Manufacturing support

Addman Group Unit Secures Additive Manufacturing Qualification Project for Navy Submarines

Harbec, an Addman Group business, announced that it has secured a qualification project for additive manufacturing of copper-nickel components in submarine fittings from the U.S. Navy.

The vendor will tap collective expertise and resources across its seven production facilities across the United States to shorten the production time, a concern commonly associated with traditional castings.

The project is part of an initiative to overcome supply chain challenges and help with the Navy’s “2+1” submarine production targets, Addman Group said.

Robert Dunn, senior director of hypersonic and maritime business development at Addman, said that using additive manufacturing for the submarines’ critical components will help address limitations associated with casting, helping the service branch achieve its production goals.

The Addman unit joins the Maritime Sustainment Technology and Innovation Consortium in helping the service produce its new submarines. The consortium will deliver a 3D-printed valve assembly for a submarine, enabling the military branch to produce an equal or superior quality component compared to traditional sand-casting.