3D PRINTING PROCUREMENT
Additive Manufacturing Procurement & Material Selection Guide
Structure additive-manufacturing procurement around process, material, geometry, post-processing, inspection and acceptance evidence instead of printer brand alone.
Define the use case
- Separate visual prototype, fit-check, tooling and end-use requirements.
- Record mechanical, thermal, chemical and environmental requirements before selecting a process.
- Use consistent additive-manufacturing terminology so suppliers interpret the requirement the same way.
Process and material evidence
- Request the exact material grade and build process, not only a trade name.
- Identify build orientation, support strategy and post-processing where they can affect properties.
- For purchased AM parts, align procurement documentation and acceptance criteria with applicable ISO/ASTM requirements.
Verification
- Define dimensional inspection and critical-property evidence before order placement.
- Treat process changes, material-lot changes and post-processing changes as controlled variables where function is sensitive.
- For photopolymer processes, include cure state, metrology and safety considerations in the technical review.
Professional references
These references establish the standards, technical framework or authoritative engineering context used for this page. Vendor commercial terms are not used as engineering evidence.
- ISO/ASTM 52900:2021 Additive manufacturing – Fundamentals and vocabulary — Current ISO/ASTM terminology standard for additive manufacturing, reconfirmed in 2025.
- ISO/ASTM 52901:2017 Additive manufacturing – Requirements for purchased AM parts — International standard covering requirements for purchased additive-manufactured parts.
- NIST Photopolymer Additive Manufacturing 2025 Workshop Report — 2026 NIST report emphasizing standardized metrology, materials, safety and regulatory readiness in photopolymer AM.
Engineering-use note. This PROFENG resource is for screening, comparison and technical preparation. Replace assumptions with project data and use the responsible qualified professional, applicable standards, codes and authority requirements for final design, compliance or safety decisions.
Commercial independence
PROFENG may display a separately disclosed approved partner after the engineering content. Partner status never changes formulas, conversion factors, procurement criteria, technical references or calculation results. Pending and unapproved programs remain hidden.