amsight to lead ESA DIQAM project for digital qualification of AM space components
amsight, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, has been selected to lead DIQAM – Digital Qualification Framework for Additively Manufactured Space Components, a twelve-month project focused on developing a digital framework for the qualification of additively manufactured space hardware.
The project began in September 2026 and is supported by ESA’s Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP) as part of its FIRST! Simulation & Intelligence activity. DIQAM is also scheduled to be presented at the ESA Future Space Transportation Autumn Session 2026 in Paris on October 14, 2026.
DIQAM will address the qualification of AM components, a process that can involve extensive inspection, CT scanning, the use of companion specimens, mechanical testing and the manual assembly of qualification evidence.
The project will develop and validate a Digital Qualification Evidence Framework intended to connect process data, material and powder information, machine and sensor data, post-processing records, CT inspection results and mechanical test data into a reusable digital qualification chain.
Planned outputs include a space-specific reference specification, a Digital Part Qualification File and a software prototype for automated data ingestion, evidence aggregation and statistical evaluation across the Additive Manufacturing supply chain.
The consortium includes ArianeGroup, InSpacePropulsion Technologies (ISPTech), APWORKS, Bimo Tech and Fraunhofer IAPT. The framework will be validated using two demonstrators: an ArianeGroup Phase Change Material container for Ariane 6 and an ISPTech 4U propellant tank for a CubeSat propulsion system.
“The DIQAM project is important for us at ESA because it develops a digital qualification framework that can systematically reuse qualification data, reduce redundant inspection and testing, and accelerate certification, enabling realistic and efficient use of additive manufacturing for European space systems,” stated Daniel Chipping, Systems Engineer at ESA.
Tim Wischeropp, CEO of amsight, added, “It confirms that the market’s next challenge is not simply producing AM parts, but proving them efficiently, consistently, and with data that can be reused. That is exactly where digital quality management becomes critical.”
ArianeGroup expects the proposed approach to improve the use of qualification data from different suppliers.
“A standardised digital file format that enables us to easily access, validate and reuse qualification data from different suppliers would allow us a significant improvement of our statistical database. Finally, this would significantly reduce testing efforts in the future by increasing confidence in the AM process,” said André Dröse, Lead Advanced Technologies, Materials and Concepts at ArianeGroup.
ISPTech also identified the manual handling of supplier documentation as a current challenge. Lukas Werling, CEO and co-founder of ISPTech, said, “Relevant information is often buried in extensive PDF reports, making it difficult to access, validate, and reuse. It is nearly impossible to compare data consistently across different suppliers and sources.”
ISPTech expects the project to establish a standardised digital file format for accessing, validating and reusing qualification data, with the aim of improving traceability and supporting a larger statistical database for AM processes.
For contract manufacturers, the project is intended to reduce the time required to compile qualification evidence.
“Today, compiling and interpreting all the quality evidence for a single part can take several hours. With DIQAM, we aim to reduce this effort to just one click,” said Andreas Funcke, Chief Technology Officer at APWORKS.
amsight stated that the approach developed through DIQAM could also be applicable to other regulated AM sectors where qualification evidence is distributed across multiple reports and data sources. The project will investigate how structured, machine-readable evidence could support qualification, traceability and statistical process control.
www.spacetransportation.esa.int
