Standardization News

Wichita State University’s (WSU) National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) will join ASTM International's Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence as its first “strategic” partner. ASTM and four founding partners recently launched the center to support R&D that advances additive manufacturing standards, which in turn will drive commercialization of cutting-edge additive manufacturing technologies.

Dr. John Tomblin, WSU vice president for research and technology transfer, and Dr. Mohsen Seifi, ASTM International’s director of global additive manufacturing programs, made the announcement at a joint workshop focused on qualifying and certifying metal additively-manufactured parts. Hundreds of government and industry leaders attended the event, co-sponsored by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency.

“We’re proud to be the first strategic partner in this globally-recognized center of excellence that will help build the technical foundation for the future of additive manufacturing,” Tomblin said. “The center is attracting an array of leading industry players to the table to speak with one voice and make an impact.”

“Building on its strengths, NIAR will lead efforts to qualify additively-manufactured materials and to further strengthen relationships with key aerospace regulators worldwide,” Seifi added. “Leveraging their expertise inR&D, we will develop much-needed standards that will significantly enhance certification in aviation and other industries. We’re thrilled to have the NIAR team on board.”

NIAR is an industry-focused research institute at WSU, home to one of the world’s leading aerospace engineering programs. As such, NIAR plans to be engaged in the center of excellence’s R&D activities, education, and workforce development efforts, and other functions and programs.

To learn more about the center and its activities, visit www.amcoe.org or read this recent article in Standardization News.