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Composites

Scalable, high-performance manufacturing solutions

Composites combine the versatility of polymers with other fibers to create new materials with tailored properties. Early on, MDF recognized the need for scaling polymer and composite printing technologies to enable short print times of larger products, including vehicles, airplane wings, and wind turbines, as well as molds and other components.  

 

MDF teams have worked with multiple companies across its innovation ecosystem to develop more than 100 new polymer-based materials as well as multiple large-format platforms capable of printing parts twenty to thirty times bigger than was previously possible—up to 60’x20’x10’.   

Today, more than eight large-scale, commercially available printing technologies exist, as well as several new printing service bureaus, all derived from the original technology developed at ORNL. 

3D printed Shelby Cobra replica

High Speeds; Low CapEx

Research at MDF focuses on reducing dependence on expensive gantry systems in favor of highly mobile, data driven systems that are accessible to small and medium enterprises. These new platforms leverage controls architecture developed at ORNL to help increase automation while reducing costs and improving conditions for workers.

CFTF

Materials Supply Chain  

In collaboration with DOE's Carbon Fiber Technology Facility at ORNL, researchers are working to secure manufacturing supply chains through the development of precursor materials from textiles and lignin to polymers, and hydrocarbon-based materials. Application spaces include clean energy sources, lightweighting for automotive, hydrogen storage, and building envelopes. Visit CFTF for more information. 

robotic arm

Clean Energy Manufacturing  

MDF researchers are developing techniques to print modular sections of wind turbine blades at high speed with higher rates of material deposition. The process uses a combination of 3D printing as well as thermoforming and aims to enable cheaper, more efficient, and more reliable solutions for wind energy. 

AMERICA System

Materials for Extreme Environments 

MDF teams are developing techniques and high-performance composite structures for new materials that can withstand high-temperature, radioactive, and corrosive environments. Applications include thermal protection systems, heat exchangers, brakes, turbine, and engine components. Carbon and ceramic composites are being produced and tested using additive manufacturing techniques to improve scalability for full-size components and prototyping.

"We are especially excited about AMCM since it’s a zero-waste process and can be scaled to match automotive cycle time requirements." Cole Nelson, Founder and CTO, Orbital

 

Orbital Composites licensed the ORNL-developed technology for combining additive manufacturing with compression molding, known as AMCM. The collaboration enabled a system to incorporate continuous fiber printing capable of meeting automotive productivity requirements for cost and affordability.  

Precursor Formulation 

  • The Carbon Fiber Technology Facility is DOE’s only designated user facility for carbon fiber innovation 
  • Melt spinning and blowing, large-scale components, silicon carbon fiber, pultrusion, fiber chopping, textile fiber winding, large-scale additive manufacturing, precursor chemistry development, filtration efficiency, and physical and mechanical fiber testing. 

 

Composites Innovation 

  • Large-scale additive manufacturing 
  • Extrusion compression molding 
  • Continuous fiber printing 
  • Injection molding 
  • Thermoforming 
  • Filament winding 
  • Sheet molding compound 
  • Electron beam melting (EBM) 
  • Selective laser melting and wire arc metal deposition 
  • Alloy design, processing science, advanced characterization, and digital certification and qualification 

 

Sustainable Technologies 

  • Using new design methods and large-scale additive manufacturing techniques with natural fiber composites, cellulosic materials, mechanical recycling, and waste upcycling to promote industrial decarbonization. 

Recent Impacts

Mask Material for Covid-19

A team from MDF and CFTF collaborated with industry to produce enough specialty filter media to supply 1M+ face masks and respirators each day to US healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The work also led to 500 new jobs when a medical device maker began mass-producing respirator masks using ORNL’s N95 filter media production process.

Thermoplastic Composites Manufacturing

A team at MDF created a highly automated process for thermoplastic composite manufacturing that combines the benefits of AM and compression molding to produce a high-performance functional composite structure at automotive production rates. 

Read about AM-CM’s R&D 100 Award Winning Technology 

Low-Head Hydro Power

MDF used big-area additive manufacturing to rapidly fabricate reusable molds for a turbine hydrofoil, spokes, and 10kw and 100kw gearboxes for energy company Emrgy. MDF then connected Emrgy with Eck Industries to enable rapid, waste-free fabrication of the blades and gearboxes using an ORNL-developed Al-Ce-Mg alloy. The process enabled an 80 percent cost savings in production.  

3D Printing Shapes Building Industry

An ORNL-developed polymer material was used to rapidly print reusable molds for pre-cast concrete to refurbish the 42-story Domino Sugar Building in Brooklyn, NY. Each mold provided a 75% cost saving and produced up to 200 castings compared to the average 3–4 castings with traditional wooden molds. 

Get in touch

Vlastimil Kunc
Section Head
Composites Science & Technology