Global Composite Community Acknowledges 3D printing at the Cutting Edge of Innovation

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders from The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Cincinnati Incorporated (Cincinnati Inc.) and Dassault Systèmes (3DS) accepted the JEC Innovation Awards 2016 Composites Magazine Special Prize this week in Paris, France. The Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) technology: a new large-scale platform for additive manufacturing of polymer and composite structures was the innovative technology that earned recognition for the prestigious award. The development of this advanced technology was led by the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at ORNL, a partner of IACMI.

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is a hot topic, pushing the preconceived boundaries of polymers and composite materials. ORNL and Cincinnati Incorporated made history in additive manufacturing by developing a revolutionary technology enabling the production of large-scale 3D printed components in the matter of hours. IACMI and Dassault Systèmes are working with ORNL and Cincinnati Incorporated to enable full industrialization of this unique technology.

Using BAAM technology, material is deposited 500 to 1,000 times more quickly than with existing systems and production costs can be cut by 95%. This new technology was used to print the replica Shelby Cobra, the first of its kind, in only 24 hours.

"This is an exciting time for the composites industry with unprecedented opportunities for industrialization of advanced composites. Through partners such as Cincinnati Inc. and Dassault Systèmes with its 3DEXPERIENCE platform, large structures can be 3D designed and printed much cheaper, faster and better than ever before. IACMI-The Composites Institute will help accelerate this industrialization by prototyping and scaling technologies in product and production," said Craig Blue, CEO of IACMI-The Composites Institute.

About IACMI
The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), managed by the Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation (CCS), is a partnership of industry, universities, national laboratories, and federal, state and local governments working together to benefit the nation's energy and economic security by sharing existing resources and co-investing to accelerate development and commercial deployment of advanced composites. CCS is a not-for-profit organization established by The University of Tennessee Research Foundation.

The national institute is supported by a $70 million commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office and over $180 million committed from IACMI's partners. IACMI, an institute within the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation is committed to delivering a public-private partnership to increase domestic production capacity, grow manufacturing and create jobs across the U.S. composite industry.

About Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security.

The development of the BAAM technology was supported by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office. AMO supports applied research, development and demonstration of new materials and processes for energy efficiency in manufacturing as well as platform technologies for the manufacturing of clean energy products. AMO provides support for ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, a public-private partnership to engage industry with national labs.