2024 R&D Award for MedUSA: Large-scale Multi-agent Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing

MedUSA is an ORNL-developed multi-agent additive manufacturing system that uses three robotic arms, each equipped with a welder, to collaboratively create near-net-shape parts via wire-arc additive manufacturing.

The welders in MedUSA deposit melted metal layer upon layer to create components in significantly less time than traditional manufacturing techniques and can create complex shapes not achievable through other approaches. MedUSA can produce parts from most metals for which welding wire is available, including a variety of low-alloy steels, stainless steels, tooling steels, Invar and copper- and nickel-based alloys. This means that the system is suited to produce a wide range of end-use components in a less carbon-intensive process than traditional manufacturing methods such as casting or forging.

MedUSA promises to address supply-chain challenges in production of large-scale tooling, which is mostly made overseas and can take years to acquire. The flexibility of the system also means that large parts, which generally are produced in small volumes, can be made more economically. This makes production of components for large-scale clean energy applications, like wind energy, hydropower or next generation nuclear power, significantly more attractive for industry.

The research was funded by DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Developing the technology were ORNL staff Andrzej Nycz, Alex Arbogast, Chris Masuo, Mark Noakes, Peter Wang, Luke Meyer, William (Bill) Carter, Derek Vaughan, Alex Walters and Joshua Vaughan; and Jonathan Paul and Jason Flamm from Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions.