Standardization News

ASTM Acquires Wohlers Associates

ASTM International has acquired Wohlers Associates, a global intelligence leader in the additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing industry. The acquisition announcement coincided with the Standards Forum at Formnext 2021, which serves as the leading trade show for AM and next-generation intelligent manufacturing solutions.

As part of the acquisition, ASTM International acquires the Wohlers Report, the premier publication for the AM industry, along with intelligence briefs, specialized reports, training in design for AM, and consulting services.

“We are thrilled to welcome Wohlers Associates to the ASTM family,” notes Katharine Morgan, ASTM International president. “Wohlers has been a trusted source of intelligence and analysis for the AM community for more than 30 years, and I am excited to see what our two trusted and credible brands can accomplish together for this industry.” 

Morgan looks forward to combining the Wohlers Report, and the full portfolio of products and services from Wohlers Associates, with the work of ASTM’s members and the AM Center of Excellence (CoE). This alignment will result in new possibilities for business intelligence, advice, and resources in the global AM community.

Moving forward, the Fort Collins, Colorado, company will do business as Wohlers Associates, powered by ASTM International. Terry Wohlers, the organization’s principal consultant and president, will join ASTM International and serve as head of AM market intelligence. Also, Noah Mostow of Wohlers Associates will become ASTM’s new manager of AM market intelligence and analytics. Both will serve under the AM CoE.

“I could not be more excited about joining the world-class team at ASTM International,” Wohlers said. “Through ASTM, we can now accept more projects than in the past and our advisory services team is now larger than ever. We are glad ASTM has made a commitment to publishing the report for years to come.”

Wohlers adds that he is confident ASTM International will maintain the quality, neutrality, and value customers have come to expect from the Wohlers Report, which has been the undisputed, industry-leading publication on AM for 26 years.

The acquisition supports ASTM’s growth vision and investment to expand its footprint in the AM industry with robust AM programs, services, and product offerings. These offerings now include market intelligence and technical and strategic advisory services on the latest developments and trends in AM. They complement existing ASTM programs and services to support the industrialization of AM technologies. Future editions of the Wohlers Report are expected to be integrated into ASTM’s flagship product Compass, an online subscription platform. 

ASTM will leverage the existing Wohlers brand and build on its market influence and access to top AM industry decision-makers worldwide. The acquisition is expected to bring new value to many industries, thus enabling wider adoption of AM products and services.

Learn more about the products and services from Wohlers Associates, powered by ASTM International. 

Formed in 2018, the AM CoE is a collaborative partnership among ASTM International and representatives from industry, governments, and academia that conducts strategic R&D to advance standards across all aspects of AM technologies. 

Mexico’s National Standards Body Signs MoU with ASTM International

Mexico’s national standards body, Dirección General de Normas (DGN) and ASTM International signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Oct. 29, 2021. DGN, part of Mexico’s Ministry of Economy, coordinates the development of standards and regulations and promotes standardization use in Mexico.

Alfonso Guati Rojo Sánchez, general director of standards in Mexico’s Ministry of Economy, and Katharine Morgan, president, ASTM International, and signed the MoU.

In her comments at the signing ceremony, Morgan said, “On behalf of ASTM International, I am honored and pleased to participate in this virtual ceremony for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between ASTM and DGN. It is yet another step in ASTM International’s work in Mexico and Latin America, which began in earnest when the late Luis Ordóñez became a member of the ASTM board of directors in the early 2000s, and ASTM held its very first international board meeting in Mexico City in 2002.”

The new MoU serves as a cooperation agreement allowing ASTM to continue this ongoing outreach to Mexico, which remains focused on:

Enhancing communications to build government and industry awareness of ASTM International as a trusted technical source of information that supports public health and safety, consumer confidence, trade, and the overall quality of life.

• Inviting Mexican stakeholder participation in the development of ASTM standards to share knowledge and exchange best practices to ensure that ASTM standards meet and support Mexico’s local and global needs, ranging from governments to industries to the people of Mexico.  
• Encouraging collaboration on topics and issues of mutual interest.
• Promoting standards education and related ASTM activities for students and professors.

“To sign this MoU is for us a historical moment,” Guati remarked at the ceremony. “It’s very relevant in the evolution of the processes of implementation of the quality infrastructure in Mexico. It’s very important to set these kinds of agreements in order to disseminate and share information and train ourselves in the best way possible on high quality standards that are prepared around the world to be able to improve our systems.

“I am convinced that the signing of this agreement today is just the starting point so we can develop and benefit from each other,” Guati added. “Acknowledging all of the prior conversations that have made this MoU agreement a reality, the next phase is going to be the most exciting and interesting one, where each of us will get this agreement going to maximize the benefits for the users, who will receive the best services out of
this agreement.”

The meeting was attended by Jesús Cantú Escalante, head of the Unit of Regulations, Competitiveness, and Competition of the Ministry of Economy, who welcomed the participants and celebrated the adoption of the memorandum of understanding between DGN and ASTM International.

ASTM currently has almost 200 members from Mexico participating in the work of our technical committees as well as 45 companies participating in Proficiency Testing Programs. In addition, ASTM has more than 350 student members from 15 university campuses in Mexico.

“Working together, ASTM, DGN, and developers of technical requirements in Mexico will be even better able to support innovation, competitiveness, sustainability, and climate resilience, through standards that reflect technical quality, market relevance, and suitability to the task at hand,” said Morgan. “The opportunity to help foster innovation, promote safety, and support economic growth in North America is a great opportunity for all of us.”

ASTM Hosts Additive Manufacturing Standards Forum at Formnext

ASTM International hosted a Standards Forum that took place in conjunction with Formnext 2021 at Messe Frankfurt in Germany, Nov. 15, 2021. The forum, “Industrialization of AM Through Standardization – How to Take AM to the Next Level” was jointly organized by the U.S. Commercial Service, ASTM International, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and supported by Mesago Formnext. The event built on the success of two previous forums focused on increasing awareness around standardization and fostering transatlantic collaboration in the field.

The one-day event provided attendees with a greater understanding of how standards impact the industrialization of AM and how to leverage standards for various AM applications. The forum included two keynote sessions, six presentations, two panel discussions, and two breakout sessions.

Keynote sessions addressed the status of AM standards development and the general industry perspective on the use of AM standards. Panel discussions covered AM industrialization and standards challenges, while the breakout sessions allowed participants to share perspectives and focus on industry-specific needs for AM standards with a particular emphasis on aerospace,
medical, automotive, construction, and energy, among others.

The six presentations covered:

• Digitalization;
• Big data;
• AM automation;
• Rapid qualification and certification; and
• How standards drive the adoption of AM in different industry sectors.

Read more about the AM CoE, including training, research and development, standards activities, news, and events.

At the Standards Forum discussion were (from left): Petra Haarburger, president, Mesago Formnext;  Jim Curtis, commercial and Belgium, U.S. Department of Commerce; Sara Gobbi, ASTM International; Brian Meincke,ASTM International; William Czajkowski, minister-counselor for commercial affairs and regional senior commercial officer for Central Europe, U.S. Embassy, Berlin, Germany; Kirsten Hentschel, commercial specialist, AM specialist, U.S. Consulate General, Dusseldorf, Germany; Mohsen Seifi, ASTM International; and Sascha F. Wenzler, vice president, Mesago Formnext.

ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence Holds Sixth Annual ICAM Conference

The ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) held its International Conference on Additive Manufacturing (ICAM 2021), from Nov. 1-5, 2021, in Anaheim, California, and virtually.

More than 700 participants attended the five-day conference, which included more than 550 presentations,  10 panel discussions, eight keynote speakers, 26 symposia, award presentations, and a student presentation competition.

ICAM 2021 keynote speakers included:

• Tracy Frost, U.S. Department of Defense;
• Nicholas Mulé, Boeing;
• Markus Seibold, Siemens Energy;
• Tom Kurfess, U.S. Oak Ridge National Laboratory;
• Sam Onukuri, Johnson & Johnson;
• Venkat Vedula, Raytheon Technologies;
• Thomaso Ghidini, European Space Agency; and
• Terry Wohlers, Wohlers Associates.

ICAM is ASTM’s annual flagship event about standardization, qualification, and certification with an emphasis on industry-specific requirements addressing the entire AM process chain. The event was a hybrid in-person conference with the option to attend virtually through prerecorded presentations and livestreamed keynote speeches and panel sessions.

NASA and ASTM International to Hold Workshop on In-Situ Monitoring for Additive Manufacturing

The ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) will hold its second Specialty Workshop Series on In-Situ Technology Readiness for Applications in AM Qualification and Certification on Jan. 26 in Huntsville, Alabama. The workshop will be held in collaboration with the U.S. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

In-situ monitoring technologies for AM may be used as a means of controlling part quality, reducing ex-situ inspection requirements, and providing insights on elements of the AM value chain, including feedstock and design. Ultimately, in-situ technologies may provide a solution to quality assessment of components with complex geometries that are hard to inspect via traditional ex-situ inspection techniques.

Government, industry, and academic participants will meet to address relevant topics, including:

• Approaches to qualification using in-situ methods as a quality assurance tool in critical applications;
• Integrations of in-situ monitoring systems in production for real-time monitoring and closed-loop control; and
• Correlation of in-situ monitoring data to material defect states and process escapes, computational models, and traditional inspection techniques.

View workshop information or direct questions to amcoe-research@astm.org.

Virtual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Programs Cover PPE and Drone Technology

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) held two virtual programs in October and November 2021. The first, on additive manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE) took place in October, while a program on drone technology occurred in November. APEC is the leading Asia-Pacific economic forum, with participation from more than 20 national economies. APEC’s primary goal is to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

Additive Manufacturing of PPE 

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation virtual program for the project on “Addressing the Last Mile of Additive Manufacturing Use for PPE — Assisting Regulators,” was conducted Oct. 27–28, 2021. Consistent with ASTM International’s commitment to serving global societal needs that address health and safety, consumer confidence, and the overall quality of life, ASTM was an integral part of planning and implementing the project.

The APEC program gave participants the opportunity to learn about the role standards play in the additive manufacturing (AM) of personal protective equipment (PPE) and nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs. The program also outlined how standards support potential convergent regulation for these products in the region. Over 180 participants from 13 APEC economies joined the conference over the two days.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the shortfalls in PPE and NP swabs. Because these products are used in healthcare, they may require approval established by relevant regulatory ministries and agencies. While AM can accelerate and localize production of the products, consensus standards are often needed to support regulatory approval.

The APEC project is meant to facilitate public and private sector information exchange to evaluate how the lack of consensus standards for AM PPE and NP swabs slowed regulatory approval, market access, and distribution in certain economies during the pandemic. The presentations and discussions highlighted the need and benefit of working toward a contemporary evaluation framework based on appropriate standard specifications and test methods for additively manufactured products. The end goal was to help ensure APEC economies can remain resilient and less vulnerable to future public health emergencies.

The virtual program was overseen by Kent Shigetomi, assistant U.S. trade representative for World Trade Organization and multilateral affairs, Alexander Liu, Ph.D., ASTM International head of AM programs, Asia region, and Teresa Cendrowska, ASTM International vice president of global cooperation.

Shigetomi and Cendrowska opened the event, which featured ten speakers from seven APEC economies. Opening remarks were given by Mohsen Seifi, Ph.D., ASTM’s director of global additive manufacturing programs.

Liu was one of several presenters at the event, speaking on a recently issued “Strategic Guide for Additive Manufacturing — Summary of the Findings and Recommendations.”

Drone Technology

“Supporting Safe Reliable Drone Technology to Address COVID and Routine Implementations” took place Nov. 23-24, 2021. The program was focused on the implementation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, and related standards and policies. 

The APEC program, submitted by the United States and co-sponsored by nine APEC economies, provided the means for dialogue among domestic and international public and private sector stakeholders, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). 

The APEC program gave participants the opportunity to learn and speak about the opportunities and challenges, as well as existing and needed standards, that might support policy when implementing drones. 

More than 160 participants from 16 nations attended the two-day program.  

The virtual program was overseen by Kent Shigetomi, assistant U.S. trade representative for WTO and multilateral affairs, and Teresa Cendrowska, ASTM’s vice president of global cooperation. Philip Kenul presented opening comments. Kenul, chair of ASTM’s committee on unmanned aircraft systems (F38), is senior vice president for aviation and operations, TriVector Services.

The event featured additional speakers from Singapore; Hong Kong, China; New Zealand; Malaysia; Korea; Canada; and the United States. Topics ranged from UAS detection systems at airports to the future of drone technology.

Transatlantic Leadership Network Publishes ASTM Staff-Authored White Paper 

Transatlantic Leadership Network’s Transatlantic Technology and Trade Working Group has published a white paper co-written by Jeff Grove, ASTM International vice president of global policy, cooperation, and communications, and Craig Updyke, ASTM director of global policy and international trade.

The paper is “Policy Brief – Considering the U.S.-EU TTC Working Group on Technology Standards.” The paper is availailable at www.transatlantic.org/transatlantic-technology-and-trade-working-group.

Comprised of private sector experts and public officials, the group – which Grove has been invited to join –explores digital and trade challenges and opportunities for the United States and Europe.

As part of ASTM’s Technical Visitor Grant Program, Mauro Cabral and ASTM staff visited AmSpec Group’s petroleum lab in Signal Hill, California, while attending meetings of the committee on petroleum products, liquid fuels, and lubricants (D02) in Anaheim, California. From left: Michael Bailey, AmSpec; Mauro Cabral, IRDP; James Olshefsky, ASTM; Maria Jiverage, ASTM; and Christopher McCullough, ASTM.

Kathleen May (third from left), CEO/ president at Triskele Quality Solutions — and incoming cannabis committee (D37) chair — spoke about ASTM International standards during a recent panel at the National Industrial Hemp Council’s 2021 Business Summit.