Overview - ISO/ASTM 52929:2025 (Additive manufacturing, Powder bed fusion, Material data sheets)
ISO/ASTM 52929:2025 defines the minimum content and reporting requirements for material data sheets used for metal parts produced by powder bed fusion (PBF), including PBF-LB/M (laser) and PBF-EB/M (electron beam). The standard’s objective is to improve transparency and comparability of published material property values by specifying what boundary conditions, feedstock information, test methods and data-handling details must be reported. It is expressly not a qualification standard and does not mandate compulsory test quantities or establish qualification criteria.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Material properties to display (minimum):
- Chemical composition (mass %)
- Mechanical: hardness (HV/HBW/HR/HK), yield strength (Rp0.2), tensile strength (Rm), elongation at break (A%)
- Physical: relative density (%)
- Optional properties: impact energy, modulus of elasticity, fracture toughness, fatigue data, thermal/electrical conductivity, surface roughness, grain size, corrosion resistance.
- Boundary conditions to report:
- Applied PBF machine(s) (brand/model)
- Feedstock details: production method, material designation, particle-size quantiles (D10/D50/D90), batch purity/state code (1A/1B virgin/blend, 2A/2B used)
- Process parameter set: uniquely named per machine model (full parameter listing optional)
- Shielding gas and purity information
- Powder spreading device (brush, roller, blade, non-contact, etc.)
- Post-processing: heat treatments, HIP, surface modifications (with furnace type, temperatures, holding times, cooling strategy, pressures where applicable)
- Testing and data handling: clauses on tensile, hardness and density testing; guidance on specimen numbers, number of build jobs, combining data and reporting characteristic values.
- Documentation: datasheet should include a basic-information section (boundary conditions) and a value section (quantified properties). Annex A provides an example material data sheet.
Applications - who uses ISO/ASTM 52929
- PBF machine manufacturers and OEMs publishing material data
- Powder suppliers documenting feedstock characteristics
- Additive manufacturing service providers producing data for customers
- Designers, engineers and procurement teams comparing material options
- R&D labs seeking repeatable reporting formats for publications and material qualification studies (note: the standard itself is not a qualification scheme)
Related standards
- ISO/ASTM 52900 (AM fundamentals and vocabulary)
- ISO/ASTM 52927, 52907, 52928 (AM characteristics, powder characterisation)
- ISO 17295 (AM part positioning & orientation)
- ASTM E2586, ISO 3534-1 (statistics and reporting)
ISO/ASTM 52929:2025 is essential for anyone publishing or relying on material data sheets for metal PBF parts - it standardizes the presentation of material properties and the boundary conditions needed to interpret them reliably.