®
NC SLI WORLDWIDE NEWS
Publication ISSN #1940-2988
Vol. 7, No. 3, July 2014
Metrologist is published by
NCSL International and distributed
to its member organizations.
Publisher NCSL International
Editor Linda Stone, NCSL International
Contributing Editors
Prof. Horst Czichos, BHT Berlin, University of Applied Sciences
Mark Kuster, Pantex Metrology
Michael Lombardi, NIST
Editorial Committee
Craig Gulka, NCSLI Executive Director
Tim Osborne, Trescal
How to Reach Us:
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© Copyright 2014, NCSL International. Permission to quote excerpts
or to reprint any articles should be obtained from NCSL International.
NCSLI, for its part, hereby grants permission to quote excerpts and reprint
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THIS ISSUE
NCSLI WORLDWIDE NEWS
SPECIAL
From the President 2
From the Boardroom 3
6
NCSLI New Members 4
Celebrating World Metrology Day 10
Metrology in Pop Culture 26
FEATURES
People Making a Difference
Dennis Dashiell
22
Toward a Measurement
Information Infrastructure
32
Northwestern Region
Measurement Training Summit
2015 NCSLI Call for Papers 18
Joe D. Simmons Scholarship 20
JUL
2014
IN
Mark Kuster
Anthony Reed
Regional News 32
International News 46
6
Advertisers’ Index 48
26
32
10
www.ncsli.org
July 2014: Metrologist 1
FROM THE
PRESIDENT
Lonnie Spires, NCSLI President
Greetings to our readers!
The NCSLI Board of Directors met from May 4-7 in Dorado, Puerto
Rico. At this meeting, we welcomed three new Board members: Rob
Knake, A2LA; Dr. Hy Tran, Sandia National Laboratories; and Dr.
Malcolm Smith, Wescan Calibration Services, Inc. Among many
topics discussed, the Board focused on the NCSLI long range plan
for 2015-2016 and on our vision for the coming years.
We are delighted to announce the winner of this year’s Joe D.
Simmons Scholarship. The recipient of the scholarship is Omar
Cardenas, who is pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in
Industrial Metrology Engineering at the Polytechnic University
of Santa Rosa Jáuregui (UPSRJ) in Querétero, Mexico. He plans to
continue his education and obtain a Master’s degree related to the
measurement sciences. Omar is a very motivated student and has
been involved in several projects related to metrology. Read more
about Omar in this issue of Metrologist. It is wonderful to see a new
generation of metrologists emerging!
I hope to see you at our annual Workshop & Symposium in
Orlando, Florida at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin
Hotel. Our Tutorial Program will run from Thursday, July 25 to
Sunday, July 27, and participants will benefit greatly from these
hands-on classes, which will cover a wide variety of metrology
topics. On Sunday, July 27, the exhibitors arrive and we will enjoy
our Welcome Reception in the exhibit hall from 7:00PM – 9:00PM.
Monday, July 28, will start our first full day of the conference.
Dr. Martin Milton will present the keynote address on Measurement
Science and the Environment, our conference theme for this year.
Do not forget that the technical program will feature our new
track Pressing Problems – Real Research. The speakers for these
presentations are from NIST and NRC-Canada and have a thorough
2 Metrologist : July 2014
understanding of our pressing societal issues and the role of
metrology in addressing them. Measurement science plays multiple
roles in all aspects of the energy industry. Therefore, Wednesday’s
technical program is dedicated to A Focus on Energy, and the papers
are on energy-related topics. Presenters include energy leaders,
accreditation bodies, NIST representatives and other metrology
institutes. Monday afternoon the poster presentations will begin in
the exhibit hall and everyone will have an opportunity to interact
with these authors and discuss their papers.
If you haven’t heard, we are having a Monday Night Mixer in the
exhibit hall from 4:00PM – 5:00PM where you can enjoy food and
drinks and sample fantastic salmon courtesy of Fluke Calibration.
Take this opportunity to network with fellow attendees. Be sure to
get your banquet tickets for Tuesday evening! We will dine on great
food and enjoy the evening with family, friends and colleagues.
Lastly, during our luncheon programs throughout the week we
will be presenting our annual awards. On Monday, the Wildhack
Award will be announced and you will want to be present for that.
Also, throughout the week the Education and Training Award, The
Editor’s Choice Award, the Longevity Award and the scholarship
awards will also be presented. At the conclusion of the conference
on Thursday, the Best Paper awards and Overall Best Paper will be
presented. I know this year’s Workshop & Symposium will be a
resounding success. As a reminder the 2015 Workshop & Symposium will be at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center
in Grapevine, Texas. The call for papers is out and the theme for
next year will be Measurement Science and the Quality of Life. Mark
your calendars!
lspires@trescal.us
www.ncsli.org
FROM THE
BOARDROOM
Dorado, Puerto Rico Board Meeting.
Dana Leaman, NCSLI Secretary
The May 2014 meeting of the NCSLI Board of Directors was held
May 4th – 7th in Dorado, Puerto Rico. Nineteen board members
and three guests were present which included new board members – Rob Knake from A2LA, Dr. Hy Tran from Sandia National
Laboratories, and Dr. Malcolm Smith from Wescan Calibration
Services Inc. These new board members fill the positions of 130
Measurement Requirements and Analysis, 1300 Central US Division and 1700 Canadian Division, respectively. As these positions
have now been filled, the 2014 Who’s Who has been updated on
the NCSL International website and a hard copy of the document
has been mailed to all of the member delegates.
In other discussions, the board approved the 2014 slate of
candidates. The 2014 candidates are Rob Knake, James “Smitty”
Smith, Jeff Gust, Marcus McNeely, Mark Lapinskes, Dr. Hy Tran,
Jack Somppi, and Dr. Malcolm Smith, as Vice Presidents in various roles. In accordance with the NCSLI Bylaws, notification of
the membership regarding the candidates on the 2014 ballot is
required by July 1, 2014. Any additional nominations for the
ballot must be submitted prior to August 1, 2014. The distribution
www.ncsli.org
of the election ballot is required by August 15, 2014. For more
information on the balloting and election procedure, a copy of the
NCSLI Bylaws is available on the NCSLI website.
Also, during these meetings, the board held a special session on
the Vision for NCSL International for the next three to five years.
The discussions focused on “What” NCSL International would
look like moving forward. Topics from the session were captured
and are now being reviewed as the long range plan for 2015-2016
is being developed.
The meeting also saw the approval of revisions to the NCSL
International Publications Writing Policy and to the NCSL International Committee Operations Handbook. The revised documents will
be available to members on the NCSLI website.
Finally, the remainder of the 2014 board meetings are scheduled
for July in Orlando, Florida and October in Queretaro, Mexico.
The board meetings are open to everyone and we would welcome
your attendance and participation.
dana.leaman@nist.gov
July 2014: Metrologist 3
NCSLI
NEW MEMBERS
MedImmune Gaithersburg Metrology
One MedImmune Way
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Contact: Lonnie Williams, 301-398-5070
williamslo@medimmune.com
Welcome
Founded in 1988, MedImmune has a global presence with
2,500 people in the United States and the United Kingdom. It
is the worldwide biologics research and development arm of
AstraZeneca, a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical
business that focuses on the discovery, development and
commercialization of small molecule and biologic prescription
medicines. MedImmune is pioneering innovative research and
exploring novel pathways across key therapeutic areas, including
respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity; cardiovascular
and metabolic disease; oncology; neuroscience; and infection
and vaccines. The company develops, manufactures and markets
formulations for use in immunization programs, including
live virus vaccines, and has world-class protein engineering
and process development capabilities. Currently it has a robust
pipeline of 120 biologics in research and development.
United Technologies Research Center
411 Silver Lane
East Hartfort, CT 06108
Contact: Stephen Daunt, 860-610-7268, daunts@utrc.utc.com
United Technologies Research Center delivers advanced technologies to the businesses of United Technologies Corp. (www.utc.
com) – industry leaders in high-technology products and services
for the building and aerospace industries – to improve the performance, energy efficiency and cost of UTC products and processes. UTRC also partners with UTC business units and external
research organizations to expand the boundaries of science and
technology through research and innovation, delivering technology options that meet and anticipate the needs of the marketplace. Founded in 1929, UTRC is located in East Hartford, Conn.,
with an office in Berkeley, Calif., and research and development
centers in Shanghai, China, and Cork, Ireland. For more information, visit www.utrc.utc.com.
Center of Excellence for Aerospace
& Advanced Manufacturing
9711 32nd Place West
Building C-80
Everett, WA 98204
Contact: Mary Kaye Bredeson, 425-388-9196
mbredeson@everettcc.edu
As one of 10 statewide Centers of Excellence, we support
economic growth for Washington state. We strategically work
with the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industry,
but are called to fulfill the core expectations of all Centers to
focus on the following: economic development, industry sector
strategy, education, innovation and efficiency and workforce
supply and demand.
4 Metrologist : July 2014
Seattle Genetics
21823 30th Drive Southeast
Bothell, WA 98021
Contact: Jeff Moore, 425-527-4284, jmoore@seagen.com
Seattle Genetics is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative antibody-based
therapies for the treatment of cancer. Seattle Genetics is leading
the field in developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a technology designed to harness the targeting ability of antibodies
to deliver cell-killing agents to cancer cells. The company’s lead
product, ADCETRIS® (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC that, in
collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited,
has been approved for two indications in multiple countries
worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, Japan and members of
the European Union. Additionally, ADCETRIS is being evaluated
broadly in more than 30 ongoing clinical trials. Seattle Genetics is
also advancing a robust pipeline of clinical-stage ADC programs
and has collaborations for its ADC technology with a number
of leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Find
more information at www.seattlegenetics.com.
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors
Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB)
139 J Technology Drive
Garner, NC 27529
Contact: Laurel Farrell, 919-773-2600, lfarrell@ascld-lab.org
Excellent forensic laboratories are built on excellent science, and
excellent forensic scientists ask the hard questions. They don’t
miss details. They specialize in the overlooked and underestimated – because a good scientist knows that details matter. At
ASCLD/LAB, we couldn’t agree more. The American Society of
Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board is
a not-for-profit organization specializing in the accreditation
of public and private forensic laboratories. Since 1982, we have
been committed to the ongoing support, education and oversight of facilities striving for excellence in forensic analysis.
Based in Garner, North Carolina, ASCLD/LAB is proud to have
30 plus years of experience accrediting federal, state, local and
private forensic laboratories supporting the criminal justice system throughout the United States, as well as forensic laboratories
in various additional countries. We offer an enhanced ISO program of Crime Laboratory Accreditation for both forensic testing disciplines and breath alcohol calibration, based on ISO/IEC
17025 and enhanced by ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental
Requirements. Our accreditation of testing labs is recognized by
both the Inter American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) and
the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
Count on ASCLD/LAB to be your partner in ensuring quality operations and promoting the fair, objective application of justice.
It is, after all, the only thing we do.
www.ncsli.org
NCSLI NEW MEMBERS
Kennedy Scales
11485 Xeon Street NW
Coon Rapids, MN 55448
Contact: Michelle Poynter, 763-784-1022
mpoynter@kennedyscales.com
Certified Calibration Service LLC
917 Industry Drive
Tukwila, WA 98188-3413
Contact: Ineke Wolff, 425-255-1485, i.wolff@ccscal.com
Kennedy Scales is the area’s exclusive distributor for the top
brands in the industry. We are proud to have been providing
continuous service in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota for over 50 years. We offer the expertise, customer service
and full range of products that makes us the premier full-service scale company in the Upper Midwest. Our goal is always
to meet our customers’ weighing and automation needs with
effective solutions.
Alcoa, Inc.
100 Technical Dr.
Alcoa Center, PA 15069
Contact: Christopher Smith, 724-337-2345
christopher.smith@alcoa.com
CIH Equipment Company, Inc.
1806 South Highland Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
Contact: David Silver, 727-584-5063, dsilver@cihequipment.com
How can you be certain?
A Quality Calibration Certificate is not derived from a piece of paper
100% of out of tolerance
readings are double checked
100
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100%
uniformed data sheets
in all 18 calibration labs
of our calibration
labs are NVLAP accredited
100% of our technicians
are proficiency tested
data points tested
and stored last year
100% Trust
There are no shortcuts
800-828-1470 • Transcat.com
www.ncsli.org
10
Million+
Visit us at booth #131
July 2014: Metrologist 5
PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Ted H. Haggstrom
In September 1963,
Ted founded Gauge
Repair Service
in Inglewood,
California.
By Dennis Dashiell
People Making
a Difference
On May 15, 2001, I came to be employed
at Gauge Repair Service (GRS), by way
of the United States Marine Corps and
Robinson Helicopter, and met probably
the most influential man in my life. His
name is Ted H. Haggstrom. I thought I
had just landed another job to pay the
bills. Little did I know that I would turn
Gauge Repair Service into a career. I had
developed a passion for what I do and
for this place I now call home. Through
the years here, I came to learn about Ted
Haggstom. I learned a lot about him and
6 Metrologist : July 2014
about myself. Through his guidance, we
have turned Gauge Repair Service into a
world renowned company when it comes
to pressure and torque.
On several occasions Ted would share
some of his stories with me, which always
amazed me. Here are few of these stories.
Ted was born January 5, 1931 in Los Angeles, California. Ted was attending Franklin High School during World War II, and
after school, he would take the trolley to
downtown Los Angeles to provide security
as a roving patrolman.
In 1950, Ted enlisted in the United States
Air Force as a jet engine mechanic. A couple of years into his service, one of his buddies was promoted while Ted was not. He
felt he was just as deserving of a promotion
as the other guy. He told his commanding
officer that it was not fair that his buddy
got promoted and he didn’t. The next day
he went back to the commanding officer
and requested a transfer. He got transferred alright… to the front line in Korea.
There, his C.O. realized Ted was intelligent
and valuable and sent him to a good job
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PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
in Japan, where he worked on the newest
technology of the day - Jet Engines.
After his tour of duty ended in the Air
Force, he worked for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in the Bikini Atoll Islands,
earning the civilian equivalent rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He oversaw the distilling
of water for human consumption and produced heavy water for scientific and atomic
experiments. This job lasted from 1955 to
1958. He witnessed several atomic and hydrogen bomb detonations. He told me that
the scientists would make them turn their
backs toward the explosion and cover their
eyes with their arms. He said the light from
the explosions was so bright that he could
count the bones in his hands and arms.
When he left the U.S. Atomic Energy
Commission, he went to work in the instrument lab of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, California.
In September 1963, Ted founded Gauge
Repair Service in Inglewood, California. His
company has become one of the premier instrument labs on the West Coast, as well in
the nation and the world.
He picked
Inglewood as the
business location
so that the company
would be close to
where aerospace
manufacturing was
taking place.
The company has since moved to Torrance,
California, where we are still convenient to
the aerospace industry.
While Ted was attending a Measurement
Science Conference (MSC) he met a gentleman named Arno Seeger, son of Hans Seeger
(founder of Seeger’s Instruments) who introduced Ted to Bob King (founder of King
Nutronics). Ted went on to explain to me
how the three of them would often meet in
Inglewood, California to discuss measurement science. Each of them would become
notable in their own ways.
www.ncsli.org
July 2014: Metrologist 7
PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Other calibration
labs seek Ted’s
wisdom, advice
and knowledge
on calibration
and measurement
science.
One of my favorite stories that Ted has
shared with me, was the time he had been
working a lot, making GRS one of the top
companies in the measurement science
community, and felt that he had been
spending too much time at the lab. He decided to take the family on a little trip, so
he packed up his wife Ann and his son Ted,
loaded them onto a plane and flew them to
8 Metrologist : July 2014
San Francisco. They rode the trolleys, ate
at Fisherman’s Wharf, then took a trip into
the San Francisco bay to Alcatraz, before
jumping back on a plane to return to Palos
Verde – all in one day! What a nice surprise
for the family!
I like to tell new partners and clientele,
“there isn’t a craft in the sky that we haven’t calibrated a gauge or torque wrench
for, through our clients and partners.” Our
clientele list is as long as it is distinguished.
Here is a partial list of companies we have
partnered with: King Nutronics, Parker
Hannifin, Northrop Grumman, Space X,
Sea Launch, NASA, the Jet Propulsion Lab,
Lockheed Martin, the United States Navy,
the United States Air Force, Marvin Engineering, Woodward, Boeing and U.L.A.
www.ncsli.org
PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
We have worked with NASA on such
projects as the Apollo and Space Shuttle
missions. At one time when NASA was
building the space shuttles in Downy/
Paramount, California, they had given
Gauge Repair Service so much work that
gauges litterly covered the floor from wall
to wall!
Other calibration labs seek Ted’s wisdom, advice and knowledge on calibration
and measurement science, since we calibrate almost all their pressure standards.
In 1968, Ted invented and manufactured the Pneumatic Pressure Volume
Controller, which is found on almost every pneumatic pressure calibrating system
in the United States. Hiese has manufactured the device since 1988, when Ted sold
them the patent. The Pneumatic Pressure
Volume Controller is now sold worldwide.
From the day I walked in to GRS, I
learned what an incredible human being
Ted is. If we have a serious problem, he
will offer advice and help on how to solve
the problem. He always helps us work on
a long-term solution to the problem, so it
doesn’t happen again. He is as kind as he
is wise, and he cares for each one of us as
if we are family.
Ted is an inspiration to all of us here
at GRS. When he was 70 years old, he
worked 48 hours a week. Recently he decided to cut back a little and now works
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36 hours week. I still can’t see how he
does it. His strength and his will are
monumental!
Besides being President, Owner and
CEO of GRS, he is also a member of the
following Measurement Science organizations: NCSL International, Instrument Society of America, and Precision
Measurement and Southern California
Measurement Association. His daughter,
DeAnn Haggstrom, is Vice President of
GRS. DeAnn oversees most of the business side.
Ted loves this company. I believe he
looks forward to coming in on Monday
mornings, to see each of us and to see the
high precision gauges and dead weight
testers and to see what else can be done
for GRS.
From company founder, to veteran, to
scientist, to loving father and husband,
there isn’t much that Ted hasn’t done. As
of September 2013, we have been in business for 50 years. I will be here to ensure
that we stay in business and that the GRS
legacy lasts for another 50 years.
It has been my honor to share with you
some of the great things that make Ted
one of the most influential and notable
people in my life. I am proud to call him
friend and proud to call GRS home.
dashiell26@aim.com
From company
founder, to veteran,
to scientist, to
loving father and
husband, there
isn’t much that Ted
hasn’t done.
Ted H. Haggstrom
President, Owner and CEO of Gauge Repair Service
July 2014: Metrologist 9
c
rld metro
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lo
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i
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a
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e
World Metrology Day celebrates the signing of the Metre Convention by representatives of seventeen nations,
an event which took place on May 20, 1875. This international agreement is also known as the “Treaty of the
Metre.” The Convention set the framework for global collaboration in the science of measurement and its industrial,
commercial and societal application, as well as coordinating the development of the metric system.
United Kingdom
The 3M Buckley Innovation Centre, the University of Huddersfield
and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Huddersfield (West
Yorkshire, United Kingdom) had an open house at the 3M Buckley
Innovation Centre on 20th May 2014 as part of World Metrology
Day. This day is a celebration of measurement science and an opportunity to reflect on its importance to our daily lives.
The National Physical Laboratory is the UK’s National Measurement Institute and an expert in applying cutting-edge measurement knowhow to deliver business solutions.
As part of the National Physical Laboratory’s Open House to celebrate World Metrology Day, NPL Huddersfield opened up their
laboratories for the public to learn more about the world of measurement. Guests were invited to see metrology in action using
state of the art equipment ranging from surface measurement using infinite focus microscopy to the measurement of the properties
of foodstuffs.
There were interactive displays in the atrium and a series of talks by
experts on the relevance of metrology to your business. A variety of
science laboratories and demonstration areas were open, including:
• Advanced precision metrology
• Surface characterization using tactile and non-contact instruments
• Laser scanning
• Comparing precision manufacturing with additive manufacture
(3D printing)
http://www.npl.co.uk/world-metrology-day/
10 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
UNITED KINGDOM
MEXICO
Mexico
The coordinators of World Metrology Day chose the theme for
2014 to be “Measurements and the Global Energy Challenge.”
This theme, in addition to framing the commemoration of
World Metrology Day, has been very useful as a way to spread the
knowledge of measurement needs as the demand for energy increases, thus contributing to environmental health. The world faces a growing energy challenge, through research and development
of new technology for the production of fuel or renewable energy.
So through all specialties in metrology, CENAM contributes with
measurement sources to better use and generation of energy on demand, improving measurement capability in diverse areas, including the economic, security, environmental, health and legal areas.
The CENAM, with national metrology institutes around the
world, shares this celebration through knowledge and awareness
and with the development of increasingly accurate and reliable measurements. For this commemoration, CENAM organized the Open
Day 2014 (DPA), inviting students, academics, professionals, businessmen and industrialists interested in the topics of measurement
to have guided tours of the facilities. The metrologists gave talks on
the scientific developments and technological advances made by
CENAM through their experts and measurement laboratories.
The program was held on May 19th and 20th. The first day focused on business and industry and the second day on schools,
universities and technology. The activities were divided into three
schedules, each with a duration of three hours. Activities available
were the institutional video; lab visits; landmarks like the library,
the museum and the tree of Newton; lectures and an exhibition by
the sponsors of the event. Everyone enjoyed interacting with the
measuring devices (toy meters).
In summary, 38 laboratories and 10 specialized lectures were
offered by metrologists. Approximately 1100 visitors from
USA
40 educational institutions and 33 companies and industry
attended. The expo consisted of four sponsors, the CENAM´s
stand and the toy meters.
The media present were the newspaper Periodico AM; and transmitting live online, Radio and Television Querétaro.
Consumers Energy Laboratory Services
Each year on May the 20th, Consumers Energy Laboratory Services celebrates World Metrology Day. A luncheon was hosted
along with several speakers on metrology topics to provide information about the metrology field.
This year’s theme was “Measurements and the Global Energy
Challenge.” Bob Sawyer, the Department Head of Calibration &
Instrument Services here at Laboratory Services, presented information on why metrology is a necessary part of making energy use
more efficient both in industrial and consumer areas. Better monitoring, calibration and implementation of energy systems is a key
part of ensuring that the energy grid performs at its most efficient
rate. Even everyday consumers can benefit from smarter energy meters and information about better managing their home energy use.
We also had presentations about how the calibration department works with other departments around the lab, including
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Non-Destructive Testing / Materials and Chemistry. These departments depend on highly sensitive equipment and having an integrated calibration department ensures their equipment is kept up
to standards with great efficiency.
July 2014: Metrologist 11
ETHIOPIA
GHANA
PALESTINE
National Metrology Institute of Ethiopia
The National Metrology Institute of Ethiopia will celebrate World Metrology Day on 20 May 2014 with different programs. It includes an
opening speech by the Minister of the Ethiopian Science and Technology Ministry on the theme of the year, “Measurements and the
Global Energy Challenge.” The other is, based on ISO/IEC 17025:2005
Laboratory Quality Management System, the Institute has received
new accredita­tion in the fields of balance and electrical calibration
and an extension of accreditation in the fields of mass, temperature,
pressure, and volume from the Germen Accredita­tion Body (DAkkS).
Therefore, on World metrology commemoration day, the institute
will officially receive the certificate from PTB representatives.
There were interactive displays in the atrium and a series of talks by
experts on the relevance of metrology to your business. A variety of
science laboratories and demonstration areas were open, including:
• The institute will award participants who contributed a lot in the
accreditation process.
• There will be an awareness creation program on the theme of the
year for employees of the institute and other guests from other areas.
• The director of NMIE will give press releases for media; therefore,
the event will be broadcasted on private and public media.
• There will be a photo exhibition that shows the previous World
Metrology Day celebrations.
on developing environmentally friend energy resources. From 3 - 4
June, 2014, the ministry of water and energy of Ethiopia will cohost the U.S.-Africa Energy Ministerial (AEM) in Addis Ababa with
the Government of the United States. This shows how Ethiopia is
concerned and working on energy.
Ethiopia is developing a lot of hydroelectric power, wind electric
power and geothermal sources of energy. One of these projects
is a wind electric farm called Ashegoda that covers about 20,000
square kilometers in the Tigrai Region. This farm is producing 100
MW. Ashegoda is the second windiest place in Ethiopia next to
Adama (Nazreth), with an average annual wind speed of 8.5 m/s
and 9.4 m/s, respectively, at a height of 40 M above ground level.
Another project is the Ethiopian Great Renaissance dam, funded
by the Ethiopian government and the people of Ethiopia. The
building of the dam aimed primarily at generating power with an
expected capacity of 6,000 MW. At the end it will not only serve
Ethiopia, but also Sudan and Egypt.
http://nmie.net/
The theme of the year has a special meaning for Ethiopia, because
energy related activities are included in the country’s five-year
growth and transformation plan. The government is working a lot
Standards and Services
that measure up. And more.
For more than a century, Laboratory
Services has been there to provide
industry with accurate, reliable services,
and more.
Our range of accredited testing services
includes: analytical chemistry, material
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We can assist you in reducing costs
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operation run smoothly. That will keep
your customers satisfied, and more.
To learn more, call us at (800) 736-4147.
CALL FOR SCOPE
12 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
POLAND
Fluke Calibration
CANADA
Celebrating World Metrology day is becoming a tradition at Fluke
that seems to be growing a bit each year. Fluke celebrated the
day in Norwich, U.K., Phoenix, Arizona, American Fork, Utah, and
Everett, Washington. The Norwich, U.K. facility celebrated the day
with a nice selection of fruits and pastries, and then tested their
skills with a series of contests involving measurements.
Fluke’s Phoenix and American Fork facilities did a great job in
having nicely decorated cakes available for the staff, which focused
www.ncsli.org
FRANCE
on the theme for 2014. The Everett facility for Fluke also had cake
for all of their employees. Fluke business units organized a product
fair in the cafeteria during lunchtime so that employees could have
a chance to see the wide array of products that Fluke manufactures.
Additionally, Fluke invited Dr. Jay Hendricks to be a special guest
speaker for the day. Jay spoke about NIST’s innovations in pressure
measurement regarding the development of a fixed length optical
cavity for use as primary pressure standard.
July 2014: Metrologist 13
SPAIN
SRI LANKA
SWITZERLAND
Ghana
The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), in collaboration with the
Ministry of Trade and Industry, celebrated this year’s World Metrology Day on Tuesday, May 20 under the theme: “Measurements
and the Global Energy Challenge.” The celebration took the form
of a public forum at the head office of the Ghana Standards Authority in Accra. The forum was attended by a cross-section of the
population, including industrialists, business men and women, academicians, consumer associations and regulatory bodies.
In a welcome address read on his behalf, the Executive Director of the Ghana Standards Authority, Dr. George Ben Crentsil,
stressed the need for operators in the energy sector and business
organisations to be interested in metrology since measurements
form the basis of growth and development in local and international trade. In a keynote address, the Minister of Trade, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, commended GSA for the celebration and
pledged government support to ensure that they succeed in their
determination to promote metrological services in various sectors
of the economy, including oil and gas.
Solidarity messages were given by a number of organizations,
including the Energy Commission, the Volta River Authority and
the Electricity Company of Ghana.
The Chairman for the occasion was the Executive Secretary of
Ghana’s Energy Commission, Dr. Alfred K. Ofosu Ahenkorah, who
pointed out that measurements were so crucial to our energy needs
that they could not be overlooked. After the program, the audience visited facilities in the various laboratories of the Metrology
Division.
In the other regions of the country, radio and television discussions were organized before, during and after May 20 to highlight
the significance of the day.
http://www.gsa.gov.gh/home/
Palestine
Because of the positive outcome of the participation in the celebration of the World
Metrology Day last year that led to raising
the level of awareness among students in
Palestinian universities, we decided to participate in the celebration of World Metrol-
ogy Day this year by holding training workshops for teachers,
technicians and engineers in schools and vocational centers to educate them about the importance of metrology in technical fields
and in turn educating students in their schools in this area.
This activity will arranged and organized by the National
Measurement Directorate / Palestine Standards Institution (PSI).
14 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
POLAND
NETHERLANDS
Poland
On the 20th of May, 2014 with due ceremony at the Ministry
of Economy, we celebrated World Metrology Day and the 95th
anniversary of the Establishment of the Central Office of Measures.
The day for all metrology people, especially former and current staff
members of the Polish administration of measures celebrated in the
elegant conference room “Pod Kopułą” located in the main building
of the Ministry of Economy. Nearly 300 guests attended the gala,
among others, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy
Mr. Janusz Piechociński, the representatives of the international
metrological organizations and academic management, scientists
and numerous other professionals connected with metrology. Of
course, the gala was attended by a very strong representation of
administration of measures: the delegation of the local offices and
Central Office of Measures headed by the President of the Central
Office of Measures Ms. Janina Maria Popowska, Vice-President
for Legal Metrology Ms. Dorota Habich and Vice-President for
Scientific Metrology Mr. Włodzimierz Popiołek.
Why do we celebrate World Metrology Day? It was established
to commemorate the signing of the agreement on the metric
system. On the 20th of May 1875, the Metric Convention was
passed. In 1925 Poland joined the convention. Before joining, on
1 April 1919, the Central Office of Measures was established as one
of the first institutions founded in the independent Poland.
The theme of this year’s World Metrology Day was “Measurements
and the Global Energy Challenges.” Some of the problems of
modern metrology were discussed during the speeches of the invited
guests. Besides congratulations to the Central Office of Measures
on its anniversary, all participants, having the opportunity to
take the floor, voiced their opinions on current developments in
the different fields of metrology. They didn’t fail to mention the
challenges, which this area of science is going to face.
The assembled guests were welcomed by the President of the
Central Office of Measures Ms. Janina Maria Popowska who
talked briefly about the scope of activities carried out by the
Central Office of Measures. In particular, Ms. President focused
her attention on the international metrological cooperation by
putting great emphasis on the role played in this area by GUM
as a National Metrological Institute. She stated, “Knowledge and
experience are becoming more and more international and there
is a need to combine global thinking with acting on the local and
national level.” Ms. President Popowska presented fairly widely
The Netherlands
Today, May 20th, we celebrate World Metrology Day! This year’s
theme is: “Measurements and the Global Energy Challenge.”
Measurements are central to most basic decisions on energy usage.
No matter how complex the global challenge, actual consumption
follows from individual choices regarding the energy we use in our
daily lives. To make good choices, we need information, and much
of this information is based on measurement results.
VSL, the Dutch Metrology Institute, assumes a responsibility in
this field. The following link to a video, developed for the occasion
www.ncsli.org
USA
the measurable advantages coming from the GUM’s activity on
the international stage. Furthermore, not forgetting that these
advantages have not only the financial dimension, she said, “Most
important is that we are gaining an access to the unique knowledge
and experience following from the newest research and projects
executed in the framework of the program. This knowledge has
been already used and the advantage of it will be taken not only
by metrology specialists of GUM but also by the national research
units carrying out metrological research.” Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechociński, who assumed the
honorary patronage over the anniversary, talked as well about
the particular role of the greatest Polish metrological institute
in the development of the national economy. He stated, “The
measurement technologies are foundation of the growing number
of people’s actions and decisions. They are used in the modern
laboratories, in the new fields of science connected with the trend
of the miniaturization and development of the nanotechnologies.”
Prime Minister Piechociński emphasized that there is a huge
demand for the reliable and exact measurements in the power
industry, stating “The motto of this year’s metrology day
celebrations inclines towards discussion on the technological
development, new energy sources, and increased demand for
energy from the side of consumers and rising economies.”
of World Metrology Day, will remind you of the developments
that have occurred in the energy sector over the centuries, and you
will get a glimpse of what is to come.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MqWAympD_s
July 2014: Metrologist 15
CANADA
SPAIN
SRI LANKA
Quebec, Canada
IREQ’s Calibration and Repair Laboratory Hydro-Quebec,
Varennes, Quebec gladly accepted the invitation to celebrate
World Metrology Day by organizing a modest “open house” on
May 20th. The purpose of the event was to give IREQ colleagues
an opportunity to interact with the lab’s metrology experts and
learn more about services provided by the laboratory. The main
topics discussed were calibration, periodicity and other aspects
of metrology. The participants also learned more about electrical
measurement hazards and measurement installation categories,
with a view to choosing the right measuring instrument for the
job at hand.
André Langlois, ing. Chef - Laboratoire d’étalonnage et réparation
Direction Laboratoires
Institut de recherche d’Hydro-Québec
Spain
Centro Español de Metrología (CEM) in
collaboration with Asociación Española para
la Calidad (AEC) on the occasion of World
Metrology Day 2014 conducted a seminar
entitled: “Metrology like support of quality”
with visits to laboratories on 20 May 2014.
The seminar speakers covered:
• How to choose suitable measuring instruments to control products
• Errors, uncertainties and conformity assessments
• Metrological management processes in industry
• Challenges in metrology for Spanish industry
• Metrological goals and difficulties in the measurements and
billing of electrical energy
• Smart meters
• New European regulatory framework for measuring instruments
and metrological challenges for industry
• Metrological traceability and accreditation
CEM and AEC invited everyone interested in the science of
measurement to participate free of charge in this event.
Seminar presentations are available on the AEC and CEM websites.
http://www.cem.es/
Sri Lanka
Organized by the Section E1 of the Sri Lanka Association for the
Advancement of Science in collaboration with the Department of
Physics, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJP).
The Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science,
together with the Department of Physics, USJP, organized a
workshop to commemorate World Metrology Day on the 20th
of May 2014. The workshop was aligned with the global theme
“Measurements and the Global Energy Challenge,” under the
encouragement of the International Bureau of Weights and
Measures (BIPM). The event brought together university students,
researchers, academics and industry experts from around the
country. The workshop resulted in a lot of discussion and helped
spread awareness on the field of metrology and was greatly
appreciated by the participants.
The event was sponsored by Cleanco Lanka Ltd, Fashion
holdings (pvt) Ltd., and the Hirdaramanie group of companies.
16 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
WORLD
METROLOGY
DAY
National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST
The theme of this year’s World
Metrology Day, “Measurements
and the Global Energy Challenge,” speaks to one of the defining issues of our time. One that is
as far-reaching as any challenge we have ever faced. Keeping pace
with our ever-growing energy needs while protecting our environment will require a host of new technologies, and those technologies depend on a robust system of measurement and calibration
if they are to be built and used economically and maintained in
good working order.
With literally hundreds of projects covering nearly every aspect of
energy from generation (by conventional and alternative means) to
transmission, metering, conservation and sustainability, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is doing all it can to
help solve the energy challenge.
Standards for the Smart Grid, energy efficient lighting, photovoltaics, net-zero-energy buildings, and software for “smart” building
are but a few of the many areas where NIST measurement research
is having an impact.
For instance, the Nisters, the virtual family inhabiting NIST’s
Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF), earned about $40
by exporting 328 kilowatt hours of electricity to the local grid while
meeting all of their varied energy needs during their first six months
of occupancy.
NIST researchers’ survival-of-the-fittest computer simulation uncovered a more efficient design for rooftop air-conditioning systems.
www.ncsli.org
The 3 percent improvement could be enough for a manufacturer to
achieve compliance with increasingly stringent energy efficiency
standards. The efficiency increase could also translate into material
savings—a reduction in the amount of costly copper tubing in a heat
exchanger without sacrificing performance.
A NIST spectroscopy innovation could improve the detection of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The high speed of the technique allows for very accurate measurements of atmospheric gases
at rates that are faster than atmospheric changes in temperature and
pressure due to turbulence and could potentially be used on a vehicle, aircraft or satellite.
And NIST will continue to work to address the pressing measurement and calibration needs of today while anticipating the needs
of tomorrow.
World Metrology Day celebrates the signing of the Treaty of the
Meter on May 20, 1875. By signing the treaty, representatives from
17 nations, including the United States, recognized the importance of
worldwide uniformity of measurements and established a collaborative global framework for the advancement of measurement science.
Each year, World Metrology Day is organized and celebrated jointly
by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), which
serves as the hub of national metrology institutes such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), an intergovernmental
treaty organization that promotes harmony in legal metrology.
July 2014: Metrologist 17
2015 NCSL INterNatIoNaL
WorkShop & SympoSIum
measurement
science
and the
of
life
18 Metrologist
: July |2014www.ncsli.org
NCSL
International
2995 Wilderness Place, Suite 107 | Boulder, CO 80301 | ncsli.org | Phone (303) 440-3339 | Email info@ncsli.org
Call for Papers
2015
......................................................................................
The theme for NCSL International’s 2015 Workshop & Symposium
is Measurement Science and the Quality of Life. Have you considered
what impact Measurement Science has had on the quality of your
life? If you take time to consider it, you can appreciate what a large
impact it has.
Think, for example, how your quality of life may
have improved over what your great grandparents
experienced a hundred years ago. Innovations and
conveniences that we enjoy today would have been
hard to imagine in their day. Modern automobiles,
air conditioning, appliances, commercial air travel,
computers, GPS navigation systems, cell phones, TVs,
radios, medical improvements including MRIs, organ
transplants, and joint replacements are all examples
that contribute to our quality of life. Now consider the
role of Measurement Science. Without the ability to
measure and control critical parameters, these kinds
of advances would only be science fiction.
Measurement Science professionals are encouraged
to get involved and submit an abstract for the 2015
Workshop & Symposium which will be held from July
19 – 23, at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention
Center in Grapevine, Texas.
Share your measurement experience and expertise
with other measurement professionals by attending
and presenting a paper. We welcome papers from
any measurement science professional, including
engineers, metrologists, lab assessors, lab
managers, quality managers, researchers, scientists,
statisticians, technologists and more.
...................................................................................................
Submissions can relate to a variety of measurement and process topics including research and development,
manufacturing and service related fields, new test and measurement techniques, measurement standards and
traceability, statistical process and evaluation, measurement accuracy and uncertainty analysis, laboratory
management and accreditation and new advances in measurement science. Topics can include:
• Acceleration
• Automation
• Chemical
• Dimensional
• Electrical
• Force
• Flow
• Fundamental Units
• Inspection
• Humidity
• Lab Accreditation
• Management Issues
• Mass
• Optical
• Pressure
• Quality Topics
• RF/Microwave
• Standards
• Temperature
• Time & Frequency
• Vacuum
• Other Measurement
Topics
NCSLI invites you to present your work at this exciting conference
as we consider Measurement Science and the Quality of Life.
Gaylord Texan resorT and ConvenTion CenTer | Grapevine, Texas | July 19 – 23, 2015
CALL FOR PAPERS
EXHIBIT SALES
SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMS
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES
www.ncsli.org
exhibits@ncsli.org
larcher@ncsli.org
lstone@ncsli.org
Joe D. Simmons
METROLOGY
SCHOLARSHIP
WINNER
Omar Cardenas Reyes
The winner of the 2014 Joe D. Simmons
Scholarship is Omar Cardenas Reyes. Omar
is a 20-year-old student who is pursuing
his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial
Metrology Engineering at the Polytechnic
University of Santa Rosa Jáuregui (UPSRJ)
in the central state of Querétero in Mexico.
As part of his university curriculum,
Omar has completed coursework in physics,
linear algebra, analytical chemistry, industrial processes, statistics, mathematics, engineering drawing, interpersonal development and English. In addition, he has taken
several courses in measurement science,
including basic metrology, manufacturing
system processes, dimensional metrology,
uncertainty estimation, legal metrology,
validation of methods and metrology in
chemistry.
One of the requirements of Omar’s academic program is that he completes three
“stays” with industries, laboratories, research centers, or universities. He has
finished his first stay, working in an environmental analysis laboratory which was
pursuing accreditation. He was in charge
of the verification of volumetric glassware
using the gravimetric method. The capacity
of the glassware was determined by weighing the quantity of pure water it contains
or delivers. After determining the volume
capacity, he compared the results against
specifications of the volumetric glassware
and determined whether that data was inside or outside of the specifications.
In addition to his university coursework,
Omar has participated in projects which
have real world application beyond the
classroom, including the development of
a wind turbine prototype and a bio-filter
to clean wastewater in rural households.
Through his schoolwork and special projects, he is developing excellent problem
solving skills and is learning to work collaboratively.
Prior to attending UPSRJ, Omar obtained
a technician degree in industrial maintenance. He plans to continue his education
and obtain a master’s degree related to the
measurement sciences, and is particularly
interested in dimensional metrology.
We congratulate Omar
on his achievement and
wish him luck. He has a
bright future in metrology!
The Joe D. Simmons Memorial Scholarship was founded in the memory of Joe Simmons to support the study of measurement
science and to promote academic excellence
in metrology. The scholarship is awarded to
students who exhibit scholastic excellence
in the study of measurement science and
quality. The $3,000 award may cover tuition, fees, books and other academic expenses for the winning scholar.
mikesuraci@aol.com
20 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
Joe D. Simmons
NIST (NBS) (1963-1994)
1992 NCSLI, William A. Wildhack award winner.
1995 MSC, Andrew J. Woodington award winner.
Co-founder and Chair of
ASQ Measurement Quality Division.
Founded in the memory of Joe Simmons to
support the study of measurement science
and metrology related quality topics.
QUALIFIED STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
$3000 SCHOLARSHIP
Completed applications are due March 1
www.ncsli.org
For application forms or more information contact your
advisor, student aid office, or the Scholarship itself at:
SimmonsScholarship@ncsli.org
www.ncsli.org (search Simmons)
PROMOTING
ACADEMIC
EXCELLENCE IN
METROLOGY
Submit to:
Simmons Scholarship
2995 Wilderness Place, Suite 107
Boulder, CO 80301
NCSLI
SPECIAL FEATURE
Toward a Measurement
Information Infrastructure
Déjà Vu
By Mark Kuster, Pantex Metrology, Contributing Editor
22 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
SPECIAL FEATURE
Welcome to your conference, the 2014 NCSL International Workshop
& Symposium. We hope it proves productive for you in many ways.
The previous Measurement Information Infrastructure (MII) installment wrapped up a three-part series outlining a high-level data
model for electronic instrument specifications. We have other metrology information vehicles to move on to (test and calibration certificates, accreditation scopes, etc.) as well as topics to cover on web
communication services, software, and data formats to make it all
happen. This time though, we take a break from data modeling to
discuss the conference and some interesting MII-related endeavors.
Exploring the Wilderness
A while back, I drove through a parking lot hunting for an unfamiliar
vehicle–my sister’s black Jeep. Practically the last thing I remember
about jeeps before that involved US Army doctors cavorting around
in the TV series M*A*S*H, but now I see Jeeps everywhere. Black
Jeeps. You know the phenomenon: Something once relegated to
subconsciously processed and ignored background information
intrudes into your sphere of awareness and suddenly, what didn’t
seem to exist the day before stares at you from all sides. Thankfully,
this MII column has begun to work that way.
Though we knew of few concrete examples, we began this column
with the assumption that existing technology provides us more than
enough resources to build a measurement information infrastructure
to seamlessly move test and measurement data between laboratories
and their customers, manufacturers and accrediting bodies–without
paper and with minimal human intervention. Now, past work seems
to appear out of the luminiferous aether. Last time, we mentioned
Robin Barker and Graeme Parkin’s work at NPL1 to process calibration
data and generate certificates using XML2–a lovely proof-of-concept
demonstration from 2006 that didn’t impinge upon our awareness
here until 2014. Without the Internet, we might never have learned
of their efforts.
That last article spurred Jerry Hayes, one of metrology’s pioneers,
to write us. He described CATS3, a one-time US Navy project for
finding global metrology laboratories with capabilities suiting US
military customers. It apparently involved electronic datasheets
and uncertainty statements and probably much more. In a similar
vein, the MII envisions machine-readable accreditation scopes
and instrument spec sheets that would enable the automatic
matching that CATS sought. We also note PMSC’s AssetSmart®
and SMART|ENCATS® enterprise management software, which
offers structured instrument cataloging and flexible searches
by performance attributes (specs) with connectivity among its
users, though perhaps no standard format for exchange with
other software. So, we see our ideas have already long stewed in
metrologists’ thoughts and we suggest their time has now come.
Indeed, yet another development seems to have it moving already.
ATML
XML pervades the interoperable data industry, having bred a
plethora of data schemas for divergent purposes by virtue of
its inherent extensibility. The NIST has developed UnitsML to
represent measurement units and quantity values. MathML
exists to encode symbolic and numeric equations of arbitrary
complexity. Someday we may have a complete MetrologyML or
MeasurementsML, perhaps encompassing the VIM4 and all other
www.ncsli.org
relevant terminologies. But, as it turns out, the aether just revealed
another choice tidbit: Automatic Test Markup Language (ATML).
A joint industry-DoD5 working group created and published
ATML from 2007 to 2010 as the IEEE 1671 base standard and
several addendums and promoted it at conferences such as the
IEEE AutoTestCon. Committee participants include:
• Agilent-Vektrex
• Boeing
• Diagnosys
• EADS
• Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, Inc.
• Lockheed Martin
• National Instruments
• Northrop Grumman
• Rohde & Schwarz
• Summit Test Solutions
• Teradyne
• US Air Force
• US Army
• US Navy.
So what does it do? ATML defines XML schemas that standardize
testing and maintenance data for exchange between automatic
test systems, with a secondary intention to generate feedback for
procurement decisions. ATML encodes data on tests, test systems,
instruments, UUTs6, interfaces, and test results. A manufacturer
may describe a UUT in ATML down to its connectors, specs, and
input-output signals and also write a separate ATML test protocol.
The manufacturer or its customers use the test protocol to test the
associated UUT on any system with the required equipment. Software
knows the equipment requirements and may verify a test system
using the system’s own ATML description. Theoretically, ATML files
supply all the information required to identify equipment, make
connections, handle communications, run tests, and generate
results, all in a way that anyone’s software will understand. It seems
just the thing upon which to build our MII!
Looking a little deeper, we see that ATML delineates a formidable
array of simple and complex data structures as well as test actions and
results. Editors exist to generate ATML for UUTs, test requirements,
instruments and systems (test stations). It characterizes input and
output signals per predefined IEEE 1641 models and matches
those signals to ATML-encoded instruments and their connection
ports. Products such as National Instruments’ TestStand™ and
LabWindows CVI™ understand how to import ATML test protocols
and generate test code. The instrument files seem versatile and
include mappings between function specifications and the available
instrument options. Several companies supply software interfaces
for visualizing and analyzing the test results.
On the minus side, the working group appears to have targeted
ATML strictly at the testing industry and so it includes data items
that may not concern us immediately, such as power requirements,
fault isolation, diagnostics, etc. More importantly, ATML lacks
National Physical Laboratory, the United Kingdom’s national metrology institute
Extensible Markup Language
Calibration and Traceability System
4
International Vocabulary of Metrology
5
Department of Defense
6
Units under test
7
Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments
1
2
3
July 2014: Metrologist 23
SPECIAL FEATURE
predefined structures for much of the metrology information we
would like in our MII vehicles. Also, though aware of SCPI7 and
many hardware interfaces, it apparently does not capture enough
instrument nuances to completely avoid manual test code changes.
Warnings also state that vendors may sometimes interpret the
(ambiguous?) ATML standard differently, thus creating ATML files
incompatible with other vendors’ products.
All in all, though, ATML appears to represent a significant step
toward our MII. Perhaps we might write another international
standard that extends it to our wish list.
• 1414 “Hosted Calibration Management Systems” – Thomas P.
Pessa, Exelon PowerLabs
• 1485 “An Enterprise Resource View of Metrology Software
Systems” – Michael Schwartz, Cal Lab Solutions
• 1486 “Calibrating a UUT on a Remote Computer Using Fluke
MET/CAL” – Michael Schwartz, Cal Lab Solutions
• 1501 “The Intelligent Automated RF Measurement System”
– Nghiem Ngun, Raytheon Co.
You may also join as an interested party or participant at:
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/scc20/bluesheet.html
Among the conference papers, the agenda has Marcus Flack
of Fluke Calibration scheduled to present “Selection and
Implementation of Metrological Automation Systems” and we
happily credit Suresh Ramachandran from National Instruments,
whose presentation “Lab2Lab Electronic Exchange of Information
using ATML” sounds especially interesting. Perhaps Suresh will
show us how to extend or use ATML for metrology. (Please check
the NCSLI website for changes in the program).
Conference Tidbits
Networking
For further information, visit:
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/scc20/ATML/Demonstrations/
index.html
As always, we like to highlight MII-related conference events. This
year’s conference features a number of poster presentations, including
many that may pertain to MII development. Examples may include:
The MII and previous efforts envision a measurement world all about
networking, specifically, machine-to-machine communication to
improve measurement quality, and make life easier for metrologists
and other measurement professionals. Your conference has obvious
• 1318 “File Abstraction Layers for Data Storage” – Damien Gray, potential for personal networking and getting involved – vendor
National Instruments
exhibits, committees, tutorials, and interactive sessions. As you take
• 1342 “Considerations when Choosing Automated Calibration
advantage, think a little about the MII. See you there!
3747
Metrologist
Jan 13_3737
Software”
– Michael
Bailey, Metrologist
TransmilleJan 13 1/28/13 5:20 PM Page 1
mjk@ieee.org
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METROLOGY IN POP CULTURE
TREES
the metrology of
By Michael A. Lombardi, Contributing Editor
26 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
METROLOGY IN POP CULTURE
I
n some ways, discussing “the metrology of trees” seems
to involve a contradiction of terms, because so many
things about trees are simply immeasurable. For example, the beauty that trees add to our world, to our forests,
parks, and even to our streets and backyards, is impossible
to quantify. Poets have tried – Joyce Kilmer told us that no
poem is “lovely as a tree” and the theologian Martin Luther wrote that “every green tree is far more glorious than
if it were made of gold and silver.” In his children’s book
The Lorax, a classic cautionary tale, Dr. Seuss shows us how
dismal a world without trees would be. The main character
of that book “speaks for the trees” and tries unsuccessfully to
save them. Of course, trees have a value far more practical
and useful than beauty – they help to sustain life itself. They
provide the wood used to build our houses and furniture,
and the fruit that gives us vitamins and sustenance. They
provide a home for birds and other animals, they shade us
from the sun, and they even remove carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere and make our air safer to breathe. For these and
a multitude of other reasons, trees are held in high esteem by
all societies and cultures.
Although the value of trees to our planet is immeasurable,
many properties of trees are routinely measured, and trees
are even utilized as measurement instruments. Therefore,
in keeping with the theme of this year’s NCSLI symposium,
“Measurement Science and the Environment,” let’s briefly
explore a few aspects of the metrology of trees.
MEASURING THE SIZE OF TREES
AND FOREST DENSITY
If you have purchased a tree recently, you’ve probably
noticed that big trees cost more than little trees of the same
species. The metrics used to determine the size and value of
a tree are height above the ground, and caliper, which is the
diameter of the tree’s trunk. American nurseries don’t use
the metric system, thus trees are generally
categorized into groups based on
caliper
segments
expressed
in inches. These segments
are expressed in 1/8 inch
intervals for trees with
calipers up to 0.75 inches,
in ¼ inch intervals
for trees with calipers
ranging from 0.75 to 2
inches, and in 1/2 inch
intervals for trees with
calipers ranging from 2 to
6 inches. For example, if you
are shopping for an oak tree with
a 2-inch caliper, you may be able to
select from a group of trees that are priced identically but
where the caliper ranges from 2 to almost 2.5 inches. Oak
trees in the 2.5 inch class will have calipers ranging from 2.5
to almost 3 inches, and so on.
www.ncsli.org
July 2014: Metrologist 27
METROLOGY IN POP CULTURE
The trunk of a tree, of course, is
seldom round or symmetrical, so caliper
measurements made in different places
along the trunk will obviously produce
different results. The ANSI Z60.1-2004
standard, “American Standard for Nursery
Stock”, tells us that the measurement
should ideally be made with a diameter
tape, and if an actual caliper is used, the
measurement should be the average of the
largest and smallest measurements (which
presumably means the midpoint of the
range). The standard also describes the
part of the trunk where the tree should
be measured. For shade trees, the trunk
should be measured at 6 inches above
the ground, except for trees with calipers
greater than 4 inches, in which case the
trunk should be measured at 12 inches
above the ground.
Trees of the same species are generally
more height and weight proportional
than people.
Nurseries express the
height of trees in increments of 1 foot.
Assuming that the tree has not had its
leader (the vertical stem at the top of
the trunk) broken or cut, the caliper of
Accurate
a tree is strongly correlated to its height.
For example, a shade tree with a 1 inch
caliper will typically be 8 to 10 feet tall.
The taller trees have generally not “filled
out” as much as shorter trees, but if you
walk down the rows of a nursery, you’ll
notice that trees of the same caliper will
appear to be roughly the same overall size.
I have seen small shade trees sometimes
priced by height and sometimes by
caliper, but according to the ANSI Z60.12004 standard, height shall be the
“governing measurement” for trees with a
height of up to 6 feet, after which caliper
measurements take precedence.
Trees available for sale at a nursery
are somewhat limited in size, because
they have to be delivered to another site
and transplanted. The timber and forest
management industries tend to deal
with much larger trees than nurseries,
and therefore they measure caliper
differently. The standard metric for these
industries is called diameter at breast
height (DBH). According to U. S. Forest
Service standards, DBH is measured at
4.5 feet above the ground line on the
If an actual
caliper is used, the
measurement should
be the average of the
largest and smallest
measurements.
uphill side of the tree and is rounded
down to the last 0.1 inch (4.68 inches
becomes 4.6 inches, for example). The
U. S. Forest Service standards are more
comprehensive than the standards for
nurseries. They include rules for dealing
with the numerous situations that might
affect the DBH measurement; including
forked trees, trees that have a swell
or bottleneck at their base, trees with
irregularities or swelling in their trunk,
trees growing on slopes, leaning trees,
and so on.
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28 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
Du
rin
ge
n
ach
hi
c
i
y
wh
,
s
the ear of i
g
ed.
in
r
ts life,
c
h
t
typ
n
a tree adds grow
e of
erie
p
x
e
growi
ng season the tree has
The height of a large tree can be measured with an instrument
called a hypsometer. This instrument uses basic geometric
principles to estimate height by forming a triangle whose three
points are the base of the tree, the top of the tree, and the
position of the observer. To measure the height of the tree, dy,
the observer stands at a fixed distance from the base of the tree,
dx. The instrument has a scale that shows the percent of grade
based on the slope dy / dx. In many cases, the instruments scale is
based on dx being equal to 100 feet, so a scale reading of 90 would
indicate that the tree is 90 foot tall if the observer is standing 100
feet from its base. However, in all cases, dx must be greater than
dy, so the observer must stand more than 100 feet away from
the base when measuring a 100 foot tree. With the simplest
instruments, this will require some mathematical conversion
to get the correct height. However, sophisticated hypsometers
that use laser rangefinders to calculate dx and perform all of the
calculations necessary to obtain dy now cost as little as a few
hundred dollars.
Another important tree metric is basal area, which is a measure
of the crowding or density in a forest. This metric is usually
expressed for a specified area of land – for example, the basal
area per acre; and it helps foresters estimate the productivity of
the land and the forest growth rate. The basal area of a tree is
defined as its cross sectional area at breast height, so the DBH
of the tree must be known. For simplicity, tree cross sections
are considered to be circles, so once the DBH is known, the
conversion to basal area in square inches is basically the same
as the equation for determining the area of a circle, πr2, thus BA
= π × (DBH / 2)2. As you might guess, measuring the basal area of
every tree is usually not possible, so a sampling of trees is done
to estimate basal area per acre.
TREES AS MEASUREMENT
INSTRUMENTS
Trees can live for an extraordinarily long time. Some of the
world’s oldest trees reside in California, where several bristlecone
pines have been verified to be more than 4,000 years old and
where some of the giant sequoia or redwood trees are known to
be more than 3,000 years old. During each year of its life, a tree
adds growth rings, which indicate the type of growing season the
tree has experienced. The growth rings can be seen by looking
at a tree stump or a branch that has been cut down. They can
also be obtained from living trees (without harming them) by
collecting a core sample, which involves inserting and then
removing a device called an increment borer into the tree’s trunk.
www.ncsli.org
a
dic
te
The discipline of determining the age of wood by studying
growth ring patterns is known as dendrochronology. It was
pioneered by an American astronomer named A. E. Douglass
(1867-1962). Although Douglass has craters on the Moon
and Mars named in his honor, he became disenchanted with
astronomy early in his career and began to privately pursue the
study of tree ring dating. He later moved from Massachusetts to
the American southwest, where he became well known for his
work in determining the age of the ruins of cliff dwellings in New
Mexico and Colorado; determinations made by collecting wooden
beams from these ruins during archaeological expeditions. By
the mid-1920s, Douglas had assembled a temporal scale that
provided a continuous record of tree ring dating that extended
back to about 700 AD.
He later became the first person to
formally teach dendrochronology and in 1937 he founded the
Laboratory of Tree Ring Research (LTRR) at the University of
Arizona (http://ltrr.arizona.edu).
Dendrochronology has since been applied to other areas of
measurement. For example, in addition to revealing its age, a
tree’s growth rings provide as a metrological record of several
quantities related to climate change, including temperature and
moisture. The widespread interest and concern about global
warming has led to a new discipline known as dendroclimatology,
the science of determining past climates from trees.
As we all know, global warming is one of the most discussed
and debated scientific topics of recent years. The key problem
with proving that a long-term global warming trend exists is that
reliable data collected from temperature measuring instruments
is only available for about the past 150 years. This recent data
shows an upward trend, but without prior data, it cannot be be
determined if this upward trend is significant or simply cyclical.
Therefore, numerous scientists have reconstructed long term
graphs of the Earth’s temperature by using proxy methods, where
the physical characteristics of objects have been substituted for
direct measurements. Dendroclimatology has become one of
the most trusted and widely applied proxy methods, essentially
utilizing trees as measurement instruments that permanently
record their data.
The global warming literature is too vast to be summarized
here, but in recent years numerous researchers have published
graphs that reconstruct the average global temperature for periods
that extend from 500 to 2000 years. These graphs sometimes
show uncertainties, and their error bars clearly indicate that the
uncertainties are much larger in the pre-instrument days when
proxy methods are necessary for collecting data. The original
and perhaps best known reconstruction of temperature data was
July 2014: Metrologist 29
METROLOGY IN POP CULTURE
published by Michael Mann and Raymond
Bradley of the University of Massachusetts
Amherst, and Malcolm Hughes of LTRR
at the University of Arizona. The MannBradley-Hughes paper (Nature, vol. 392,
pp. 779-787, 1998) used data sampled
from tree growth rings to provide
temperature data back to 1400 AD; in 1999
they published a follow-up paper with
data extending back to 1000 AD. Their
work revealed what became known in
climate research circles as the “hockey stick
graph”. It showed that global temperature
had been relatively flat from 1000 to
about 1900, corresponding to the shaft of
a hockey stick, but had risen sharply from
1900 to 2000, corresponding to the blade
of a hockey stick. This recent sharp rise
indicates that global warming was rapidly
becoming a more serious problem. Others
interpreted the results differently, noting
that temperature had been gradually rising
for about 500 years, after falling for the
previous 500, indicating only a long-term
cyclical effect. Even so, the recent rise
in temperature is still alarming because
today’s temperatures are higher than those
of the so-called medieval warming period
(MWP) of a millennium ago. The MannBradley-Hughes results are still considered
controversial by some, but they have been
corroborated by many subsequent studies.
As noted at the beginning, the value of
trees to society is probably immeasurable.
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TECHNICAL PAPERS
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16
|
NCSLI Measure J. Meas. Sci.
July 2014: Metrologist 31
www.ncsli.org
NCSLI
REGIONAL NEWS
Northwestern Region
Measurement Training Summit
By Anthony Reed, NCSLI Northwestern Region Coordinator
32 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
NCSLI REGIONAL NEWS
The Northwest Region stepped things up a
little and hosted a two-day Measurement
Science Training Summit. This event was
held May 20th and 21st at the Seattle
Museum of Flight offering white papers,
tutorials, hands-on measurement training
demonstrations, exhibitors and more. Our
attendance for the two days surpassed
200 scientists, engineers, technicians and
students from colleges and universities in
western Washington. We had exhibitors
and presenters as well. A special thank you
is extended to The Boeing Company, Fluke
Calibration and Vaisala Inc., Canada,
for sponsoring this event. With their
support many students were sponsored to
attend this meeting and celebrate World
Metrology Day.
During this event the attendees had
the option of 12 hands-on measurement
training demonstrations, white paper presentations or tutorials. Hands-on demonstrations were presented by subject matter
experts throughout each of the two days.
These hands-on demonstrations were centered on the measurement science behind
the technology. Ron Clinkenbeard and
Mike Spanier from The Boeing Company demonstrated force testing and load
cell calibrations. Gary Lewandowski from
Agilent demonstrated Cal Pods and calibration verification technology. Bill Le
Mesurier representing Eustis/Pyrocom
demonstrated a thermocouple calibration.
Doug Klein from Hexagon Metrology
provided a demo on 3D coordinate articulated arms. David Mihal from Hexagon
Metrology demonstrated 3D coordinate
measurements using an articulated arm.
Mons Lee and Anthony Reed.
www.ncsli.org
Daniel Suh and King Nutronics demonstrated in-situ pressure calibration using
handheld pressure standards. Mike Sciulli representing TEGAM led attendees
through a series of low frequency resistance measurements. Jim Whitley and
Shawn Snell guided attendees through
low-flow measurements and the science
behind those measurements. Andy Hickson representing Western Regional Strain
Gage Committee led attendees through
a series of strain gage measurements. Michael Curtis and other Starrett associates
provided a demonstration on dimensional measurements using a vision system as
well as force measurements. Jeff Gust from
Fluke Calibration demonstrated the impact of false accept/false reject.
In addition to the hands-on demonstrations we also had several white paper
presentations: Andy Hickson, Western
Region Strain Gage Committee presented “Reading and Writing Calibration
Information into a Load Cell with TEDS
(Transducer Electronic Datasheet)”; Jay
Hendricks, NIST presented “New Optical
Primary Pressure Standard”; LaVar Clegg,
Interface, Inc., presented ”Practical Uncertainty Estimation in Load Cell Calibration”; Brian Parry, The Boeing Company presented “The Cost of Quality” Jesse
Morse, Morse Metrology presented “Effective Calibration Lab Management – In
Brief”; Mike Fink, The Boeing Company
presented “Maximizing Machine Volumetric Performance by Minimizing Plane
Squareness Error”; Gary Lewendowski, Agilent Technologies presented “Cal PODs
and the Elimination of Errors” and lastly,
Marty Kidd.
July 2014: Metrologist 33
NCSLI REGIONAL NEWS
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine
heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for
the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC).
Dennis Lewis, The Boeing Company presented “The Science Behind WiFi Connectivity Onboard Aircraft.”
Tutorials were also made available
to the attendees: Michael Boetzkes,
Vaisala Inc., Canada, “The Basics of
Humidity Measurements”; Jack Somppi,
Fluke Calibration, “Introduction into
Electrical Measurements and Metrology”;
Stephen Bill, The Modal Shop, “Types
and Theories of Accelerometers, Dynamic
Sensor Types, the Use and Calibration
of Each”; and Doug Klein, Hexagon
Metrology “Geometric 3D Coordinate
Measurement Techniques in the Testing
and Manufacturing Environments.”
Attendees were encouraged to bring
their oldest and coolest metrology artifact
to the event. We had two NCSLI Past Presidents Dave Agy (retired), Fluke and Derek
Porter (retired), Boeing and Jesse Morse
34 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
NCSLI REGIONAL NEWS
Jack Somppi.
Mike Fink.
Stephen Bill.
Michael Boetzkes.
Dennis Lewis.
judge the artifacts to pick their favorite.
First prize was agreed on and awarded. The
remainder of the entries were also given a
ribbon. Thank you Derek Porter, Dave Agy
and Jesse Morse for performing the duties
of judge so honorably.
Jack Somppi, NCSLI Western Region
VP opened the meeting with a brief diswww.ncsli.org
Jesse Morse, Jeff Gust, Derek Porter, Dave Agy, Jack Somppi.
cussion on the NCSLI Board of Directors
meetings, memberships that are available
within NCSLI, the need for volunteers and
the focus of testing involvement and inclusion. Jack shared the NCSLI Vision and
Mission to the group to let them know
that the testing world will be a key player
in the advancement of measurement sci-
ence and it was in our best interest to be
as involved as we could.
After a quick explanation of how the
meeting would progress we divided everyone into groups, one group for each
demonstration. Each demonstration lasted 40 minutes with five minutes for Q&A
and a 10 minute break before the next
July 2014: Metrologist 35
NCSLI REGIONAL NEWS
Ken King.
Best Metrology Artifacts.
Michael Sciulli.
Jay Hendricks.
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36 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
NCSLI REGIONAL NEWS
demo. Attendees were encouraged to attend the white paper and tutorial breakout
sessions. Once the white paper or tutorial
was complete the attendees would then
return to the hands-on demos with their
original group. After a brief lunch break
we all met outside the Seattle Museum
of Flight for a group photo in front of a
vintage B17 that was on display. For the
remainder of our rotations, white papers
and tutorials were carried out in the afternoon and we then gathered as a group to
discuss the meeting and share with each
other one thing learned during the meeting. This was an opportunity for a review
and discovery of new ideas. After the
meeting was concluded the attendees were
encouraged to tour the museum for free.
Thanks again to The Boeing Company,
The Fluke Corporation, Vaisala Inc.
Canada,
the
attendees,
presenters,
and exhibitors, for an awesome and
memorable meeting.
anthony.p.reed@boeing.com
Seattle Museum of Flight.
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July 2014: Metrologist 37
NCSLI
REGIONAL NEWS
Third Seminar on Surface Metrology
for the Americas (SSMA)
Sophie M. Tran and Dr. Hy D. Tran
1
The Third Seminar on Surface Metrology for the Americas (SSMA)
took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 12-13, 2014. The
conference was at the Marriott Hotel, in the heart of Albuquerque
Uptown, within walking distance of many fantastic restaurants.
Why surface metrology? Ask Professor Chris Brown of Worcester
Polytechnic Institute (WPI), the chair of the first two SSMAs in
2011 and 2012 and the chair of the ASME B46 committee on classification and designation of surface qualities, and Professor Brown
responds: “Because surfaces cover everything.”
The geometry of the surface influences the properties of the material and its interactions. Surface topography correlates with fatigue,
with tribology, with friction, and many other properties. The purpose of the Seminar on Surface Metrology for the Americas is to improve the practice of surface metrology through education. Therefore, NCSL International chose to host the third SSMA as a regional
training event. Although held as an Albuquerque regional training
event, the participants were international: The longest distance
traveled (by map) was a student registrant from Australia. Other
international participants came from Spain, France, and Japan. In
total, 43 participants were registered, including student attendees,
regular attendees, exhibitors and speakers. Albuquerque certainly
surprised its visitors—expecting the desert southwest, Albuquerque
promptly gave us snow flurries on Tuesday, May 13, and a snow
storm in Colorado for the air travelers on Sunday May 11.
Learning is both formal, through tutorial seminars prepared by
subject matter experts, and informal—networking with colleagues
and interacting with exhibitors. The SSMA had exhibitors and a
sponsor. The sponsor was Digital Surf, developers of MountainsMap
software. The other exhibitors were Alicona Corporation, Bruker
Nano, FRT of America, Keyence Corporation and KLA-Tencor.
The seminars were prepared and presented by a subject matter
expert in the field. The learning outcomes for each seminar were
well defined and presented to the attendee in advance in the
program. Sign-in sheets were used to document the attendance
2
of the participant in the seminar, and certificates of participation,
along with a proceedings CD, were mailed to the attendees after the
event. The certificates can be used by the attendee to document
professional development hours for continuing education.
The event started on Monday, May 12, with coffee and
refreshments at the exhibit area. A total of 15 tutorials were
presented over two days—a dedicated attendee could have
attended eight total tutorials. Dr. Ted Vorburger, a guest researcher
at NIST, formerly group leader in the NIST Surface and Microform
metrology group, and a former chair of the ASME B46 committee,
led off the formal tutorials with a presentation on the fundamentals
of surface metrology and texture.
After the kickoff seminar, the tutorial sessions were divided into
two parallel sessions. The parallel sessions were roughly divided
into a session focused more on measurement techniques, and a
session focused more on properties and applications. Learning
outcomes and speaker biographies were available on the printed
program, so the attendee could choose the tutorials that were most
relevant to their needs. The seminar duration was two days, with
a dedicated attendee being able to attend four seminars per day.
Student, Florida State University. Sophie Tran is majoring in Clarinet
Performance at Florida State University and anticipates earning a Bachelor’s
in Music in May 2016. She was the assistant event coordinator for the SSMA
starting May 5, 2014. She coordinated hotel space layout and food orders.
She also prepared the registration packets, printed program, the certificates of
participation; she assembled and burned the proceedings CD and she handled
sign-in and on-site registration.
2
Sandia National Laboratories. Hy Tran has Bachelors’ degrees in life sciences
and in mechanical engineering from MIT. His MS and PhD at Stanford
University were in mechanical engineering, with a minor in electrical
engineering. Hy is a registered professional engineer. Hy has worked in
manufacturing and product development, and has been principal investigator
on many engineering research projects. He became involved with NCSLI in
2004, organizing paper sessions in dimensional metrology. He is co-chair of
the NCSLI Dimensional Metrology Committee and is VP of the NCSLI Central
US division. He volunteers in STEM education outreach, including metrology
ambassador activities and outreach volunteer activities in higher education
with ASME. He is currently project lead for length, mass, and force metrology
in the Primary Physical Standards department at Sandia National
Laboratories.
1
Albuquerque Meeting.
38 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
NCSLI ALBUQUERQUE REGIONAL TRAINING EVENT
Dr. Hy Tran was the chair of the meeting,
and Professor Torbjorn Bergstrom of WPI
was the meeting co-chair. Together with
Professor Christopher Brown and Dr.
Suresh Ramasamy, the organizing team
planned the desired outcomes, with initial
planning for SSMA occurring in May 2013.
After NCSLI approved the regional event
in August 2013, the organizing group
finalized the meeting dates and selected
the hotel.
The organizers solicited experts in surface
metrology to present the tutorials, and kept
in mind the recommendations from the
NCSLI Learning and Development committees. Based on previous experience, the organizers knew that a lot of learning comes
from informal experiences—meeting with
colleagues during breaks; hands-on interacting with exhibitors; perhaps discussing
a poster presentation of recent research
results. Therefore, the organizers worked
at soliciting commercial exhibitors in surface metrology, in scheduling long breaks
between the tutorials for additional social
interactions, and soliciting research posters.
As the deadline for the hotel food orders
approached, Sophie Tran helped with the
final organizational details. She visited the
hotel to walk the space and lay out roughly
where the speakers, screens, and attendee
tables were going to be. She also selected
the menu for the breaks, lunches, and evening reception. The meals and snacks were
delicious! The photographs show some of
the attendees and exhibitors at the hotel.
After all the tutorials were presented
at the SSMA, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) arrived. The
ASME B46 committee on classification and
designation of surface qualities held both
project and committee meetings at the
SSMA venue on May 13 and May 14. NCSL
International staff, the SSMA organizers,
and the ASME codes and standards staff
collaborated on colocating the SSMA with
the first 2014 B46 meeting. On May 14,
François Blateyron and Anne Berger of Digital Surf provided an additional workshop
on applications of MountainsMap software
during the ASME B46 meeting, and after
the B46 meeting, the Albuquerque section
of NCSL International held a section meeting in the same hotel space.
The two-day conference was a success
for learning. One attendee commented
www.ncsli.org
François Blateyron explains some subtleties of filtering one-on-one during a break.
Eric Oberg presents a hands-on exercise using skidded and skidless stylus profilers.
July 2014: Metrologist 39
NCSLI ALBUQUERQUE REGIONAL TRAINING EVENT
that as far as learning goes, this is the best conference she has attended. This Albuquerque Regional Training event succeeded in
meeting NCSL International’s mission to promote education and
skill development in measurement science. The positive feedback from the attendees and the exhibitors will encourage the
organizers to schedule a 4th SSMA sometime in 2016.
Acknowledgments:
Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program
laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of
Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DEAC04-94AL85000. This document is approved for unlimited release as
Kevin Dugan from Keyence demonstrates two types of microscopes to
Aaron Hall and Bradley Jared.
SAND2014-15156J.
hdtran@sandia.gov
Hy Tran talks with Aaron Hall on how to maximize learning experience
during the SSMA.
Albuquerque Section
Donovan Gerty, PhD
The NCSLI Albuquerque Section Meeting
was held on May 14, 2014 at the
Albuquerque Marriott Hotel, following
The Third Seminar on Surface Metrology
for the Americas.
The meeting was held from 12:30
p.m. to 3:15 p.m. and every minute was
utilized! Dr. Jim Salsbury, with Mitutoyo
Corporation, facilitated the meeting
on my behalf and gave two interesting
presentations. The first was “Common
Mistakes and Concerns in Dimensional
Calibrations.” The second was “Calibration
vs. Verification vs. Test: How Careful
Consideration of the Measurand Results
in Radical Changes to Uncertainty and the
Entire Concept of Calibration.”
After the presentations, Roger Burton
presented an update from the Board of
Directors and also advertised the 2014 NCSL
International Workshop & Symposium,
which will be held at the Walt Disney
World Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Florida,
from July 28-31.
Twenty participants were in attendance,
with a mix of management, measurement
technologists, engineers, and others, thus
making for engaging conversation.
We would like to thank Dr. Salsbury for his
participation and for conducting the meeting.
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40 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
NCSLI
REGIONAL NEWS
Gulf Coast Section
Brian King
A2Research hosted the NCSLI Gulf Coast Section Meeting on
April 22nd, 2014 at the Infinity Science Center conveniently
located near NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center, Mississippi.
After a brief meet-and-greet, the meeting was kicked off at 8:30
by the NCSLI Section Coordinator Brian King of A2Research. He
welcomed the 28 attendees and briefly went over the day’s agenda
before introducing Mr. John “Geek” Wilson who is the Director
of the Infinity Science Center. He also welcomed our guests and
gave a brief overview of the mission of the Infinity Science Center.
His enthusiasm for science and metrology was evident and was
instrumental in setting the positive tone for the rest of the meeting.
Next up was NCSLI’s Conference Committee VP, Mr. Paul
Packebush. Paul took advantage of the ability to speak to those in
attendance remotely. He gave a presentation on the status of the
NCSLI Board of Directors meeting as well as encourages everyone
to attend the upcoming NCSLI Workshop & Symposium to be held
in Orlando, Florida. Upon concluding the update, he segued into a
technical presentation on “Modular Instrument Calibration.” His
discussion focused on building modular calibration systems that can
be easily and economically put together in order to complete user
defined tasks. These systems could then be easily controlled through
use of a computer with a variety of communication protocols.
After a short break, Eric Seller from The Modal Shop gave a
presentation on “Dynamic Pressure Calibrations.” He gave a
brief explanation on the basics of dynamic pressure transducers
before transitioning into the calibration of the devices. This also
included some of the challenges in providing traceable calibrations
of dynamic pressures versus more traditional static pressures.
Our third speaker was Jordan Van Baren of Vibration Research
who gave those in attendance an informative presentation on
“Accelerometer Calibrations.” He covered topics such as the
limitations of the piezoelectric sensors, accelerometer error sources,
different mounting techniques, and accelerometer calibration
methods.
Our final presentation was given by Michael Coleman of Fluke
Calibration whose topic of special interest to those in attendance
was on “Temperature Measurement Uncertainty.” While he
acknowledged that there are many factors and schools of thought
on the subject, he identified many sources of error and a method
in which to quantify them as it pertains to SPRT calibration.
The day was concluded with a bus tour of John C. Stennis Space
Center. The tour outlined the many resident agencies located
throughout the center showing the diversity of Stennis. The
highlight came when the group was driven by the many large
rocket engine test stands located at the facility. A fitting end to a
full day at The Infinity Science Center.
brian.s.king@nasa.gov
www.ncsli.org
Gulf Coast Meeting.
Mr. John Wilson, Director of the Infinity Science Center.
Meeting Attendees.
July 2014: Metrologist 41
NCSLI
REGIONAL NEWS
South Florida Section
Randy Farmer
On April 24, 2014, the NCSLI South Florida Section held our 4th
section meeting with a stellar line-up of guest speakers, great food,
outstanding door prizes and the best hosting site and staff (QSL
absolutely rocks!), but before any of this could proceed I had to
pass along some unfortunate news.
After our last event in October 2013, I had told myself that I never
wanted to have to get up in front of the group and announce the
passing of our industry’s giants like I did with Del and Kisan. The
last time I had barely made it through without being emotional. It
(for me) was every bit as gut-wrenching, sad and solemn trying to
tell of the passing of Jay Bucher to our section and the impact he
had on the metrology industry and to me personally. Once again
I felt inadequate to the task and even as I wrapped up his eulogy I
told myself “I hope I never have to do this again.” I really can’t do
it without being emotional. R.I.P Jay, you will be missed.
We started out our guest program with a bang as retired
metrology program manager Scott Mimbs gave an excellent
lecture on “Metrology and the Consequences of Bad Measurement
Decisions.” His lecture told of what can happen when bad
measurement decisions are made and the monetary impact it has
created such as the 1990 Hubble Space Telescope mirror and to the
loss of life, such as the 2005 British Petroleum Texas City refinery
disaster. His lecture was so good we are trying to book him for
future presentations.
Our second guest presenter was Phil Smith of the American
Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). Mr. Smith talked
about “The Seven Necessary Elements of Traceability.” This lecture
uncovered some of the lesser known (and realized) missing elements
that he has discovered over the years as an auditor and assessor. I,
for one, being from this type of background, found it informative.
We rounded out the morning with Jerry Gaffney, Chief Engineer
of GEC Instruments as he presented “Instrumentation and
Procedures for Making Ultra Accurate Temperature Measurements
with Thermocouples.” This was a particularly fascinating
presentation simply because it had to do with thermocouples.
Having come from a US Navy background and having worked
at Naval Surface Warfare Corona, I used to work with one of the
smartest thermocouple guys in the industry (Mr. Cichy), but Jerry
was pretty good and schooled me in things I didn’t even know
were possible. Well done, Jerry!
We broke for lunch and quickly fell into a lot of networking
and general talk amongst our peer groups as we enjoyed the meal
provided by QSL and their staff. This is often the most enjoyable
part of the whole event. We can all sit down as equals and discuss
the craft and the recent events.
Our final lecture started in the afternoon with Tim Stark of
Guildline Instruments as he presented “Precision High to Ultra
High DC Current Capabilities.” This was another outstanding
lecture as he spoke of the design considerations for components
and some of the pitfalls that can happen by simple mistakes and
how that can translate into greater uncertainties. Even though a
lot of this was way over my head (for I am just a caveman), it
South Florida Meeting.
42 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
NCSLI REGIONAL NEWS
Prize winners: Jeff Stevens, Scott Chamberlin, David Bird, QSL President Julie Levinson, Edward Valykeo, and David Silver.
was cool to play with the shunts and other gadgets. On a personal
note I have said Guildline to myself 17 times so that I won’t say
GUIDELINE again as I did for my announcement for Tim. I am
blaming it on a combination of bad eyesight, lack of light and too
much chicken salad for lunch. I give my apologies to both Tim and
Guildline for my gaffe. I will try to do better next time.
We opened up the floor to discussion and have collected
a lot of good ideas that we are going to try to turn into future
lectures. Invigorated by the new ideas, and who we hope is a more
synergistic core group, we are looking forward to the next event in
late October to reach out to and share our passion for this industry.
We finalized the afternoon with door prizes and certificates of
appreciation to our guest speakers.
To the staff of Quality Systems Labs, including new owners Peter
and Julie, Ed, Cheryl, Pablo and Catherine and everyone else in
the QSL organization that dedicate their lives to putting together a
quality hosting site as well as a quality product, a very special thank
you. It’s your dedication to the world of metrology and education
that make these events possible and we are all better for it.
And now for the real hero of this event, a big thanks to Paul
Hanssen of WorkPlace Training. He did all of the grunt work
putting this event together, lining up guest speakers and keeping
on me to do my job while I was overly involved in a month long
Facilities Shut Down from March to April. I may be the face on the
story and the one who gets the credit but he is the one person who
made this event possible. Thank you, Paul!
For those mentioned directly or indirectly who donated their time,
energy and wisdom to put together these events, you are the reason
why our metrology brotherhood continues to survive and thrive.
To all of you,
Bravo Zulu
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July 2014: Metrologist 43
NCSLI
REGIONAL NEWS
Huntsville Section
Beverly Garcia
The Huntsville Section 1223 held its spring meeting on Thursday,
April 24, 2014 at the Shelby Center for Science and Technology on
the campus of the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
Attendees enjoyed breakfast and lunch provided by meeting
sponsors: Agilent Technologies, Nancy Richardson; GT Michelli
Company, Patrick Jester; IET Labs, Inc., John Hunter; JM Test
Systems, Inc., Beverly Garcia; Pinnacle Test Solutions, Clint Plant;
Southern Marketing Associates, Randy Fowler; and Tegam, Kevin
Kauffman.
Proficiency testing was the topic of the morning presentations
which included:
Kirk Foster, ERC. Inc., “MSFC Metrology and Calibration”
Georgia Harris, NIST, “Proficiency Testing Essentials: From a
Management Perspective ISO 17025 and from a Managing the
Process Perspective (ISO 17043 and NCSLI RP-15)”
The afternoon presentations were as follows:
Eric Seller, The Modal Shop, “Dynamic Pressure-Sensor Basics
and Calibration Methods”
Mike Coleman, Fluke Calibration Temperature Division,
“Temperature Uncertainty Budget.”
Georgia Harris.
The response was overwhelmingly in favor of continuing the proficiency testing discussion and exercise at our upcoming fall meeting; which will be held on Thursday November 20, 2014 at the Lake
Guntersville State Park Lodge in Guntersville, Alabama. Following
door prizes and announcements, the meeting was adjourned.
beverlygarcia@jmtest.com
Kirk Foster.
Michael Coleman.
Eric Seller.
Huntsville Group Spring Meeting.
44 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
NCSLI
REGIONAL NEWS
Central Indiana Section
Charles Andrew
The Central Indiana Section 1133 spring meeting was held on April
24, 2014 at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). A total of 21 participants were in attendance. The weather outside was delightful as spring has finally arrived.
The meeting started with a welcome from our host John Ulrich
of the IUPUI School of Engineering Technology. This was followed
with a moment to remember Dr. Jay Bucher of Bucherview Metrology, who passed away earlier in the week. Jay had spoken to the
section in previous meetings and was the editor of the Metrology
Handbook versions 1 and 2. Jay will be greatly missed by all.
The first speaker was Michael Schwartz of Cal Lab Solutions.
His topic was “Metrology Software Focusing on Trends and Future
Directions.” Michael stated that “Measurements are going to
become more and more distributed through the use of computer
technology, taking big business SQL based technology and
applying it to metrology.”
Michael asked “what if we could”
• Move UUT & Test Procedures across multiple stations?
• Test UUTs in parallel?
• Be flexible in how we calibrate such as start, stop, retest, allow test
selections and support multiple configurations?
• Detail uncertainty calculations?
• Decrease procedure development and testing time?
• Integrate industry standards – business systems that exist?
• Work with current software?
Michael predicts a reduction in “islands of metrology software”
and a movement towards a common metrology service bus where
all UUTs can be tested using all types of platforms. This will fulfill
the business goals of “Better, Cheaper and Faster.”
Our second speaker was Samantha Carter of A2LA. Her topics
were “Software Validation for Calibration Laboratories” and “The
Cloud.” Samantha presented her topics live via the Internet. Samantha stated that “Software that has a significant impact on calibration
is categorized as equipment and must be meeting all applicable requirements for equipment in ISO/IEC 17025.” Sections such as 5.5.2,
through 5.5.12 apply – “Software versions need to be listed in the
calibration certificate along with equipment.” Software can be classified as: commercial-off-the Shelf (COTS), modified-off-the-shelf,
and custom. Validation requirements vary according to their type.
Good practices include: locking spreadsheets that contain math,
password protecting configuration files/setup screens, treating each
piece of calibration software as equipment that must be recalibrated
each time it is changed, always backing up data on a scheduled basis
and planning for hardware/software disaster recovery.
Samantha’s second topic was working in “The Cloud.” There are
three main service models:
www.ncsli.org
• SasS – Software as a Service,
• PaaS - Platform as a Service, and
• IaaS - Infrastructure as a Service.
Characteristics vary according to control and location of software
and hardware. There are various deployment modes: public, private,
community, and hybrid. Each has its own security issues and advantages/disadvantages.
The third speaker was Dr. Jim Salsbury, Corporate Metrologist
at Mitutoyo America Corporation. His first topic was “Common
Mistakes and Issues in Dimensional Calibrations.” In 2002 a new
standard was adopted for gage block (ASME B89.1.9-2002). Jim
discussed issues with gage blocks, indicators, micrometers, circular artifacts and CMMs. Issues include people forgetting how to
calibrate dial indicators due to the growth of digital indicators,
determining how many points at which you should check gage
blocks and where those points are, and 2 D versus 3 D mapping of
circular artifacts. Of particular interest was a discussion on CMMs
calibration and the new standard ISO 10360-2.
Jim’s second topic was “Manufacturing Measurement Quality:
Gauge R&R and other tools/techniques.” He discussed measurement
quality components such as uncertainty analysis, gauge R & R, as well
as concepts of repeatability and reproducibility and accuracy. He also
contrasted gauge R & R with MSA (Measurement Systems Analysis).
Jim’s final points were:
• Measurement quality is managed in various ways,
• Best approach may be different for others,
• Understand your requirements, and
• Pick the most appropriate tools and get the training you need.
The Central Indiana Section steering committee members are
John Bush, Eli Lilly and Company; Elizabeth Robinette, Eli Lilly and
Company; Bridget Bray, Eli Lilly and Company; Kevin Pata of Roche
Diagnostics and Kevin Broderick of Tangent Labs.
andrew_charles_c@lilly.com
Central Indiana Group Photo.
July 2014: Metrologist 45
NCSLI
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Interamerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC)
Victor Gandy, IAAC Secretary
The Mexican Accreditation Entity, ema, strengthens every day its
commitment of making the standards being met and support the
safeguard of the environment and the society´s health and safety. For this reason, since its creation over 14 years ago, ema has
worked hard to promote new accreditation programs. In 2012,
ema carried out the following actions:
For Laboratories
Accreditation areas of recent creation have been consolidated,
such as:
Forensic
Laboratories: Is
credited based on ISO/IEC:
17025. There are now two accredited laboratories: the first
one COLDEPORTES, was accredited in 2010; and in 2012,
ema accredited the National
Laboratory for Prevention and
Doping Control of the National Commission of Physical Culture
and Sport, CONADE, the most important Mexican institution in
the field. ema is technically prepared through training in the criteria of the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA.
Research laboratories: This
program was initiated in 2009,
when a work group was created with representatives from
academic institutions, professional associations, among
others, to define the evaluation criteria and to develop
procedures for accreditation. Today, there are two research laboratories accredited in the two most important universities in Mexico: the National Polytechnic Institute, IPN, with the Analysis and
Environmental Monitoring Laboratory of the Interdisciplinary
Research and in Environment and Development Studies Center,
CIIEMAD; and the National Autonomous University of Mexico,
UNAM, with the Services Unit Research Laboratory, USAI, of the
Chemistry School. The accreditation of research laboratories represents a great advantage to achieve a chain of trust and quality in
new technologies and products that are being sold.
Clinical Laboratories: ema
conducted several activities to
strength the accreditation in
this sector. It started a program
called “Adopt a Laboratory,”
in which already accredited
clinical laboratories supported
another related laboratory, to
have a better under-standing of the application of ISO/IEC 15189;
then it has to applied the method´s validation, uncertainty and
traceability and gain its accreditation with ema. There was also being realized “Quality Brigades,” in which, with the support of chemical associations, there were carried out training courses, events and
discussions to raise awareness of the importance of fulfilling the
standards. Finally, there were generated several synergies with different groups such as the Integrator of Laboratories Enterprise EiLAB, who supported its members with information and training to
achieve accreditation. Through these and other actions, in 2012,
clinical laboratories had increased by 87 %, with 33 now accredited
and 12 more in the process of obtaining accreditation.
For Inspection Bodies
It started with the accreditation for evaluating the “Building energy efficiency, envelope
for housing building” standard (NOM-020-ENER-2011),
in order to limit heat gain in
these facilities and also to rationalize the energy usage in
cooling systems. This activity supports an important role in protecting the environment, so currently ema has accredited one inspection body in Mexico.
In addition, it was launched the accreditation to assess the
standard of “Pipeline collection and hydro-carbons transportation Integrity Management” (NOM-027-SESH-2010). Nowadays,
in Mexico there is an extensive network of terrestrial and marine
pipelines; for this reason, it is necessary to verify the compliance
in order to reduce risks and accidents that may harm people and
pollute the environment. Today, there are two inspection bodies
accredited by ema in this field.
secretariat@iaac.org.mx
www.iaac.org.mx
46 Metrologist : July 2014www.ncsli.org
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