Formally launched in March 2016, the America Makes & ANSI Additive Manufacturing Standardization Collaborative (AMSC) is a cross-sector coordinating body whose objective is to 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. The AMSC was launched because a number of standards developing organizations (SDOs) are engaged in standards-setting for various aspects of additive manufacturing, prompting the need for coordination to maintain a consistent, harmonized, and non-contradictory set of additive manufacturing standards. The AMSC is not developing standards or specifications. Rather, its purpose is to help drive coordinated standards development activity.
On May 1, 2023, America Makes and ANSI released today for public review and comment a draft version 3.0 of the Standardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing developed by the AMSC, last published in June 2018. The roadmap identifies key issues; notes relevant published and in-development standards; and makes recommendations to address gaps in standards and specifications for additive manufacturing (AM). This includes recommending pre-standardization research and development (R&D) where needed. It also proposes prioritized timeframes for when standardization work should occur and standards developing organizations (SDOs) or others that may be able to lead such work. Working groups, including a new one on data across the AM lifecycle, have been developing the draft roadmap since a kickoff event held in September 2022.
The request for comment specifically invites comments that represent critical revisions and needed clarifications on the roadmap content. Comments on the draft roadmap may be submitted to amsc@ansi.org by close of business on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Use of the comment form (see below) is required to better manage and review comments. The AMSC working groups are currently on hiatus and will reconvene in June to address the comments submitted and finalize the document for publication by the end of July 2023. While all comments are welcome, the AMSC reserves the right to hold disposition of comments in reserve for a future iteration of the document if they cannot be addressed within the time available. This might include, for example, comments on the document’s organization, or issues not addressed.
The draft roadmap and related materials may be downloaded as follows:
Developed with input from hundreds of experts from industry, government, SDOs, and academia, the AMSC’s roadmap describes the current and desired future standardization landscape for AM. The focus is industrial AM, across market sectors that are using AM technologies. The roadmap is targeted toward a broad audience including OEMs, material producers, government and industry users of AM, SDOs, the R&D community, and others. Additional metadata has been introduced in the gaps to facilitate searching by lifecycle area, industry sector, material type, AM processes, and qualification and certification category. Gaps also consider current alternatives being used until an AM standard or specification is available to address an issue.
Over the last few years, the AMSC has been issuing semi-annual progress reports to maintain the roadmap as a “living document,” tracking the publication of new standards or the initiation of new standards projects by SDOs to address the gaps and recommendations contained in version 2.0 of the roadmap. The AMSC also held a series of virtual events on different issues of concern, including process control to enable qualification, design for additive manufacturing, feedstock materials, and inspection/monitoring. Following a survey about use of the roadmap in early 2022, the AMSC advisory group – comprised of industry, government, and SDO representatives – concluded that it was time to update the document to ensure it remains relevant and aligns with current practices and stakeholder needs.
The AMSC draws participation from private industry, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), material suppliers, government, academia, SDOs, and other interested stakeholders. Participation is open to additive manufacturing stakeholders that have operations in the U.S. Membership in America Makes and ANSI is encouraged but is not a prerequisite and there is no fee to participate at this time.
For those who do not wish to participate actively but want to receive periodic informational updates about the AMSC, click here. By clicking this link, you consent to the ANSI PRIVACY POLICY. You also consent to allow ANSI to retain your personal information. You may receive communications from ANSI directly related to your request.
ACCESS THE AMSC WORKING GROUP ARCHITECTURE
ACCESS A LIST OF AMSC PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
ACCESS A RECORDING OF THE SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 AMSC V3 KICKOFF WEBINAR
ACCESS THE SLIDES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 AMSC V3 KICKOFF WEBINAR
America Makes is the nation’s leading public-private partnership for additive manufacturing technology and education. America Makes members from industry, academia, government, workforce and economic development organizations, work together to accelerate the adoption of AM and the nation’s global manufacturing competitiveness. Founded in 2012 as the Department of Defense’s manufacturing innovation institute for AM and first of the Manufacturing USA network, America Makes is based in Youngstown, Ohio and managed by the not-for-profit National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM).
Visit www.americamakes.us to learn more.
