AM Standards Proposed for Aerospace

ASTM International (West Conshohocken, PA) additive manufacturing technologies committee (F42) is developing four standards that aim to help aircraft parts manufacturers meet safety and performance requirements. Member Shane Collins noted that the use of additive manufacturing in the aerospace industry (including commercial aviation, military, and space) has grown quickly as new advances in areas such as metal powder bed fusion have emerged. “The industry uses standards to ensure that public safety, quality, and readiness levels are maintained,” stated Collins, the general manager at Additive Industries North America. “Once approved, these standards could be used to certify that parts are manufactured to the highest quality levels required by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration through the part and process qualification procedures.”

Collins said the standards could help civil, commercial, and military aircraft manufacturers, as well as producers working in space propulsion, payload, and manned space flight. The standards cover feedstock materials (WK67454), finished part properties (WK67461), system performance and reliability (WK67484); and qualification principles (WK67485). The new applications subcommittee is developing three of the four proposed standards.  The subcommittee hopes to work on a wide array of standards ranging from building construction materials to organ regeneration. ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards.

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