I am a union valve repair instructor for Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 400 in Green Bay, WI. I’ve been teaching valve repair classes for my union and other union training centers across the country since 2003. I also teach the train the trainer valve repair classes at Washtenaw Community College during the UA Instructor Training Program every August. When I am teaching a class, I like to include as many examples as I can to help the students gain a better understanding of the valves we are working on. Typically, most of our valve repair work is in the nuclear industry and in the nuclear industry a lot of the valves we work on are obsolete. Being obsolete it is hard to get examples for training. I got the idea to start 3d printing valves from my son who is going to college to be an engineer, we have been playing around with a 3d printer in our basement since he was in high school.

He drew up a 2” Anchor Darling threaded yoke pressure seal valve for me using SolidWorks. We were able to 3d print it and it turned out pretty good which got me thinking that I should start drawing up various items and 3d print for my valve repair class. Using Inventor, I drew up a 3” Velan pressure seal gate valve with take up screws. This is more common design pressure seal valve that we would run into as valve repair technician in a nuclear plant. I am able to print a 100% scale of that 3” valve and sell a 70% scale and a 100% scale. I am also expanding my training aids to include valve packing aids and precision measuring aids. I am open to any other suggestions for training aids for valve repair.