Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “manufacturing process design”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16

Science of Scale-Up: Accelerating chemical manufacturing technology development workshop report

The Science of Scale-Up: Accelerating chemical manufacturing technology development workshop report outlines key insights and actionable recommendations for accelerating the scale-up of disruptive chemical manufacturing technologies. Convened in October 2024, the workshop brought together approximately fifty experts from academia, industry, national laboratories, and government agencies to address the barriers and solutions for maturing technologies from proof-of-concept to commercialization. The report identifies seven critical themes for enabling faster scale-up. These themes were explored through general discussions and breakout sessions focused on three specific chemical manufacturing technologies—electrochemical, thermochemical, and biological conversion processes. The findings emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, robust funding mechanisms, and shared resources to overcome technical barriers and accelerate technology deployment. The report also highlights technology-specific challenges and opportunities, including the need for advanced materials, scalable manufacturing processes, and integrated testing environments. For electrochemical manufacturing processes, durability and material optimization are key priorities, while thermochemical processes require novel reactor designs and better supply chain integration. Biological conversion processes face hurdles in strain engineering, reactor design, and process integration. Across all technologies, the workshop emphasized the importance of leveraging computational tools, standardized protocols, and collaborative networks to address knowledge gaps and technical barriers. By acting on these insights, stakeholders can reduce the timeline for scaling up critical chemical manufacturing technologies, ensuring their timely impact on manufacturing competitiveness, and environmental sustainability.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Tribology Test Bed: NiWC3b Cermet, Chloride Salts (Technical Report)

In this project, the best material and processes that we have available now are used build a pump for validation testing and to be able to provide a quotation for a pump for the Gen3 CSP Phase 3 test facility. Enough high temperature and aged material data is collected to be able to safely design a pump with a high level of confidence of good performance. Manufacturing processes for the nano-composite material including spray coating and joining methods are investigated. These processes enable application of this novel material to pump components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Static Corrosion Summary: Static Corrosion Testing, Haynes 230 Recession Rate, Chloride Salts

In this project, the best material and processes that we have available now are used build a pump for validation testing and to be able to provide a quotation for a pump for the Gen3 CSP Phase 3 test facility. Enough high temperature and aged material data is collected to be able to safely design a pump with a high level of confidence of good performance. Manufacturing processes for the nano-composite material including spray coating and joining methods are investigated. These processes enable application of this novel material to pump components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Validation Salt Pump: NiWC3B Cermet, H230, Chloride Salts (Technical Report)

In this project, the best material and processes that we have available now are used build a pump for validation testing and to be able to provide a quotation for a pump for the Gen3 CSP Phase 3 test facility. Enough high temperature and aged material data is collected to be able to safely design a pump with a high level of confidence of good performance. Manufacturing processes for the nano-composite material including spray coating and joining methods are investigated. These processes enable application of this novel material to pump components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Impacts of the Additive Manufacturing Process on the Roughness of Engine Scale Vanes and Cooling Channels

Abstract By leveraging the additive manufacturing (AM) platform, development time and costs for turbine component testing can be reduced relative to traditional investment casting. Surface roughness is a key characteristic of the additive manufacturing process that can impact flow, heat transfer, and mechanical integrity of printed components. There are multiple design and build considerations that result in variability in surface roughness, especially when additively fabricating complicated three-dimensional vanes and internal cooling passages. This study characterizes the surface roughness of internal cooling passages, vanes, and flat external surface samples made using additive manufacturing, specifically the direct metal laser sintering process. The samples were manufactured with various wall thicknesses, layer thicknesses, build locations, build directions, and on different AM machines. A combination of computed tomography scanning and optical profilometry was used to evaluate surface roughness levels. The data indicate that the dominant factors in roughness for a given layer thickness are a function of wall thickness, build location, and build direction.

Engineering↗

Low Cost Glass-Ceramic Matrix Composite Heat Exchanger

As part of ARPA-E’s High Intensity Thermal Exchange through Materials and Manufacturing Processes (HITEMMP) program, this project sought to develop novel heat exchanger (HX) capabilities to enable efficient and power dense power generation cycles. This class of HX comes under the category of ceramic/composite materials with the higher temperature goal in the program of ≥1100 °C inlet temperature operation. The enabling capability of this effort is the use of glass-ceramic matrix composite (GCMC) material which provides the high temperature durability of a ceramic, the flaw tolerance of a composite, a significantly faster and lower cost manufacturing process than conventional matrix CMCs and very low porosity levels < 0.5%. For thin-walled HX structures and the need to minimize leakage, the low porosity differentiator is particularly important. RTRC has prior experience with this material system and in the current project advanced the component design and manufacturing methods into new territory to produce features required for effective heat exchange under high pressures. In this approach, silicon carbide fiber is fabricated into a fiber preform using various textile processes. Graphite tooling is used both during the build-up of the fiber preform (interior tooling) and after the fiber preform has been completed (exterior tooling). This tooling assembly is heated to high temperature in an environment that has been evacuated and backfilled with inert gas. A reservoir of specialty glass is present and once the desired temperature has been reached to achieve the desired glass viscosity, an actuator distributes the glass throughout the fiber preform using passageways which are part of the tooling design in a process known as glass transfer molding. After the tooling has been removed, the composite is heat treated to convert the amorphous glass to a crystalline ceramic, providing improved properties. The project was divided into three phases focusing on the following: 1) 10 kW HX design and coupon-level tube sheet fabrication, 2) 10 kW HX fabrication, 3) 50 kW HX fabrication. During Budget Period 1 (BP1), additional risks were encountered and the need for additional funds was agreed upon by ARPA-E program leadership. Due to a variety of factors, the contract modification required nominally 18 months to execute at which time the HITEMMP program was effectively concluding. Because of this and the time that would be required to perform BP2 tasks, it was decided to conclude the project at the end of BP1. During the design of the 10 kW HX, manufacturing constraints were learned and incorporated, leading to a revised configuration for the fiber preform and HX. Heat exchange and pressure drop predictions also played a role in modifying the original design concept to be a higher aspect ratio shell-and-tube HX, simplifying the manufacturing process and improving the heat exchanger performance. Good gravimetric and volumetric thermal power densities of 11.2 kW/kg and 10,200 kW/m3 for the entire HX were projected that involved thermo-structural Finite Element Analysis to determine the structural mass needed for the high operation pressures of 250 bar cold inlet and 80 bar hot inlet. Fiber preforms using textile processes were produced for multiple headered tube sheets. Additional challenges were encountered during the glass transfer molding step for which solutions were identified, but programmatics did not allow them to be implemented in BP1. While complete HX test articles were not fabricated, the benefits of this GCMC material for a variety of high temperature applications remain.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Intelligent Manufacturing for Extreme Environments Conference Proceedings

The Intelligent Manufacturing for Extreme Environments (IMEE) workshop was held at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) in Idaho Falls, Idaho, May 2–3, 2023, in support of the United States (U.S.) National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research: Workshop Opportunities (EPSCoR-WO) program. This workshop featured keynote speakers, panels, and breakout sessions with 58 participants. Nuclear reactors need to operate under extreme service conditions, such as high temperatures, corrosive environments, and high-radiation doses. Hence, reactor components must be able to withstand those conditions. The participants envision a future where on demand manufacture of components for small modular reactors (SMRs), microreactors, and other advanced reactor designs are possible. In this future, regulatory bodies accept validated manufacturing processes and standardized feedstocks, thus eliminating the need for individual component testing. However, the necessary technologies and regulatory policies needed for this future do not exist today. Successful innovation would revolutionize the nuclear power sector, enable fast commercial development, create economic opportunities in the U.S., reduce the carbon footprint and associated risks, and promote a skilled and highly competitive workforce. The objective of the workshop was to convene world-class experts, researchers, educators, and students to identify gaps and envision solutions for five interrelated challenges for intelligent manufacturing in extreme environments. The key outcomes of the conference were: (1) to take the opportunity for researchers and educators to network and form collaborations; and (2) to produce a full report to inform policy-makers, industry, and the academic community of various challenges and opportunities in the nuclear energy sector.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Machine learning-driven design and self-sensing capabilities of automotive bumper lattices for adaptive impact response

We present a novel approach to design an automotive bumper energy absorber using carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites, optimized to meet conflicting performance requirements for two distinct impact scenarios. The design must satisfy both a low-speed (2.5 mph) pendulum intrusion test, simulating vehicle-to-vehicle collisions, and a high-speed (25 mph) leg flexion test, replicating pedestrian impacts. These tests demand opposing deformation characteristics: high flexibility (deformation < 85 mm) for the former and high stiffness (deformation < 22 mm) for the latter. To address these contradictory requirements, we developed a machine learning (ML) framework for inverse optimization of lattice designs and material selection. Unlike traditional iterative design processes, our ML model directly outputs optimal design parameters and material choices based on target performance inputs. The energy absorber was fabricated using advanced additive manufacturing techniques, including extrusion deposition and digital light processing. The integration of carbon fibers provides multifunctionality to the bumper structure, enabling self-sensing capabilities through changes in electrical resistivity under compression. This electrical response demonstrates high repeatability under multiple cycles at 2% compression and exhibits distinct signatures during crack formation under high deformation. This research offers adaptive performance through innovative design methodologies and smart material integration. The approach has potential applications in various fields requiring adaptive energy absorption and real-time structural health monitoring.

Chawla, Komal [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000190327565)↗

Cummins R-SOFC System Development

The overall purpose of this project was to reduce the Reversible-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (R-SOFC) system cost by developing two technologies, an improved cell design and the incorporation of an ejector in the fuel recycle loop instead of a blower. A Simulink model of the baseline SOFC system was developed and calibrated with experimental test data. The R-SOFC system model was built by integrating GT Suite developed models of the steam generation components into the baseline Simulink SOFC system model. The ability to run the stack in SOEC operating mode was also added to the model. The system model was used to explore the ability of the R-SOFC system to meet operational constraints on Steam/Carbon ratio and H2 concentration on the fuel side electrode. A CFD ejector model was developed and used to explore a range of ejector design parameters, leading to the final ejector design that was prototyped for testing. A prototype steam ejector was first tested in a laboratory environment using room temperature air. The steam ejector was subsequently tested using the full hot recycle loop with all relevant heat exchangers and steam generation components. The test conditions utilized temperatures, pressures, and flow rates expected in an R-SOFC application. Throughout the experimental testing work, ejector performance test data was used to improve and then validate the CFD ejector model. A CFD cell model was developed and used to optimize thermal gradients, voltage, and cost of a new cell substrate design. A CFD comparison of co-flow and cross-flow cell designs informed the decision to use a co-flow design for the new cell substrate. Multiple rounds of CFD simulation were used to improve the cell design to minimize the variation in air and fuel distribution across cell channels and to minimize the variation in air and fuel distribution across different cells in the stack. A few prototypes of the new cell substrate design were produced and validated in a laboratory environment by thermally spraying and verifying that they met established manufacturing specifications. The cell manufacturing process was adjusted in order to bring these metrics within acceptable tolerances. Cummins’ internal calculations show that the new cell design reduces cost ~50% compared to the baseline cell, while the ejector + superheater/boiler concept reduces cost of the recycle loop by ~40%. The impact of these cost reductions on the cost of producing H2 will depend on the specific system where they are applied. Therefore, a Techno-Economic Analysis was completed using system cost as a variable, and showing how the NREL Current and Future system costs translate into H2 production cost.

Henrichsen, Lars↗

Development of HPC based phase field simulations tool for modification of alloy morphology to enhance material properties during additive manufacturing (AM) process

Currently, additive manufacturing (AM) technology is extensively used to manufacture aerospace components because of the unique advantages of the technique in producing custom designs, complex geometries in a near-net fashion that significantly reduces the manufacturing cost, and improved energy efficiency. However, the thermodynamic properties of existing aerospace alloys and the thermal conditions that prevail in most of the powder-bed based additive manufacturing processes lead to undesirable columnar / columnar-dendritic microstructures that promote solidification cracking during the process, and the development of anisotropy in the mechanical properties of the as-built components. Time consuming, energy-intensive post AM treatments are required to recover the mechanical properties of the wrought components for which the existing alloy compositions were designed for. However, novel alloy compositions, that exploit the AM thermal conditions to produce fine, equiaxed grain structures in the as-built condition, with mechanical properties equal to or exceeding those of the wrought work-horse alloy, Ti-6Al-4V has recently been demonstrated in Ti-Cu alloys. Significant energy savings up to 66% can be obtained for a typical aerospace component through digitally designing the AM process, process parameters, and alloy composition. The current project focused on developing a fundamental understanding of the evolution of the columnar to equiaxed transition (CET) occurring during solidification under AM thermal conditions in Ti-Cu and Ti-Cu-X alloys using high-fidelity phase field (PF) simulations using the leadership class computing facilities that exist in the national laboratories. The simulations were able to capture the effect of alloy and process conditions on CET, and clearly showed the beneficial effect of a ternary solute addition to Ti-Cu binary alloys on CET. The simulations indicated that bulk nucleation in the liquid ahead of the solidifying epitaxial front was promoted by a large, transient, thermal undercooling promoted by the mismatch between the growth rate of the dendrite tips in the epitaxial front and the imposed solidification rate. AM experiments performed at Raytheon Technologies Research Center using the same thermal conditions used in the PF simulations indicated the formation of equiaxed grains, although the grain size was bigger than the ones reported in the literature. On the other hand, the equiaxed grain size predicted by PF simulations were smaller than the grain size of Ti-Cu alloys reported in the literature. The industry will follow up the existing work in a future program that would involve further optimization of the process for the Ti-Cu-X alloys to demonstrate the application of the process and the alloy to a specific aerospace component.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microstructural heterogeneities in additively manufactured refractory alloy C103 and their implications for room and elevated temperature mechanical behavior

Considering the vast component design space enabled by fusion-based additive manufacturing (F-BAM) processes, e.g., directed energy deposition (DED), the scale-up manufacturing of Nb-alloys with F-BAM is advantageous for structural applications. However, varying thermokinetic parameters-induced microstructural heterogeneities are prevalent within the F-BAM processed alloys. Such microstructural heterogeneities can have significant implications for the room and elevated temperature mechanical behavior. While a few studies investigating F-BAM processed alloy C103 are available, none of these studies investigate the microstructural heterogeneities – including those associated with solidification growth modes and second phase particles – and the effect thereof on the mechanical behavior. To this end, we investigate the microstructurally heterogeneous regions with varying solidification growth morphologies, segregation behavior, and second phase particle attributes within the laser-DED processed alloy C103. The implications of such heterogeneous regions for room- and elevated-temperature tensile behavior and damage mechanisms are revealed. Particularly, the interface between the cellular and planar region is identified as susceptible to deformation localization. The implications of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) for the consolidation behavior, microstructural evolution, and resulting mechanical behavior are also discussed. Although the recrystallization and grain growth led to a reduced yield strength in the HIPed condition, the homogenization of microstructure alleviated the deformation localization sites, such as the planar/cellular interface within the melt pool. The homogenized microstructure alongside the enhanced consolidation upon HIP led to an enhanced elongation to failure. Findings establish microstructural design considerations in F-BAM processed Nb alloys and also facilitate design of post-processing heat treatments for achieving improved mechanical properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Assessment of binary eutectic Ni alloys for high-temperature applications via laser remelting

It has been recently demonstrated that eutectic alloys processed by additive manufacturing have excellent high-temperature mechanical properties. We suggest that nickel-base eutectic alloys may enable new combinations of structural and functional properties. To this end, we investigate the processability, microstructure, and thermal stability of five, binary near-eutectic Ni-X (X = B, Ce, La, Y, and Zr) alloys processed via surface laser-remelting. The microstructure of all alloys contain a two-phase lamellar eutectic microstructure consisting of γ-Ni and intermetallic phases; this microstructure is significantly finer (100–200 nm lamellar spacing) in the laser-remelted alloys than in the cast substrate (0.5–1.0 µm lamellar spacing). The microhardness of the laser-remelted alloys (550–770 HV) is 35–50% higher than that of the cast alloys (370–570 HV) due to this finer eutectic spacing. An anomalous eutectic microstructure appears at the meltpool boundaries, containing globular and lamellar γ-Ni phases. The alloys contain a high volume fraction (>50 vol%) of intermetallic phase which forms a continuous network, causing brittleness. Following laser-remelting trials, the alloys showed a high density of solid-state cracks, except for the Ni-Zr alloy which processed well. During thermal exposure at 700 and 900°C for up to 500 h, the eutectic microstructure coarsens. Coarsening occurs heterogeneously and initiates at the meltpool boundaries. This process occurs more slowly in the Ni-Zr and Ni-Y alloys, and more rapidly in the remaining alloys, resulting in greater microhardness retention in the Ni-Zr and Ni-Y alloys following thermal exposure at 700°C. Thus, among the five alloys, the Ni-Zr system exhibits a good combination of high-temperature mechanical properties and processability. Here, we conclude with recommendations for future work on designing additively manufactured alloys based on these eutectic Ni systems.

Additive manufacturing↗

An investigation into the effects of cyclic strain rate on the high cycle and very high cycle fatigue behaviors of wrought and additively manufactured Inconel 718

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has increasingly been used to fabricate parts in aerospace applications, which may require service lives beyond ten-million cycles due to the imposed high loading frequencies. Understanding the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) behavior of these additive manufactured (AM) parts is an important step towards their design and qualification processes. This study focuses on the high cycle fatigue (HCF) and VHCF behaviors of both wrought and laser beam-powder bed fusion (LB-PBF) fabricated Inconel 718 in machined/polished surface condition, emphasizing on the influence of test frequency (i.e., cyclic strain rate). Uniaxial, fully-reversed force- and stress-controlled fatigue tests were conducted utilizing a servo-hydraulic and an ultrasonic test system operating at 5 Hz and 20 kHz, respectively, on wrought as well as LB-PBF vertically and diagonally built specimens. Fatigue cracks in the majority of the specimens were found to initiate from intra-granular slip bands near or at the surface, which gives rise to strong anisotropy in fatigue resistance in LB-PBF specimens due to the presence of columnar grains along the build directions. Longer fatigue lives were obtained at 20 kHz, which was ascribed to possibly lower-than-intended stresses applied in the ultrasonic tests. The corrected stress-life fatigue data at 20 kHz were found to converge to the one obtained from conventional testing at 5 Hz, implying no effect of cyclic strain rate on the fatigue behavior of Inconel 718 regardless of the fabrication process. The findings of this work confirm the use of ultrasonic fatigue testing to expedite generation of AM materials data to keep up with the current demand; however, the applied stress may need to be corrected.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

An additively-manufactured molten salt-to-supercritical carbon di-oxide primary heat exchanger for solar thermal power generation – Design and techno-economic performance

The design and techno-economic performance of a compact additively manufactured (AM) molten salt (MS)-to-supercritical carbon di-oxide (sCO2) primary heat exchanger (PHE) for solar thermal application is described. The PHE design consists of sCO2 flow through an array of microscale pin fins while the MS flows through mm-scale rectangular channels. Constraints imposed by AM using laser powder bed fusion method are considered in the design. Structural and fluid flow simulations are performed to arrive at a viable design of the core and headers. A simplified one-dimensional steady state model for the PHE is developed including the impact of surface roughness from the AM process. A process-based cost model is used to determine the tradeoff between thermofluidic design and manufacturing cost. A parametric study is performed using the thermo-fluidic and cost models to determine the set of geometrical and flow variables that result in high power density and low cost, while restricting the pressure drop on the sCO2 side to less than 2% of line pressure. Flow rates of MS and sCO2 were varied over heat capacity rate ratios ranging from 0.2 to 1. Results indicate that it is possible to design a low-pressure drop AM PHE with an effectiveness of 90% and a power density in excess of 10 MW/m3 (including headers). Fabrication of representative nickel superalloy specimens are shown to demonstrate that low-porosity parts with the requisite dimensional tolerance of PHE core can be generated.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Design optimization of MAPS-based detectors using a data-driven fast simulation approach

A parametric simulation tool for pixel sensors is presented. A realistic pixel response is simulated purely based on measurement input, without requiring detailed knowledge of the underlying manufacturing process. As such, it provides an efficient alternative to the use of Technology Computer-Aided Design simulations, which typically depend on proprietary process information. Due to its parametric approach, the package is fast and thus particularly useful for larger detector systems and high hit rate environments. This work presents measurements, simulation and its validation for the MALTA2 sensor. It is a small collection electrode monolithic active pixel sensor produced in the Tower 180 nm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor imaging process. Modifications to the sensor’s periphery, mainly in the hit merger, are studied in order to optimize the performance for tracking and calorimetry. This optimization is of special interest as part of the MALTA3 sensor redesign in the 65 nm Tower Partners Semiconductor Co. process.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Solvent-Free Manufacturing of Lithium-Ion Battery Electrodes via Cold Plasma

Slurry casting has been used to fabricate lithium-ion battery electrodes for decades, which involves toxic and expensive organic solvents followed by high-cost vacuum drying and electrode calendering. This work presents a new manufacturing method using a nonthermal plasma to create inter-particle binding without using any polymeric binding materials, enabling solvent-free manufacturing electrodes with any electrochemistry of choice. The cold-plasma-coating technique enables fabricating electrodes with thickness (>200 μm), high mass loading (>30 mg cm -2 ), high peel strength, and the ability to print lithium-ion batteries in an arbitrary geometry. This crosscutting, chemistry agnostic, platform technology would increase energy density, eliminate the use of solvents, vacuum drying, and calendering processes during production, and reduce manufacturing cost for current and future cell designs. Here, lithium iron phosphate and lithium cobalt oxide were used as examples to demonstrate the efficacy of the cold-plasma-coating technique. It is found that the mechanical peel strength of cold-plasma-coating-manufactured lithium iron phosphate is over an order of magnitude higher than that of slurry-casted lithium iron phosphate electrodes. Full cells assembled with a graphite anode and the cold-plasma-coating-lithium iron phosphate cathode offer highly reversible cycling performance with a capacity retention of 81.6% over 500 cycles. For the highly conductive cathode material lithium cobalt oxide, an areal capacity of 4.2 mAh cm -2 at 0.2 C is attained. We anticipate that this new, highly scalable manufacturing technique will redefine global lithium-ion battery manufacturing providing significantly reduced plant footprints and material costs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

3D Characterization of the Columnar-to-Equiaxed Transition in Additively Manufactured Inconel 718

Additive manufacturing (AM) provides enormous processing flexibility, enabling novel part geometries and optimized designs. Access to a local heat source further permits the potential for local microstructure control on the scale of individual melt pools, which can enable local control of part properties. In order to design tailored processing strategies for target microstructures, models predicting the columnar-to-equiaxed transition must be extended to the high solidification velocities and complex thermal histories present in AM. Here, we combine 3D characterization with advanced modeling techniques to develop a more complete understanding of the solidification process and evolution of microstructure during electron beam melting (EBM) of Inconel 718. Full calibration of existing microstructure prediction models demonstrates the differences between AM processes and more conventional welding techniques, underlying the need for accurate determination of key parameters that can only be measured directly in 3D. The ability to combine multisensor data in a consistent 3D framework via data fusion algorithms is essential to fully leverage these advanced characterization approaches. Thermal modeling provides insight on microstructure development within isolated solidification events and demonstrates the role of Marangoni effects on controlling solidification behavior.

Polonsky, Andrew↗

Future foundries: A convergent manufacturing platform

This article introduces the Future Foundries platform developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a first-generation research system designed to demonstrate convergent manufacturing. Convergent manufacturing brings together additive, subtractive, and transformative processes in a digitally interconnected environment to enable end-to-end production workflows. By linking traditionally discrete steps, convergent platforms accelerate production, improve repeatability, and support high-mix, low-volume manufacturing. The Future Foundries platform exemplifies this vision in practice by combining four modular, vendor-agnostic process cells that include robotic WAAM, induction heating, optical metrology, and machining, coordinated through an automated pallet handler and a ROS 2-based digital thread. This architecture provides the flexibility and scalability needed for agile production in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises and for field deployable manufacturing. Two case studies illustrate the platform’s capabilities. The first presents an integrated workflow for fabricating, transforming, and repairing critical replacement components, showing how consolidated thermal, additive, inspection, and machining operations reduce manual part handling and streamline process flow. The second case study highlights coordinated multi-part production enabled by automated pallet logistics and multi-cell scheduling. Together, these examples showcase convergent manufacturing as a practical and scalable strategy for strengthening domestic casting and forging capacity, improving supply-chain resilience, and enabling rapid, adaptable production of mission-critical components.

Convergent manufacturing↗