SAE International and the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) of Wichita State
University (WSU) have signed an agreement to collaborate on the development of globally
harmonized aerospace material and process specifications for advanced materials in
the aerospace and air transport industries.
“SAE International is pleased to partner with NCAMP on the development of aerospace
material and process specifications for advanced materials for new design as well
as repair,” David Alexander, Director of Aerospace Standards for SAE International,
said. “By utilizing industry consensus SAE Aerospace Material Specifications (AMS)
with associated PRI Qualified Products Lists, the aerospace industry benefits from
the availability of pedigreed materials which meet the requirements of aviation regulations
pertaining to material qualification and control.”
The agreement encompasses material and process specifications for composites, which
are developed by the SAE AMS P-17, Polymer Matrix Composites Committee and non-metal
additive manufacturing, which are developed by the SAE AMS-AM Nonmetals Committee.
“NCAMP’s continued partnership with SAE will benefit industry users by providing multiple
options for specifications, all linked to a public NCAMP material property qualification
database”, said John Tomblin, NCAMP director and WSU vice president for research and
technology transfer. “By continuing to implement the model set in place with composites
in 2010, NCAMP databases will benefit industry worldwide as both the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) accept the values
developed through the NCAMP process.”
FAA Policy Memo AIR100-2010-120-003, Acceptance of Composite Specifications and Design
Values Developed, which recognizes the NCAMP Process, identified NCAMP’s intention
to work closely with SAE International to convert NCAMP specifications to SAE AMS
specifications. One outcome of the MOU will enable the aerospace industry to utilize
either NCAMP Material Specifications or SAE Aerospace Material Specifications, depending
upon which specification meet their needs.
SAE International’s Aerospace Standards repository includes nearly 8,500 documents.
Its 350 committees are comprised of 10,000 experts from 56 countries. They represent
industry (airframers, suppliers, operators, MROs), regulatory authorities, military
agencies, researchers, and consultants. Document development serves the full spectrum
of aerospace businesses in both the commercial and military sectors thereby meeting
the engineering, advanced technology, safety, regulatory, and defense needs of a world
market.
SAE International is a global association committed to advancing mobility knowledge
and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical
experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe,
clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We act on two priorities: encouraging a
lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards
for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic
SAE Foundation, including programs like A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design
Series™.
NCAMP works with the FAA, as well as other government and industry partners to qualify
advanced material systems and populate a shared materials database that can be viewed
publicly. NCAMP provides the nation’s commercial and military aviation industry with
a center for the validation and quality assurance of composites and advanced materials
through data-sharing among multiple users, statistical continuity and reduced testing.
NCAMP works closely with the Composite Materials Handbook-17 (CMH-17) to approve advanced
material specification and design values. NCAMP is part of the National Institute
for Aviation Research at Wichita State University and stemmed from NASA's Advanced
General Aviation Transport Experiment (AGATE). www.niar.wichita.edu/ncamp