News Releases

Forbes recognized Sandia on three 2026 lists: America’s Best Large Employers, America’s Dream Employers, and America’s Best Employers for Company Culture. 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Within tiny halos of light clinging to a vanishingly thin wisp of optical fiber, scientist Jongmin Lee guides atoms like marbles through a narrow pipe. Rock the fiber and the atoms shift side by side; they just don’t fall off. But don’t be deceived by the seemingly delicate nature of his experiment. Lee is exploring how to measure motion precisely in rough-and-tumble environments.

Industry had the floor at Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Days, where more than 350 leaders from industry, government and the research community gathered on Aug. 19-20 at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Discussions focused on barriers slowing the deployment of advanced manufacturing technologies and on how national laboratory capabilities and partnerships could help move those technologies toward production.

A sounding rocket flight test is giving engineers at Sandia National Laboratories real-world reentry vibration data they can use to improve modeling and help drive nonnuclear component designs for the W93.

Savannah River National Laboratory and 3D Systems have entered into a cooperative research and development agreement, or CRADA, to accelerate innovation in additive manufacturing for advanced energy generation and national security applications. The partnership centers on SRNL’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative, leveraging the facility’s unique position as South Carolina’s only national laboratory-operated site located on a public university campus.

Through this CRADA, SRNL and 3D Systems will jointly pursue advancements in materials development, equipment enhancements, artificial intelligence/machine learning – enabled process optimization, manufacturing systems, cybersecurity and workforce development training.

In partnership with A.J. Tuck Company, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new manufacturing approach that could simplify production of critical components for advanced nuclear reactors and other energy and defense applications. The method combines 3D printing and electroforming to produce complex, leak-free hot isostatic pressing (HIP) cans, sealed containers used to form high-performance metal parts from powder materials under high heat and pressure. This approach for making HIP cans could speed up production and reduce reliance on constrained supply chains.

The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge and Idaho national laboratories announced a collaboration to expand the domestic supply chain of industrial pressure vessels. Together, the labs will help enable wire arc 3D printing of these large components, which are critical for energy-related industries and capable of reliably withstanding harsh service conditions. The initiative boosts the rapid expansion of U.S. nuclear manufacturing capabilities.

An innovative process used in nuclear waste processing, co-developed by the Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory with academic and industry partners, has won a 2026 R&D 100 Award in this year’s global competition.