HII Integrates 3D Printed Valve Assembly into CVN 80
The integration aims to increase the build speed and quality of core components. The Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard in Newport News has installed the first 3D printed valve assembly on the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 80).
The integration of additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, into the shipbuilding industry aims to increase the build speed and quality of key components, thereby reducing lead times and speeding up the delivery of ships to the U.S. Navy.
The multi-distribution valve assembly is located in the pump room on the aircraft carrier and is used to distribute fluids from a single source to multiple points on the ship.
The assembly, which is approximately 1.5 meters long and weighs 450 kilograms, was produced in partnership with DM3D Technologies.
This advancement in additive manufacturing follows HII’s previous certification as a supplier of 3D printed parts for Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) platforms.
The company said it will use additive manufacturing technology rather than traditional casting methods to build multiple sets similar to the USS Doris Miller (CVN 81).
The change is expected to reduce schedule risk and improve the overall efficiency of the shipbuilding process.
“It is only fitting that USS Enterprise (CVN 80) is part of Newport News Shipbuilding’s historic milestone, considering that its predecessor, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), was the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and was proudly built at the shipyard,” said Liz Smith, vice president of the USS Enterprise (CVN 80) program and vice president of future aircraft carriers at Newport News Shipbuilding.
“Thousands of dedicated shipbuilders are urgently building these aircraft carriers, which we know will play a vital role in the Navy’s fleet.”
In 2022, HII officially began construction of the USS Enterprise, the third aircraft carrier in the series following the USS Gerald R. Ford U.S. Navy.
In 2024, HII announced the successful transfer of the center hull section of USS Enterprise (CVN 80), allowing for the simultaneous assembly of two Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers in the same dry dock.
To date, more than 55 additional manufactured components have been installed on new and existing ships in the fleet, with plans to integrate more than 200 additional components during the year.
