HII installs 3D printed valve manifold assembly on aircraft carrier

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced Tuesday that it has successfully used additive manufacturing for the first time to build a valve manifold assembly for a new construction aircraft carrier at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding subsidiary.

NNS says it is integrating additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, into the shipbuilding process and is pursuing all opportunities to support construction with this process. Additive manufacturing produces objects by creating a series of consecutive layers, as opposed to “subtractive” manufacturing, which removes material to carve out an object.

By using certified 3D-printed parts, the shipyard says it has the potential to accelerate construction and delivery of vessels to the U.S. Navy by cutting lead times and improving manufacturing quality for critical components.

The valve manifold assembly, which allows 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 USS Enterprise (CVN- 80). The assembly is approximately 5 feet long and weighs 1,000 pounds. NNS says it collaborated with DM3D Technology to manufacture the manifold body.

The company announced it has similar manifolds planned for the USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) and plans to use additive manufacturing instead of traditional casting methods to 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,” said Dave Bolcar, NNS vice president of engineering and design in a statement. “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.”

NNS says this recent milestone in utilizing additive manufacturing builds on the company’s certification and approval as a supplier for additive manufacturing components on Naval Sea Systems platforms.

As of Tuesday, 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 more than 200 additional parts this year.

NNS is the state’s largest industrial employer, with 26,000 shipbuilders.