Standardization News

Standards Experts Welcomed to ASTM Headquarters

At ASTM Headquarters, the Global Cooperation Team welcomed four international visitors, who attended the Standards Expert Program (SEP) and Attached Staff Program (ASP), both of which were held simultaneously from October 23 to November 10.

Left to right: Gersson Fredy Torres Baquero, ICONTEC; Catherine Kayiganwa, Rwanda Standards Bureau; Risa Hasegawa, Japanese Standards Association; Yukitaka Yonemura, Japanese Standards Association.

The two SEP participants for 2023 were Gersson Fredy Torres Baquero from the Instituto Colombiano de Normas Técnicas y Certificación (ICONTEC) and Catherine Kayiganwa from the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB).

The two attached staff joining ASTM from the Japanese Standards Association (JSA) were Risa Hasegawa and Yukitaka Yonemura.

Throughout the programs, the participants learned about the history of ASTM International and its standards-development processes.

ASTM Signs Memorandum of Understanding with East African Community

On Nov. 7, ASTM International signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the East African Community (EAC), currently consisting of the member states of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This is the 125th MoU that ASTM International has signed to date, the culmination of agreements signed with many EAC member states since 2003.

The document was signed by Dr. Peter Mutuku Mathuki, secretary general for the EAC, and Kathie Morgan, president of ASTM International. 

Its goals include:

• Enhancing communication between ASTM and EAC to promote knowledge on standards development.
• Strengthening the EAC standards program through ASTM resources.
• Involving the EAC partner states in ASTM’s standards development process through input and participation

“ASTM International welcomes and values the commitment to partnership and addressing societal needs which the EAC has signaled by signing the MoU,” says Teresa Cendrowska, ASTM International vice president of global cooperation. “Standards support quality infrastructure, trade, and multi-faceted development. We are pleased to provide ASTM standards and capacity-building resources to the community to both advance the region’s economic and technological growth and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).”

The new memorandum is part of a larger effort by the EAC to boost trade and industrialize the African continent.

“EAC is thrilled to formalize our partnership with ASTM International through this MoU,” notes Stella Apolot, Principal Standards Officer at the EAC. “This MoU will reinforce the existing capacity building and technical collaboration between ASTM International and the majority of our member states, and ultimately advance the knowledge and application of international standards in the region while seizing business opportunities across global markets through the implementation of the AfCFTA.”

Wohlers Associates Receives Award; AM CoE Unveils Fifth Annual Report

Wohlers Associates, powered by ASTM International, has been selected to lead a project focusing on techno-economic analysis in powder bed additive manufacturing (AM) for the U.S. Air Force (USAF). This extensive project includes a comprehensive landscape assessment, along with targeted expert interviews from key industry figures and the U.S. Department of Defense, supplemented by specialist reviews and a final report.

The project call, known as “Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis (IMPACT)” is directed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and America Makes. The call is funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Research and Engineering Manufacturing Technology (OUSD(R&E)) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Wohlers Associates and ASTM International on their efforts exploring techno-economic analysis of metal powder bed AM to address future needs of the USAF and the nation,” says Brandon Ribic, technology director at America Makes. “America Makes and the domestic supply chain has expelled considerable effort to gain a deeper understanding of this opportunity space and see this project as providing the appropriate knowledge to begin addressing these needs with confidence.”

Wohlers Associates has been awarded the Topic 9 of IMPACT, focused on metal powder bed AM technologies. The goal is to develop an in-depth techno-economic analysis that will serve as a vital resource for the USAF, aiding in the formulation of targeted investment strategies. These strategies aim to enhance efficiency and bolster confidence in the Metal AM PBF processes.

This analysis will provide strategic insights, enabling AFRL and its ecosystem to identify key areas for short- and long-term investments to increase adoption. “These efforts will not only improve the business case and reduce part costs, but also explore new technological avenues for evaluation and utilization, leading to significant cost savings and efficiency gains,” notes Dr. Mohsen Seifi, ASTM International vice president of global advanced manufacturing programs.

“The award is a testament to our dedication to enhancing the techno-economic understanding of metal powder bed AM,” says Seifi. “Through this project, we are setting the stage for transformative advancements in manufacturing efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and technological excellence. This project is more than an analysis, it’s also a roadmap for future innovation, ensuring an ongoing effort to promote the advancement of the AM industry’s’ potential.”

In addition, ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) published its fifth annual report, highlighting the organization’s growing research to standards portfolio, industry partnerships, acquisitions, workforce development programs, team expansion, and more.

ASTM Continues Support of Riverbend Environmental Education Center

On October 23, ASTM International sponsored a field trip for 75 second graders from Bridgeport Elementary School at Riverbend Environmental Education Center in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania.

Students explored stream, meadow, and forests areas, as well as a frog pond during the exploration-based trip that was focused on natural habitats.

ASTM’s Steve Mawn and students from Bridgeport Elementary School at Riverbend Environmental Education Center. ASTM is a longtime supporter of Riverbend’s programs with local elementary schools.

Steve Mawn, director of standards development in ASTM’s technical committee operations, visited Riverbend to see the students learn how each environment provides food, water, shelter, and space for the living creatures it contains. ASTM is a longtime sponsor of Riverbend, which is open to the public 365 days a year.

On November 20, ASTM staff enjoyed an informative discussion with representatives of the Korean Standards Association’s (KSA) Glocal Certification Support Task Force Team about collaboration between the ASTM affiliate Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) and KSA.

Pictured, left to right: Sunyoung Youn, senior researcher; Youngsang Kwon, director – glocal certification support task force; Byung Wook “Brian” Park, executive vice president, Industrial Standards Bureau; Teresa J. Cendrowska, ASTM vice president of global cooperation; and Steve Sanders, technical director of SEI.

ASTM staff members Tim Brooke and Leah Hepler visited Colonial Elementary School in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, on November 20. While at the school, Brooke and Hepler observed a lesson from fourth graders in the innovation lab at the school’s library. ASTM made a donation to the Colonial School District that financed an activity tower of manipulatives, a new chalkboard, and an extension of a Lego wall in the library. These renovations were supervised by library media specialist Tyrone Freebairn.

Shown from left to right: Jori Broad, co-president, Colonial School District Education Foundation; Tim Brooke, vice president, laboratory services and certification, ASTM, and president of the Safety Equipment Institute; Leah Hepler, controller, ASTM; Tyrone Freebairn, Colonial Elementary library media specialist; and Annette Swartz, co-president, Colonial School District Education Foundation.

On November 16, staff at ASTM International’s global headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pennysylvania, packed 20,000 meals to support Rise Against Hunger and their efforts to fight worlwide food insecurity and hunger.