JuggerBot 3D, a large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) printer developer, recently revealed that Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Mississippi State University’s Advanced Composites Institute (ACI) have been selected as key technical partners in JuggerBot 3D’s hybrid LFAM composites project, backed by the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The $4 million project, funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Research and Engineering Manufacturing Technology, aims to advance large-scale hybrid AM for faster and more cost-effective tooling production in the defence and aerospace industries.
Hybrid LFAM Composites Project

The two institutions were chosen as technical partners due to their expertise in fused granulate fabrication (FGF) and direct ink writing (DIW). ORNL and MSU ACI will work together to develop reliable process parameters for consistent material deposition, as well as demonstrate the steps required to create production tooling for composites manufacturing.
The project aims to create a system that combines two-part resin and pellet-fed material extrusion technologies to process high-performance thermoplastic polymers and advanced thermoset resin inks such as epoxies and vinyl esters. The system, which can build volumes of 360 cubit feet, will demonstrate critical process controls that are common to JuggerBot 3D’s additive technologies.
It is expected to be completed by December 2025 and will go through several development stages, including system development, comprehensive modelling, and advanced toolpath development.
ORNL will use its FGF and DIW expertise to improve toolpath generation software, allowing for the simultaneous processing of thermoplastics and thermosets. This collaboration builds on previous successful projects, such as the Bead Characterisation System (BCS) and JuggerBot 3D’s material card development.
“Transitioning from a mould that takes 12-18 months and a six-figure investment to produce, to one that takes only a few weeks at a fraction of the cost, is a significant enabler across the U.S.”
– Hunter Watts, research engineer at MSU ACI
MSU ACI will lead system-level validation, which will include rigorous material testing to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of the process parameters developed for thermoplastic and thermoset materials.
The OSD(R&E) funded the congressional award, which was announced in February 2024.
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