SASAM project starts – Support Action for Standardization on Additive Manufacturing

This project will contribute to set the Standards for Rapid prototyping and Additive Manufacturing within European Industry

International and European Standards regarding Additive Manufacturing (AM) are urgently required to promote and help implement a widespread use of the AM process and to evaluate existing products. The lack of availability of International and European Standards is hampering real industrial implementation of AM technology. As a consequence, SASAM’s project, whose kick-off meeting was held on September 17th & 18th 2012, aims at covering this gap.
This project has the objective to integrate the opinion of all stakeholders within Additive Manufacturing to establish a Roadmap to implement the necessary basis to reach the effective standardization of AM technologies. The European Standards Organization CEN has will actively support this project by organizing two open events where stakeholders will meet to discuss AM standardization needs. The first event is planned for March 2013.
The SASAM project is very important, as the rapid evolution of Rapid Prototyping and Additive Manufacturing has overtaken the standardization work and their protocols. Accordingly, no objective comparable information is available for any products manufactured either by Additive Manufacturing or Rapid Prototyping. As a result, industry finds itself in an unclear environment and must rely on the information given by providers, which could provoke considerable conflicts of interest. Additionally, its relationship with other over-regulated industries that use conventional processes makes it difficult for Additive Manufacturing to comply with and enter into fair competence with these conventional manufacturing techniques.
This project, lead by TNO, is supported by the European Commission within a NMP-SA-2012-319167 (G.A II.30.4). It is structured in 5 Work Packages (WP) and foreseen to be developed within 18 months, from September, 1st, 2012. It is lead by TNO and participated by 18 partners of the size of Siemens, SINTEF or CETIM, several research organisations like SIRRIS (B), University of Loughborough (GB), or inspire (CH), and several national standardization organisms from The Netherlands (NEN), France (UNM) and Sweden (SIS).

AIJU Research Centre is a Spanish private, non-profit making organization aiming to boost research, development and technological innovation in consumer and children products, leisure and plastic and related industries (mould makers, packaging, automotive, electronics,...). It is located in Ibi (Alicante) and its capabilities and technologies have been constantly evolving since it was founded, back in 1985, in order to adapt to new industry requirements (with more than 500 associated companies and 1000 clients) and trends. With 78 employees and premises of 5000 m2, including testing laboratories, Play Lab, pilot plants and training rooms, AIJU has a multidisciplinary staff composed by designers, chemists, engineers, psychologists and expert technicians in diverse fields of knowledge working in the development, testing and validating different products considering technical, industrial, environmental and sustainability, quality and safety requirements.
AIJU is a notified body in Europe (and accredited also in the USA) for safety assessment on different children products, playgrounds, etc., regarding chemical and mechanical risks, and is member of other four CEN Committees.
Some of the current Research fields and services of AIJU include Product development, Additive Manufacturing and Reverse Engineering (functional and aesthetic prototypes, rapid tooling, pre-series, digitalization, design of moulds, CAD/CAE, EDM electrodes etc.); Development of new materials and processing (new formulations, nanomaterials, injection moulding, energy…); Customization and comfort evaluation of products fitted to the body geometry; Simulation & Virtual Reality; Eco-desing; Research on play and disability, active ageing, accessibility, assistive technologies, sporting, etc., combined with ICT technologies.

AIJU
Avda. de la Industria, 23
03440 Ibi (Alicante)
Tel. +34965554475
Pepi Galvañ (proyectos@aiju.info)

This release was published on openPR.