Huntington Ingalls Industries’s Newport News Shipbuilding division will cooperate with 3D Systems to create additive manufacturing technologies expected to facilitate the adoption of metal 3-D printing in the naval shipbuilding industry.
The collaboration will support future qualification and certification programs to implement this manufacturing technology for the US Navy and change how shipbuilders build the next generation of warships.
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As part of this project, 3D Systems delivered and installed the ProX DMP 320 high-performance metal additive manufacturing system at Newport News. This machine makes three-dimensional, marine-based, alloy parts for castings or other fabricated parts, such as valves, housings and brackets.
The partnership represents a step forward in the creation of components and material for future warships. Compared to traditional manufacturing methods that convert raw materials into a finished product through subtractive processes, such as cutting or grinding metal, additive manufacturing involves the layer-by-layer fabrication of raw materials into a finished product.
Kevin McAlea, executive vice president and general manager, metals and healthcare, at 3D Systems, mentioned:
The ProX DMP 320 printer system, combined with our team’s expertise in metal 3-D printing technology, will bring new digitally enhanced geometries to Newport News Shipbuilding, enabling higher performing warship components and ultimately more efficient cost-effective parts delivery to the U.S. Navy.
