A team from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has won the 2026 SME Aubin Additive Manufacturing Case Study Award, which recognizes outstanding real-world applications of 3D printing.
ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility led the effort, using large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) to create high-precision molds for advanced nuclear reactors. The work could help lower costs and shorten timelines for building new nuclear plants in the United States.
Judges cited the project’s technical rigor, industry collaboration, and potential national impact. The award was presented at the SME AM Awards and TCT Awards Gala on April 14, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Tackling one of the biggest barriers to nuclear reactors: construction
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are a key part of the nation’s new energy strategy, but building nuclear plants can be expensive and slow due to the complexity of their construction.
“Construction has been a major bottleneck for advanced reactors,” said Ahmed Hassen, group leader for composites innovation and the ORNL project lead. “We showed that digital manufacturing can cut weeks off the schedule while meeting strict nuclear standards.”
Nuclear concrete structures, such as those used for radiation shielding, can account for up to 60 percent of schedule risk. The ORNL team worked with the University of Maine, Kairos Power, and other industry partners across the United States to develop composite molds, using LFAM to produce large concrete forms for Kairos Power’s modular reactor shielding structures.
The Kairos system operates at low pressure, so the concrete structures don't need to be airtight or pressure rated, as they do not serve a containment function.
The molds were used to cast bio-shield strongback columns and radiation shielding wall panels. Each column measured about 8 feet by 8 feet by 20 feet. Some shielding panels were 27 feet long and included complex interlocking joints, reducing or eliminating the need for grout between pieces.
Engineers designed the molds using digital computer models. The parts were printed in sections, then machined and sealed to meet tight tolerances. Critical surfaces achieved a precision of one-sixteenth of an inch. The molds also held their shape under the heavy pressure of wet concrete poured at heights of up to 12 feet.
The team designed, printed, and delivered reusable molds in about two weeks. The modular design also allowed quick updates. Traditional steel molds can take six to eight weeks to build and are difficult to change if designs shift.
The printed composite molds were used in full-scale tests for Kairos Power’s reactor demonstration program. The molds were durable yet lighter than steel, making them easier for crews to handle in the field. The team completed four casting cycles for the bio-shield columns and three cycles for shielding wall panels without measurable loss of quality.
The team is now in discussions with a major U.S. precast manufacturer to scale up the approach. If widely adopted, LFAM tooling could speed construction, helping advanced reactors come online sooner and at lower cost.
“This project shows that additive manufacturing is not just for prototypes,” Hassen said. “It can be a reliable, repeatable system for building safety-critical nuclear infrastructure to strengthen the country’s energy security.”
Award winners include Ahmed Arabi Hassen, Ryan Dehoff, Soydan Ozcan, Halil Tekinalp, Randy Lind, Tyler Smith, Kevin Zinn, Alex Roschli, Pum Kim, Katie Copenhaver, Sherith Bankston, Brittany Rodriguez and David Nuttal of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Susan MacKay, Wesley Bisson, Scott Tomlinson, and Nathan Faessler of University of Maine, Ahmed Elhattab, Brian Song, and Edward Blandford of Kairos Power, and Kim Seeber of Seaboard Services of Virginia, Inc.
The work is an example of ORNL’s leadership in large-scale additive manufacturing for energy and industry. The project was funded by DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO). Research for this project was sponsored by DOE as part of the SM 2 ART Program with the University of Maine.
Full list of winners:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF)
• Ahmed Arabi Hassen – Group Leader, Composites Innovation Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Ryan Dehoff – Director, Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Soydan Ozcan – Group Leader, Sustainable Manufacturing Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Halil Tekinalp – Senior R&D Staff Member, Sustainable Manufacturing, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Randy Lind – Technical Professional, Manufacturing, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Tyler Smith – Technical Associate Staff Member, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Kevin Zinn – Technical Staff Member, Manufacturing, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Alex Roschli – R&D Staff, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Pum Kim – Senior R&D Staff, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Katie Copenhaver – R&D Associate Staff Member, Sustainable Manufacturing, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Sherith Bankston – Project Management Staff Member, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Brittany Rodriguez – Technical Staff, Advanced Polymer Composites, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• David Nuttal – Technical Staff Consultant, Composites Innovation Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
University of Maine (UMaine), Advanced Structures & Composites Center (ASCC)
• Susan MacKay – Chief Materials Officer, Advanced Structures & Composites Center, University of Maine
• Wesley Bisson – Additive Manufacturing Operations Manager, Advanced Structures & Composites Center, University of Maine
• Scott Tomlinson – Researcher, Structural Engineering and AM Applications, Advanced Structures & Composites Center, University of Maine
• Nathan Faessler – Research Engineer, Materials R&D, Advanced Structures & Composites Center, University of Maine
Kairos Power (End User / Commercial Deployment Partner)
• Ahmed Elhattab – Principal Engineer, Kairos Power
• Brian Song – Director, Civil Structures, Kairos Power
• Edward Blandford – Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Kairos Power
• Kim Seeber – Consultant and SR. VP at Seaboard Services of Virginia, Inc.
The MDF, supported by AMMTO, is a nationwide consortium of collaborators working with ORNL to innovate, inspire and catalyze the transformation of U.S. manufacturing. Learn more about working with the MDF.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit energy.gov/science .