b'O V E R V I E W O F T H E L A B O R A T O R Y P L A N 2 0 1 9characteristics, ability to fabricate highly complex parts, and reduced manufacturing costs. INL focuses on advanced materials and manufacturing solutions for use in (i) demanding or extreme environments to mitigate risk in advanced nuclear reactors, and (ii) the design and operation of energy and defense systems, andDr. McMurtrey space applications.INLs RD&D andexamines partnerships with industry, federalcomponents for new monitoring agencies, and national laboratoriesdevices.seek to discover and advance extreme environment materials,L D R D S U CC E S S S TO RY instrumentation, and energy technologies. To accelerate these efforts, INL adapts, analyzes, Using LDRD, Dr. Mike McMurtrey and his team are developing in situ develops, and integrates techniquesmonitoring instrumentation and computational tools to reduce quality free from traditional material or manufacturing processes. variability in additively manufactured components. Reducing variability INLs process-informed design andwill be particularly important as standards and codes committees pursue application-driven engineered materialsregulations for additively manufactured components. and components strive to:Develop process-informed, multiscale, design-driven manufacturing for harshperformance characteristics through environments, including process-informed digital design in extensive performanceM&S capabilities improvements to nuclear reactor components and fuels Test advanced materials and Support optimization by predictingmanufacturing through pilot manufacturing-process parametersand production scales thatand determining physical anddemonstrate advancements in traditional processes. S P OT L I G H T INL is expanding its capabilities and establishing RD&D leadership in advanced materials and manufacturing techniques for nuclear reactor components and fuels and hardened material systems.INL installed and accepted testing of a spark plasma sintering system a metallurgical manufacturing process, also known as field-assisted sintering.13'