Kick-off Meeting Scheduled for March 31 in Philadelphia

NEW YORK, March 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) today announced the launch of the America Makes & ANSI Additive Manufacturing Standardization Collaborative (AMSC). The purpose of the AMSC will be to coordinate and accelerate the development of industry-wide additive manufacturing standards and specifications consistent with stakeholder needs and thereby facilitate the growth of the additive manufacturing industry. Participation is open to any interested person.

Established in 2012 as the flagship Institute for the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) infrastructure, America Makes is the nation's leading and collaborative partner in additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation. It is driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM).

Founded in 1918, ANSI serves as the administrator and coordinator of the United States private-sector voluntary standardization system. The Institute has a track record of convening stakeholders to define standardization needs that address national and global priorities in areas as diverse as energy efficiency in the built environment, electric vehicles, homeland security, and nanotechnology.

The catalyst for the AMSC is the fact that a number of standards developing organizations are engaged in standards-setting for various aspects of additive manufacturing, prompting the need for coordination to maintain a consistent, harmonized, and non-contradictory set of additive manufacturing standards.

The AMSC will identify existing standards and standards in development, assess gaps, and make recommendations for priority areas where there is a perceived need for additional standardization, including in relation to needs already identified in the America Makes Additive Manufacturing Technology Roadmap.

The AMSC inaugural meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 31 at Penn State at the Navy Yard, 4960 South 12th Street, Building 661, Symposium Room, Philadelphia, PA. The draft agenda and logistical information are available on the AMSC website. Advance registration for both in-person ($30) and remote participation is required.

Edward Morris, vice president of NCDMM and director of America Makes, said, "We are pleased to partner with ANSI given its reputation and experience in facilitating collaborative processes for coordinating standardization activities."

Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO, said, "We welcome this partnership with America Makes on the important work of identifying standards needed to accelerate the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies."

About America Makes
America Makes is the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute. As the national accelerator for additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing (3DP), America Makes is the nation's leading and collaborative partner in AM and 3DP technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation. Structured as a public-private partnership with member organizations from industry, academia, government, non-government agencies, and workforce and economic development resources, we are working together to innovate and accelerate AM and 3DP to increase our nation's global manufacturing competitiveness. Based in Youngstown, Ohio, America Makes is the first institute for up to 45 manufacturing innovation institutes to follow and is driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). For more information about America Makes, visit http://americamakes.us.

About NCDMM
The NCDMM delivers optimized manufacturing solutions that enhance the quality, affordability, maintainability, and rapid deployment of existing and yet-to-be developed defense systems. This is accomplished through collaboration with government, industry, and academic organizations to promote the implementation of best practices to key stakeholders through the development and delivery of disciplined training, advanced technologies, and methodologies. For additional information, visit the NCDMM at ncdmm.org.

About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide. The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For more information, visit www.ansi.org.