Element opens additive manufacturing testing methods center

London, U.K. – Element Materials Technology is leading global developments in additive manufacturing testing methods and standards from a new Center of Excellence at Element Cleveland, Ohio.

 

Positioning itself at the forefront of testing in additive manufacturing – a $3.2 billion industry expected to be worth $12 billion to $25 billion by the year 2020 – Element is qualifying innovations in the highly regulated aerospace, medical, and energy sectors. Custom testing equipment is continually being developed with industry majors for laser melting techniques that fuse multiple layers of powder metals together – as well as thermoplastic processes – to produce complex geometries not possible through conventional production technology. 

 

Element is also accelerating the creation of stringent international testing standards for additive manufacturing, working with aerospace primes and testing partners to lead the way, due to the rigorous validation needed for their adoption of this new technology. 

 

David Podrug represents Element on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International Committee F42 on Additive Manufacturing Technologies – an industry body formed in co-operation with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to stay at the leading edge of the rapidly changing manufacturing sector. He comments:

 

“Additive manufacturing allows for unprecedented possibilities in developing aerospace, medical, and energy sector product parts and components. However, we currently face enormous challenges in determining the level of testing required to ensure consistent production, the properties at risk, and a need to detect critical flaw sizes more accurately than ever before. 

 

“Industry-wide collaboration is needed to achieve a greater understanding of additive manufacturing processes and stringent testing standards are needed to drive these innovations forward. Element currently offers by far the most complete level of additive manufacturing services in the materials testing sector and is working hard with industry majors to reduce delays in wider adoption of this technology.”

 

David Podrug is advanced materials business manager at Element and will play a leading role in the continuing development of Element Cleveland’s Center of Excellence.

 

Element’s team of 1,540 scientists, engineers and technicians work in 43 laboratories located throughout the U.S. and Europe.

 

Source: Element