Clow Valve Company Reduces Trade Show Burden with 3D Printed Hydrant Assemblies

Industry - Waterworks Manufacturer
Printing Technology - Stereolithography (SLA)

THE CHALLENGE

For decades, Clow Valve's sales team relied on full-size production fire hydrants for trade shows, customer demonstrations, and sales activities. While authentic and visually impactful, these hydrants came with a major drawback: 

• Each unit weighed up to 400 pounds

• Required specialized freight handling and shipping

• Created significant labor challenges for setup and teardown

• Increased transportation and logistics costs

• Limited flexibility for events and customer visits

Transporting cast-iron hydrants across the country was costly, time-consuming, and physically demanding for the sales team. 

Clow Valve needed a smarter, lighter, and more efficient solution-without sacrificing realism or brand quality. 

THE SOLUTION

Clow Valve partnered with RP America’s 3D Parts Service team to develop high-quality, lightweight 3D printed hydrant assemblies.

Using advanced additive manufacturing technology, RP America:

•    Produced full-scale, highly detailed replicas
•    Ensured accurate geometry and brand fidelity
•    Engineered assemblies for durability and repeated event use

The result: a full hydrant display unit weighing approximately 55 pounds total—a dramatic reduction from over 400 pounds.

THE RESULTS

Weight Reduction:
From 400 lbs → ~55 lbs
Over 85% reduction in weight

Operational Benefits:
•    Simplified shipping and handling
•    Reduced freight costs
•    Faster trade show setup and teardown
•    Increased flexibility for customer demos
•    Less physical strain on sales personnel

Scalable Production:
Clow Valve is launching with 30+ 3D printed hydrant units, with plans to expand production as their product line grows.