ISO 17295:2023

Overview

ISO 17295:2023 - Additive manufacturing - General principles - Part positioning, coordinates and orientation - defines a common method to describe where and how parts are placed inside AM build volumes. The standard provides specifications and illustrations for machine coordinate systems, bounding boxes, initial build orientation and orthogonal orientation notation so that results from testing, production reports and technical communications are consistent and reproducible across additive manufacturing (AM) systems.

Key topics and requirements

• Machine coordinate systems: Defines 3D Cartesian coordinate systems for AM machines, including common conventions for upward and downward Z‑positive build directions.
• Axes of rotation rule: Specifies the positive direction for rotary axes (A, B, C) relative to linear axes (X, Y, Z) consistent with right‑hand conventions.
• Bounding box and part coordinate system: Requires use of bounding boxes to communicate overall part orientation and geometric centre relative to the build origin.
• Initial build orientation: Describes how to specify the part’s starting placement in the build volume - via 3D models that can be interrogated or by annotated images - to unambiguously report test setups.
• Orthogonal orientation notation: Provides a standardized notation (e.g., ZXY) to list bounding box axis alignments by descending overall dimension, with rules for abbreviation when symmetry permits.
• Representation of reorientation and multiple occurrences: Covers how to report part location changes and multiple instances within a build.
• Illustrations and examples: Includes figures and examples to clarify notation and orientation for common AM process categories.

Practical applications and users

Who benefits:

• AM manufacturers and machine vendors - for consistent build reporting and machine documentation.
• Test labs and QA teams - to ensure reproducible test setups when reporting mechanical or dimensional results.
• Designers and engineers (DfAM) - to document intended build orientation for performance, support planning and post‑process considerations.
• Researchers and educators - to standardize experimental methods and published data.
• Regulators, certification bodies and media - to interpret and compare published AM test results reliably.

Why it matters:

• Improves reproducibility of test results and benchmarking across different AM platforms.
• Enables clearer communication of build setups in technical reports, publications and specifications.
• Supports data exchange and traceability for quality control and certification workflows.

Related standards

• ISO 841 - Coordinate system and motion nomenclature (principles aligned with ISO 17295).
• ISO/ASTM 52900 - Additive manufacturing fundamentals and vocabulary (terms referenced).
• ISO 17295:2023 replaces ISO/ASTM 52921:2013 and consolidates orientation-related guidance for AM.