ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2025 14 DEMONSTRATING IMPACT: ANDURIL EXPANDS COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES MDF researchers and industry partners pioneer new additive manufacturing processes and continuously adapt them for new applications and conditions—including underwater vehicles and the extreme conditions of the deep oceans. The Department of Defense has further leveraged DOE investments in BAAM by investigating how to use the technology within defense supply chains. For example, with sponsorship from the Office of Naval Research, MDF printed the submersible hull of a 30-ft Optionally Manned Technology Demonstrator (OMTD). The OMTD, which was unveiled in 2017, caught the attention of Dive Technologies, an MDF industry partner interested in similar capabilities. Dive Technologies was purchased by Anduril, a U.S.-based company specializing in autonomous systems, who then collaborated with MDF to design and produce a large displacement unmanned underwater vehicle (LDUUV). Underwater vehicles play key roles in defense and energy infrastructure maintenance. However, LDUUVs typically require costly customized designs and fabrication. Anduril and MDF aimed to apply large-format additive manu- facturing to decrease manufacturing costs while improving vehicle durability and performance. The project involved significant laboratory and field testing for materials, coatings, and interior reinforcement methods. Researchers started by defining and selecting a polymer for the vehicle panels. The partners chose to manufacture the hull in a series of panels made from CF-ABS, a carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic developed at ORNL that provides structural support under intense pressure. Researchers printed the panels in such a way as to reduce the size and quantity of air pockets inside the material and so further bolstered structural integrity. Potential coatings were selected for hydrodynamic performance and the ability to deter build-up of barnacles or algae; these coating candidates were tested for mechanical properties and for performance underwater at pressures up to 9000 psi. Additional research tested ways to reinforce the vessel against physical impacts and water pressure; these methods included applying DuPont Kevlar and fiberglass cloth to the backs of the panels. The project team also experimented with a new design approach that added pockets filled with resin or fiberglass rods onto the backs of the panels. MDF researchers leveraged their existing expertise in large-format 3D printing to optimize the panel design and determine the printing parameters. After the panels were made at MDF, Anduril assembled the full vehicle and tested it in open water. Anduril emphasizes the speed at which it delivers results for its customers; this collaborative project enabled Different coatings were tested during the collaboration with Anduril. Courtesy of ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy. 3D-printed unmanned underwater vehicle parts fabricated with Kevlar fiber during the collaboration with Anduril. Courtesy of ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy. A team from MDF and Anduril developed a process to adapt large-format additive manufacturing to produce underwater unmanned vehicles like this one. Courtesy of Anduril Industries. A test panel with pockets designed on the back side, or inside of the vehicle, to inject epoxy or fiberglass rod. Courtesy of ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy.
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