Mar 15, 2016 | By Benedict
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, today announced the launch of the America Makes & ANSI Additive Manufacturing Standardization Collaborative (AMSC), an initiative that will serve to coordinate and advance the development of additive manufacturing standards across the industry.
When additive manufacturing is used for the purpose of rapid prototyping, manufacturers rightly have free reign over the level of care put into those prototypes. Manufacturers may 3D print parts in order to test their functionality, or simply to assess their fit or aesthetic within a larger structure. For these latter prototypes especially, it is of little consequence whether the part is strong, stable, and fit for purpose, if the end-use product is to be manufactured in an altogether different way.
Prototypes are one thing, but additive manufacturing is being used more and more frequently to produce end-use products. And when a product will eventually be sold to a customer, potentially for some critical application, it starts to matter a great deal whether the 3D printed part is fit for purpose. Until now, additive manufacturing firms have set their own, usually rigorous standards for 3D printed parts. Whilst this can certainly be effective for ensuring quality, it gives customers further down the supply chain little to no reassurance in the quality of a product, since the standards of individual manufacturers are largely incommensurable.
Over the last few years, it has become increasingly clear that the additive manufacturing industry requires an independent set of standards, hence the establishment of the newly announced AMSC. According to America Makes and ANSI, the AMSC will serve to “coordinate and accelerate the development of industry-wide additive manufacturing standards and specifications consistent with stakeholder needs and thereby facilitate the growth of the additive manufacturing industry”. With the inaugural AMSC meeting set to take place on March 31 in Philadelphia, an all-encompassing set of standards for the industry could be devised sooner rather than later.
Immediate priorities for the newly formed group include the identification of existing, disparate standards within the industry, the assessment of gaps between those existing standards, and the identification of priority areas where there is a notable lack of existing standardization. Many of these areas have already been highlighted by America Makes in its Additive Manufacturing Technology Roadmap.
America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), and leads US additive manufacturing research, creation, and innovation. ”We are pleased to partner with ANSI given its reputation and experience in facilitating collaborative processes for coordinating standardization activities,” said Edward Morris, vice president of NCDMM and director of America Makes.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private non-profit organization comprised of businesses, standards developers, government agencies, and other organizations, aims to enhance national quality of life by safeguarding the integrity of industry standardization. ”We welcome this partnership with America Makes on the important work of identifying standards needed to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies,” said Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO.
Posted in 3D Printing Technology
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While it would be good to have some standards for material strength, unit tolerances, sheer, conductivity, and especially chemical reactions and toxicity, I see a future where this well meaning common sense policy turns into bloated regulation that robs 3D printing communities of everything that makes them what they are today.
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