Overview
ISO/ASTM TR 52917:2022 - "Additive manufacturing - Round robin testing - General guidelines" provides practical guidance for planning, executing and managing round robin studies (RRS) in additive manufacturing (AM). The technical report focuses on organizing multi‑participant studies to assess variability in AM parts arising from feedstock, machine operation, process controls and post‑processing - with the goal of improving process maturation, populating materials databases and informing design allowables.
Key topics and requirements
- RRS governance
- Formation of an RRS task force and appointment of an RRS manager to set goals, scope and to support participants.
- Study development workflow
- Suggested sequence: define goals, prepare scope, develop a manufacturing plan, create a process control document, prepare measurement/testing plans, solicit participants, run pilot and full production runs, handle data and report results.
- Manufacturing plan elements
- Part description, machine requirements (make/model, software, calibration), facility requirements (environment, gases), feedstock handling and traceability, hardware/software setup, in‑process monitoring, post‑processing and sample identification.
- Process control document
- Record of process variables, procedures and build notes to ensure traceability and consistent reporting across participants.
- Measurement and testing plan
- Guidance for selecting applicable test methods and documenting controlled vs free parameters.
- Data handling and reporting
- Structured collection, interpretation and reporting of statistical variability; record keeping for traceability and reproducibility.
- Distinction from inter‑laboratory comparison
- An RRS characterizes variability in an AM process or material across nominally identical builds; it is not primarily an inter‑laboratory study of measurement method repeatability/accuracy.
Practical applications and users
This guidance is intended for:
- AM manufacturers and process engineers planning multi‑site validation or qualification studies
- Materials scientists and testing organizations populating materials databases and deriving design allowables
- Quality managers and R&D teams assessing process robustness and production readiness
- Standards bodies and consortia organizing collaborative studies to advance AM technology maturity
Practical benefits include improved traceability of feedstock and machine conditions, clearer definition of controlled vs free variables, and standardized approaches to pilot runs, full runs, data collection and reporting.
Related standards
- ISO/ASTM 52900 - Additive manufacturing: General principles - Fundamentals and vocabulary (referenced normative standard).