Developed with the UK Ministry of Defence under Project TAMPA, the guide provides a common, criticality-based approach to qualifying additively manufactured parts and supporting their certification.CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., July 1, 2026 — ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) has published a Strategic Guide on qualifying and certifying additively manufactured (AM) parts. The Strategic Guide to Certification of Additively Manufactured Parts in Defence Applications is available to download at no cost at amcoe.org.The guide gives defense organizations, manufacturers, and suppliers a common, criticality-based approach to qualifying AM parts and supporting their certification across the air, land, and maritime domains. Developed to support the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MOD) and its Project TAMPA, the guide will also serve defense supply chains and allied partners worldwide. Certification expectations for AM parts have varied from one design authority and prime contractor to the next. This barrier to adoption affects defense internationally, across many supply chains. Prepared under the AM CoE, the guide brings those expectations into a single, technology-agnostic reference that ties the level of certification evidence to the consequence of a part’s failure in service, rather than prescribing new requirements. The guide is a signposting resource rather than a standard or regulation. It sets out: A four-tier part classification (Class A through D) that links the expected certification evidence to a part’s safety criticality;Two certification courses of action—one based on process qualification, the other on testing—so suppliers can follow a pathway proportionate to part criticality;Evidence expectations across the core certification activities, including feedstock control, machine and process qualification, and product verification and non-destructive evaluation;Guidance that applies across the air, land, and maritime domains and across AM processes and material families;Support for earlier engagement between manufacturers, design organizations, and authorities, reducing uncertainty and streamlining qualification.“Additive manufacturing earns a place in defense only when a part can be trusted in service, and that trust depends on qualification and certification that hold up consistently across organizations, domains, and borders,” says Mohsen Seifi, Ph.D., ASTM International’s vice president of global advanced manufacturing. “This guide gives manufacturers and authorities across the global defense community a shared, criticality-based reference point.” Project TAMPA, the MOD’s additive manufacturing accelerator, identified inconsistent part certification as one of the central barriers to scaling AM across defense. Its findings have helped shape the UK’s first Defence Advanced Manufacturing Strategy and its vision for a network of certified AM production shared with allies, including through United States, AUKUS, and NATO initiatives. Although the work was funded by the UK MOD, the guide is written to be nation- and technology-agnostic, so defense manufacturers and allied supply chains beyond the UK can apply the same approach. The guide represents pre-standardization work, and should any of its concepts advance toward formal standardization, that work would proceed independently through ASTM’s open, consensus-based process. Feedback from organizations applying the guide can be submitted to amcoe@astm.org and will inform future revisions. Download the “Strategic Guide to Certification of Additively Manufactured Parts in Defence Applications” report hereAbout the AM CoE The AM CoE is a collaborative partnership representing industry, government, and academia to conduct strategic R&D to advance AM standardization. The center also aims to accelerate development and adoption of AM by developing training and certification programs, and providing market intelligence, business strategy, and advisory services through Wohlers Associates, powered by ASTM International. About ASTM International Advancing standards and transforming markets, we touch every part of everyday life – helping our world work better. Over 12,000 ASTM standards operate globally. Defined and set by us, they improve the lives of millions every day. Combined with our innovative business services, they enhance performance and help everyone have confidence in the things they buy and use. Media Inquiries: Gavin O’Reilly, tel +1.610.832.9618; goreilly@astm.org
ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) has published a Strategic Guide on qualifying and certifying additively manufactured (AM) parts.
Subscribe to Newsletters
Get the latest news from IMTS delivered to your inbox.