Manufacturing Demonstration Facility
Advancing clean energy at the first-ever Innovation Days event
This May, the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility hosted the first-ever biennial Innovation Days at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Over 120+ attendees from industry, academia, and several DOE clean energy programs engaged on R&D challenges and opportunities in the clean energy space. The event showcased the successes, innovations, and collaborations of the MDF ecosystem and provided stakeholders with information on how to leverage these DOE assets to accelerate clean energy innovation and increase US manufacturing competitiveness.
Revitalizing US Manufacturing
The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF), established in 2012, is one of the Department of Energy’s designated user facilities focused on performing early-stage research and development to improve the energy and material efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness of American manufacturers. Research focuses on manufacturing analysis and simulation, composites and polymer systems, metal powder systems, metrology and characterization, machine tooling, large-scale metal systems, and robotics and automation.
The MDF is a 110,000 sq. ft. facility housing integrated capabilities that drive the development of new materials, software, and systems for advanced manufacturing. From binder jetting to 3D tomography to in situ monitoring, the MDF leverages a range of equipment and expertise focused on reducing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing sector, efficiently utilizing abundant and available domestic energy resources, and supporting the production of clean energy products that boost the nation’s economy.
Across its energy science and technology user facilities, ORNL delivers breakthroughs from generation to distribution and storage to end use, accelerating America’s transformation to a clean, efficient, flexible, and secure energy future.
![MDF floor plan](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-11/mdf_floorplanmap01.png?itok=PJNZYX9P)
Focus Areas
Developing metallic alloys and polymers designed for additive manufacturing, creating hybrid materials, and understanding the role of feedstocks.
Implementing physics-based simulations, 3D tomography, machine learning, data analysis and deploying rapid qualification tools.
Developing pick and place hybrid systems and optimizing advanced materials.
![Dr. Ryan Dehoff](/sites/default/files/styles/staff_profile_image_style/public/2023-07/Ryan%20dehoff%20headshot_1.jpg?h=92ad3cfe&itok=D8U7OQw0)