Many key industries and supply chains rely on ASTM and ISO testing standards to guide their decisions as they develop materials, products, and processes that meet customers’ expectations for quality, safety, and performance. While ISO and ASTM testing standards often complement each other, these two standards bodies differ in many ways.
- ASTM International (founded 1898) has over 12,000 standards, focused on specific materials, applications and products
- ISO (founded 1946) has over 25,000 standards, which tend to be broad, such as quality management and IT security
- Choose a standard based on what you’re trying to achieve and who your audience is
- Alpha Technologies holds ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 accreditations at its facilities
Businesses have tens of thousands of ISO and ASTM testing standards at their fingertips to guide everything from simple test procedures to company-wide quality and energy systems.
ASTM standards in circulation
Founded 1898
ISO standards in circulation
Founded 1946
What Are ASTM Standards?
ASTM standards are created and distributed by ASTM International. Founded in 1898 as the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM International is a voluntary consensus group that engages experts to generate industry standards and tends to focus on specific materials, applications, and products.
There are over 12,000 ASTM standards in circulation. Some ASTM standards have been incorporated into law or are required by OEMs, but ASTM International is virtually never involved in enforcing their standards. There are five categories of ASTM standards:
Test method standards
Describe an exact procedure for conducting a quality test. Following the exact instructions is key to achieving repeatable test results.
Practice method standards
Describe the exact procedure for tasks that don’t generate testing data, for procedural consistency: cleaning equipment, conducting inspections, preparing test samples, training employees, and more.
Specification standards
Describe performance requirements for a product or material, focused on outcomes. A specification for an automotive hose may include abrasion, thermal shock, and vibration resistance. Requirements are not always tied to an official enforcement body.
Guide standards
Unlike prescriptive standards, guides provide multiple options for executing a task. Users select the most appropriate option based on their goals, the circumstances, and their best judgment.
Terminology standards
Provide exact definitions and explanations for terms, symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms, removing ambiguity from procedures and communication.
What Are ISO Standards?
Founded in 1946, the International Organization for Standardization, called ISO, has over 25,000 standards in circulation. Unlike ASTM International standards, which focus on specific products and applications, ISO standards tend to be fairly broad. There are ISO standards for quality management, IT security, and more. ISO accreditation may be granted to an entire laboratory base, for example. Examples of ISO standards include:
ISO 9000: Quality management
Considered the gold standard for quality management in many contexts. It provides a range of tools and best practices for businesses striving for quality improvement, rather than covering one specific process.
ISO 14001: Environmental management
The only standard that can be certified to in the ISO 14000 family, related to environmental issues and management. Pursued to comply with regulations and laws or minimize environmental impact.
ISO 50001: Energy management
Focused on energy efficiency and management, helping businesses monitor energy usage and adjust their practices to increase efficiency.
ISO 22000: Food safety
Applies to virtually any company involved with food safety and the food chain, from personnel training and documentation to process flow management and monitoring.
ISO 27001: IT security
Focused entirely on information security, with recommendations and requirements for people, processes, and technology.
How to Choose Which Standard to Follow
The first step to choosing the right ASTM or ISO standard is understanding what you’re trying to achieve—and your target audience.
ISO for supplier access
In the automotive industry, many OEMs will only work with tier suppliers who have earned ISO accreditation at their manufacturing facilities. A tier supplier seeking that business may invest time and resources into achieving ISO accreditation.
ASTM for product acceptance
An automotive OEM may only accept products or materials that comply with a given ASTM testing standard. Tier suppliers must then keep that standard at the center of research, development, design, and manufacturing.
Voluntary standards for advantage
Sometimes the right standard isn’t obvious or required. A company seeking an edge with sustainability-minded customers may undergo ISO 14000 certification to identify and achieve meaningful sustainability milestones.
Reliable, repeatable data for compliance
Alpha Technologies provides top-of-the-line rheology instruments for testing rubber products and materials. Our premium instruments provide reliable, repeatable data for assessing compliance with ASTM and ISO testing standards. Many of our instruments are pre-programmed to conduct ASTM testing at the touch of a button, streamlining the process in a fast-paced environment.
As part of our commitment to exceptional quality on every level, Alpha Technologies is proud to have earned ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 accreditations at our facilities.
Learn more about our rheology instrumentation
Talk to a member of our team about testing to ASTM and ISO standards.