ASTM International’s additive manufacturing technologies committee has announced it is developing a proposed standard to offer guidance on techniques for detecting, quantifying, and classifying contamination within metal additive manufacturing powder feedstock.
The proposed standard, WK80171, is being developed by the test methods subcommittee (F42.01), part of the F42 AM committee. It is thought to be relevant to both metal powder manufacturers and users of laser beam powder bed fusion (LB-PBF) processes.
In a press release, ASTM said the standard will define contamination types, detail methods for contamination detection and describe how the chosen testing approach can be implemented to successfully detect contamination. Test methods including optical microscopy, automated scanning electron microscopy, x-ray computed tomography, and x-ray fluorescent spectroscopy have been tested to assess their suitability.
ASTM member Aneta Chrostek-Mroz, advanced research engineer at the Manufacturing Technology Center, commented, “The standard will enable powder manufacturers and additive manufacturing machine users to 1) identify appropriate techniques for detecting and quantifying different types of contamination; (2) classify these contaminants; and (3) perform contamination assessment of both unused and re-used powders.”
Last month, the same committee announced the development of a proposed standard that aims to help define the printability range of cementitious materials for 'any given extrusion-based 3D printer.' At TCT 3Sixty in June, the organisation also launched its new manufacturer certification program, which looks to enhance quality assurance, regulatory compliance and process control and, as ASTM International's Martin White & Carl Hauser recently told TCT, improve the additive manufacturing supply chain.
