ASTM Releases Defense AM Certification Guide

ASTM International's Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) has published a strategic guide aimed at standardizing the qualification and certification of additively manufactured (AM) parts for defense applications. This initiative, a collaboration with the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MOD) under Project TAMPA, provides a free, downloadable resource designed to address inconsistencies in current certification requirements.

The guide acknowledges that differing certification expectations from design authorities and prime contractors have historically hindered AM adoption within international defense supply chains. By consolidating these varying requirements, the document offers a unified reference that links the level of required certification evidence to the potential consequences of part failure during service.

Mohsen Seifi, ASTM International’s vice president of global AM, emphasized the guide's applicability across air, land, and maritime domains, stating the need for consistent certification standards across organizations, sectors, and borders. The guide is presented as a navigational tool, offering direction rather than acting as a formal standard or regulation.

To facilitate this, parts are categorized into four classes (A through D) based on their criticality to safety, with corresponding scaled certification evidence requirements. Suppliers can opt for two distinct certification pathways: one focusing on qualifying the manufacturing process, and the other on testing the final component.

The document details evidence requirements for key certification stages, including feedstock material control, machine and process qualification, and finished part verification through non-destructive evaluation. It is designed to be inclusive of various AM processes and material types, and across all defense domains, encouraging early engagement between manufacturers, design entities, and certifying authorities.