Oak Ridge advanced manufacturing facility develops technologies for new methods of production

Manufacturing Systems Research Group Leader Lonnie Love talks about the "MedUSA" 3D printer while touring the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on the Hardin Valley Campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Knoxville, Tenn. Manufacturing Systems Research Group Leader Lonnie Love talks about the "MedUSA" 3D printer while touring the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on the Hardin Valley Campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Knoxville, Tenn.

By Dave Flessner August 10, 2019 6 min read

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Tech advantage

Standing in front of the world's largest solid 3D printed object, a Boeing 777X winglet trim tool, Manufacturing Systems Research Group Leader Lonnie Love speaks while giving a tour at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on the Hardin Valley Campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Carbon fiber-reinforced ABS plastic is seen at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on the Hardin Valley Campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on the Hardin Valley Campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is seen on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Knoxville, Tenn.

A titanium additive 3D printer is seen at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on the Hardin Valley Campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Manufacturing Systems Research Group Leader Lonnie Love gives a tour of the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on the Hardin Valley Campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Two people work on using a large scale cement 3D printer at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on the Hardin Valley Campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Knoxville, Tenn.

The end of a large scale cement 3D printer is seen at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility on the Hardin Valley Campus of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Knoxville, Tenn.

America’s oldest and biggest research lab in Oak Ridge has reshaped science around the world and remains a key asset for East Tennessee’s workforce, businesses and economy. This Sunday and next, the Times Free Press looks at some of the work of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and its impact in our region.

Today: Oak Ridge’s legacy of innovation and its future with the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility.

Next weekend: How Oak Ridge built – and continues to build – the world’s fastest computer with a little help from Chattanooga.

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KNOXVILLE – In 2015, researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory reproduced a classic 1962 Shelby Cobra by printing the 1,400-pound carbon car in just 24 hours on the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) machine, which can manufacture strong, lightweight composite parts without the need for tooling.