NASA to work with ASTM on Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence

ASTM International is bringing several key partners on board for its first-ever Center of Excellence, which will focus on additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing.

In December, several proposals were submitted to ASTM and the standards organization co-selected EWI and Auburn University-NASA.

The group will work together on a global innovation hub that advances technical standards, related R&D, education and training, and more. With funding and other support from ASTM International, the organizations involved in the Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence will focus on bridging standards development with R&D.

EWI will also work to build industry consortia, leveraging the organization’s track record of developing, testing, and implementing advanced manufacturing technologies. In addition to its research activities, part of Auburn University’s role will be to develop education and training resources and tools.

“This game-changing collaboration will build a strong foundation for the future of additive manufacturing,” said Katharine Morgan, president of ASTM International. Morgan hopes the strengths of all partners will help fill industry gaps and accelerate innovation.

“NASA and ASTM International have had a decades-long relationship in developing aerospace and aviation standards that benefit NASA’s mission and the industry as a whole,” adds John Vickers, NASA’s principal technologist in advanced manufacturing, who hopes to uncover the vast potential of additive manufacturing applications.

Other stakeholders interested in the Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence can contact Dr. Mohsen Seifi, director of global additive manufacturing programs at ASTM International. Seifi notes that ASTM International is considering an additional center of excellence outside the U.S. from its existing pool of applicants.

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