In partnership with A.J. Tuck Company, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new manufacturing approach that could simplify production of critical components for advanced nuclear reactors and other energy and defense applications. The method combines 3D printing and electroforming to produce complex, leak-free hot isostatic pressing (HIP) cans, sealed containers used to form high-performance metal parts from powder materials under high heat and pressure. This approach for making HIP cans could speed up production and reduce reliance on constrained supply chains.
This research is part of a cooperative research and development agreement and subsequent licensing agreement with A.J. Tuck Company, which provided expertise in electroforming and metal processing and conducted the electroforming activities for the project. A.J. Tuck and ORNL celebrated their partnership at Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Days , held Aug. 19-20 at the lab.
The hybrid technique enables high-precision, multi-material components while simplifying how complex reactor parts are manufactured. It also reduces reliance on traditional supply chains for forging and casting - processes that shape metal using high heat and force, often requiring large, specialized facilities and long production times - which are now largely concentrated outside the United States.
To deliver these capabilities, the novel approach combines 3D printing and electroforming in a single streamlined process. A polymer form is first 3D printed, enabling complex geometries that would be challenging to manufacture using conventional methods. The form is then placed in an electrolyte bath, where electroforming uses electricity to build up a dense metal shell that precisely replicates the printed geometry.
"This project shows that electroforming can successfully produce leak-free HIP cans for advanced nuclear energy applications," said Vanshika Singh, ORNL research associate staff scientist. "This approach could make it easier to produce these components in the U.S., reducing supply chain challenges for advanced nuclear energy systems."
As demand grows for advanced and small modular reactors, so does the need for new manufacturing approaches. Nuclear energy provides approximately 20 percent of U.S. electricity, yet limited domestic forging capacity poses a challenge to producing the required large-scale components.
To address these challenges, the approach builds on powder metallurgy hot isostatic pressing (PM-HIP), a manufacturing method in which metal powder is sealed inside a container and then exposed to high heat and pressure, causing the powder particles to fuse together into a fully solid piece. While PM-HIP creates parts that are close to their final shape, producing HIP cans typically involves several fabrication and assembly steps. The new method streamlines this process using electroforming and enables greater design flexibility for complex components.
In this approach, a polymer mandrel, or form, is first 3D printed to define the final component shape. Nickel builds up on the form in the electroforming bath, creating a uniform metal shell approximately 2-3 millimeters thick. The form is then removed - in this case, dissolved with acid - leaving a hollow structure that is then filled with metal powder, sealed and processed using HIP, which applies heat and pressure to form a solid component.
Using polymer-based additive manufacturing for the initial form reduces material strain and distortion because the process works with plastic rather than directly printing metal at extremely high temperatures. It also lowers material and equipment costs, enables rapid design improvements and requires less post-processing compared with metal-based additive manufacturing systems.
"Electroforming allows us to rapidly create very detailed shapes with high precision while avoiding many of the challenges of traditional manufacturing methods," said ORNL mechanical engineer Amiee Jackson. "Because the process depends mostly on how thick the metal layer needs to be - not how large the part is - we can scale production efficiently and even batch multiple components in a single process."
The technology is well-suited for a range of energy applications requiring large, high-precision metal components, including reactor pressure vessels, valves and turbine systems. This capability makes it particularly relevant for advanced nuclear reactors and other energy infrastructure.
"Working alongside ORNL allowed us to bring our deep electroforming expertise into an entirely new domain," said Dara Williams, president of A.J. Tuck Company. "Demonstrating that this process can produce leak-free HIP cans at this level of precision opens real doors for domestic nuclear manufacturing - and we're just getting started."
In the first phase of the project, the team used electroforming to produce five leak-free cylindrical HIP cans measuring 6 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter. The team also developed an integrated port design that eliminates the separate welding of process tubes - a common source of failure during the HIP process - resulting in a more robust and streamlined approach.
In the second phase of the project, currently underway, the team will apply the process to a more complex geometry: an impeller - a rotating component used to move fluids in systems like pumps and turbines - or a valve relevant to nuclear energy systems.
Other ORNL scientists on the project include Srikanth Allu, Rangasayee Kannan, Peeyush Nandwana, Amirkoushyar Ziabari, Parans Paranthaman and Brian Post, along with Dara Williams, Tracy Yoho, Brandon Yoho and Jared Williams from A.J. Tuck Company. An invention disclosure and provisional patent have been filed.
The Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, where the ORNL portion of the work was performed, is supported by DOE's Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office and acts as a nationwide consortium of collaborators focused on innovating, inspiring and catalyzing the transformation of U.S. manufacturing.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the DOE's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science . - Tina M. Johnson
