ASTM International plans to establish a center of excellence in the field of additive manufacturing (AM) and is calling for proposals from industry and academia aimed at creating a global innovation hub to advance AM technical standards, related R&D, and education and training.
The organization plans for the center to also serve as a consortium in attracting stakeholders from the aviation, automotive, medical, and other industries that are increasingly engaged in AM applications.
The center will be supported with up to US$250,000 annually for up to five years, provided from funds and in-kind contributions. In-kind support could increase the award amount beyond US$250,000.
Letters of intent are due 27 November with full proposals due shortly thereafter on 15 December. The winning proposal will be announced in early 2018. Applicants are expected to emphasize approaches that maximize coordination and collaboration among academia, industry, and governments, says ASTM, which could select up to two awardees as part of this initiative.
Standards development
‘Over the last decade, hundreds of the world’s top experts in additive manufacturing have pioneered the development of new standards through ASTM International,’ said Katharine Morgan, the organization’s president. ‘We are thrilled to take this next bold step to bridge standards development with R&D, while also meeting the growing demand for related services in this field.’
This story is reprinted from material from ASTM; with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
