In This Issue

 
Featured Articles
Partners in the Spotlight
AMO and Industry News

Welcome Message

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Trees all over the country are busy changing their color as summer turns to fall. The Advanced Manufacturing Office has been busy, too, working to spur innovative energy-efficient manufacturing technologies and practices across U.S. industry. In this issue of the Advanced Manufacturing Office Update, you can read about recent exciting developments, including:

  • The world’s first 3D printed car came to the American Energy and Manufacturing Competitiveness Summit
  • 11 Better Plants Partners were recognized for meeting ambitious energy savings targets
  • The Better Plants Partnership experienced significant growth
  • Five Schneider Electric facilities reached top ranking Superior Energy Performance levels.

We look forward to continuing to highlight notable manufacturing news as 2014 turns to 2015; you can expect the next Update issue in the beginning of the New Year. Until then, best wishes for the rest of 2014 and happy reading.

Jay Wrobel, Manager, Technical Assistance
Advanced Manufacturing Office

Featured Articles

Better Plants Partners Celebrated at National Conference

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The Better Plants Program celebrated the energy efficiency achievements of its partner companies while welcoming more than 20 new manufacturers to the partnership at an October 2 special event in Washington, DC. As detailed in the 2014 Better Plants Progress Update, over the past year the program: 1) added 23 new companies so the Partnership now includes more than 140 partners representing about 2,300 manufacturing facilities and almost 11% of the U.S. manufacturing energy footprint, 2) saw five companies increase their commitment to energy efficiency leadership by advancing to the Better Plants Challenge, and 3) launched two pilot initiatives: one to identify opportunities along the manufacturing supply chain, and the second to improve water efficiency. Partners report that through 2013 the average annual energy intensity rate of improvement was about 2.4%. This is significantly above projected "business as usual" rates for U.S. manufacturers as a whole, which can range from 0.6% to 1.2%, according to various studies. On a cumulative basis, partners report about 320 trillion British thermal units in energy savings for a cost savings close to $1.7 billion.

The awards were distributed at the 2014 World Energy Engineering Congress (WEEC) with 3,000 people attending. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency Dr. Kathleen Hogan provided an overview of the Better Plants Program and Challenge. Two videos highlighted the achievements of companies in the Better Plants Challenge and Better Buildings Challenge. Dr. Hogan also recognized 11 companies that met the Better Plants goal of improving energy intensity by at least 25% within 10 years. Those companies (and their energy intensity reduction achievements) were:

  • BPM, Inc. (30%)
  • Celanese International Corporation (25%)
  • Holcim (US) Inc. (29%)
  • Legrand North America (32%; also a Better Plants Challenge partner)
  • Lennox International (27%)
  • Patriot Foundry & Castings (34%)
  • Procter & Gamble (30%)
  • Texas Instruments (32%)
  • ThyssenKrupp Elevator (38%)
  • Toyota (28%)
  • Verso Paper Corporation (26%)

Program lead Andre de Fontaine will be hosting a webinar at 2:00 pm EST on January 20, 2015, to recap Better Plants year-end results and review the benefits of program participation. For more information, contact Andre de Fontaine.

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World's First 3D Printed Car Shows Additive Manufacturing Has Come of Age

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The world's first 3D printed car came to Washington, DC, for the American Energy and Manufacturing Competitiveness (AEMC) Summit on September 17, 2014. The AMO-funded project was a collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF), Cincinnati Incorporated, and Local Motors. The car weighs about 1,200 pounds and can reach speeds up to 50 miles per hour. The Strati, the design name for the car, represents a team effort in innovation, as it melded the crowd sourcing design capability of Local Motors, the additive manufacturing expertise of MDF, and the 115-year old manufacturing machine building skills of Cincinnati Incorporated.

AMO Deputy Director Rob Ivester said, “We’re seeing large-scale additive manufacturing well beyond the scope and scale of anything that’s ever been done before. By bringing the different partners together as part of the ecosystem, getting them all under one roof and working together as one team, we’re going to see barriers to innovation dropping left and right.”

The ORNL Technical Collaborations program is open to all industry and provides cost-effective access to additive manufacturing, thermomagnetic processing, roll-to-roll processing, and other tools and resources at the lab where MDF is based. Local Motors’ collaboration with the MDF gave the company access to material science expertise and cutting-edge advanced manufacturing techniques that can help make the company more competitive and energy efficient. Over 40 Technical Collaboration projects have been initiated with industry partners. For more information, contact Blake Marshall.

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Partners in the Spotlight

Schneider Electric Achieves Superior Energy Performance at Five Facilities

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Schneider Electric, a global specialist in electricity distribution, now has five manufacturing facilities certified under DOE’s Superior Energy Performance™ (SEP) program. Two Platinum-level facilities—Smyrna, Tennessee; and Seneca, South Carolina—improved their energy performance by more than 15%. Three Silver-level plants—Lincoln, Nebraska; Lexington, Kentucky; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa—improved energy performance by more than 5%. SEP recognizes facilities that meet the ISO 50001 global energy management standard and demonstrate improved energy performance through independent, third-party verification.

"We've found that Superior Energy Performance is a great way to drive down energy use and costs across the company," said Dennis Edwards, Schneider Electric's Energy Manager North America. "With each plant, it becomes easier to apply the SEP framework and generate real savings that persist over time." For more information, read DOE’s news item or contact Paul Scheihing.

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O'Fallon Casting, Oshkosh Corporation, Oregon Freeze Dry, and Richmond Industries Join Better Plants

A diverse group of companies – O’Fallon Casting, Oshkosh Corporation, Oregon Freeze Dry, and Richmond Industries – joined the Better Plants Program, signaling their commitment to energy management and improved energy performance. Signing on to Better Plants establishes the companies as leaders in industrial energy efficiency with a specific pledge to reduce energy intensity by 25% over 10 years.

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O'Fallon Casting produces aluminum, brass, bronze, and aluminum/silicon carbide metal matrix composite (MMC) investment castings for the commercial, government, and aerospace markets. Its 50,000-square-foot foundry is located near St. Louis in O’Fallon, Missouri.

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Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire and emergency and military vehicles, and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corporation manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®.

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Oregon Freeze Dry is a technological leader in freeze-drying and its freeze-dried ingredients are key components in the products of some of America’s largest food companies. OFD’s private brand, Mountain House, is a favorite among backpackers and campers.

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Richmond Industries is a casting company capable of pouring a wide array of brass, bronze, or aluminum sand cast alloys. The company operates out of a newly expanded 40,000 square foot facility in Dayton, New Jersey.

The Better Plants Program is a national initiative that works with industry to set and meet ambitious energy-saving targets. For more information, contact Andre de Fontaine.

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Holcim (US) Inc. Steps up to the Better Plants Challenge

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Holcim (US) Inc., a leading manufacturer of cement and mineral components for commercial and residential applications, last month became the first cement manufacturer in the Better Plants Challenge. The company has approximately 1,800 employees and operates 12 manufacturing plants in the United States. Holcim (US) recently met its initial 25% energy intensity reduction target under the Better Plants Program, and has agreed to now reach for a 30% improvement through participation in the Better Plants Challenge. In addition to the new energy efficiency target, Holcim (US) has committed to increased transparency around its energy performance data and energy saving best practices.

The Better Plants Challenge is the industrial component of the Better Buildings Challenge. A cornerstone of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Better Buildings Challenge supports the goal of doubling American energy productivity by 2030, while motivating corporate and public sector leaders across the country to save energy through commitments and investments. To date, more than 200 organizations are partnering with the Energy Department to achieve portfolio-wide energy savings and share successful strategies that maximize efficiency over the next decade. For more information on the Better Plants Challenge, contact Andre de Fontaine.

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MedImmune Becomes First Biotech Facility to Earn Superior Energy Performance Certification

MedImmune, LLC’s Gaithersburg, Maryland, facility is now certified to DOE’s Superior Energy Performance™ (SEP) program and to the ISO 50001 global energy management standard. The facility improved its energy performance by 8.5% over a three-year time period to achieve SEP certification at the Silver level. MedImmune is the first biotech research laboratory and clinical trial manufacturer to earn certification to SEP.

To qualify for SEP, MedImmune set up a robust energy management system, tracked the improvements in its energy performance, and had the results independently verified by Advanced Waste Management, one of three accredited SEP Verification Bodies across the country. For more information, contact Paul Scheihing.

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HARBEC Highlights Novel Model for Energy Project Financing

HARBEC, a Better Plants Challenge Partner, released an implementation model for financing new energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Companies traditionally have difficulty justifying projects with lengthy payback periods. HARBEC takes a different approach: rather than adhering to strict return on investment (ROI) payback rules, the company funds most projects that pay for themselves over the life of the project, as long as external financing can be secured. The novel financing method has enabled the company to implement a wide variety of successful energy projects, including two on-site wind turbines and a combined heat and power (CHP) generating plant. HARBEC’s approach was also recently featured in Plastics Today. For more information, contact Andre de Fontaine.

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AMO and Industry News

AMP 2.0 Releases Final Report on Accelerating Advanced Manufacturing in America

The American Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Steering Committee 2.0 released its final report, which includes recommendations for addressing three key issues: enabling innovation, securing the talent pipeline, and improving the business climate. AMP 2.0 is a presidential advisory council of 19 leaders in industry, academia, and labor co-chaired by Andrew Liveris, CEO of Dow, and Dr. Rafael Reif, president of MIT.

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AMO-Led Assessment Will Identify New Motor System Market Energy Efficiency Opportunities

A new study to better understand opportunities for energy efficiency improvement in motors and motor-driven systems is being led by AMO. The study builds on the comprehensive United States Industrial Electric Motor Systems Market Opportunities Assessment published by DOE in 1998. Information from the original assessment has been cited in hundreds of publications on energy efficiency opportunities in the industrial sector and has guided motor systems policy decisions for over a decade. Markets have changed since 1998, so a new assessment is needed to better understand additional efficiency opportunities.

The new assessment will:

  • Develop a detailed profile of the stock of the motors and motor driven systems in commercial and industrial facilities of the United States
  • Profile commercial and industrial motor and motor driven system purchase, operational, and maintenance practices
  • Analyze opportunities by market segment for improved energy efficiency and cost savings from efficient motors, control technologies, system optimization, and new and future advanced designs
  • Evaluate the global supply chains (e.g., sources, availability, and the United States’ role in the supply of technologies and materials) that support the manufacture of motor and drive technologies.

Upon its estimated completion in 2017, the assessment will help U.S. manufacturers better understand the commercial marketplace and become more competitive globally, help policymakers better understand the motor system efficiency opportunities in the industrial and commercial building sectors, and inform future DOE research funding decisions. For more information, contact Paul Scheihing.

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DOE-Funded Lithium Battery Development Team Achieves Ceramic Breakthrough

A new ceramic developed with DOE funds could lead to lithium batteries with much-higher energy densities. PolyPlus Battery Company, in partnership with Corning Incorporated and Johnson Controls, has been developing an advanced manufacturing process for their patent-protected lithium electrode (PLE) since receiving a DOE grant in 2012. Electrochemical deterioration in conventional ceramics is a major hindrance to protecting lithium anodes from the aqueous sulfur cathodes recently invented by PolyPlus. Fortunately, a new Corning-developed ceramic is exhibiting remarkable endurance in ongoing tests.

In the PolyPlus PLE, a multi-layer, ceramic solid electrolyte structure chemically isolates and protects a lithium metal core from the outside environment while allowing it to operate safely in water-based environments, enabling a new generation of very high energy density batteries. Corning took on the task of developing a more advanced ceramic by improving materials characteristics, the casting environment, and the firing conditions. The performance of the resulting ceramic in tests is promising. A PLE/sulfur battery cell constructed with the Corning ceramic has been cycled over 3,000 hours with a projected energy density that is three times that of a conventional lithium ion battery.

Corning is conducting additional testing to further understand the chemistry occurring at the ceramic electrolyte surface. The PLE/sulfur combination could have major automotive applications as it moves to the market since it can be configured as a rechargeable battery. For more information, contact Bob Gemmer.

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4th Trilateral Workshop on Critical Materials R&D Hosted by DOE Institute
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DOE’s Critical Materials Institute (CMI) hosted the 4th Trilateral Workshop on Critical Materials R&D on September 8. The workshop brought together representatives from three major economies – the United States, Japan, and the European Union (EU) – to discuss common challenges and potential R&D collaborations in the critical materials space. The workshop also featured updates on activities in Canada and South Korea. More than 70 participants gathered on the Iowa State University campus in Ames to participate in the workshop. In addition to the trilateral discussions, attendees toured the Ames Laboratory facilities and participated in plenary sessions of the CMI Annual Meeting.

At the opening session of the Annual Meeting, CMI Director Alex King highlighted the Institute’s achievements since it began operations in June 2013, including:

  • 17 invention disclosures
  • Setting up an additive manufacturing tool to rapidly screen new materials for permanent magnets
  • Establishing a pilot facility for testing new rare earth element separation processes.

Dr. King also announced that six new organizations have joined CMI as Affiliate Members: Phinix, LLC, Etrema Products, Inc., ASTM International, INFINIUM, Rare Element Resources, and Montana Tech. The Affiliate Membership program allows members to stay informed about research outcomes, attend CMI meetings, and provide input to CMI. In addition to its Affiliate Members, CMI – led by Ames Laboratory – comprises four national laboratories, seven research universities, and seven industrial partners. The goal of CMI is to develop solutions across the supply chain for materials that are critical to the manufacturing and deployment of clean energy technologies in the United States. For more information, contact Mike McKittrick.

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AMO Expert Examines the State of Combined Heat and Power

AMO’s Bob Gemmer shared insights into the state and future of combined heat and power (CHP), or co-generation, after more than 40 years of relevant experience. CHP provides electric power and heat from a single fuel source, which saves energy and reduces carbon pollution. Citing a paper he tasked Oak Ridge National Laboratory to write, Gemmer estimates that if 20% of the country’s electricity was generated by CHP, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 850 million tons annually – the equivalent of taking 150 million cars off the road.

Gemmer points to reducing costs and increasing efficiency and ease of use as key to increasing CHP market adoption and cites a DOE-supported project by Cummins as one example. “The technology is basically a box the size of a small room,” he says. “You plop it down on a pad outside of your building, and it has four connections: fuel-in, cool water-in, hot water-out, and electricity-out. Everything else is inside the box and is pre-set by the manufacturer in the same way you would buy a rooftop air conditioner. It’s a smaller system but has a lot of applications in the marketplace.” For more information, check out the Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Combined Heat and Power or contact Bob Gemmer.

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AMO Fellow Selected for Emerging Leaders Alliance Conference

Dr. Megan Brewster was selected by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) to attend the 2014 Emerging Leaders Alliance (ELA) Conference from November 10-12. ELA is a partnership between leading engineering, research, and science-based organizations seeking to provide an interdisciplinary community of learning and develop industry leaders. The cross-disciplinary conference helps a select group of participants develop leadership skills in topics such as effective communication and promotion of innovation.

Dr. Brewster is an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow at AMO. Prior to her current appointment, Dr. Brewster served as the TMS/MRS 2013-2014 Science and Technology Congressional Fellow on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. She has over a decade of research experience in materials science and engineering, most recently developing next-generation chemistries for General Electric’s Durathon battery start-up at their Global Research headquarters.

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<h4>Partners Featured in this Issue</h4><p>BPM, Inc., Celanese International Corporation, Cincinnati Incorporated, Corning, Inc., HARBEC, Holcim (US) Inc., Johnson Controls, Inc., Legrand North America, Lennox International, MedImmune, LLC, Local Motors, O&rsquo;Fallon Casting, Oshkosh Corporation, Oregon Freeze Dry, Patriot Foundry &amp; Castings, PolyPlus Battery Company, Procter &amp; Gamble, Richmond Industries, Schneider Electric, Texas Instruments, ThyssenKrupp Elevator, Toyota</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>Events</h4><p><strong>Natural Gas Infrastructure R&amp;D and Methane Emissions Mitigation Workshop</strong><br />November 12-13 | Pittsburgh, PA<br />The workshop will help the U.S. DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office and Office of Fossil Energy identify opportunities for increasing the operational efficiency of natural gas infrastructure and detecting and eliminating leaks. Industry experts are strongly encouraged to attend.<br /><a href="https://ww2.eventrebels.com/er/Registration/StepRegInfo.jsp?ActivityID=… Plants Program Webinar</strong><br />January 20 | Online<br />DOE will host a webinar to review program accomplishments to date and detail ongoing and upcoming initiatives. Registration information is forthcoming.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>In-Plant Trainings</strong><br />INPLTs are three-day training sessions focused on cross-cutting energy systems. Trainings are hosted by Better Plants Partners and are open to other companies unless noted otherwise. Contact <a href="mailto:William.Orthwein@ee.doe.gov">Bill Orthwein</a> for information on how to participate in trainings in 2015. Space is limited.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h4>About AMO Programs</h4><p>AMO partners with industry, small business, universities, and other stakeholders to identify and invest in emerging technologies with the potential to create high-quality domestic manufacturing jobs and enhance the global competitiveness of the United States. There are three main areas:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Facilities</strong><br />AMO Facilities are collaborative communities that provide participants with affordable access to physical and virtual tools and enable demonstration in targeted technical areas of manufacturing.<br /><a href="node/727391">More</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Research &amp; Development Projects</strong><br />R&amp;D projects at AMO explore novel energy-efficient, next-generation materials and innovative process technologies for both specific industry sectors and a wider range of manufacturing industries.<br /><a href="node/727731">More</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Technical Assistance</strong><br />Industrial Technical Assistance supports the deployment of manufacturing technologies and practices, including strategic energy management and combined heat and power, across American industry to increase productivity and reduce water and energy use.<br /><a href="node/728011">More</a></p>