Assessment of Guidelines for Conducting Round Robin Studies in Additive Manufacturing

Published

April 16, 2014

Author(s)

Shawn P. Moylan, John A. Slotwinski

Abstract

The uniqueness of AM makes it necessary to develop specific guidance on conducting round robin studies. The existing standards on round robin studies for measurement methods provide an excellent starting point for guidance on conducting AM round robins. While differences will surely exist between AM round robins and round robins for measurement methods, the resulting information is likely to be similar. Specifically, the primary result of a round robin study is a measurement of repeatability and reproducibility. This is important for the AM community to keep in mind because by itself, guidance on conducting a round robin is not necessarily the same as ensuring good repeatability and reproducibility. Data showing excellent repeatability and reproducibility will be vital for process qualification. However, repeatability and reproducibility that are acceptable for qualification are likely the products of a rigorous manufacturing plan. The development of a manufacturing plan should be completed before conducting the round robin and is likely better done within one institution. Without knowing which factors or variables most affect the performance properties of the final part, the results of the round robin studies are extremely specific. Tightening or loosening control of one variable, or changing the value of the variable, may significantly alter the results and therefore require a new round robin and complete re-qualification. Yet, a well-conducted round robin study, especially one focusing on part geometry, can go a long way toward demonstrating that AM parts can be built to meet a required tolerance.

Proceedings Title

Proceedings of the 2014 ASPE Spring Topical Meeting--Dimensional Accuracy and Surface Finish in Additive Manufacturing

Volume

57

Conference Dates

April 14-16, 2014

Conference Location

Berkelye, CA

Conference Title

2014 ASPE Spring Topical Meeting--Dimensional Accuracy and Surface Finish in Additive Manufacturing

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

Additive Manufacturing, Round Robin Study, Interlaboratory Study, Qualification for Additive Manufacturing

Citation

Moylan, S. and Slotwinski, J. (2014), Assessment of Guidelines for Conducting Round Robin Studies in Additive Manufacturing, Proceedings of the 2014 ASPE Spring Topical Meeting--Dimensional Accuracy and Surface Finish in Additive Manufacturing, Berkelye, CA, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=915720 (Accessed April 23, 2024)