The Philadelphia, Pa.-based technical society's mission is the development of consensus testing standards for many industries. Much of the product testing in the United States is conducted according to ASTM standards.
Members participate on a volunteer basis.
They meet to develop a set of standards for testing which are then applied industry-wide. The test methods are published and sold, which is how the society gets its revenues. The TMC monitors engine lubricant tests done by oil manufacturers and independent laboratories for the automotive industry. Today, it oversees laboratories in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Canada. The TMC is not a testing laboratory.