Sandia’s robotic work cell conducts high-throughput testing ‘in an instant’

With 3D printing, you can make almost anything in a matter of hours. However, making sure 3D-printed parts work reliably takes weeks or even months. To speed up the process, Sandia scientists have designed and built a six-sided work cell around a commercial robot that conducts high-throughput testing to quickly determine how well those parts perform.

Five seconds at F/16, with a broken camera

In May 1998, Sandia photojournalist Randy Montoya captured a photo that has since become legend. The stunning image, nicknamed "Arcs and Sparks," captures the Z machine just as it fires — a mere 100 nanoseconds of roughly 200 trillion watts of x-ray energy, many times all the electrical power generated in the world at any given moment.

DOE classifies Winalee Carter as ‘excellent’

In recognition of her exceptional service, Winalee Carter last month received the Department of Energy’s 2018 Classification Award of Excellence at the 53rd annual Classification Officers Technical Program Review meeting in Germantown, Maryland.

International corrosion society elects first Sandia fellow

Sandia materials scientist David Enos has been elected as a fellow of NACE International, the chief professional society for corrosion engineering. The first Sandian to receive the honor, David was chosen for his significant contributions to corrosion science and engineering for protecting materials in complex environments.

Predicting disease with big data

The monthly Bay Area Strategic Engagement Seminars (BASES) series in California has been, by all accounts, a home run. The series gives staff a chance to learn from leaders in key Sandia-related fields, and most recently brought Stanford University Genetics Chair Michael Snyder to campus.

DOE visit highlights Sandia energy work with Indian groups

Sandia recently hosted visitors from the DOE Indian Country Energy and Infrastructure Working Group. During the visit, ICEIWG members, DOE officials and intergovernmental and contracted partners learned about Sandia’s unique role in energy research.

Riding bacterium to the bank

What does jet fuel have in common with pantyhose and plastic soda bottles? They’re all products currently derived from petroleum. Sandia scientists have demonstrated a new technology based on bioengineered bacteria that could make it economically feasible to produce all three from renewable plant sources.

Raising the heat to lower the cost of solar energy

Sandia will receive $10.5 million from DOE to research and design a cheaper and more efficient solar energy system. The work focuses on refining a specific type of utility-scale solar energy technology, called concentrating solar power, which is appealing because it can supply renewable energy — even when the sun is not shining — without using batteries for storage.