Orono, Maine — The University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) has achieved a breakthrough in nuclear construction technology through a groundbreaking partnership with Kairos Power and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Published December 23, 2025, the innovative project demonstrates how advanced 3D printing and digital engineering can dramatically reduce construction costs, timelines, and technical risks in next-generation nuclear energy infrastructure.
For nearly a decade, Kairos Power has pursued a hardware-driven approach to reducing cost, schedule, and technical risk in advanced nuclear technology. The latest partnership marks a significant leap forward: engineers at UMaine's ASCC and ORNL designed and 3D-printed specialized sinusoidal concrete form liners that fit into steel frames, creating a hybrid casting system for prefabricated structural elements.
The demonstration produced full-scale wall segments measuring approximately 3 feet thick and 27 feet tall — the longest forms ever created at the center. This critical proof-of-concept shows how advanced manufacturing can support faster, more precise, and cost-effective nuclear construction compared to conventional methods.
"This demonstration is a crucial step to expanding the use of precast construction to build our plants with greater efficiency and enhanced performance on significantly faster timelines compared to conventional methods," said Kairos Power Chief Technology Officer Ed Blandford.
The ASCC's achievement required precision and speed typically reserved for private industry:
The collaboration required UMaine's team to produce the longest 3D-printed forms ever made at the center, followed by precision machining to exact specifications. The ASCC's scanning and metrology team verified every component against the digital model, ensuring geometric tolerances and part quality met commercial standards.
"There was no margin for error. We met a commercial deadline with massive, high-precision components, a feat that felt astonishing for an academic center," said Susan MacKay, chief sustainable materials officer at the ASCC. "This partnership demonstrates that UMaine's capability is truly operating at the speed of industry."
The nuclear industry faces a critical challenge: cost overruns and construction delays have long hindered new nuclear infrastructure development. In an era when artificial intelligence data centers and emerging technologies are driving unprecedented electricity demand, faster, cheaper nuclear construction is essential to meeting national energy security needs.
Nuclear energy currently supplies the United States with nearly half the nation's carbon-free power and supports tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. However, conventional construction methods have limited the expansion of this clean energy source. This partnership demonstrates that innovation in manufacturing and materials can overcome these barriers.
The work is part of the Specialized Materials and Manufacturing Alliance for Resilient Technologies (SM²ART), a public-private partnership that solves industry challenges while reducing manufacturing costs through locally sourced materials and leveraging the advanced capabilities of UMaine and ORNL.
While Kairos Power's primary focus is nuclear power, the technology has far-reaching applications beyond energy production. The same fast, large-scale manufacturing paired with digital certainty can be used for:
The project also highlights UMaine's growing role in workforce development. Students, graduate researchers, and industry professionals work directly on projects like this, gaining real-world experience in advanced manufacturing, energy, and defense — fields facing critical talent shortages.
The ASCC is housed in a 150,000-square-foot laboratory with 400 personnel, making it uniquely positioned to serve both academic and commercial manufacturing needs. According to ASCC Executive Director Habib Dagher: "This project was made possible by UMaine's leading expertise in large-scale additive and convergent manufacturing, composites materials, and structural applications. It's an unusual level of performance for an academic institution — and a critical advantage as the U.S. seeks to modernize its energy infrastructure."
Beyond physical manufacturing, UMaine is building digital assurance through its Material Process Property Warehouse (MPPW). This system uses AI and machine learning to capture and track every step of large-scale additive and convergent manufacturing. By creating a "digital thread," the MPPW allows components to be "born certified" — eliminating costly regulatory delays and reducing risk for industries like nuclear energy and defense.
This digital innovation addresses one of the nuclear industry's persistent challenges: regulatory compliance and component certification. By building in quality and verification at every manufacturing step, the process dramatically reduces time-to-deployment and long-term costs.
"UMaine is a model for how universities and national labs can work together to strengthen American manufacturing," said Ryan Dehoff, director of DOE's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL. "Partnerships like SM²ART give industry a direct path to the tools and talent needed to build the nation's next generation of energy and defense infrastructure."
The SM²ART program is funded by the Department of Energy's Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO). AMMTO supports a globally dominant U.S. manufacturing base for a resilient energy system and secure supply chain, with a mission to drive innovation in materials, manufacturing, and workforce development.
This demonstration represents a critical step toward modernizing American energy and defense infrastructure. By proving that advanced 3D-printed nuclear components can meet commercial timelines and precision standards, UMaine and its partners are opening new possibilities for rapid, cost-effective construction of the nation's next generation of nuclear facilities.
As the U.S. continues to invest in clean energy infrastructure and advanced defense capabilities, partnerships like this between universities, national laboratories, and private industry will be essential to meeting the nation's most ambitious infrastructure goals.
For more information on advanced manufacturing innovation, visit the University of Maine News and explore the Department of Energy's Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office for more on federal innovation initiatives.
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