ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) unveiled seven global initiatives at Formnext 2025 in Frankfurt. The coordinated programs, developed with governments, industry, and research institutions, aim to make additive manufacturing (AM) more reliable, scalable, and sustainable.
A press conference was scheduled for Tuesday, November 18, 4:00–4:30 p.m. (Hall 11.0, Stand A21), followed by interviews and certificate presentations. Visitors meet experts from ASTM and Wohlers Associates to learn how the organization is advancing AM from pilot to production.
“Advanced manufacturing only becomes meaningful when it works at scale,” said Dr. Mohsen Seifi, ASTM’s Vice President of Global Advanced Manufacturing Programs. “That is where we are focused—bringing together standards, certification, and real-time intelligence so companies can industrialize faster and with fewer risks.”
Strengthening U.S. industrial resilience
In the United States, the standards body has deepened its partnership with America Makes, the nation’s public-private partnership for additive manufacturing. Three new projects target defense readiness and production reliability.
Under the Quality Test and Inspection Methods Expediency (QTIME) program—funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing Technology (OSD ManTech)—the AM CoE leads the Industry Transition Team (ITT) linking research outcomes to manufacturing practice. Participants include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, SAE International, Baker Hughes, and Wohlers Associates. QTIME addresses both in-situ and ex-situ non-destructive inspection for parts made through laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED), developing faster, lower-cost qualification routes.
Building on that mission, the center launched WATCHLIST—Workshop on Additive Techniques for Control and Health-monitoring Leveraging In-Situ Technologies—a joint effort with NASA and America Makes to map the state of in-process monitoring and control. Using literature reviews, interviews, surveys, and a dedicated workshop, WATCHLIST will deliver a roadmap for process qualification and workforce upskilling to strengthen domestic supply chains.
ASTM’s elevation to Platinum membership within America Makes recognizes its leadership in standards-based qualification. “ASTM International has been a proud partner of America Makes since its inception,” Seifi said. “Initiatives like QTIME and WATCHLIST represent the next chapter of that collaboration—connecting sensing, control, and qualification in ways that strengthen U.S. manufacturing leadership.”
John Wilczynski, Executive Director of America Makes, added, “Their deep expertise in standards and certification will help us drive consistent, measurable progress toward advancing additive manufacturing production readiness and strengthening the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing base.”
Scaling aerospace sustainability through DECSAM
In the United Kingdom, ASTM UK is a partner in the £38 million Digitally Enabled Competitive and Sustainable Additive Manufacturing (DECSAM) program, a four-year aerospace initiative led by Airbus and funded through Innovate UK, the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), and the Department for Business and Trade. Running until June 2028, DECSAM aims to make metal L-PBF—a laser-based 3D printing process—more productive, cost-effective, and sustainable for flight-ready parts.
The project brings together 11 organizations including Renishaw, Authentise, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, GKN Aerospace, Additive Manufacturing Solutions, APEX Additive Technologies, Domin, the University of Sheffield, and ToffeeX. By prioritizing resource efficiency, material reuse, and circular design, DECSAM supports the aerospace sector’s move toward net-zero manufacturing.
The program’s four innovation pillars—performance, productivity, scalability, and application—will produce flight-test demonstrators, recycled-powder routes, expanded powder specifications, and qualification guidelines. “Additive manufacturing can unlock new efficiencies in aerospace, lowering costs and reducing weight,” said Jacqueline Castle, Chief Technology Officer at the Aerospace Technology Institute. “DECSAM unites a strong consortium to accelerate adoption in civil aerospace, aligning closely with the ATI’s strategy to drive future economic growth and sustainability.”
Extending standards to the semiconductor sector
Across Europe, the certification program expanded with new accreditations for KSB (Germany) and AM Craft (Latvia), confirming compliance with AM Quality (AMQ) and AM Facility Safety (AMFS) frameworks. In Southeast Asia, the Metals Industry Research and Development Center – Advanced Manufacturing Center (MIRDC-AMCen) in the Philippines earned both certifications, the first in the region. These projects reflect growing adoption of ASTM-developed quality systems for industrial AM.
A new collaboration between the AM CoE and Additive Center B.V., an Eindhoven-based engineering consultancy, brings standards and certification into semiconductor equipment manufacturing. The partnership combines the german supplier-development expertise with ASTM’s standards ISO/ASTM 52901, 52904, and 52920 and sectoral systems such as ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 13485, and IATF 16949.
Supplier training will run through Additive Center’s Amify learning platform, building competencies for independent auditing and qualification. “ASTM brings certification, qualification, and standardization experience from the most regulated industries into the semiconductor space,” said Sergio Sanchez, Business Director of the organization’s Advanced Manufacturing Division. “Additive Center brings local expertise and semiconductor-specific knowledge. Together, we’re helping their customers—and the broader high-tech ecosystem—achieve world-class additive manufacturing quality.”
Additive Center CEO Maarten van Dijk added, “Semiconductors are the backbone of every advanced technology on the planet, and additive manufacturing is playing a crucial role. Through this partnership, we can help semicon OEMs and their suppliers raise the bar on precision and repeatability.”
“The progress we’re highlighting this year is part of one connected global effort,” Seifi said. “We’re aligning programs across continents so the entire manufacturing ecosystem can adopt advanced technologies with confidence.”
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Featured photo shows the ASTM Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence and Wohlers Associates teams at Formnext. Photo via ASTM.
