2000 TMS Annual Meeting: Plant Tours

Three plant tours are to be held in conjunction with the meeting. The deadline to register in advance for a short course has passed. To attend, it will now be necessary to register on-site at the meeting. All tours depart from the Opryland Hotel.

Saturn Corporation

Date: Thursday, March 16, 2000 Time: 9:00 a.m.–2:00 noon Cost: Fee: $20

It's a short 40-minute bus ride to Spring Hill, Tennessee, the home of Saturn Corporation the makers of Saturn automobiles. There, you will be able to experience a tram ride-tour of the Saturn manufacturing facility, famous for its team approach to building quality automobiles. The tour will conclude with a visit to the Saturn Welcome Center where you can learn more about Saturn's lost foam casting process and enjoy the many interactive and hands-on technology displays.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Date: Thursday, March 16, 2000 Time: 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Cost: Fee: $50 (includes a box lunch)

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) tour will include an approximate 2 1/2-hour bus ride each way. ORNL conducts basic and applied research and development to create scientific knowledge and technological solutions that strengthen U.S. leadership in key areas of science; increase the availability of clean, abundant energy; restore and protect the environment; and contribute to national security. Note: This tour is limited to U.S. citizens only, and will include the following research areas:

Advanced Materials Research: High Temperature Materials Laboratory (HTML): Visitors will begin with a tour of the High Temperature Materials Laboratory (HTML) where research is performed on metals and ceramics, including high-temperature superconductors and synthetic diamonds. The quest for higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions makes the use of ceramics in automobiles desirable. The HTML researchers explore possible uses of ceramics via joint projects between ORNL and industry to develop high technology ceramics for automobiles, trucks, and heavy-duty vehicles.

Energy Efficiency and Building Technologies: Buildings Technology Center (BTC): The Energy Division is responsible for wide-ranging research in all phases of energy use and development. Tour participants will also visit the ORNL Buildings Technology Center (BTC), the premier U.S. research facility devoted to the development of technologies that improve the energy efficiency and environmental compatibility of residential and commercial buildings. The BTC is housed in a cluster of six buildings offering 20,000 square feet of space and state-of-the-art experimental facilities valued at over $6 million. The BTC is home to the Fridge of the Future, a 1kWh per day refrigerator that will someday be available in homes nationwide. Tour participants will see science at work on real time problems to which everyone can relate.

Aerostructures Corporation

Date: Thursday, March 16, 2000 Time: 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Cost: Fee: $20

Aerostructures is a global aerospace company designing and building large airframe structures for customers worldwide. The plant in Nashville, Tennessee, employs more than 2,110 people.

Aerostructures' research and development has resulted in significant contributions to the advancement of aerospace technology. The company developed and implemented an autoclave forming and aging process for manufacturing large panels of varying thicknesses and configurations. The process provides repeatable results at much higher production rates than conventional processes. Advanced aluminum alloys, metal matrix and hybrid composites, and computer process models are other innovations Aerostructures has contributed to the industry.

This 1-hour long tour will give you an opportunity to see advanced materials utilized in modern aerospace applications.