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CECIMO Joins ASTM for International 3D Printing Standards

As 3D printing standards continue to develop, a new player joins the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) in establishing standards for the relatively new industry. The European Association of the Machine Tool Industries, CECIMO, has requested a membership in the institution in order to help push the industry’s guidelines forward.

astm headquarters 3d printingThe ASTM‘s Committee F42 has been in existence since 2009, working to create a unification within the 3D printing industry though its subcommittees devoted to Test Methods, Design, Materials and Processes, Executive Terminology, Strategic Planning and a joint group with ISO/TC 261, the International Organization for Standardization’s own committee dedicated to 3D printing standards. ASTM F42 has already worked with ISO/TC 261 to develop agreements towards guiding principles for the industry, including a roadmap and a single set of 3D printing standards. Among these standards is a new standard file format, dubbed AMF, which is similar to the common .stl file format, but with support for color, materials, and lattice geometries.

CECIMO’s Additive Manufacturing Working Group is now a member of the ASTM, where it will be able to provide its own experience in 3D printing and help provide support in terms of connecting 3D printing standards to those in the machine tool and metal sectors. The addition of CECIMO represents a broader partnership on both sides of the Atlantic. Furthermore, with international collaboration seen here, we may see a unified set of standards established across the world.