EN ISO/ASTM 52910:2019

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-december-2019
Dodajalna izdelava - Konstruiranje - Zahteve, smernice in priporočila (ISO/ASTM
52910:2018)
Additive manufacturing - Design - Requirements, guidelines and recommendations
(ISO/ASTM 52910:2018)
Additive Fertigung - Konstruktion - Anforderungen, Richtlinien und Empfehlungen
(ISO/ASTM 52910:2018)
Fabrication additive - Conception - Exigences, lignes directrices et recommandations
(ISO/ASTM 52910:2018)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO/ASTM 52910:2019
ICS:
25.030 3D-tiskanje Additive manufacturing
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO/ASTM 52910
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
October 2019
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 25.030
English Version
Additive manufacturing - Design - Requirements,
guidelines and recommendations (ISO/ASTM 52910:2018)
Fabrication additive - Conception - Exigences, lignes Additive Fertigung - Konstruktion - Anforderungen,
directrices et recommandations (ISO/ASTM Richtlinien und Empfehlungen (ISO/ASTM
52910:2018) 52910:2018)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 12 August 2019.

This European Standard was corrected and reissued by the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre on 30 October 2019.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATIO N

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUN G

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2019 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO/ASTM 52910:2019 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
The text of ISO/ASTM 52910:2018 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 261 "Additive
manufacturing” of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been taken over as
secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by April 2020, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by April 2020.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO/ASTM 52910:2018 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO/ASTM 52910:2019 without
any modification.
INTERNATIONAL ISO/ASTM
STANDARD 52910
First edition
2018-07
Additive manufacturing — Design
— Requirements, guidelines and
recommendations
Fabrication additive — Conception — Exigences, lignes directrices et
recommandations
Reference number
ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
©
ISO/ASTM International 2018
ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
© ISO/ASTM International 2018
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may be
reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester. In the United States, such requests should be sent to ASTM International.
ISO copyright office ASTM International
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, USA
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11 Phone: +610 832 9634
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Email: copyright@iso.org Email: khooper@astm.org
Website: www.iso.org Website: www.astm.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO/ASTM International 2018 – All rights reserved

ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Purpose . 3
5 Design opportunities and limitations . 6
5.1 General . 6
5.2 Design opportunities . 7
5.3 Design limitations. 8
6 Design considerations . 9
6.1 General . 9
6.2 Product considerations . 9
6.3 Product usage considerations .10
6.3.1 General.10
6.3.2 Thermal environment .10
6.3.3 Chemical exposure .10
6.3.4 Radiation exposure .10
6.3.5 Other exposure .11
6.4 Sustainability considerations .11
6.5 Business considerations .12
6.6 Geometry considerations .14
6.7 Material property considerations .16
6.7.1 General.16
6.7.2 Mechanical properties .16
6.7.3 Thermal properties.17
6.7.4 Electrical properties .17
6.7.5 Other .17
6.8 Considerations related to different process categories .18
6.8.1 General.18
6.8.2 Specific considerations for different process categories.18
6.8.3 Other considerations .20
6.9 Communication considerations .20
7 Warnings to designers .21
Bibliography .23
© ISO/ASTM International 2018 – All rights reserved iii

ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following
URL: www .iso .org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by ISO/TC 261, Additive manufacturing, in cooperation with ASTM F42,
Additive Manufacturing Technologies, on the basis of a partnership agreement between ISO and ASTM
International with the aim to create a common set of ISO/ASTM standards on additive manufacturing.
iv © ISO/ASTM International 2018 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
Additive manufacturing — Design — Requirements,
guidelines and recommendations
CAUTION — This document does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any,
associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this document to establish
appropriate Health and Safety (H&S) practices and determine the applicability of limitations
prior to use.
1 Scope
This document gives requirements, guidelines and recommendations for using additive manufacturing
(AM) in product design.
It is applicable during the design of all types of products, devices, systems, components or parts that
are fabricated by any type of AM system. This document helps determine which design considerations
can be utilized in a design project or to take advantage of the capabilities of an AM process.
General guidance and identification of issues are supported, but specific design solutions and process-
specific or material-specific data are not supported.
The intended audience comprises three types of users:
— designers who are designing products to be fabricated in an AM system and their managers;
— students who are learning mechanical design and computer-aided design; and
— developers of AM design guidelines and design guidance systems.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/ASTM 52921, Standard terminology for additive manufacturing — Coordinate systems and test
methodologies
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/ASTM 52921 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https: //www .iso .org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http: //www .electropedia .org/
© ISO/ASTM International 2018 – All rights reserved 1

ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
3.1 Additive manufacturing process categories
3.1.1
binder jetting
additive manufacturing process in which a liquid bonding agent is selectively deposited to join powder
materials
1)
[SOURCE: ISO/ASTM 52900:— , 3.2.1]
3.1.2
directed energy deposition
additive manufacturing process in which focused thermal energy is used to fuse materials by melting
as they are being deposited
[SOURCE: ISO/ASTM 52900:—, 3.2.2 — Note 1 to entry has been deleted]
3.1.3
material extrusion
additive manufacturing process in which material is selectively dispensed through a nozzle or orifice
[SOURCE: ISO/ASTM 52900:—, 3.2.3]
3.1.4
material jetting
additive manufacturing process in which droplets of build material are selectively deposited
[SOURCE: ISO/ASTM 52900:—, 3.2.4 — Note 1 to entry has been deleted]
3.1.5
powder bed fusion
additive manufacturing process in which thermal energy selectively fuses regions of a powder bed
[SOURCE: ISO/ASTM 52900:—, 3.2.5]
3.1.6
sheet lamination
additive manufacturing process in which sheets of material are bonded to form an object
[SOURCE: ISO/ASTM 52900:—, 3.2.6 — “a part” has been replaced with “an object”]
3.1.7
vat photopolymerization
additive manufacturing process in which liquid photopolymer in a vat is selectively cured by light-
activated polymerization
[SOURCE: ISO/ASTM 52900:—, 3.2.7]
3.2 Other definitions
3.2.1
design consideration
topic that can influence decisions made by a part designer
Note 1 to entry: The designer determines to what extent the topic can affect the part being designed and takes
appropriate action.
1) Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: ISO/DIS 52900:2018.
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ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
3.2.2
process chain
sequence of manufacturing processes that is necessary for the part to achieve all of its desired
properties
4 Purpose
4.1 This document provides requirements, guidelines and recommendations for designing parts
and products to be produced by AM processes. Conditions of the part or product that favour AM are
highlighted. Similarly, conditions that favour conventional manufacturing processes are also highlighted.
The main elements include the following:
— the opportunities and design freedoms that AM offers designers (Clause 5);
— the issues that designers should consider when designing parts for AM, which comprises the main
content of these guidelines (Clause 6); and
— warnings to designers, or “red flag” issues, that indicate situations that often lead to problems in
many AM systems (Clause 7).
4.2 The overall strategy of design for AM is illustrated in Figure 1. It is a representative process for
designing mechanical parts for structural applications, where cost is the primary decision criterion.
The designer could replace cost with quality, delivery time, or other decision criterion, if applicable.
In addition to technical considerations related to functional, mechanical or process characteristics, the
designer should also consider risks associated with the selection of AM processes.
4.3 The process for identifying general potential for fabrication by AM is illustrated in Figure 2. This is
an expansion of the “identification of general AM potential” box on the left side of Figure 1. As illustrated,
the main decision criteria focus on material availability, whether or not the part fits within a machine’s
build volume, and the identification of at least one part characteristic (customization, lightweighting,
complex geometry) for which AM is particularly well suited. These criteria are representative of many
mechanical engineering applications for technical parts, but are not meant to be complete.
4.4 An expansion for the “AM process selection” box in Figure 1 is presented in Figure 3, illustrating
that the choice of material is critical in identifying a suitable process or processes. If a suitable material
and process combination can be identified, then consideration of other design requirements can proceed,
including surface considerations and geometry, static physical and dynamic physical properties, among
others. These figures are meant to be illustrative of typical practice for many types of mechanical parts,
but should not be interpreted as prescribing necessary practice.
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ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
Figure 1 — Overall strategy for design for AM
4 © ISO/ASTM International 2018 – All rights reserved

ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
Figure 2 — Procedure for identification of AM potential
© ISO/ASTM International 2018 – All rights reserved 5

ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
Material: metal
Powder bed Material
Main technical issues Material jetting Sheet lamination
fusion extrusion
Surface
Roughness
Staircase effect
Geometrical properties
Geometrical accuracy
Static physical properties
Porosity
Tensile strength
Ductility
Dynamic physical properties
Life cycle fatigue
Figure 3 — Parameters for the AM process selection
5 Design opportunities and limitations
5.1 General
Additive manufacturing differs from other manufacturing processes for several reasons and these
differences lead to unique design opportunities and freedoms that are highlighted here. As a general
rule, if a part can be fabricated economically using a conventional manufacturing process, that part
should probably not be produced using AM. Instead, parts that are good candidates for AM tend to have
complex geometries, custom geometries, low production volumes, special combinations of properties
or characteristics, or some combination of these characteristics. As processes and materials improve,
the emphasis on these characteristics will likely change. In Clause 5, some design opportunities are
highlighted and some typical limitations are identified.
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ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
5.2 Design opportunities
5.2.1 Background — AM fabricates parts by adding material in a layer-by-layer manner. Due to the
nature of AM processes, AM has many more degrees of freedom than other manufacturing processes.
For example, a part can be composed of millions of droplets if fabricated in a material jetting process.
Discrete control over millions of operations at micro to nano scales is both an opportunity and a challenge.
Unprecedented levels of interdependence are evident among considerations and manufacturing process
variables, which distinguishes AM from conventional manufacturing processes. Capabilities to take
advantage of design opportunities can be limited by the complexities of process planning.
5.2.2 Overview — The layer-based, additive nature means that virtually any part shapes can be fabricated
without hard tooling, such as moulds, dies or fixtures. Geometries that are customized to individuals
(customers or patients) can be economically fabricated. Very sophisticated geometric constructions
are possible using cellular structures (honeycombs, lattices, foams) or more general structures. Often,
multiple parts that were conventionally manufactured can be replaced with a single part, or smaller
number of parts, that is geometrically more complex than the parts being replaced. This can lead to the
development of parts that are lighter and perform better than the assemblies they replace. Furthermore,
such part count reduction (called part consolidation) has numerous benefits for downstream activities.
Assembly time, repair time, shop floor complexity, replacement part inventory and tooling can be reduced,
leading to cost savings throughout the life of the product. An additional consideration is that geometrically
complex medical models can be fabricated easily from medical image data.
5.2.3 In many AM processes, material compositions or properties can be varied throughout a part. This
capability leads to functionally graded parts, in which desired mechanical property distributions can be
fabricated by varying either material composition or material microstructure. If effective mechanical
properties are desired to vary throughout a part, the designer can achieve this by taking advantage of
the geometric complexity capability of AM processes. If varying material composition or microstructure
is desired, then such variations can often be achieved, but with limits dependent on the specific process
and machine. Across the range of AM processes, some processes enable point-by-point material variation
control, some provide discrete control within a layer, and almost all processes enable discrete control
between layers (vat photopolymerization is the exception). In the material jetting and binder jetting
processes, material composition can be varied in virtually a continuous manner, droplet-to-droplet or
even by mixing droplets. Similarly, the directed energy deposition process can produce variable material
compositions by varying the powder composition that is injected into the melt pool. Discrete control
of material composition can be achieved in material extrusion processes by using multiple deposition
heads, as one example. Powder bed fusion (PBF) processes can have limitations since difficulties can
arise in separating unmelted mixed powders. It is important to note that specific machine capabilities
will change and evolve over time, but the trend is toward increasing material composition flexibility and
property control capability.
5.2.4 A significant opportunity exists to optimize the design of parts to yield unprecedented structural
properties. The concept of “design for functionality” can be realized, meaning that if a part’s functions
can be defined mathematically, the part can be optimized to achieve those functions. Novel topology
and shape optimization methods have been developed in this regard. Resulting designs can have very
complex geometric constructions, utilizing honeycomb, lattice or foam internal structures, can have
complex material compositions and variations, or can have a combination of both. Research is needed in
this area, but some examples of this are emerging.
5.2.5 Other opportunities involve some business considerations. Since no tooling is required for part
fabrication using AM, lead times can be very short. Little investment in part-specific infrastructure is
needed, which enables mass customization and responsiveness to market changes. In the case of repair,
remanufacturing of components could be highly advantageous both from cost as well as lead time
perspectives.
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ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
5.3 Design limitations
5.3.1 Overview — It is useful to point out design characteristics that indicate situations when AM should
probably not be used. Stated concisely, if a part can be fabricated economically using a conventional
manufacturing process and can meet requirements, then it is not likely to be a good candidate for AM.
The designer should balance cost, value delivered and risks when deciding whether to pursue AM.
5.3.2 A primary advantage of AM processes is their flexibility in fabricating a variety of part shapes,
complex and customized shapes, and possibly complex material distributions. If one desires mass
production of simple part shapes in large production volumes, then AM is not likely to be suitable without
significant improvements in fabrication time and cost.
5.3.3 A designer shall be aware of the material choices available, the variety and quality of feedstocks,
and how the material’s mechanical and other physical properties vary from those used in other
manufacturing processes. Materials in AM have different characteristics and properties because they are
processed differently than in conventional manufacturing processes. Designers should be aware that the
properties of AM components are highly sensitive to process parameters and that process variability is
a significant issue that can constrain freedom of design. Additionally, designers should understand the
anisotropies that are often present in AM processed materials. In some processes, properties in the build
plane (X, Y directions) are different than in the build direction (Z axis). With some metals, mechanical
properties better than wrought can be achieved. However, typically fatigue and impact strength
properties are not as good in AM processed parts in their as-built state as in conventionally processed
materials.
5.3.4 All AM machines discretize part geometry prior to fabricating a part. The discretization can take
several forms. For example, most AM machines fabricate parts in a layer-by-layer manner. In material
and binder jetting, discrete droplets of material are deposited. In other processes, discrete vector strokes
(e.g. of a laser) are used to process material. Due to the discretization of part geometry, external part
surfaces are often not smooth since the divisions between layers are evident. In other cases, parts can
have small internal voids.
5.3.5 Geometry discretization has several other effects. Small features can be ill-formed. Thin walls or
struts that are slanted, relative to the build direction, can be thicker than desired. Also, if the wall or strut
is nearly horizontal, the wall or strut can be very weak since relatively little overlap can occur between
successive layers. Similarly, small negative features such as holes can suffer the opposite effect, becoming
smaller than desired and having distorted shapes.
5.3.6 Post-processing is required for many AM processes or can be desired by the end user. A variety
of mechanical, chemical and thermal methods may be applied. Several AM process types utilize support
structures when building parts which need to be removed. In some cases, supports can be removed
using solvents, but in others the supports have to be mechanically removed. One should be aware of the
additional labour, manual component handling and time these operations require. Additionally, designers
should understand that the presence of support structures can affect the surface finish or accuracy of the
supported surfaces. In addition to support structure removal, other post-processing operations can be
needed or desired, including excess powder removal, surface finish improvement, machining, thermal
treatments and coatings. If a part has any internal cavities, the designer should design features into the
part that enable support structures, unsintered powder (PBF) or liquid resin (vat photopolymerization)
to be removed from those cavities. Depending on accuracy and surface finish requirements, the part can
require finish machining, polishing, grinding, bead blasting or shot-peening. Metal parts can require a
thermal treatment for relieving residual stresses, for example. Coatings can be required, such as painting,
electroplating or resin infiltration. Post processing operations increase the cost of AM components.
5.3.7 Each AM process has a limited build envelope. If a part is larger than the build envelope of an AM
process, then it can be divided into multiple parts, which are to be assembled after fabrication. In some
cases, this is not technically or economically feasible.
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ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
6 Design considerations
6.1 General
Several categories of design considerations have been identified, including product, usage, sustainability,
business, geometric, material property, process and communication considerations.
6.2 Product considerations
6.2.1 Design effectiveness — The designer can generate part shapes and configurations that optimize
performance and efficiency. Parts can be designed for desired properties, such as minimum weight,
maximum stiffness, etc., by designing shapes that are as efficient as possible. It can also be possible to
design a part to perform multiple functions, through the use of multiple materials, complex shapes or
part consolidation, which can have significant efficiency benefits.
6.2.2 Part or product consolidation — It is good design practice to minimize the number of parts in a
product or module, but not at a loss of functionality. A part can be merged into neighbouring part(s) if
they can be fabricated out of the same material, do not need to move relative to each other, and do not
need to be removed to enable access to another part. This practice is often called part consolidation,
which is a standard design-for-assembly consideration.
6.2.3 Assembly features — This is a standard design-for-assembly consideration. Parts should be
designed with features that enable easy insertion and fixation during assembly operations. AM can
enable integration of assembly features into most part designs, such as snap-fits, alignment features and
features to support other parts (ribs, bosses). The capability of AM to fabricate geometrically complex
designs provides a greater degree of design flexibility/freedom and designers are encouraged to be
innovative in designing assembly features. Designers should also take note of the assembly requirements
where mating surfaces require additional traditional machining, for AM metal parts in particular. For
example, there are design considerations where a part is designed for conventional machining followed
by assembly.
6.2.4 Multi-part mechanisms — In many AM processes, it is possible to design working mechanisms,
i.e. parts that move relative to one another, without the need for secondary assembly operations.
Kinematic joints, such as revolute, sliding and cam joints, can be designed to enable relative motion
between parts. In powder bed fusion processes, joints can provide motion if powder can be removed. In
vat photopolymerization processes, liquid resin easily flows out of joints, which enables motion. In other
processes requiring support structures, moving mechanisms are possible if the support material can be
removed easily from joint regions, for example if soluble support material is used.
6.2.5 Compliant mechanisms — AM can enable creative designs of complex 2D and 3D mechanisms.
In contrast to multi-part mechanisms, other types of mechanisms cause relative movement between the
input and the output through designed bending patterns. That is, structural elements of the mechanism
bend in a manner that causes desired input-output behaviour. The simplest types of compliant
mechanisms simply replace pin joints with thin plates that act as compliant hinges.
6.2.6 Relationships with processes and process chains — The accuracy and surface finish of part
surfaces depend on build orientation and other process variables. A sequence of processes (“process
chain”) can be needed in order to achieve desired accuracy and finish requirements, which the designer
needs to consider. By designing a suitable process chain, it can be possible to use an AM process for part
fabrication, even if that process alone is not capable of meeting all design requirements.
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ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
6.3 Product usage considerations
6.3.1 General
Design considerations shall also be based upon the type of environment which the product experiences
throughout its useful life. This can include operating conditions, but can also refer to conditions in
storage or during maintenance and repair. Material properties can be affected by the environmental
conditions outlined in 6.3.2, 6.3.3, 6.3.4 and 6.3.5.
6.3.2 Thermal environment
6.3.2.1 Exposure temperature range (extremes) — The maximum and minimum temperatures to which
the product is exposed should be defined. The designer should ensure that the selected part material
maintains the required physical properties over the entire temperature range that the product experiences
during its operational life. Product designs shall be functional over the entire temperature range.
6.3.2.2 Operational temperature range — The material properties should exceed the required
functional performance when exposed to the entire temperature range the product will experience over
the majority of its operational life. The designer should ensure that the selected part material maintains
required physical geometry and material properties over its operational temperature range.
6.3.2.3 Cyclic thermal exposure (or thermal fatigue) — Periodic thermal changes that the product
experiences during its operational life can permanently degrade material properties (i.e. aging).
6.3.2.4 Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) properties — Thermal expansion of the product while
operating near or at the extremes of its temperature range can change part geometry and material
properties. CTE mismatch between mating components can lead to induced stresses and potentially
failures. This is commonly reported using ASTM E228.
6.3.3 Chemical exposure
6.3.3.1 Chemicals — Identification of chemicals that can come in contact with the product should be
determined due to possible chemical reactivity with the product material.
6.3.3.2 Liquid absorption — Some AM materials can absorb certain liquids that contact them, possibly
causing the material to swell, degrade or suffer other unintended negative consequences.
6.3.3.3 Degradation/aging of material — This is a possible consequence of exposure to chemicals,
whether they are gases, liquids or solids. This can also be a consequence of usage, wear-and-tear, etc. An
example is humidity; a product might not have a problem in dry (arid) areas but fail when it is operating
in a more humid environment.
6.3.3.4 Forms of corrosion — The surrounding materials and the environment in which the AM metallic
product will be in contact shall be understood to mitigate all possible forms of corrosion.
6.3.4 Radiation exposure
6.3.4.1 Non-ionizing — Damaging radiation such as visible light, radio waves, microwaves and low
level exposures to UV light can affect material properties depending upon exposure levels.
6.3.4.2 Ionizing — Alpha, beta, cosmic rays, gamma rays and X-ray radiation exposure levels shall be
considered for possible effects to material properties.
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ISO/ASTM 52910:2018(E)
6.3.5 Other exposure
6.3.5.1 Biological exposure — Exposure to biological materials can cause material degradation
or changes in properties. These materials can include human fluids or tissues, other animal fluids or
tissues, plants or plant tissues, and algae or other microscopic organisms. Many of these considerations
are covered by US FDA or other international regulations and designers should reference the relevant
regulations.
6.3.5.2 Environmental combinations — Combinations of all environmental considerations (thermal,
chemical and radiation) shall be considered as material properties are affected when multiple conditions
are present.
6.4 Sustainability considerations
6.4.1 Companies, consumers and governments often want to understand the impact of a product and
its manufacturing process on the Earth’s environment and natural resources. Sustainability typically
deals with ecological impact and the desire to reduce negative human impact. As such, the topic of
sustainability deserves attention when designing parts to be fabricated by AM. The presentation of
considerations starts with the concept of reduce, recycle and reuse.
6.4.2 Reduce — Reduction in material content in parts can yield significant savings over the lifetime
of a product. For example, a 1 kg reduction in airplane mass across a fleet can save many thousands of
litres of jet fuel and eliminate millions of kilograms of CO emissions per year. Compared to conventional
manufacturing processes, no tooling is needed, which reduces the usage of material during fabrication.
Another example is the elimination of initial “stock” for machining and the need to machine off the
majority of the material in order to fabricate a complex part. Designers are encouraged to use available
design freedom to creatively design parts to be as efficient as possible while achieving all requirements.
6.4.3 Recycle — Recyclability refers to the capability of recovering the materials used in a part or
product. Recycled materials become raw materials for a subsequent manufacturing process. Typically,
metals are easily recycled, many thermoplastics are recyclable (to an extent), but thermoset polymers
are not typically recyclable. ABS, polycarbonate (used in extrusion processes) and polyamide (used
in polymer powder bed fusion) tend to be recyclable; however, designers should check the particular
polymer blends used for AM processes. Typically the photopolymers used in material jetting and vat
photopolymerization processes are not recyclable.
Although most materials are, technically, recyclable, limitations exist in many instances where specific
materials are not commercially recycled due to various factors, including logistics, separation issues
or economics. Users are advised to take this into consideration when evaluating this aspect of material
selection.
6.4.4 Recycling logos — Originally developed by the Society of Plastics Industry (SPI), the resin
identification coding system dictates the symbols to be used on plastic parts to indicate the specific
polymer composition of the part. The ASTM committee D20 on Plastics currently manages the resin
identification coding system and has developed a standard practice for this topic as ASTM D7611-13. The
identification symbols are readily visible on consumer parts and are often used in community recycling
programs to assist workers in separating different materials. Part designers should add these resin
identification code symbols to their designs if parts are to be used for production purposes.
6.4.5 Reuse — Reuse refers to using a part after its original use without destroying its geometry,
as is done in material recycling. Often, a reused part is used for a different purpose, one that is not as
demanding on the part’s properties. Other times, a part can be refurbished and reused for its original
purpose. If a company wants to pursue a reuse strategy, then designers should design parts for extended
lifetimes. Hence, there can be a tradeoff between “reduce” objectives and “reuse” objectives.
© ISO/ASTM International
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