Lloyd's Register (LR) and TWI have announced updates to their guidance notes for the certification of additively manufactured parts and facilities to incorporate recent technology changes.
The framework was first published in 2016 in an effort to help manufacturers qualify the safety of 3D printed parts and manufacturing facilities for their intended application. This latest version, which covers design, material supplies, AM builds, post-processing and inspection, is said to reflect significant changes in 3D printing technology which have occurred since the publication's last update in 2017.
LR Lead Specialist David Hardacre said: "Many businesses have used the previous guidance notes from LR and TWI to great effect. They've been designed for any business interested in starting their AM journey that needs to understand how qualification and certification requirements compare with conventional manufacturing processes - or for those who are already using AM and want to qualify their processes or certify their materials and/or parts. They're also valuable for those organisations who sub-contract any element of their manufacturing to a supplier using AM, so they can understand what's required for certification."
The notes, entitled 'Guidance Notes for Additive Manufacturing Certification', provide goal-based guidelines for the certification of parts produced using a range of AM processes including powder bed fusion by laser or electron beam, directed energy deposition by laser and Wire + Arc based AM. LR has already qualified a number of AM products for Shell, Keppel Marine & Offshore and Engie Laborelec, and facilities such as 3D Metalforge, AML3D and TWI.
Paul Goodwin, PPL and PBF Lead at TWI said, "AM processes are increasingly being used in industry, but the uptake has been hindered by a lack of understanding of how to control the quality and reproducibility of the parts made and how to qualify and certify these parts for use. These guidance notes are designed to help chart the way through what can at times appear to be a confusing set of requirements and to establish what the appropriate requirements for certification are."
