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Researchers at ORNL Achieve Unmatched Precision in 3-D Manufacturing

ORNL researchers have demonstrated the ability to precisely control the structure and properties of 3-D printed metal parts during formation. The electron backscatter diffraction image shows variations in crystallographic orientation in a nickel-based component, achieved by controlling the 3-D printing process at the microscale. (Photo by ORNL)

The electron backscatter diffraction image shows variations in crystallographic orientation in a nickel-based component, achieved by controlling the 3-D printing process at the microscale.
(Photo by ORNL)

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have found a way to control the structure and properties of metal components during an additive manufacturing process with a heretofore unmatched precision seen by conventional manufacturing methods.

“We’re using well established metallurgical phenomena, but we’ve never been able to control the processes well enough to take advantage of them at this scale and at this level of detail,” said Suresh Babu, the University of Tennessee-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Advanced Manufacturing.

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