Additive manufacturing (AM) first gained popularity as an innovative means for quickly producing a model or prototype. However, it is also increasingly being used in manufacturing and large production runs. It has also since found a foothold as an educational tool in schools, libraries and makerspaces.

Two advantages of AM are its excellent repeatability and strong end parts, and as its use has grown in manufacturing applications, part quality is now a major focus. As such, AM standards have grown along with the technology’s use.

Why standardize?

Engineers rarely must be informed about the benefits of standardization. The practice moves some of the burden of responsibility away from manufacturers and ensures safe, quality processes and products. Standardization is typically a part of any new technology’s evolution.

In the early days of, most companies employing AM for large production runs had to create their own set of materials and processes, so a successful part was defined only by the manufacturer. Also, while individual standards for specific AM technologies like laser sintering and fused deposition modeling have existed for some time, AM use is now more application and end part focused, creating the need for broader standards.

Finally, most design tools in use do not account for the advantages and disadvantages of 3D printing. New AM design standards can assist in this area.

A smattering of AM standards

AWS D20.1/D20.1M

Figure 1: Manufacturers are moving toward large-scale metal AM to produce objects requiring high strength, like this propeller. Source: Alvin Quiambao / U.S. Navy photoWhile many people associate AM and 3D printing with polymer-based parts and figurines, metal AM is useful in industrial manufacturing. Metal AM has a number of important advantages as a production method, including the ability to turn out strong and complex parts made of novel materials like superalloys and metallic glasses.

AWS D20.1/D20.1M, Specification for Fabrication of Metal Components Using Additive Manufacturing, is a leading metal AM standard. It provides details about all areas of part production, including design, qualification, fabrication, inspection and ultimately acceptance, and also provides guidance for the interaction between the engineer and contractor.

The specification provides process guidance for both powder bed fusion and direct energy deposition for parts with varying criticality levels. It also provides sample records for test builds and qualification builds for processes and parts. D20.1 also leverages AWS’s experience in training and inspection to give guidelines for qualifying the performance of machine operators and inspection personnel.

The first edition of AWS D20.1/D20.1M was published in January 2019 and is the only accepted American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for AM.

ASTM Committee F42

ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, convened the F42 Committee in 2009 to address the lack of AM standardization. The committee has a number of subcommittees that address test methods, design, materials and safety, among other topics.

Other standards

General standards related to AM and 3D printing include:

· ISO 17296: Additive manufacturing — General principles

· ISO/ASTM 52921: Standard terminology for additive manufacturing — Coordinate systems and test methodologies

· SAE AMS7003: Laser powder bed fusion process