Livermore Grows Advanced Manufacturing

Just as the assembly line ushered in the Industrial Revolution, new additive manufacturing (AM) techniques are creating new possibilities in a range of product manufacturing applications. The Advanced Manufacturing Lab at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, is at the forefront of this new era of on-demand fabrication of materials and parts that until now have been impossible to make with conventional technology.

Advanced manufacturing key to economic vitality, Lab hosted forum concludes

"Plastics!" That was the career advice offered to the new college graduate played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1967 film "The Graduate."

Today that would likely be "additive manufacturing" or "3D printing." That was the underlying theme to last week's "Additive Manufacturing Forum" sponsored by the California Network for Manufacturing Innovation (CNMI) and hosted by Lawrence Livermore.

Advanced engineering delivers more exact weapons performance

In times of war, military personnel rely on an arsenal of tools, gear, and weaponry. This armament is necessary for protecting troops in combat as well as for mounting an offensive against the opposition. In the 21st century, confrontations are increasingly more likely to occur in urban areas rather than battlefields. Advanced weapons capabilities allow troops to maneuver in tight, often densely populated areas while minimizing inadvertent casualties or destruction of infrastructure.

Long-Term Investment Drives Engineering Innovation

Livermore's broad, diverse missions are both enduring and ever-changing. They demand foresight, rigor, and an unwavering commitment to making innovative scientific and technological advances.

Additive Manufacturing for Engineered Materials

Livermore materials scientists and engineers are designing and building new materials that will open up new spaces on many Ashby material selection charts, such as those for stiffness and density as well as thermal expansion and stiffness.

Obama adviser discusses future of U.S. manufacturing

Contrary to popular belief, manufacturing must remain an integral part of the economy if the United States is to remain the "nation of thinkers and innovators" that has dominated the global marketplace, Ron Bloom, special assistant to the president on manufacturing, told a Lab audience Monday.

Materials by design

Ever wonder why on hot days a door sticks in its jamb or a car's fuel gauge registers more gas than is actually in the tank? The answer is thermal expansion. Rises in temperature cause materials, including solids, liquids, and gases, to swell and grow in volume as the heat increases but pressure stays relatively constant.