ASTM F3055
Standard Specification for Additive Manufacturing Nickel Alloy (UNS N07718) with Powder Bed Fusion
Specification for additively manufactured Inconel 718 (UNS N07718) parts made by powder bed fusion, covering feedstock, build, thermal post-processing classes, chemistry, mechanical properties and inspection.
What ASTM F3055 specifies
ASTM F3055 is the material specification for laser or electron-beam powder-bed-fusion Inconel 718: it defines the powder chemistry (matching wrought N07718 limits), the build and lot rules, and a set of post-processing classes that determine what the part must meet — as-built, stress relieved, and combinations of stress relief, hot isostatic pressing, solution treatment and precipitation (ageing). The precipitation treatment follows the wrought 718 practice of AMS 5662/5663 (1325 °F / 718 °C for 8 h, furnace cool to 1150 °F / 621 °C, 18 h total) after a solution or homogenisation step, and HIP is used to close porosity before solution treatment on the higher classes. Minimum tensile properties are tabulated by class and build orientation, with the aged classes approaching wrought 718 levels, and the specification requires witness specimens from each build, chemistry on powder and part, and inspection for porosity and surface condition. Thermal post-processing is executed under ASTM F3301.
Tests and the drawing call-out
Tests the document imposes
- Tensile test per ASTM E8/E8M on witness specimens in the required build orientations
- Chemical analysis of powder and finished part (including oxygen and nitrogen)
- Hardness per ASTM E18 / E10 as a lot check on aged classes
- Density / porosity (ASTM B311 or image analysis) and internal inspection (radiography / CT) when specified
- Metallographic examination for microstructure, delta phase and lack-of-fusion defects
- Heat-treat records per ASTM F3301 with AMS 2750 pyrometry
How to cite it
Drawing call-out
MATERIAL: INCONEL 718 PER ASTM F3055, LASER POWDER BED FUSION, CLASS <PER PURCHASE ORDER>: STRESS RELIEVE, HIP, SOLUTION AND AGE PER AMS 5663 CYCLEAngle brackets mark the choices the drawing must make; every finish page shows a completed example.
Heat treatments specified to ASTM F3055
| Treatment | Role | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Hot isostatic pressing applies high-temperature inert gas pressure uniformly to cast, sintered, and metal powder-bed-fusion parts. | Governing | $$$$ |
Solution Treat + Age (Ti) is a precipitation-hardening condition for Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn and Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al. | Related | $$$$ |
ASTM F3055 — frequently asked
Which class should I order?
For a functional part, the stress-relieved plus HIP plus solution-and-age route gives properties closest to wrought AMS 5663 and the best fatigue life; stress-relieved-only classes suit prototypes and low-stress brackets; as-built is a fit-check condition. The class must appear on the drawing because the minimum properties differ by class.
Why HIP before solution treating?
HIP at high temperature closes the internal porosity and lack-of-fusion voids that limit fatigue in powder-bed 718 and at the same time homogenises the niobium segregated between dendrites; the following solution step resets the grain structure and dissolves Laves and delta phases before the two-step age precipitates gamma-double-prime. Skipping HIP leaves porosity that no age can remove.
Does printed 718 need the same age as wrought?
Yes. The specification references the AMS 5662/5663 cycle — 1325 °F (718 °C) for 8 h, furnace cool to 1150 °F (621 °C), 18 h total — and aged parts read the same 36–44 HRC as wrought bar. Some users add a homogenisation step above the normal solution temperature to dissolve as-built segregation first.
How does F3055 relate to AMS 7000?
Both cover laser powder-bed-fusion 718. AMS 7000 is the SAE aerospace document with a fixed heat-treat route (stress relief, HIP, solution, age) and tighter controls; F3055 is the ASTM industrial specification with class options. Aerospace primes cite AMS 7000 or their own specifications; F3055 is common in industrial and energy parts.
ASTM F3055 is copyrighted by ASTM International. This page explains the document so a drawing can be read; it does not reproduce the standard. Purchase the current edition from the publisher. Official source ↗