Chevy Chase, MD – With a mission to make photopolymer additive manufacturing (PAM) more accessible and to develop the safe and responsible adoption of these technologies–including stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), liquid crystal display (LCD), and binder-jet 3D-printing – the Photopolymer Additive Manufacturing Alliance (PAMA) Executive Advisory Board met for the first time to review and offer guidance to the organization’s ongoing activities. PAMA is a collaboration with the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, with 28 member organizations from across North America, Europe and Asia.

"As additive manufacturing innovation continues–-both with regards to the development of new technologies and new end-use applications of those technologies-–our work at PAMA is critical to help establish a stable market sector," says David Walker, Chair of the PAMA Executive Advisory Board and Co-Founder of Azul 3D, Inc. "Communication is a key ingredient to adressing our industry needs, to help ensure long-term, stable, sustainable growth. A lack of unified standards, practices, and communication channels is holding back additive manufacturing, and the promise of industry 4.0. It’s our aim to help build the framework for transparent communication around technical specifications and industry operations to help ensure the success of photopolymer AM."

Walker pointed to the heavy PAMA member involvement as contributors to the ASTM F42 Vat Photopolymer Design Guide, currently being drafted. “Our friends at NIST helped to make the connection between PAMA members and the ASTM effort. It’s not PAMA’s role to help set mechanical testing standards – such as is done by ASTM – or to test materials for consumer product safety – such as is done by UL Laboratories. But it is our role to bring the materials expertise to bear and to help advise organizations that are developing standards for AM, to make recommendations of how these standards are best implemented by OEMs in publishing product specifications, and to communicate with end-users what to watch out for to ensure their success while working with AM.”

Summary of the PAMA Advisory Board Meeting Working Committee Reports:

Government Collaborations
With the aim of encouraging dialogue about the government’s role and its goals for PAM, the committee has engaged government agencies including CDC NiOSH to present a webinar set for early 2023 on Working Safely with Resin-based Additive Manufacturing Machines; the U.S. Department of Energy Heat Shot Initiative (which mentions photopolymer technologies as a targeted technology); and the U.S. FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health, and their 3D Printing Medical Devices at the Point of Care initiative. In addition, NIST, as a collaborator in the development of PAMA, plays a vital role in leading the group's efforts.

Material Characterization
The committee is initiating a round-robin study to base-line Working Curve reproducibility (in collaboration with NIST, volunteer participants for this round-robin are welcome). In addition, a material property data sheet initiative aims to measure mechanical properties as a function of build and post-process conditions, and evaluate variations within the bounds of existing ASTM methods. Other key discussion topics include: The need/utility of a standard test resin, correlative measurements between mechanical properties and degree of cure, the effects of vat health (e.g. excess oligomer) on print and part performance, and determining the fundamental properties of resins needed for modeling and simulation of printing process

Hardware Characterization
Two high-priority items for the committee include: initiating a round-robin study (in collaboration with NIST, volunteers welcome) to establish how users determine and compensate for light engine non-uniformity. The group also actively supports the ASTM vat photopolymerization design guide to establish a foundation upon which users will be able to make informed decisions about the trade-offs involved with fabricating structures with PAM (e.g., light engine type, build-plate layout considerations, etc.) Other important focus areas determined by the committee include: The need for a standard method to calibrate a given light engine; development of an in-depth publication on all critical aspects of PAM from resin design to post-process optimization, and developing guidance on datasheets to relate print parameters to final part properties.

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)
With a goal to engage regulatory, political and NGOs, worldwide, about the safe use of PAM technologies and its importance to sustainable, energy saving innovation, the Committee is actively monitoring the landscape to ensure the appropriate development of PAM technologies. A quarterly 'newsletter' summarizing current EHS topics of importance to PAMA members will kick off early 2023. The group is also reviewing a PAM safe use guidance document.

Market Trends
Core goals of the PAMA Market Trends Committee are to collect and gather data around use of photopolymers in additive manufacturing 3D printing and share it with our users to help make informed business decisions, increasing the mindshare of photopolymer AM with customers, government, and regulatory bodies. This group will also conduct surveys in support of the other PAM Working Groups, and has set as a long term goal the development of a trend index of importance to the PAM business communities, as well as government agencies.

Upcoming PAMA Activities
PAMA has two webinars coming up, Flame Resistant Photopolymers for Additive Manufacturing on December 13, 2022 and Working Safely with Resin-based Additive Manufacturing Machines on January 24, 2023. PAMA is working on several additive manufacturing focused sessions at the BIG IDEAS for UV+EB Technology Conference taking place March 6-8, 2023 in San Diego, California. Sessions in development include Moving Beyond Medical - Future Industrial Applications for Photopolymer Additive and Better, Faster, Cheaper, Greener - Material Demands for Photopolymer Additive Manufacturing. Additionally, we are working on panel discussions from government representatives and sustainability experts to round out the program. PAMA is planning on a second roadmapping session in Fall, 2023. Make sure to check the PAMA website for the latest details.