ORNL and Idaho Lab Use AI to 3D Print Nuclear Pressure Vessels

The Partnership

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory announced a formal collaboration to expand domestic production of industrial pressure vessels. The plan is to use wire arc additive manufacturing, or WAAM, to print large metal components for nuclear reactors, then apply AI tools to inspect those parts while they are still being built. The goal is to skip months of post-production testing and move straight to parts that are qualified on the first print.

Why Pressure Vessels Matter

Pressure vessels are everywhere in energy infrastructure. Nuclear reactors need them. Oil and gas pipelines need them. Hydrogen storage and aerospace structures need them too. The United States has limited domestic forging capacity for these parts, and the supply crunch is getting worse as nuclear energy expands. WAAM changes the economics by letting labs and manufacturers print large steel vessels on demand, using robots that melt wire into shape layer by layer.

The MedUSA Platform

ORNL demonstrated the feasibility earlier this year. Its MedUSA platform, fitted with three coordinated robotic arms, printed a small nuclear pressure vessel measuring roughly 3 feet by 5 feet. The vessel was made from a steel alloy relevant to nuclear applications and formed into a closed, domed shape. That print proved the hardware could scale up. The next challenge is qualification: proving the part is safe without cutting it apart for testing.

AI as Inspector

Idaho National Laboratory brings Prometheus, an AI framework for digital engineering and data science. The labs plan to use sensors on the WAAM system to stream process data into Prometheus during printing. The AI will compare real-time measurements against physics-based simulations and historical data to flag defects the moment they appear. If the model works, a pressure vessel could come off the printer with a digital passport already attached, certifying its shape, material properties, and fitness for extreme environments.

Beyond Nuclear

The same approach could transfer to chemical refining, defense, aerospace, and any industry that relies on large metal structures. ORNL and INL have both already put 3D printed parts inside operating reactors. The new collaboration is a bet that AI-guided WAAM can move additive manufacturing from custom prototypes to production-qualified infrastructure.