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nanotimes News in Brief

11-06/07 :: June/July 2011

R & D Magazine Awards // PNNL & Berkeley Lab win 2 R&D 100 Awards / Summary © Frances White, PNNL / © Lynn Yarris, LBL

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wo technologies developed at the Department of Energy‘s Pacific Northwest National Laborato-

ry were recognized by R&D Magazine as among the year‘s most innovative scientific and technological breakthroughs.

PNNL‘s winning technologies make metal manuf- acturing more cost-effective and improve research sample analysis. The awards were among 100 given nationwide through the magazine‘s annual R&D 100 Awards. PNNL has now won 87 awards since the program began in 1969, including 80 since 1988.

“I want to congratulate this year‘s R&D 100 award winners. The Department of Energy‘s national laboratories and sites are at the forefront of innova- tion, and it is gratifying to see their work recognized once again,“ said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. „The cutting-edge research and development done in our national labs and facilities is helping to meet our en- ergy challenges, strengthen our national security and enhance our economic competitiveness.”

PNNL‘s 2011 award-winning technologies are: Stronger, longer-lasting dies for metal manufacturing

Automobile manufacturing costs can be cut with a new, improved method to form metallic parts. PNNL

helped Bridgeville, Penn.-based Carpenter Pow- der Products refine the method, called Dynaforge.

Metallic parts are typically formed through forging, where metal is shaped by applying pressure, often by pressing a specially shaped die against metal to form the metal into a desired part. The dies have traditi- onally been made by creating a blank metal piece made of H-13, a chromium-based steel, which then needs to be formed into the die‘s final shape.

The Dynaforge process eliminates that second step by directly forming the die into its desired shape. It also makes the die stronger by placing more durable metals such as nickel and cobalt alloys where the dies will experience more stress through use. The more durable metals extend dies life by about five times on average, which delays costly downtimes