Additive Manufacturing

Industry-defining innovations for additive manufacturing processes and systems

MDF is a perennial powerhouse in the research and development of additive manufacturing technologies and materials that are globally used by many industries today, from aerospace to transportation, clean energy generation, and everything in between.

View MDF's history of impact

Better, Faster, Cheaper

Advanced manufacturing technologies enables the rapid creation of complex geometries with less waste material and energy usage than traditional subtractive manufacturing or casting and forging methods.

Teams at MDF have spent more than a decade leveraging the world-leading scientific expertise of ORNL in materials, characterization, energy systems, and computations to advance a range of additive technologies and materials systems for industry adoption.

additive manufacturing compression moulding

New Systems

ORNL has pioneered the next generation of additive systems in conjunction with industrial partners, including the first large-format polymer printer; large-scale laser and metal inert-gas-based technologies; laser, electron beam, and binder jetting powder bed technologies; and more.

MDF is transforming additive manufacturing technologies into a high-volume, mainstream manufacturing technology for the production of highly advanced components. This work is done by integrating new designs, in-situ sensing, digital technologies, and automation to increase product reliability, improve repeatability, and decrease costs.

Deploying Materials

Researchers at MDF work across a broad range of materials including metal alloys, polymers, ceramics, composites, and bioderived materials. Through exploiting the unique nature of additive processes, MDF has enabled improved properties, lowered costs, and developed more reliable components compared to conventional fabrication methods.

When novel materials are needed for additive systems, MDF begins material development with fundamental scientific exploration, ultimately ending with industrial deployment. Collaborative research agreements with industrial partners, combined with MDF’s expertise in the science of scale-up, enables a robust supply chain.

Learn more about ORNL’s materials development and composites work at MDF.

two researchers examining a 3D printed wheel

A Knowledge Factory

Advanced manufacturing systems at MDF are embedded with sensors that provide data to develop understanding and feedback controls to optimize processes to desired specifications. Combining this data with ORNL’s modeling capabilities enables researchers to more deeply understand processes.

With so many systems together in one space, teams at MDF are able to compare and contrast the concepts and requirements of systems with different material feedstocks. This approach reveals similarities that inform how to best innovate around shared challenges and innovate faster.

Highlights

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Large-Scale Energy Generation

ORNL became the first to 3D-print large rotating steam turbine blades for generating energy in power plants. Led by partner Siemens Technology, the project demonstrated that wire arc additive manufacturing is viable for the scalable production of critical components exceeding 25 pounds. These parts have traditionally been made using casting and forging facilities that have mostly moved abroad.

Read about the blade project

A tan and black cylinder that is made up of three long tubes vertically with a black line horizontally going across the bottom and the top. There is a piece laying on the floor that says ORNL.

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Shattering Heat Limitations

ORNL developed an electron-beam 3D-printer to produce the first defect-free complex tungsten parts for use in extreme environments. This technology uses a magnetically directed stream of particles in a high-vacuum enclosure to melt and bind metal powder into a solid-metal object.

Read about the tungsten part project