Erie Bronze & Aluminum, located in Erie, Pennsylvania produces bronze and aluminum castings for a variety of essential industries, including non-leaded alloy components and ITAR-compliant (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) bronze castings for military and government applications. The company follows strict quality control procedures, enabling their products to meet relevant specifications, such as MIL-I-45208 and MIL-B-24480.
With alloys specifically designed to withstand the harsh environments, such as prolonged and extensive exposure to seawater and other corrosive elements, Erie Bronze & Aluminum casts valves and other mechanical components for submarines and other naval applications.
Valve Casting for the Navy & Other Defense Applications
Valves are a critical component in any piping system, controlling the flow of a medium as it passes through that system. Naval, marine, and shipboard valves are specifically designed to endure the unique environments experienced at sea for prolonged periods of time. Erie Bronze & Aluminum is capable of producing naval valve castings and mechanical components for subs, including fluid power valves (NAICS Code: 332912), hose fittings (NAICS Code: 332912), and non-powered valves (FSC Code: 4820). Erie Bronze & Aluminum also produces bronze guides for catapult systems, aluminum labyrinth seals for Navy compressors, bronze extension fittings, cylinder heads and bodies, and various bronze and aluminum castings for naval sea systems.
Naval Valve Casting Technology: How to Produce Non-Corrosive Components
Manufacturing technology plays a role in preventing corrosion in naval valve castings and other parts. While welded construction is often used, it frequently leads to corrosion issues starting at the welded joints, especially in applications where the weld is subjected to harsh environments like salt and seawater. Using casting technology in naval applications not only results in easily-repeatable parts, but the weldless process also yields increased thickness which reduces the overall risk of corrosion-induced leakage. This increases reliability and minimizes downtime, which can be critical in military applications, especially those exposed to the harshness of salt and water.
Erie Bronze & Aluminum is ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) registered, meaning they are in compliance with government regulations related to defense exports. And unlike many others in the industry, Erie Bronze & Aluminum has the experience and capability of managing the entire valve manufacturing process, from alloy selection to casting, and even final machining through approved subcontractors. This ensures that exacting standards and specifications, such as MIL-I-45208 and MIL-B-24480, are met or exceeded.
Additional MIL Specs Erie Bronze Can Adhere To | ASTM B148 & More
There are a number of additional specs that Erie Bronze is capable of working towards, and while they can’t adhere to every element of these specifications, they are capable of adhering to many of them. These additional specifications include:
- MIL-V-24509A (Adhering to the ASTM B148 portion of this requirement)
- MIL-V-24624 (Adhering to the MIL-B-24480 portion of this requirement)
- QQ-C-390
- QQ-C-390A
- MIL-B-21230A
- MIL-B-16540B
- MIL-STD-2175 (Castings, classification and inspection of)
Contact Erie Bronze today for more information about the exact specifications we are capable of adhering to.
What is the Best Alloy for Naval Valves and Sub Components?
The casting process begins with the selection of the alloy that best correlates with your industry application and engineering specifications. For valves, naval valve castings in particular, Erie Bronze & Aluminum focuses on specific alloys that are tested to meet the requirements for the application at hand, such as MIL-I-45208 and MIL-B-24480.
Aluminum-bronze alloys are uniquely suited to solve seawater corrosion issues due to the Nickel and Aluminum content of these alloys. One feature of these alloys is the self-repairing copper/aluminum oxide film which results from exposure to marine environments. This film offers better protection than any corrosion-resistant paint or coating process, which can be damaged during the lifecycle of the part. These characteristics make the alloy perfect for naval valve casting and mechanical components for submarines.
One of the most common alloys used for marine and naval valve casting is aluminum bronze alloy C95800. Its properties include above average mechanical properties and exceptional corrosion resistance in environments such as seawater, dilute acids, and chlorides. Similar to those made with manganese bronze, aluminum bronze components offer immense strength and anti-rust characteristics, making them perfect for naval applications.
In addition to military and naval applications, Erie Bronze & Aluminum uses a variety of alloys for valve casting, including manganese bronze alloys (C86200, C86300, C86500), aluminum bronze valves (C95200, C95300, C95400, C95500, C95800), and tin bronze alloy valves (C90300, C90500, C90700, C91100).
Working closely with customers, the company selects the alloy that most closely enables the valves and parts to operate most efficiently based on specifications, the specific application and the environmental factors to which the part may be exposed.
Erie Bronze & Aluminum – Government and Military Applications
Naval vessels employ valves to regulate the loading and storage of the ship’s power supply, to process wastewater, to store liquid cargo, and to hold water for emergency situations, such as fires. Naval valve castings are constantly exposed to the harsh environment of salt and water. Erie Bronze & Aluminum is uniquely equipped to cast mechanical components for subs and other ships according to military specifications.
Erie Bronze & Aluminum has the experience and certification necessary to produce both small and large valve castings and tackle a wide array of defense projects, including bronze guides for catapult systems, aluminum labyrinth seals for Navy compressors, bronze extension fittings, and more.
Regardless of specifications, Erie Bronze & Aluminum can cast the required part for your government or defense application.
