ORNL: 3D-printed composite forms could cut nuclear construction time from months to weeks

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and partners developed 3D-printed composite forms that cut the production time for specialized nuclear construction molds from about six months to roughly two weeks. The technology was demonstrated at full scale in the Janus structure at Kairos Power's Oak Ridge campus, where the Hermes reactor is being built. The project received the 2026 CAMX Combined Strength Award.

• Form production time cut from about six months to two weeks
• Precision of one-sixteenth of an inch on critical surfaces
• Janus demo used 10-by-10-foot sections stacked into a column
• Forms planned for portions of Kairos Power's Hermes reactor