At the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, running from September 9-12, 2024, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) unveiled a new platform poised to transform the U.S. manufacturing landscape. The Department of Energy's lab introduced Future Foundries, a convergent manufacturing platform designed to empower small and medium-sized companies by integrating advanced manufacturing systems into a single, flexible setup. According to ORNL's Chief Manufacturing Officer Craig Blue, "The democratization of manufacturing will be a key component to keep U.S. manufacturers internationally competitive," as stated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
ORNL's technological breakthrough arrives at a critical time, with the U.S. having lost 40% of domestic casting abilities to overseas competitors in the last two decades. Developed in only five months, Future Foundries not only supports the expansion of domestic supply chains but also strengthens U.S. manufacturing and national security. While over 400,000 U.S. companies compete globally, with Future Foundries they will now possess an enhanced ability to impact a wider array of product markets, despite being small- or medium-sized.
Demonstrations at the ORNL booth showcased the platform's ability to concurrently execute various tasks including wind turbine gear repair, manufacturing components out of common materials, and crafting unique challenge coins with variable molds. Thomas Feldhausen from ORNL's Disruptive Manufacturing Systems Development group highlighted the system's versatility, "Now manufacturers can be adaptable," Feldhausen said. "If you have a machine shop and you have to change something in your process, you no longer have to start from the ground up." Feldhausen stressed that the platform's modularity and ease of reconfiguration bring a previously unseen level of agility to manufacturing processes, as per the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
ORNL is no stranger to deploying high-impact, emerging technologies at IMTS. The lab commemorated the 10th anniversary of Strati, a car printed live at the show, with the vehicle also on display at this year's event. This milestone echoes ORNL's track record in pioneering complex manufacturing solutions in partnership with the industry. "The MDF takes strategic risks so industry doesn't have to," Ryan Dehoff, director of the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at ORNL, reflected on their approach to innovation that underpins the development of platforms like Future Foundries, as cited by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
