From ORNL Research to Market Leader: AES’s Journey in Large-Format 3D Printing
What can be done when there comes a combination of scientific discovery and a huge gap in the market requirements? For example, the AES company emerged as one of the leading large-format polymer 3D printing enterprises globally because of the joint development between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility.
It all began back in 2014, at the International Manufacturing Technology Show, where ORNL and Cincinnati Incorporated showcased the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) machine by 3D-printing a car live. Among the crowd was Austin Schmidt, then an engineer at Caterpillar, who soon found himself at MDF producing a 2,000-pound bulldozer frame mock-up. The utility of such large polymer parts for assembly verification was obvious, but MDF’s mission is research, not production. As Schmidt put it, “Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s MDF will print one part for anyone, but two parts for no one.”
Recognizing that both MDF and Cincinnati Inc. focused on technology development rather than contract printing, Schmidt and his colleague Andrew Bader identified a gap: no one was offering large-format polymer printing as a service. They formed AES and raised the capital to purchase a BAAM printer a machine so large it could host a small dinner party inside. Developed jointly by ORNL and Cincinnati, the BAAM adapted the company’s high-speed gantry systems by replacing the laser cutter head with a polymer extruder.
BAAM’s engineering roots run deep. ORNL’s early work had already tackled key issues in scaling polymer extrusion, such as the “Goldilocks” temperature problem: layers must be deposited neither too hot nor too cold to ensure strong bonding without distortion. In large builds, the nozzle’s long travel path risks cooling lower layers before the next pass, jeopardizing adhesion. ORNL engineers had addressed similar challenges during the first BAAM projects, refining extrusion temperatures, nozzle design, and motion control to achieve deposition rates up to 100 pounds per hour.
For AES, mastering ORNL’s “Slicer” software was critical. This tool converts 3D models into layered toolpaths, controlling both the gantry’s motion and the extruder’s output. “The Slicer software program takes an object, ‘slices’ it into layers, then fits toolpaths to each layer,” explained Alex Roschli, ORNL’s lead software engineer. AES not only learned to adapt these instructions for complex geometries but also became a long-term collaborator, suggesting new features and troubleshooting issues with ORNL on a near-monthly basis for almost a decade.
One innovation AES has pursued is tilting the nozzle to 45 degrees. This shortens toolpaths, reducing the risk of layer cooling and enabling new geometries like bowl-shaped structures that were previously impractical. However, the change introduced new complexities, from potential collisions with the print bed to intricate geometry calculations, requiring further software refinements.
These technology developments correspond to industry-wide trends in the aerospace and defense industry. Metal parts have long dominated critical flight components. High-performance polymers have had application in non-load-carrying parts and large-format prototypes and tools. In industry sectors that have sustainability requirements and tight production timelines, the opportunity to print huge parts relatively quickly and affordably in polymers provides a competitive niche.
AES’s rise also reflects the BAAM platform’s unique position in the market. Cincinnati Inc. has ceased BAAM production, leaving AES now operating four of the only 15 units ever built as both a service provider and a de facto support hub for other BAAM owners. This capability has made AES a go-to partner for aerospace, defense, and construction firms seeking parts that would be prohibitively expensive or slow to produce with conventional methods.
The company’s expansion into new factory space underscores its confidence in the market’s trajectory. As Bader noted, “Large scale polymer is still pretty niche, so it’s not a massive market, but it’s growing every year. Within the last couple years, we’re really hitting our stride. And that’s because the market itself is finally catching up.”
ORNL’s MDF, backed by the DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, continues to act as a catalyst pairing innovators with the resources to commercialize breakthroughs. In AES’s case, it wasn’t just about learning to operate a BAAM; it was about inheriting an ecosystem of expertise, software, and engineering insight that transformed a research concept into an industrial mainstay.
