Overview
- The nearly 2‑ton, 6 ft × 4 ft Stamp Form Die was 3D‑printed over eight weeks and finished to Boeing specifications on Tuesday to support the NASA Hi‑Rate Composite Aircraft Manufacturing program.
- Oak Ridge used its Arc‑1 wire‑arc additive manufacturing system to deposit mild steel for structure and stainless steel on the mold surface so the tool resists corrosion and holds precise dimensions.
- Engineers built curved heating and cooling channels into the mold during printing to improve thermal control compared with straight drilled passages.
- Teams ran 32 simulation iterations, added temporary ribs to control warping from residual stress, and sent the part to Baker Industries for annealing and final fabrication to meet Boeing requirements.
- ORNL and partners present the SFD as a test case that could be copied for similar large tooling and adapted by industries such as automotive and energy to shorten lead times and lower production costs.