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Sasam paves the way for European standardisation in additive manufacturing
The European research programme called “Sasam” (Support Action for Standardisation in Additive Manufacturing) has just ended. Below is a summary of 18 months of work and a view of future prospects.
European experts in additive manufacturing and their counterparts in standardisation have spent the last 18 months in carrying out a survey at European level called “Support Action for Standardisation in Additive Manufacturing” (Sasam). The Sasam programme, accessible on www.sasam.eu, was initiated within the scope of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7). Sasam is aimed at promoting the development of additive manufacturing by integrating and coordinating all standardisation activities performed throughout Europe. As a matter of fact, the lack of European and international standards related to additive manufacturing is an obstacle to the implementation of this type of manufacturing process on an industrial scale. As a result, further to the survey performed to identify the requirements and the European stakeholders, it turned out that there was a strong demand for the development of standards and, if possible, international standards.
Sasam was the opportunity to carry out an action plan for the development of standards related to materials, processes, equipment and finished parts. These standards will rely on a set of general standards in terminology, design, testing methods and data exchange, with a single target: developing specific standards for a material for a given process.
A huge bibliographic survey has been performed. It was a sort of inventory of all existing technical documents whose content may be used as a basis to draft these standards (European, international and national standards, scientific articles, etc.). This basis was used by a French workgroup, headed by Cetim, to define a standardisation framework, while the activity related to testing was steered by Énise (a French engineer school based in Saint‑Etienne). The characteristics and necessary specific requirements for additive manufacturing were defined more accurately.
The work and future orientations were validated on 20 February 2014 during the closing meeting of the Sasam project which gathered all the partners involved in the project and, especially for France, Cetim, Énise, MB Proto, the UNM (the French standardisation office for mechanical engineering) and Viaméca. The creation of a European technical committee is under consideration. This committee would make it possible to show the interest of European stakeholders in this subject and to coordinate initiatives, especially initiatives related to European research programmes. The French experts showed their will to steer this technical committee.
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