In case you missed it, 2018 was a year full of accomplishments and exciting news for the U.S. Department
Advanced Manufacturing & Industrial Decarbonization
December 19, 2018
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ICYMI: Highlights from AMO in 2018
In case you missed it, 2018 was a year full of accomplishments and exciting news for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO). We supported partnerships across national laboratories, government, academia, and the private sector to improve energy and material efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness in manufacturing. We don’t want you to miss a thing, so scroll down to recap some of the top highlights from 2018.
Des Moines Water Works Paves the Way for Energy Savings in Water Sector
Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) became the first U.S. water treatment utility to certify a plant to the ISO 50001 standard and Superior Energy Performance® (SEP) program. As the first certified facility in the water sector, DMWW’s Fleur Water Treatment Plant increased its energy performance 2.7% in a single year and is now well equipped to continuously build on those savings in the years ahead.
Learn more about the SEP program, ISO 50001 standard, and what it means for DMWW to be certified.
PODCAST: DOE Presents a Match Made in Manufacturing
DOE’s Direct Current Podcast presented a modern day love story that followed two "energy detectives" as they hunted down energy waste to yield big cost savings. We met Tari and Kurt Emerson—high school sweethearts and energy industry peers. Through their respective jobs with Charter Steel and Harley-Davidson, and help from the DOE Better Plants program, they are committed to uncovering energy waste and cutting costs at two major U.S. manufacturing companies.
Listen to DOE's podcast to find out how this couple met, how they tackle energy-saving challenges, and how they've partnered with the Better Plants Program to address energy challenges.
AMO Selects Two Higher Education Institutes to Conduct Training Programs
AMO announced nearly $4 million for the University of Connecticut at Storrs and the Georgia Tech Research Corporation to lead a masters-level traineeship program that will address workforce training needs in the early-stage technology area of advanced materials and process technologies in energy-related manufacturing. This investment and university collaborations will enable the growth of the advanced manufacturing field; bolster U.S.-based manufacturing and innovation; and help ensure U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace.
Learn more about the future graduate-level traineeship programs.
National Laboratories Welcome Entrepreneurial Research Fellows
DOE, in partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, announced new cohorts of innovators to join entrepreneurial research and development programs based at each respective national laboratory. Between Cyclotron Road, Chain Reaction Innovations, and Innovation Crossroads, DOE welcomed 24 new innovators to lab-embedded entrepreneurship programs in May 2018.
DOE and the National Association of Manufacturers Announce Sustainability Partnership
DOE and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) announced the Sustainability in Manufacturing partnership. The NAM and DOE, through its Better Plants program, will work together to help U.S. manufacturers drive energy productivity improvements and accelerate adoption of energy efficient technologies. The Sustainability in Manufacturing partnership will also provide opportunities to engage directly with manufacturers, identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements, and serve as a platform to recognize companies and leaders that have led the way in the application of innovative strategies.
Energy Department Selects 20 High Performance Computing Projects to Advance Applied Science and Technology in Manufacturing
Throughout 2018, DOE announced nearly $5 million for 20 new projects selected to stimulate the use of high performance supercomputers to advance U.S. manufacturing. Led by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the HPC4Mfg program enables innovation in U.S. manufacturing by leveraging world-class technical expertise with high-performance computing to tackle manufacturing challenges uniquely solved by computer modeling.
Click here and here to learn more about the selected public-private partnerships that will enable greater collaboration between DOE national laboratories and the U.S. manufacturing industry.
AMO Releases Updated Combined Heat and Power Installation Database
AMO announced the release of the updated Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Installation Database, which is a comprehensive listing of CHP installations throughout the United States. This year’s update includes data on CHP systems in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands through December 31, 2017.
Visit the DOE CHP Installation website to access the 2017 data on CHP systems operating in the United States.
3D Printing Technology Front and Center at Supercomputing Announcement
On June 8, 2018, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry dedicated the world’s fastest and smartest scientific supercomputer, Summit, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). While Summit was the star of the show, other technologies from ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) were front and center. Every component of the podium that the Secretary spoke from, except for the microphone and wiring, was 3D-printed using technology developed at the MDF.
Click here to learn more about this application of 3D printing.
IACMI Announces Collaborative Project to Innovate Smart Composite Pressure Vessels in Manufacturing
AMO’s Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) announced a project to develop Smart Composite Pressure Vessels (SCPV) with integrated health monitoring. The project is a technical collaboration between IACMI, Steelhead Composites, Teijin Carbon, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Tennessee. The goal is to develop structurally predictable, low-cost SCPVs without compromising safety by employing integrated, reliable health monitoring.
Learn more about SCPVs and the goals of this partnership.
AMO Celebrates Manufacturing Day 2018
Manufacturing Day (“MFG DAY”), which occurs on the first Friday in October, is a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers and foster interest in manufacturing careers. This year, AMO celebrated MFG Day with a blog, Manufacturing Match Game, “Meet the Manufacturer” profiles, and more.
Learn more about how the Advanced Manufacturing Office supported MFG DAY and the many ways we continue to help drive innovation and advance technologies in the U.S. manufacturing industry.
Energy Department Launches Manufacturing Innovator Challenge
DOE announced prizes as part of its Manufacturing Innovator Challenge, an effort to crowdsource solutions for next generation manufacturing to increase energy productivity and strengthen America's industrial base. In partnership with the crowdsourcing platform Freelancer.com, this challenge offers applicants an opportunity to submit innovative design concepts for additive manufacturing (3D printing) and other topics within several technology areas, including bioenergy, buildings, and vehicle technologies.