Manufacturing Demonstration Facility: Difference between revisions

{{Program

|ProgramName=Manufacturing Demonstration Facility

The '''Manufacturing Demonstration Facility''' (MDF), launched in 2012 by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is a pioneering hub for advanced manufacturing, supporting over 300 industry partners by 2025 to develop technologies like large-scale 3D printing and low-cost carbon fiber. With over $100 million in DOE funding since its inception, MDF has driven innovations such as the world’s first 3D-printed excavator and recyclable thermoplastic molds, leveraging ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source and Manufacturing Demonstration Facility labs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ornl.gov/facility/mdf |title=Manufacturing Demonstration Facility |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory}}</ref> Hosting its first Innovation Days in May 2024, MDF continues to foster collaborations, aligning with DOE’s decarbonization goals and supporting a robust U.S. manufacturing ecosystem.

{{Official URL (simple)|url=https://www.ornl.gov/facility/mdf}}

* Enhance manufacturing competitiveness with accessible, cutting-edge R&D infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/manufacturing-demonstration-facility-mdf-oak-ridge-national-laboratory |title=MDF Overview |publisher=Department of Energy}}</ref>

The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility is sponsored by EERE’s Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO), hosted at ORNL, and directed by Ryan Dehoff within ORNL’s Manufacturing Science Division. It collaborates with over 80 dedicated researchers and leverages partnerships with entities like the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and America Makes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ornl.gov/news/manufacturing-demonstration-facility-ornl-hosts-first-innovation-days |title=Innovation Days |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory}}</ref>

Established in 2012 with $15 million from AMMTO, MDF emerged as DOE’s first facility dedicated to open-access advanced manufacturing R&D, initially focusing on additive manufacturing and carbon fiber.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/manufacturing-demonstration-facility-mdf-oak-ridge-national-laboratory |title=MDF Overview |publisher=Department of Energy}}</ref> Milestones include the 2016 3D-printed excavator, the 2021 MedUSA hybrid robotics system, and hosting over 120 partners at the inaugural MDF Innovation Days in May 2024. It continues to expand, supporting DOE’s clean energy mission with no set end date.

Initial funding of $15 million in 2012 seeded MDF, with over $100 million invested by 2025 through AMMTO, supporting R&D, equipment like Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) printers, and over 300 collaborations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ornl.gov/facility/mdf |title=Manufacturing Demonstration Facility |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory}}</ref> Ongoing DOE funding sustains its open-access model, driving innovations with significant industry leverage, such as $1.89 billion from related efforts like mHUB.

MDF provides industry with 65,000 square feet of labs, hosting tools like BAAM and robotic systems, and conducts over 300 annual technical collaborations—e.g., 3D-printed wind blade molds.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ornl.gov/news/manufacturing-demonstration-facility-ornl-hosts-first-innovation-days |title=Innovation Days |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory}}</ref> It advances via partnerships, events like Innovation Days (May 8-9, 2024), and workforce development with UT, adapting to manufacturing needs without a fixed end.