Certified to Withstand the Sea: How MCE Keeps Navy Systems Mission-Ready
Life aboard a combatant ship is hard both for people and the hardware they depend on. These ships never stop moving; their systems continually absorb impacts and vibration from the pitch and roll of these environments. Ocean heat and salt compound the stress.
For the Navy, mechanical vibration certification of shipboard equipment is the best way to confirm these systems will prevent failures that can compromise the equipment’s performance or the safety of the crew onboard during an emergency.
Shock and vibration certification must be built into the process. For the Navy, certification ensures critical systems stay online in the harshest conditions. OEMs also benefit, reducing deployment risks and preventing failures after launch.
The Demands of Combatant Naval Environments
Ship machinery runs under constant motion and impact. In remote harsh environments, failures carry steep costs for both Navy ships and the lives on board, such as:
- Chilled-water faults can raise temperatures in control spaces
- Fuel-handling upsets interrupt propulsion or ship service power
- Desalination failures reduce potable water and sanitation capacity
- Bilge system faults increase flooding risk and damage-control workload
These risks set the standards for every valve, meter, and actuator on a combatant ship. Certification translates these standards into measurable requirements and proof of fitness for duty at sea. But how is shock defined? What criteria govern vibration?
What Shock and Vibration Certification Means
As a general requirement, shock is considered a sudden force event, such as an explosion or collision. Vibration is the continuous motion driven by engine propulsion and sea state.
The U.S. Department of Defense sets these specifications, and NAVSEA applies them for shipboard use. As a result, the products supplied by MCE meet:
- MIL-S-901D / MIL-DTL-901E high-shock qualification
- MIL-STD-167-1A qualified valves
- MIL-STD-167-1A qualified flow meters
- MIL-SPEC pneumatic and electric control valves for shipboard service
- MIL-STD-810 methods to validate performance across heat, humidity, and other stressors
The qualification to meet these standards can take a great deal of time. OEM labs typically replicate shipboard conditions, and each of these programs require complete documentation, traceability, and inspection records before a part is approved for a Naval customer.
Real-World Applications on Board Ships
Certified flow control and instrumentation components sit at the core of many ship services:
- Chilled-water distribution for habitability and control rooms
- Desalination plants that convert seawater to freshwater
- Bilge and waste systems that manage flooding and contamination risk
- Fuel handling skids for propulsion and power
- HVAC and environmental controls across compartments
Once a component is specified and qualified in the baseline design for a ship class, programs will not replace it without re-testing or extension. This process can take years.
Case Study: Solving Navy Chilled-Water Failures
Naval vessels operating in hot regions typically report two primary issues with their chilled-water systems, 1) Corrosion-prone solenoid valves and 2) unauthorized overrides that unbalance loads.
These crucial systems maintain safe temperatures in controlled spaces and living quarters, especially in high-heat environments such as the Middle East. When the original solenoid valves fail due to corrosion, or when crew tamper with them to increase localized cooling, it creates energy waste and mission risk.
MCE flow control engineers met with Navy technical teams to investigate the root causes of these challenges. As MCE is an authorized supplier of ASCO's Navy/Marine line of valves designed to meet US Navy specifications, they worked closely with the ASCO’s design team to develop a more resilient solution.
The redesigned valve assemblies featured:
- MIL-STD qualified resistance to shock and vibration
- Improved materials to survive salt-heavy, high-humidity environments
- Tamper-resistant mechanisms to restore load balance and prevent energy misuse
The Navy qualified the upgraded design and rolled it into a multi-year retrofit program across the fleet, resulting in improved product uptime and reduced unauthorized tampering. MCE now stocks these valves for ongoing fleet retrofits and has collaborated with Navy technical teams to evaluate the same platform for use in fuel skids and bilge systems.
How MCE Supports Navy-Grade Applications
MCE is an authorized U.S. distributor for ASCO Navy-part-numbered solenoid valves. MCE also supplies Worcester Valve, Niagara Meter, Siemens, WIKA and REOTEMP under registered NSN numbers.
Support includes:
- In-stock Navy-specific spares for emergent and planned repairs
- Application-specific kits with full QA documentation and traceability
- Engineering collaboration to adapt certified designs to new uses
- Compliance with ITAR, FAR, and DFARS requirements
- Distribution to major shipyards including San Diego, Newport News, and Pascagoula
Our offerings for combatant ship replacement parts include:
- Navy part-numbered solenoid valves
- Directional 3-way valves
- Pneumatic and electric control valves from 1 inch to 2 inches
- Manual ball valves from ¼ inch to 3 inches.
- Flowmeters from ½ inch to 12 inches.
- Dual temperature elements, pressure transmitters, temperature transmitters, and RTD assemblies.
By maintaining inventory, documentation, and engineering expertise, MCE helps shipyards, contractors, and OEMs keep programs on schedule and ships mission-ready.
>> Learn How MCE Powers America’s Shipyards.
Certification That Keeps Ships Mission-Ready
Shock and vibration certification underpins the reliability of your ship at sea. A chilled-water valve, a fuel actuator, or a bilge control device must survive impact events and continuous motion before it ever goes into service on board.
For shipbuilders, contractors, and Navy personnel, partnering with MCE ensures the delivery of compliant and field-ready components, backed by the highest level of engineering support. Contact our team today to learn more.
