Standardization News

An ASTM International subcommittee is developing a proposed new standard - WK48549, Specification for AMF Support for Solid Modeling: Voxel Information, Constructive Solid Geometry Representations and Solid Texturing - that will lead to better interoperability with the industry design format, and ultimately to retain higher quality information for three-dimensional prints. This will build on the subcommittee's previous work to establish the additive manufacturing file (AMF) format.

According to ASTM member Jérémie Farret, chief technology officer, Parallel Geometry Inc. and P4BUS Systems Inc., a part of the 3D printing community must perform indirect and sometimes complex data conversions to use the current AMF format. Through the proposed effort, using the AMF format to receive alternate representations such as voxels or constructive solid geometry, for instance, shall become easier and the final quality of printed results will improve.

"Any community that deals with additive manufacturing can potentially benefit from the AMF format," notes Farret. "We want to extend the interoperability of the AMF format so that new 3D printing communities can adopt the ASTM standard to product more sophisticated and accurate results."

The standard will benefit the growing number of professional communities that are using 3D printing to design and build products.

Subcommittee F42.04 on Design, part of ASTM International Committee F42 on Additive Manufacturing Technologies, invites any interested parties to participate in the development of WK48549. The subcommittee is particularly interested in the input of anyone who is currently using Voxel-based and constructive solid geometry representations and their extensions.

Technical Information: Jérémie Farret, Parallel Geometry Inc. • Outremont, Quebec, Canada • tel +1 514.961.2375 | ASTM Staff: Pat Picariello • tel +1.610.832.9720