US Navy Installed First 3D-Printed Submarine Valve
The service successfully utilized an additively manufactured component to replace a part unavailable for a decade.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Manufacturing
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The US Navy has successfully installed an additively manufactured pressure-reducing valve on a Seawolf-class submarine. The part replaced a legacy component that had not been produced by original manufacturers in over ten years.
Why it matters
By adopting additive manufacturing, the Navy overcame significant supply chain obsolescence issues while reducing production lead times. This milestone demonstrates a viable path for maintaining aging defense assets when traditional casting methods are no longer available.
The production process took 9 months to deliver and install, compared to a projected 16-month lead time for traditional casting methods. This success follows a 10-year period in which the original valve casting was unavailable.
The players
US Navy
The branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for naval operations and the maintenance of maritime defense assets.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
A major US naval facility located in Washington state that conducts ship repair, maintenance, and modernization.
Penn United
A manufacturing company based in Pennsylvania that provides precision metal components and engineering services.
VACCO Industries
A California-based company that specializes in the design and manufacture of critical valves and fluid control systems for the defense industry.
The details
Technicians relied on legacy drawings to create the new valve body design, which was manufactured using Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion. Penn United produced the copper-nickel body in Cabot, Pennsylvania, while VACCO Industries handled final machining and testing in South El Monte, California.
Timeline
The original manufacturer ceased casting production more than ten years ago.
The additively manufactured valve was installed on the submarine in October 2026.
Market Landscape
This project reflects a broader shift toward integrating additive manufacturing within the US Department of Defense's Additive Manufacturing Strategy to maintain legacy defense systems. This move reduces reliance on external legacy suppliers and enhances the speed of critical shipboard repairs.
The successful implementation of this technology ensures that critical naval assets remain operational without requiring costly, time-intensive traditional re-tooling. For the public, this suggests greater efficiency in maintaining national defense infrastructure using modern engineering.
The takeaway
This successful installation confirms that additive manufacturing can bypass production bottlenecks for obsolete military components. The use of digital archives to reverse-engineer parts offers a scalable solution for extending the lifecycle of older equipment.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest advancements in Manufacturing across the nation.
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