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What Is ASTM?

September 24, 2020

In our world, the working parameters set forth by ASTM International is imperative. And, chances are, if you’re looking at this, they’re vital for what you’re working on as well. At MuShield we have a few ASTM standards in place as far as the material we employ for the manufacturing work we do with magnetic shielding. Material Certifications ASTM-A-753 governs all MuShield’s magnetic shielding alloy parameters. Further, ASTM-596 and ASTM-A773 denote testing parameters for all our magnetic shielding alloys. Ensuring that, when it comes to armoring your assets, we’re on the frontlines of that cutting edge development and protection.

What is ASTM?

According to our friends at Wikipedia:

“ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services. Some 12,575 ASTM voluntary consensus standards operate globally.”

Those thousands upon thousands of ASTM standards are upheld all over the world, each with their own unique number. Each standard falls into a variety of categories which include:

  • Standard Specification
  • Standard Test Method
  • Standard Practice Guide
  • Standard Classification
  • Terminology Standard

If you’re in the manufacturing industry and you’re dealing with:

  • Plastics
  • Adhesives
  • Rubber
  • Iron and steel
  • Nonferrous metal
  • Metal test methods and analytical procedures
  • Construction
  • Textiles
  • Electrical insulation and electronics
  • Water and environmental technology
  • Nuclear
  • Solar and geothermal energy
  • Medical devices and services
  • And much more…

Chances are you’re adhering to ASTM guidelines in your work. We are. And, by-and-large, it’s a pretty universal measurement “guide.”

ASTM International, are “committed to serving global societal needs, positively impacting public health and safety, consumer confidence, and overall quality of life. (ASTM International) integrate consensus standards – developed with (their) international membership of volunteer technical experts – and innovative services to improve lives… helping (the) world work better.”

Need more info?

Each year, the ASTM publishes the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. If that doesn’t answer your questions, well, let’s just say it should. It’s basically the holy grail of all things ASTM. You can also visit ASTM International’s website, right here.

It’s worth noting that ASTM does not enforce the standards that are posed in this, or any other text. Universally speaking, the standards have – nearly across board – been recognized and adopted by the various industries that the aforementioned “Standards” manual covers. It isn’t uncommon for a particular industry to require ASTM compliance as part of the contract you’re bidding on and/or in the process of seeking, so, if you don’t know about it (you do, we know), you need to get up to speed. In fact, in some cases, ASTM compliance is actually the law. For example, all toys sold in the United States are required meet the specifications of ASTM F-963, by mandate of the U.S. Government Consumer Product Safety Improvements Act of 2008. We know that’s a far cry from the technical manufacturing jobs we’re doing here under the roof at MuShield, but, hey, some of those toys are pretty tech-y, and where there’s tech, there’s often magnetic shields – which is where we can help!

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