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Keyword：nuclear pressure vessel
US Oak Ridge National Laboratory Advances 3D-Printed Nuclear Components Manufacturing and Certification
The US Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is working with industry partners to advance the application of advanced manufacturing technologies, with a focus on heavy-duty 3D printing, AI-driven automated manufacturing, and digital qualification methods, to address issues such as unstable US industrial supply chains, shortages of skilled workers, and long lead times for large custom components. At an advanced manufacturing facility in Tennessee, ORNL demonstrated two large-scale 3D printing manufacturing cases for the nuclear energy sector. Among them, a three-arm robotic system called MedUSA printed a steel nuclear pressure vessel approximately 3 feet by 5 feet with complex dome geometry by guiding molten steel. Researchers said...
2026-09-10
Two U.S. National Laboratories Collaborate to Advance Arc-Based 3D Printing of Nuclear Pressure Vessels
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL), both under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announced a collaboration focused on advancing wire-arc 3D printing technology for industrial pressure vessels and qualification capabilities for critical nuclear components, aiming to expand the U.S. domestic supply chain. The two laboratories unveiled the collaboration during the Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Day event hosted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on August 19. The event focused on topics such as advanced manufacturing, nuclear infrastructure, energy security, and domestic supply chains, and featured demonstrations and tours of the DOE Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF). This facility is a large-scale research platform open to industry, primarily...
2026-08-22