amsight leads ESA project to digitize qualification of 3D-printed space parts

amsight has been selected to lead DIQAM, an ESA FIRST! project to build a digital qualification framework for additively manufactured space components. The 12-month effort started in September 2026 and is supported by the ESA Future Space Transportation (FLPP) team.

The framework, called the Digital Qualification Evidence Framework, connects process data, material and powder information, machine and sensor data, post-processing records, CT inspection results and mechanical test evidence into one digital qualification chain. The project will produce a space-specific reference specification, a Digital Part Qualification File, and a software prototype for automated data ingestion, evidence aggregation and statistical evaluation across the AM supply chain.

The consortium includes ArianeGroup, InSpacePropulsion Technologies (ISPTech), APWORKS, Bimo Tech and Fraunhofer IAPT. Two industrial demonstrators will validate the work: an ArianeGroup Phase Change Material container for Ariane 6, and an ISPTech 4U propellant tank for a CubeSat propulsion system.

For quality engineers, the target is the current routine of static reports, CT scans, companion specimens and manual evidence assembly. APWORKS CTO Andreas Funcke said compiling and interpreting the quality evidence for a single part can take several hours today. With DIQAM, the company aims to cut that to "one click."

ArianeGroup's André Dröse, Lead Advanced Technologies, Materials and Concepts, said a standardized digital format would let the company access, validate and reuse qualification data from different suppliers. He said that would improve its statistical database and reduce testing effort. ISPTech CEO and co-founder Lukas Werling described the current process as manual, with relevant information buried in lengthy PDF reports that are hard to compare across suppliers.

Daniel Chipping, a Systems Engineer at ESA, said the framework should allow qualification data to be reused systematically, reduce redundant inspection and testing, and speed certification. amsight CCO Peter Lindecke said the lesson applies beyond space to any manufacturer moving AM into production, and the company says it wants quality evidence that is structured, machine-readable and usable for statistical process control.

The project will be presented at the ESA Future Space Transportation Autumn Session 2026 on October 14 in Paris.