Through collaboration with the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Beehive Industries has significantly expanded its expertise in additive manufacturing. Jonaaron Jones, president of Beehive’s external manufacturing division, began his career in the environment of the MDF after encountering metal-based 3D printing for the first time during his master’s studies at the University of Tennessee.
“I saw a metal 3D-printed part for the first time,” said Jones. “I knew I was seeing the future — for industry and for me.”
Working alongside research and industry partners, Jones contributed to projects focused on the additive manufacturing of aluminum components for aerospace applications. At that time, the technological maturity of aluminum 3D printing was still low, and the team had to adapt existing machines such as Concept Laser’s X-Line 1000 system to meet aerospace production requirements. Adjustments to material quality and machine configuration ultimately led to significant improvements in part quality.
“Ninety-eight percent of manufacturing happens at small and medium enterprises like Volunteer Aerospace,” said Craig Blue, ORNL chief manufacturing officer. “Bringing manufacturing to a region, developing supply chains and commercializing new technologies are heavy lifts that one entity, no matter the size, can’t achieve alone. It takes an ecosystem. The MDF’s unique public-private partnership model is a catalyst for developing that ecosystem, and we are bringing small and medium companies into it so they can succeed more rapidly.”
After completing the project, Jones and his team founded Volunteer Aerospace, which was later acquired by Beehive Industries. Today, Beehive manufactures complex components for the defense and energy sectors at its new 60,000-square-foot facility in Knox County. Maintaining close proximity and organizational ties to the MDF continues to be a crucial factor for technological development and the scaling of new production processes.
“It’s where industry, academia and government come together to tackle big challenges across the entire supply chain, and where the workforce connects with training and experience. Together, it’s a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts,” Ryan Dehoff said.
“Proximity to the MDF was key for Volunteer Aerospace, and now for Beehive,” said Jones. “It’s still the first place we turn to talk through challenges. Recently, they’ve been a huge resource as we get more into machining additive manufactured parts. Being nearby also helps us collaborate with other companies in the ecosystem. When Boeing visits the MDF, for example, it’s simple to take the short drive to our new facility.”
Additive manufacturing is increasingly viewed as a standard technology, particularly in laser-based powder bed processes for aerospace applications. Beehive plans to continue expanding its activities and to train additional specialists for additive manufacturing.
“Jonaaron and Beehive are advancing the science while building the ecosystem,” Suresh Babu said. “We want to see even more companies and universities get involved in both, so that together, we can create more success stories and economic growth.”
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