On January 10, 2019, the global standards organization ASTM International collaborated with Innovate UK, BSI (British Standards Institution) and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to jointly develop the technical standards required by the additive manufacturing industry.
ASTM International's Additive Manufacturing Centre-the British Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is its founding partner-has identified three potential areas for standardization.
BSI will coordinate the development of three standards that focus on Directed Energy Deposition (DED), which is one of the seven types of additive manufacturing defined by the ASTM International Organization and the International Standards Organization (ISO / ASTM 52900). DED uses focused thermal energy (eg, laser, electron beam, plasma arc) to melt the material as it is deposited.
Dr. Mohsen Seifi, Global Director of Additive Manufacturing at ASTM International, noted, "DED technology offers unique advantages related to speed and build constraints. However, DED is not as widely used and understood as some other additive manufacturing processes, and the lack of standards is very high. obvious."
"Among many advantages, these new standards have the potential to help manufacturers and suppliers produce products with consistent and reliable quality," he said.
The three DED standards under development are:
Specifications for using wires as DED raw materials help meet key requirements including composition, dimensional tolerances, contamination, packaging, handling and storage;
The Non-Destructive Testing Standard (NDT) aims to address the typical causes and properties of DED defects, while reviewing traditional testing methods applicable to DED;
DED Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) standards are designed to cover terminology, material opportunities and restrictions, geometric constraints, finishing requirements, inspections, and more.
Invested 300,000 pounds through British Innovate company and cooperated with ASTM International to provide support for BSI.
MTC is home to the UK's National Additive Manufacturing Centre and will continue to provide support through the development of publicly available specifications and subsequent international standards. In addition, more than a dozen private companies are supporting this cooperation, including Airbus, General Electric, GKN, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and many others.
After creating publicly available specifications through BSI, the ASTM International Committee on Additive Manufacturing Technology (F42) plans to develop international standards through a new licensing agreement.