturing ecosystem: The strategic growth of metal AM in Türkiye
  • How metal Additive Manufacturing is transforming modern hydraulic systems
  • High-performance product development in the era of computational design: a case study with nTop and NASA
  • The Additive Manufacturing of record-breaking pure copper heatsinks for high-performance computing applications
  • The Additive Manufacturing of tool steels: how non-linear modelling enables precise hardness control

Join 40,000+ other AM professionals – follow us online

Don’t miss a thing – register for our newsletter

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Register now

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
Find suppliers

About Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Metal AM magazine, published quarterly in digital and print formats, is read by a rapidly expanding international audience.

Our audience includes component manufacturers, end-users, materials and equipment suppliers, analysts, researchers and more.

In addition to providing extensive industry news coverage, Metal AM magazine is known for exclusive, in-depth articles and technical reports.

Our focus is the entire metal AM process from design to application.

Each issue is available as an easy-to-navigate digital edition and a high-quality print publication.

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap