IOGP publishes guidance on qualification and procurement of AM parts
The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), headquartered in London, UK, has published guidance on qualifying and procuring additively manufactured parts for the oil and gas sector. Report 820, Quality Guideline for Additive Manufacturing (AM), is intended to support consistency and quality assurance throughout the procurement process.
The document provides structured tools and practical guidance to help technical, quality and procurement professionals interpret existing standards more consistently. It focuses on purchasing, qualification and documentation, particularly where standards require purchaser input and interpretation.
Topics covered include part criticality, inspection planning, material documentation and audit execution. According to IOGP, the guidance is intended to improve traceability, strengthen supply chain resilience and support future integration with digital inventory systems.
IOGP identifies global disruption, long lead times and high total ownership costs as challenges associated with traditional supply chains based on centralised manufacturing and physical inventories. It presents on-demand, localised production through AM as an alternative, citing potential benefits for supply chain flexibility, resilience and carbon footprint reduction.
The guidance is not intended to restrict innovation or flexibility. Manufacturers may propose alternative solutions or approaches, which purchasers may accept, provided that any deviations are supported by mutually agreed requirements and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
The report is available through IOGP’s publications portal.
