AM Workshops and Roadmaps

Roadmap for Polymer-Based Additive Manufacturing

IR thermography measurement of materials extrusion additive manufacturingredit: Jon Seppala

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a high-priority technology growth area for U.S. manufacturers. Innovative AM processes that fabricate parts layer-by-layer directly from a 3-D digital model have great potential for producing high-value, complex, individually customized parts. Companies are beginning to use AM as a tool for reducing time to market, improving product quality, and reducing the cost to manufacture products. Metal-based AM parts are already in use in a number of applications, including automotive engines, aircraft assemblies, power tools, and manufacturing tools.

In support of the development of polymer-based additive manufacturing, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the Measurement Science Roadmap for Polymer-Based Additive Manufacturing(link is external), a guide that identifies future desired capabilities, challenges, and priority R&D topics in polymer-based AM. The report is the result of the “Roadmap Workshop on Measurement Science for Polymer-Based Additive Manufacturing,” held June 9-10, 2016 at the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  The workshop brought together nearly 100 AM experts from industry, government, national laboratories, and academia to identify measurement science challenges and associated R&D needs for polymer-based AM systems. The workshop was hosted by NIST, and sponsored by the National Science Foundation, Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation(link is external) and NIST’s Material Measurement Laboratory.  Additive manufacturing is an important research priority for NIST  and a key component of MML’s Five-Year Strategic Plan.

Measurement Science for Metal-Based Additive Manufacturing

NIST hosted a two-day Roadmapping Workshop on Measurement Science for Metal-Based Additive Manufacturing at the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, MD.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a high-priority technology growth area for U.S. manufacturers. Innovative additive manufacturing processes that fabricate parts layer-by-layer directly from the 3-D digital model have great potential for making high-value, complex, individually customized parts. However, key issues must be addressed to achieve widespread use of additive processes for direct part production and realize the potential economic benefits. Among the issues to be addressed are gaps in measurement methods, performance metrics, and standards needed to evaluate fundamental AM process characteristics, improve the performance of AM equipment, improve the accuracy of AM parts, and increase the confidence in the mechanical properties of parts fabricated using these systems.

Read the full report.