Overview
EN ISO/ASTM 52911-1:2019 - Additive manufacturing - Design - Part 1: Laser‑based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF‑LB/M) is a CEN-adopted international standard that consolidates design guidance and a state‑of‑the‑art review for laser-based powder bed fusion of metals. It specifies features of the PBF‑LB/M process and provides detailed, practical design recommendations to help engineers and designers exploit the capabilities of metal powder bed fusion while managing its process‑specific constraints.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard covers design-related aspects and process characteristics without prescribing machine settings. Major technical topics include:
- Characteristics of powder bed fusion (PBF) - general process description, typical part sizes, benefits and limitations of PBF‑LB/M.
- Feature constraints - guidance on islands, overhangs, and the stair‑step effect that influence geometry and surface finish.
- Dimensional, form and positional accuracy - considerations for achievable tolerances and factors affecting part fidelity.
- Data quality and representation - recommendations for digital model resolution and build data preparation.
- Design guidelines for PBF‑LB/M - material and structural considerations, recommended approaches to support structures, build orientation, part positioning and powder spreading.
- Thermal and mechanical effects - discussion of curl/warpage, anisotropy of material properties and their design implications.
- Surface roughness and post‑processing - strategies for surface finishing, powder removal, support removal, heat treatment and achieving final geometric tolerances.
- Design considerations - advice on cavities, gaps, minimum wall thicknesses, holes, channels, and integrated markings.
- Examples and materials - practical design examples (e.g., integral designs, gear geometry) and an informative annex on materials suitable for PBF‑LB/M.
The document references and extends ISO/ASTM 52910 design guidance and includes normative references and a bibliography for further reading.
Applications
EN ISO/ASTM 52911-1:2019 is practical for organizations designing metal parts for additive manufacturing, particularly when using laser‑based powder bed fusion. Typical applications include:
- Complex, lightweight structural components
- Internal cavities and conformal channels (e.g., cooling, fluidics)
- Prototypes and low‑volume production parts with high geometric complexity
- Functional parts requiring post‑processing and tight integration with traditional manufacturing
Who should use this standard
- Design engineers and CAD specialists creating parts for PBF‑LB/M
- Additive manufacturing process engineers and build planners
- Quality and production managers implementing AM workflows
- AM service providers, OEMs and technical procurement teams seeking standardized design practices
Related standards
- ISO/ASTM 52910 - General design guidelines for additive manufacturing, which EN ISO/ASTM 52911-1:2019 extends for PBF‑LB/M
- The EN/ISO/ASTM 52911 series - for additional parts and complementary guidance
This standard is essential for practitioners aiming to optimize part performance and manufacturability with laser‑based powder bed fusion, improving design decisions and reducing iterative build cycles.