Feature Articles

Sandia National Laboratories

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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 17-Jun-2026 15:16 ET (17-Jun-2026 19:16 GMT/UTC)

21-May-2026

Error correction tech boosts the 3D printing of big composite parts

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have created a new tool that can catch and correct potential mistakes in real time while 3D printing large plastic parts. The automated system could help U.S. manufacturers produce large, custom parts with fewer defects, potentially reducing waste, lowering costs, and strengthening domestic competitiveness in additive manufacturing.

20-May-2026

New semiconductor building blocks make power converters smaller, more affordable

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory incorporated gallium nitride semiconductors to create a high-efficiency power converter that is more compact, affordable and efficient.

14-May-2026

3D printing lowers costs, expands hydropower opportunities

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Additive manufacturing enables rapid, customized and affordable production of components for low-head micro-hydropower systems, significantly reducing barriers to harnessing energy.

14-May-2026

Technology reduces time, costs for machinists nationwide

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

MillMax is revolutionizing computer numerical control machining by enabling manufacturers to optimize cutting performance in minutes.

13-May-2026

Driving smarter toward fuel savings

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Compiled by researchers at the National Transportation Research Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the annual guide highlights new vehicle fuel economy and explains how driving habits and vehicle maintenance impact mileage and overall costs.

Funder: U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

11-May-2026

Vitriform3D and ORNL give glass a second life through 3D printing

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Glass bottles tossed in the trash are finding new life thanks to a collaboration between the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Vitriform3D, an advanced manufacturing company. Together, they found a way to turn old glass into new products using 3D printing.

8-May-2026

A different kind of leader: Scaling impact in geospatial science

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

David Page, head of the Geographic Data Science Section at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, leads with a focus on judgment, collaboration and empowering teams. Drawing on experience in academia, entrepreneurship and national security science, he has helped advance faster, scalable geospatial analysis while building resilient, forward-looking research teams.

6-May-2026

Digital twin innovation cuts energy costs in water purification

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) created twin systems—one real, one virtual—linked in real time to reduce energy consumption and costs while ensuring safe drinking water.

29-Apr-2026

ORNL’s breakthrough detector protects trucking shipments from GPS deception

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

To protect transportation systems, a multidisciplinary team at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory develops technology to expose manipulation of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite signals that tell us where we are in space and time. Its portable GPS spoofing detector outperforms industry-developed versions at protecting the trucking industry and its cargo by recognizing spoofing and identifying the source, even while moving.

29-Apr-2026

Tapping water supply systems for energy production

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Scott DeNeale studies in-conduit hydropower, a type of largely unutilized energy production that harnesses the water flowing through water pipes in municipal settings and industrial plants to make energy, no dam required.