Project overview
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is developing additive friction surfacing for large steel components used in power generation and manufacturing, with Baylor University as a partner. A rotating bar feedstock traverses under pressure; frictional heating and shear plasticize and deposit the material without conventional melting.
The program targets an order-of-magnitude reduction in manufacturing lead time and microstructures with improved properties relative to fusion-based additive routes. The work links process mechanics, deposition, microstructure, and service behavior in extreme environments.