Lockheed Martin first to be certified for Additive Manufacturing safety by UL

News
October 29, 2018

October 29, 2018

Lockheed Martin, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, has been named as the first organisation to be certified to UL 3400, a set of safety guidelines addressing hazards associated with Additive Manufacturing facilities, by global safety science company UL. The certification was issued to Lockheed Martin’s Additive Design and Manufacturing Center (ADMC) in Sunnyvale, California, USA.

UL published UL 3400, ‘Outline of Investigation for Additive Manufacturing Facility Safety Management’, in 2017. Balu V Nair, UL’s AM Lead Development Engineer, stated, “Employers, employees, local regulators as well as insurance companies who have to underwrite Additive Manufacturing facilities, were not fully aware of the inherent material and technology risks.”

“Safety is designed rather than built,” he continued. “Not a single standard or statutory guideline was available that specifically focused on AM. Other standards and guidelines were developed for conventional manufacturing processes. We decided to address this industry need by developing a set of guidelines with exclusive focus on additive manufacturing.”

UL 3400 takes into consideration three ‘layers’ of safety: material, equipment and the facility as a whole. The guideline references applicable standards from the US’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Fire Protection Association, UL and ASTM International, among others. The guideline was created with the global market in mind and covers the potential hazards and risk mitigation measures required for the safe functioning of the facility.

Lockheed Martin’s 6,775m2 ADMC is said to be unique among the company’s additive facilities. Focused on space applications, it aims to bridge the gap between materials research and the manufacturing floor to enable engineers can design and produce superior satellite parts faster and at lower cost.

Thomas Malko, Vice President of Engineering & Technology at Lockheed Martin Space, stated, “Lockheed Martin built the first 3D printed parts bound for deep space on the Juno spacecraft and we’ve been at the forefront of Additive Manufacturing ever since. This facility builds on our sixty years of Silicon Valley research and decades of satellite manufacturing expertise, so we can launch lighter, more affordable products faster.”

“Lockheed Martin’s ultimate goal is to build satellites in half the time and cost, and this facility will accelerate that capability for our customers,” he continued. “Now with UL certification, we can move forward with confidence, both within the company and with our customers, showing we are paving the way for the factory of the future.”

www.lockheedmartin.com

www.UL.com/am

News
October 29, 2018

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Kennametal: The story of the successful commercialisation of AM hardmetal and steel solutions
  • General Atomics Aeronautical on metal Additive Manufacturing’s place at the centre of the digital manufacturing revolution
  • Adrian Keppler on Additive Manufacturing: An insider’s assessment from the outside
  • Metal AM’s journey to industrialisation: Are we there yet? And what does the destination even look like?
  • A stronger future, layer by layer: How next-generation software will drive adoption of metal AM
  • Volkmann: Making the case for the complete automation of powder handling in AM
  • Metal AM on an industrial scale: GKN Additive draws on decades of sintering expertise to commercialise Binder Jetting
  • International Conference on Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing: Highlights from EBAM 2023

The world of metal AM to your inbox

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Sign up

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
View online
Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap