Revised DNV-ST-B203 standard expands to polymer AM parts and streamlines industrial qualification

Revised DNV-ST-B203 standard expands to polymer AM parts and streamlines industrial qualification

(IN BRIEF) DNV has issued a new edition of its DNV-ST-B203 additive manufacturing standard, expanding its scope to polymer parts and introducing new design rules, qualification pathways and sustainability-reporting methods to accelerate safe industrial adoption of 3D printing. Developed through the ProGRAM JIP, the update includes CO₂-footprint accounting, streamlined part-family qualification to reduce testing time and cost, and enhanced guidance for geometry, material optimisation and process monitoring. DNV leaders emphasised the role of standardisation in scaling AM as a low-waste, low-emission manufacturing route, while ProGRAM research continues into digital inventories and next-generation AM technologies. The revised standard aims to make AM more practical, future-ready and commercially deployable across the energy and maritime sectors.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 1-Dec-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — DNV has released a major update to its leading additive manufacturing (AM) standard, DNV-ST-B203, marking a significant milestone in the industrial adoption of 3D-printed components across the energy and maritime sectors. The revised edition — developed through the ProGRAM joint industry project (JIP) — expands its scope to include polymer-based parts and introduces new design rules, sustainability metrics, and qualification pathways aimed at making AM technology more scalable, cost-efficient, and environmentally aligned for industry use. As one of only two globally recognised AM standards for the energy market, this revision reinforces DNV’s ongoing commitment to enabling safe and sustainable industrial digital fabrication.

Dr. Sastry Kandukuri, Global Practice Lead for Additive Manufacturing at DNV, stated that the new edition meets growing industry demand for practical, standardised frameworks that help organisations implement 3D-printing more confidently. With enhancements including CO₂-footprint reporting and clearer qualification routes, the standard is designed to accelerate adoption while supporting decarbonisation targets. “This edition directly addresses industry needs with practical design rules and clear CO₂ footprint metrics, empowering our customers to adopt AM with greater confidence,” he said.

The revised standard introduces several key advancements:

• Practical AM-driven design guidance, enabling engineers to optimise geometry and material performance for 3D-printed components.
• CO₂ footprint reporting methodology, supporting life-cycle transparency and sustainability-oriented decision-making.
• Improved qualification structure, allowing similar parts to be grouped for approval, reducing duplicate testing and lowering qualification cost and lead time.
• Inclusion of polymer parts, reflecting the fast-growing industrial use of polymer AM and ensuring quality consistency across material categories.

Prajeev Rasiah, Executive Vice President and Regional Director for Northern Europe for Energy Systems at DNV, noted that additive manufacturing provides pathways to reduce material waste, emissions and supply chain dependency, while digital traceability improves quality assurance. “Standardization is the bedrock for achieving these objectives,” he commented. The standard also introduces guidance on part-family acceptance criteria and in-process monitoring to help manufacturers scale production more efficiently.

Looking ahead, the ProGRAM JIP team will continue working on digital inventory models and next-generation AM technologies. Project manager Stian Gurrik highlighted that early project findings show clear environmental advantages for AM-based repair compared with full-component replacement — a sustainability benefit the updated standard is designed to help industry unlock at scale.

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SOURCE: DNV