Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery achieved a milestone when it welded and installed a 3D-printed copper nickel flange aboard the USS Washington (SSN 787).
The event marked the first time an additive manufactured copper nickel flange has been welded at a public shipyard and one of its first applications for in-service submarine use.
The project was part of an initiative for immediate additive manufacturing implementation across the submarine force.
First-of-its-kind process
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s engineering and planning material support division identified a potential application for additive manufactured materials to meet an operational need for Washington. The shipyard coordinated with the maritime industrial base’s center of excellence to acquire the 3D-printed component and deliver it to the shipyard’s receipt inspection division.
The work demanded collaboration across multiple departments. In a first-of-its-kind process, the flange underwent testing and inspections to certify that it met all requirements. Concurrently, a team of engineering and trade professionals completed a full weld qualification on the new material.
“For the first time, we forged a submarine component that met the fleet’s most rigorous technical specifications,” said Capt. Jesse Nice, the shipyard’s commander.
The Washington is a nuclear-powered attack submarine.
The shipyard is leading the production and installation of additively manufactured submarine components.
