This standard specifies requirements for qualification of the manufacturing process, production, marking, and documentation of additively manufactured polymer-based components used in the petroleum and natural gas industries when referenced by an applicable API equipment standard or otherwise specified as a requirement for conformance.
It applies to additively manufactured polymer-based components (including composites) produced by material extrusion [also referred to as fused filament fabrication (FFF) or fused deposition modeling (FDM) and fused granulate fabrication (FGF)] and powder bed fusion [also referred to as selective laser sintering (SLS) or multi jet fusion (MJF)].
Additive manufacturing provides the natural gas and oil industry significant efficiency and productivity improvements, cuts lead times and supply chain stress, streamlines transportation and logistics, and can reduce emissions because additive manufacturing takes place near the point of use.