NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Oct. 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE: HII) piloting of new technologies as part of its digital transformation is redefining the future of the naval engineering and shipbuilding industries. The company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, has led the adoption of additive manufacturing of metal components for nuclear-powered warships.
This significant technological development will result in the first certified 3-D-printed metal part—a prototype piping assembly—being installed on the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) early next year. After its installation, the assembly will be tested onboard the ship for one year.
“This is a watershed moment in our digital transformation, as well as a significant step forward in naval and marine engineering,” said Charles Southall, Newport News’ vice president of engineering and design. “We are committed to partnering with the Navy to ensure that collectively, we are investing in every opportunity to improve and advance the way we design and build great ships for the Navy.”
A 3-D printing video featuring Southall is available on HII’s enterprise transformation web page: https://www.huntingtoningalls.com/who-we-are/enterprise-transformation-hii/.
The additive manufacturing process recently approved by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is a highly digitized process that deposits metal powder, layer by layer, to create three-dimensional marine alloy parts that potentially replace castings or other fabricated parts, such as valves, housings and brackets.
The adoption of 3-D printing of metal parts is the culmination of years of work with Navy and industry partners that involved the rigorous printing of test parts and materials, extensive development of an engineered test program and publishing of the results, and could lead to cost savings and reduced production schedules for naval ships.
Earlier this year, Newport News announced a joint development agreement with 3D Systems that resulted in the installation of the ProX DMP 320 high-performance metal additive manufacturing system at the facility.
“We have delved into uncharted territory to create a positive disruption in our industry in much the same way the modern welding processes supplanted rivets, revolutionizing the way ships are built,” Southall said. “We’re proud to be leading the way.”
About Huntington Ingalls Industries
Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Mission Driven Innovative Solutions, Nuclear & Environmental, and Oil & Gas groups. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs more than 40,000 people operating both domestically and internationally. For more information, visit:
- HII on the web: HII.com
- HII on Facebook: facebook.com/TeamHII
- HII on X: x.com/WeAreHII
- HII on Instagram: instagram.com/WeAreHII
