3D Systems Partners With Savannah River Lab on Nuclear and Defense AM

3D Systems and Savannah River Lab Team Up on Nuclear AM

3D Systems has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Savannah River National Laboratory to accelerate additive manufacturing for advanced energy and national security applications. The partnership centers on SRNL's Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative, a facility that opened in August 2025 on the University of South Carolina's campus.

The collaboration targets high-performance materials and complex components that are difficult or impossible to produce with conventional manufacturing. Additive manufacturing can fabricate intricate heat exchangers with internal cooling channels, reactor internals, pumps, and valves from advanced alloys such as high-temperature nickel-based superalloys and radiation-tolerant materials.

Bridging Lab Research and Industrial Production

The CRADA is designed to create a clear pathway from foundational research to technology transfer and commercial application. 3D Systems equipment is already installed at the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative, supported by facility upgrades and resident AM experts. That setup lets both organizations move from lab-scale experiments to production-ready processes without leaving the site.

Jeff Graves, President and CEO of 3D Systems, said the agreement demonstrates the impact of high-quality 3D printing materials and technologies on key industrial markets, particularly energy and national security, and on developing the skilled workforce those markets require.

Workforce and Supply Chain Resilience

Beyond materials and equipment, the partnership includes workforce development training. The goal is to train the next generation of AM scientists, engineers, and technicians, strengthening both regional and national advanced manufacturing workforces.

The timing aligns with renewed investment in U.S. nuclear and energy sectors. Advanced reactor designs and small modular reactors are driving demand for manufacturing approaches that accelerate development cycles, reduce costs, and strengthen domestic production capacity. The International Energy Agency projects small modular reactor capacity could grow to roughly 40 gigawatts under current policies or up to 120 gigawatts in accelerated scenarios by 2050.

Why This Matters

Additive manufacturing offers design freedom, reduced material waste, and supply-chain resilience. For nuclear and defense applications, those advantages translate into faster prototyping, shorter qualification cycles, and the ability to produce parts that were previously impossible to manufacture. This partnership is an attempt to move those capabilities from experimental to operational.