Valves and Fittings for the Shipbuilding and Marine Industries

When it comes to shipbuilding, it is fundamentally true that the sum is only as good as the parts. If the building-block components of the ship are not carefully constructed and trustworthy, there may be serious issues down the road for the ship. CPV Manufacturing understands the vital importance of marine plumbing fittings, marine pipe fittings, marine pipe valves, and boat plumbing fittings in the shipbuilding industry. When you are determining where to source your valves and fittings from, you will need to find a company that can deliver safe and reliable products that will guarantee the quality of your ship.

Valves and fittings are not uncommon anywhere fluids need to move through pipes; however, the shipbuilding industry requires special parts that can accommodate specific environmental factors such as salt water. A variety of valves and fittings are used throughout the ship, based on how the machinery systems need the liquid to move through the system. Common marine plumbing fittings and marine pipe fittings are elbows, plugs, nipples, and couplings. Marine pipe valves are equally as important, as they control the flow or pressure within the pipes. Boat plumbing fittings are the final piece in managing fluids and transfers within the system. These should be sturdy enough to secure the plumbing fittings. These four component pieces work together to protect the integrity of the entire system.

At CPV Manufacturing, we are passionate about manufacturing the highest-quality marine plumbing fittings, marine pipe fittings, marine pipe valves, and boat plumbing fittings for the shipbuilding industry. We rigorously test our products to ensure they meet the highest standards. Our impeccable standards have made CPV Manufacturing the trusted and reliable leader in the manufacturing of valves and fittings for over 100 years. When you use our innovative O-SEAL® series of valves and fittings, you will know you are using the best products available. If you would like to learn more about the valve and fitting products we manufacture for the shipbuilding industry, contact CPV Manufacturing today!

Valve and Fitting Requirements for Ships and Submarines

Civilian sailors and navy members across the globe depend on CPV manufacturing to keep them floating out on many different lakes and seas. In the shipbuilding and submarine industry, fluid control valves and piping are vital for the operation of marine vessels. The integrity of a ship or submarine can often come down to a single valve or fitting. Pipeline systems and valves used in marine operations must stand up to unique environments and conditions. Here are some of the challenges that valves, and fittings must be designed for in a marine environment.

Corrosion Resistance

Pipelines and control valves that carry sea water or bilge water are vulnerable to rust and corrosion. Corrosion can also occur from moisture in the air around a pipeline. Many external and internal pipes and valves must have corrosion and rust resistant shielding materials on the inside and outside of the pipeline.

Pressure Spike Resistance

Valves and fittings are often the points of extreme pressure in a marine piping system. Everything from nuclear submarines to gigantic shipping tankers depend on the integrity of valves and fittings during pressure spikes. This means that marine valves and fittings must have high quality materials and the right designs to handle extreme pressure.

Expansion Resistance

Pipelines in marine environments are often exposed to drastically different temperatures, and the metal can expand and contract as a result. Valves and fittings must be able to withstand expansion and contraction in a piping system without warping or allowing a rupture.

Cleaning and Maintenance

The cleaning and maintenance of ship and submarine pipelines, valves, and fittings is an important part of keeping everything functioning properly. This can prevent wear and corrosion and notify crews of potential problems. These systems must be visible and accessible for cleaning and maintenance. Automated valves in tight spaces need to be able to be cleaned as well.

Valve Types

On ships and submarines, having the right type of valve in place is imperative. The wrong valve for a certain type of material can be catastrophic. Make sure to research the proper type of valve for each pipeline in the marine industry.

At CPV Manufacturing, we have decades of experience creating valves and fittings for both the US Navy and the shipbuilding industry. For assistance selecting the correct valve and fitting for your application, contact our team at salesadm@cpvmfg.com.

How Does a Hydraulic System Work? O-Seal Trusted by the Navy

Hydraulic systems can be found in everything from cars to industrial machinery. They’re designed to provide power, control, safety, and reliability, but how does a hydraulic system work?

How Does a Hydraulic System Work?

How Does a Hydraulic System Work Hydraulic systems are made up of numerous parts:

The reservoir holds hydraulic fluid.

The hydraulic pump moves the liquid through the system and converts mechanical energy and motion into hydraulic fluid power.

The electric motor powers the hydraulic pump.

The valves control the flow of the liquid and relieve excessive pressure from the system if needed.

The hydraulic cylinder converts the hydraulic energy back into mechanical energy.

There are also numerous types of hydraulic systems, but each contains the same main components listed above. They’re also all designed to work the same way.

Hydraulic systems use the pump to push hydraulic fluid through the system to create fluid power. The fluid passes through the valves and flows to the cylinder where the hydraulic energy converts back into mechanical energy. The valves help to direct the flow of the liquid and relieve pressure when needed.

Hydraulic Systems on Ships

How Does a Hydraulic System Work In addition to vehicles and industrial machinery, hydraulic systems can be found on ships. Hydraulic systems on ships are used in various applications. For example, systems used for cargo systems make carrying heavy materials and performing other cargo operations easier and less time consuming.

A ship’s engine room also includes hydraulic systems such as a hydraulic automatic control system. These help to regulate valve positions as well as the pneumatic air pressure in the engine room.

On top of that, hydraulic systems in a ship’s stabilizers prevent the vessel from rolling and ensure a smooth performance across open waters.

Plus many industrial ships include machinery and tools like deck cranes that are run by hydraulic systems.

O-Seal Valves and Fittings and the Navy

Hydraulic systems can be found on many US Navy vessels. And with help from CPV Manufacturing and our line of O-Seal valves and fittings, these systems can ensure smooth operations and safety.

Our line of O-Seal products was developed in the 1950s when CPV Manufacturing started working with the US Navy. We wanted to make sure that every component of our high-pressure couplings met US Navy specifications. However, testing each connection would have been too strenuous and dangerous to do by hand. That’s when we created a test stand using O-ring connections.

Contact The Valve Experts

This method allows us to easily disassemble and reassemble each component to perform each test to ensure proper performance and safety. We then took those concepts and developed our line of O-Seal products.

Benefits of O-Seal Valves and Fittings in Hydraulic Systems

CPV Manufacturing’s O-Seal valves and fittings are unique. Unlike other valves, our products are leakproof and designed to last. On top of that, they can withstand extreme temperatures and are rated for vacuum to 6,000 psi in liquid or gas applications, making them ideal for many types of hydraulic systems.

However, what makes our O-Seal valves truly unique is that they come with interchangeable parts. The soft goods in the cartridge can be removed and made with different types of materials for certain applications.

The versatility of our O-Seal products presents a cost-effective solution for the US Navy and many other companies across the globe. With interchangeable parts, our O-Seal valves can be used for a number of applications, which means companies no longer purchase additional valves to run their systems.

To learn more about our line of O-Seal products, contact CPV Manufacturing now.

The Unsinkable Navy Ship: The Origin of the Subsafe Program and its Impact on Civilian Ships Today

Navy ship CPV Manufacturing’s products meet government standards and can be found in many areas of the vessels of the US Navy. These high-quality valves and fittings are used on the heavy-duty winches, the anchor windlass of the shops, the Freon-based refrigerator and air-conditioning systems, and the elevator systems that lift aircrafts to the flight deck and in the arresting gear that catch the aircraft.

The US Navy can’t afford to rely on a product that will fail, that’s why they’ve turned to CPV since the 1950s. CPV’s Quality Management System is certified in the areas of Design, Material, Fabrication and Testing and has been approved to meet the requirement of MIL-I-45208, SUBSAFE Level 1, EB 2678. The SUBSAFE Program was put in place after a tragic incident occurred and the USS Thresher was lost at sea in 1963.

Disappearance of Thresher

First launched in 1960, Thresher was the first ship of her class and US submarine technology with nuclear power and a modern hull design. During a deep test dive approximately 200 miles off the northeastern coast of the United State on April 10^th, Thresher was lost at sea with 112 naval personnel and 17 civilians on board.

The immediate cause was unknown, so the Navy restricted all submarined until they could determine the reason behind the loss of the Thresher.

The Thresher Design Appraisal Board reviewed the Thresher’s design and provided recommendations for improvements. The exact cause of the vessel’s loss is unknown, however, it was found that there were deficient specifications, ship building practices, maintenance practices and operational procedures.

Members of the navy attribute the disappearance of the Thresher to the following:

Thresher had 3,000 silver-brazed piping joints that were exposed to full submergence pressure. After testing these joints, results showed that fourteen percent of the joints were substandard. This indicates that possibly more than 400 joints were substandard and could have failed, resulting in the flooding of the engine room.
The crew could not access necessary equipment to stop the flooding.
There was saltwater spray on electrical components that caused short circuits, reactor shutdown as well as loss of propulsion power.
The tank blow system did not operate properly and the submarine couldn’t overcome the weight of water in the engine room.

Birth of the Subsafe Program

Nearly two months after the loss of Thresher, the Subsafe Program was created and has shown a lot of success. Between 1915 and 1963, sixteen submarines were lost in non-combat causes. Since the Subsafe Program, only one submarine has been lost.

The US Navy relies on CPV Manufacturing products to deliver high quality products to keep their vessels running smoothly, and these standards far surpass commercial requirements. All CPV products are delivered to customers meeting all standards of performance, reliability and quality.