Friday, May 16, 2025
IAMQS enables all manufacturers to qualify their personnel for additive manufacturing projects
The French Welding Association offers a personnel qualification program in additive manufacturing, called IAMQS. How was this system created?
Philippe Lebeau: The role of the AFS (French Welding Association) is to deploy personnel qualification systems in the welding sector, based on frameworks developed by the European Welding Federation (EWF). In 2022, the EWF aimed to diversify by creating IAMQS – the International Additive Manufacturing Qualification System – a framework developed from the outcomes of the European SAM project (Skills for Additive Manufacturing). France, Italy, and Spain were the first countries to offer IAMQS, and it is now being rolled out in many countries across Europe and Asia. In short, it is a new qualification system designed for users of additive manufacturing, inspired by the long-standing success of qualification models in the welding field.
Who is this new IAMQS qualification system intended for?
P. L.: IAMQS is intended for all industrial players who need to qualify their additive manufacturing applications. This includes sectors like aerospace, space, healthcare, and rail, among others. One of the strengths of this framework is that it is based on the same foundational texts that informed the current standards for personnel qualification in additive manufacturing.
Are there standards that define personnel qualification in additive manufacturing?
P. L.: Yes, several recent standards define the skills and assessment conditions for individuals working in additive manufacturing, with specific versions for each process. These standards were highly anticipated as they support the global harmonization of practices. For the L-PBF (Laser Powder Bed Fusion) technology, for example, there is ISO/ASTM 52942, published in 2020, which outlines qualification principles for operators in aerospace applications, and ISO/ASTM 52926-2, published in 2023, which applies to operators across all industries.I would add that even though these standards are not mandatory, we can expect major contractors to gradually require them from their suppliers, just as they do with many other standards.
What is the benefit of using the IAMQS system instead of just applying the standards directly?
P. L.: For an industrial company, applying such standards from scratch is a massive undertaking. Take ISO/ASTM 52926-2: it lists all the areas in which L-PBF machine operators must be trained, along with the skills they need to acquire and the evaluation conditions. Imagine the time it would take to build a training program that meets all these requirements—and the effort needed to prove to certifying bodies that your program is compliant. In contrast, the IAMQS framework gives companies access to turnkey programs offered by AFS-accredited training centers, with the guarantee that they are automatically compliant with current standards. I’d also note that the system is modular: it contains dozens of teaching units aligned with various standard requirements, and these units can be assembled to create job-specific qualification pathways. The system includes several job profiles (operator, process engineer, designer, coordinator, etc.), each of which is further defined by technology (L-PBF, DED LB, DED arc, etc.).
What message would you like to send to manufacturers interested in personnel qualification?
P. L.: I would tell them that everything is ready—it’s time to act. We need to ensure that the framework grows quickly, in both supply and demand. Let’s remember that when the welding qualification framework was first introduced in the early 1990s, training providers were hesitant to deploy it due to a lack of clients, while industrial firms were waiting to see others adopt it first. It was a classic catch-22. Since then, the system has become essential—just in France, we’ve issued over 9,000 welder qualifications through 16 accredited training centers. With IAMQS, we have the chance to replicate that success—especially since it’s the only internationally recognized certification system in the additive manufacturing sector. And of course, the framework is equipment-agnostic, meaning a person’s qualification is valid regardless of the machine brand they work with.
Where can companies find training providers qualified to deliver IAMQS certification?
P. L.: France already has four IAMQS-accredited training providers. Most of them offer independent teaching units. As of now, only AddUp has full accreditation to deliver the complete "L-PBF Machine Operator" qualification pathway. Starting next year, we expect other organizations to be accredited to offer qualifications for other job profiles.
👉 Join us in the conference room at the 3D PRINT trade show on Tuesday, June 3 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM for a roundtable discussion on “Training: How to Prepare Tomorrow’s Skills for Industry 4.0?”
Speakers confirmed: Julien Bajolet – AFPMA / Frédéric Parisot – ADDUP / Claire Blanchard – RATP.
Speakers confirmed: Julien Bajolet – AFPMA / Frédéric Parisot – ADDUP / Claire Blanchard – RATP.