New Aerospace Additive Manufacturing Standards in the Works

New international standards are on the way that could help aircraft parts manufacturers better meet safety and performance requirements in the aerospace sector. ASTM International’s additive manufacturing technologies committee (F42)  is currently developing the four standards.

“The industry uses standards to ensure that public safety, quality, and readiness levels are maintained,” said Shane Collins, general manager at Additive Industries North America and an ASTM member. “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 [FAA] through the part and process qualification procedures.” 

According to Collins, the new 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).  

A new applications subcommittee at ASTM is developing three of the standards, and hopes to create additional standards that can cover everything from construction materials to organ regeneration.

The F42 committee was originally formed in 2009. Earlier this year, ASTM announced it would team with the British Standards Institution (BSI), the UK-based Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), and Innovate UK to create technician standards for directed energy deposition (DED) additive systems. The ASTM’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence also held its first workshop in March focused on practical use of AM in key manufacturing markets.
 

Source: ASTM