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A test artifact, intended for standardization, is proposed for the purpose of evaluating the performance of additive manufacturing (AM) systems. A thorough analysis of previously proposed AM test artifacts as well as experience with machining test artifacts have inspired the design of the proposed test artifact. This new artifact is designed to provide a characterization of the capabilities and limitations of an AM system, as well as to allow system improvement by linking specific errors measured in the test artifact to specific sources in the AM system. The proposed test artifact has been built in multiple materials using multiple AM technologies. The results of several of the builds are discussed, demonstrating how the measurement results can be used to characterize and improve a specific AM system.

A standardized test part can be used to quantitatively evaluate the performance of a machine or process. This document reviews existing test artifacts used to characterize additive manufacturing processes that are reported in the literature. Several aspects of the test artifacts and their use for performance characterization are discussed, including the purposes of the studies, important features found in various test pieces, and characteristics that are desirable in test pieces. The works were divided into four categories: test artifacts for comparing processes for decision making, test artifacts for evaluating individual processes, test artifacts for evaluating metal-based processes, and test artifacts for other uses. Many of the test parts have similar characteristics because research typically builds upon the findings of previous research, and many researchers may have been influenced by "rules" put forth in earlier works. Most of the test artifact designs have various "real" features atop a square or rectangular base. The main alternative to the square-base, multiple-feature artifacts appears to be a smaller, simpler artifact that is built at multiple positions and/or multiple orientations throughout the work volume. The proposed test parts were as large as 240 mm x 240 mm in lateral dimensions and contained features as small as 0.2 mm in dimension.

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