Global standards leader ASTM International announced that Wichita State University's (WSU) National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) will join its Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence as its first “strategic” partner. ASTM International and four founding partners recently launched the center to support R&D that advances additive manufacturing standards, which in turn will drive commercialization of cutting-edge additive manufacturing technologies.

John Tomblin, WSU vice president for research and technology transfer, and Mohsen Seifi, ASTM International's director of global additive manufacturing programs, made the announcement today (Wednesday, Aug. 22) at a joint workshop focused on qualifying and certifying metal additively-manufactured parts. Hundreds of government and industry leaders attended the event, co-sponsored by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

“We're proud to be the first strategic partner in this globally-recognized center of excellence that will help build the technical foundation for the future of additive manufacturing,” Tomblin said. “The center is attracting an array of leading industry players to the table to speak with one voice and make an impact.”

“Building on its strengths, NIAR will lead efforts to qualify additively-manufactured materials and to further strengthen relationships with key aerospace regulators worldwide,” Seifi added. “Leveraging their expertise in R&D, we will develop much-needed standards that will significantly enhance certification in aviation and other industries. We're thrilled to have the NIAR team on board.”

NIAR is an industry-focused research institute at WSU, home to one of the world's leading aerospace engineering programs. As such, NIAR plans to be engaged in the center of excellence's R&D activities, education and workforce development efforts, and other functions and programs. 

To learn more about the center and its activities, visit www.amcoe.org or read this recent article in Standardization News.

Today's news follows last month's official launch of the center, when ASTM International signed an agreement with founding partners Auburn University, NASA, manufacturing technology innovator EWI, and the UK-based Manufacturing Technology Centre. 

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About ASTM International

Committed to serving global societal needs, ASTM International positively impacts public health and safety, consumer confidence, and overall quality of life. We integrate consensus standards – developed with our international membership of volunteer technical experts – and innovative services to improve lives… Helping our world work better.  

About Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR)

NIAR supports the aviation industry by providing research, development, testing, certification and training. Laboratories include Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Coatings, Aging Aircraft, Ballistic & Impact Dynamics, CAD/CAM, Composites & Advanced Materials, Crash Dynamics, Environmental Test, Flight Simulation, Full-Scale Structural Test, Mechanical Test, Nondestructive Test, Research Manufacturing, Reverse Engineering, Robotics & Automation, Virtual Engineering, Virtual Reality and the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel. NIAR operates on a nonprofit budget and is the largest university aviation R&D institution in the U.S., located in Wichita, Kansas, the “Air Capital of the World.”

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The mission of Wichita State University is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. Wichita State is a doctoral research university enrolling nearly 15,000 students and offering 59 undergraduate degree programs in more than 150 areas of study in seven undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 45 master's and 12 doctoral degrees that offer study in more than 100 areas. Wichita State's Innovation Campus is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university's vast resources and technology. For more information, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wichitastate and Facebook at www.facebook.com/wichita.state.