Jan Metrologist 2018 PDF
Jan Metrologist 2018 PDF
Jan Metrologist 2018 PDF
a l R e co g n i t i o n
PAGE 16
CALIBRATION
OCCUPATIONS
JANUARY 2018
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IN THIS ISSUE:
The Circle Game: The use of the
Lunar Distance and Related Measurements
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and Timekeeping
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IN THIS ISSUE
•••
JANUARY 2018
SPECIAL FEATURES
16
Calibration Occupations
Calibration Christopher L. Grachanen
Occupations
20
••• 16 Measurement Is Vital to
Delivering the Vision of the
UK Government’s Life Sciences
Industrial Strategy
Michael Adeogun, NPL
32
Measurements International
30 Years of Measurement
Uncertainty
48
Interface Inc. Gold Standard
Calibration System
Load Cell Calibration 101
Measurement Is Vital (NPL) Elliot Speidell
••• 20
DEPARTMENTS
2
From the President
4 Membership
10 Technical Exchange 2018
52
Ad Index
Interface Inc.
••• 48
NCSLI.ORG METROLOGIST | JANUARY 2018 1
••• FROM THE PRESIDENT
FEBRUARY
Join Us for
26–28, 20
Three Days
18
So, what did you get for Christmas? Did you get some- dynamic sensors, just to name a few. The complete pro-
thing you really wanted, or was it another pair of socks? gram can be found online at www.ncsli.org/te. Even more
For many of us, if we didn’t get quite exactly what we impressive is the list of premier measurement organiza-
wanted, we are now shopping the after-holiday sales. tions and companies that have provided instructors. These
Perhaps buying something really nice for ourselves. include: A2LA, Fluke Calibration, NIST, Sandia National
Let me suggest, that one thing you might consider buying Labs, Tegam, National Instruments, NRC-Canada, Duke
for yourself might be training that could advance your Energy, Transmille, Mettler Toledo, Mitutoyo America,
career, improve the performance of your employees, or Ametek, and The Modal Shop. You would be hard pressed
promote your company’s capabilities. One excellent place to find a more impressive group of measurement experts
to get that training is the NCSL International Technical in one place.
Exchange. The Technical Exchange builds and enhances So, if the idea of attending the Tech Exchange (or send-
hands-on skills using calibration and test equipment. It ing some of your employees) appeals to you, and you are
also teaches best practices, introduces new and innova- still in post-holiday sale-shopping mode, let me remind
tive measurement hardware, and educates attendees on you that you can get a 10% discount if you send three or
the important changes taking place in the measurement more attendees from your company. An even better way
world. Every training session is taught by a recognized to save is for you or your company to become a mem-
measurement expert. There is still time to sign up for ber of NCSL International. It is easy to recoup most or
this extraordinary training event. all of the cost of membership with the registration dis-
This year the Tech Exchange is again being held in counts you can receive if you fully participate in the Tech
Orlando, Florida (February 26–28). We are offering 25 Exchange and the Conference this summer in Portland,
unique sessions covering a broad range of topics ranging Oregon. Hopefully I will see you at both events.
from: ISO/IEC 17025, electrical metrology, risk assessment,
The NCSL International Board of Directors met in Coeur While not discussed during the meetings, the out-
d’Alene, Idaho on November 6 and 7 for the fall meet- come from the ballot of the Slate of Candidates had
ing. Participating were 13 of the 18 members of the been finalized. The ballot closed with the following elec-
Board. These working meetings included an Executive tions to the Board for the next term: Timothy Osborne,
Committee meeting prior to the full Board meetings Executive Vice President; Paul Packebush, Vice President;
which included several working sessions on assessment and Bob Sawyer, Vice President. Since the finalization of
of the 2017 activities and goal development for 2018. the results, Mr. Packebush had notified the Board that
The Executive Committee considered several items he would not be able to continue on the Board due to his
in its meeting, some of which were discussed in greater retirement. In accordance with the bylaws, President Jim
detail during the Board meeting. The administrative Olthoff will review the Board makeup for 2018 and make
documents that had been presented for approval at this appropriate appointments to fill any vacant positions.
meeting were reviewed to ensure that they were cate- Other highlights included: Update on the plan for a
gorized appropriately. Some minor edits were noted and review and revision of the NCSLI administrative guide-
presented for consideration. After a discussion the revi- lines, policies and procedures, and approval of the
sions to administrative procedures for fees charged for 2018 budget.
services and products and William A. Wildhack Award Looking forward, the Board will not have a face-to-face
and process were approved. winter meeting. Our next meeting is scheduled for April
The Executive Committee also discussed the current 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Due to several open
Board structure and potential candidates for future work items, the Board will likely hold a WebEx meeting
nomination. The committee also shared its thoughts as prior to its next meeting. Everyone is always welcome to
we continue to implement changes based on adoption of attend any of our meetings, and we look forward to see-
the new governance model. It was concluded that fur- ing you then.
ther discussions were warranted before any additional
board structure changes would be implemented.
national security space programs. We also apply more BC GROUP INTERNATIONAL, INC.
than 50 years of experience with space systems to proj- 3081 Elm Point Industrial Dr.
ects for civil agencies like NASA and the National Oceanic St. Charles, MO 63301-4333
and Atmospheric Administration, commercial compa- Contact: Ken Racen
nies, universities, and international organizations in the (314) 638-3800
national interest. [email protected]
From our inception, our highly skilled technical staff www.bcgroupintl.com
has focused on ensuring the success of every mis-
sion and developing the most effective and economic BC Group International, Inc. is a leading provider of bio-
space-related hardware and software in the world. Our medical and general-purpose test equipment for the
insight and involvement in space programs has signifi- biomedical engineering community. Since our forma-
cantly reduced the risk of launch failure and increased tion in 1988, we have provided a "one-stop-shop" for the
both satellite endurance and performance. Avoiding a sales, calibration and repair for most types of test equip-
single catastrophic failure resulting in the loss of oper- ment. Our quality system is ISO 0991:2008 registered,
ational capabilities can save the government more than ISO 13485:2003 certified, and our calibration laboratory
three times the total annual Aerospace FFRDC budget. is ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited.
Our greatest asset is the technical expertise of our peo-
ple. Our involvement spans all facets of space systems,
including systems engineering, testing, analysis, and TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
development; acquisition support; launch readiness and GIDDINGS METROLOGY LABORATORY
certification; anomaly resolution; and the application of P.O. Box 12847
new technologies for existing and next-generation space Austin, TX 78711
systems. Our state-of-the-art laboratory facilities are Contact: Lisa Corn
staffed by some of the leading scientists in the world. (979) 542-3231
[email protected]
www.texasagriculture.gov/RegulatoryPrograms/
FIRST COAST CALIBRATION WeightsandMeasures/MetrologyLab.aspx
1954 Parental Home Road
Jacksonville, FL 32216 The Giddings Metrology Laboratory (GML) is in the
Contact: Stephen Stubblefield Weights and Measures Program of the Texas Department
(904) 724-6711 of Agriculture. The Weights and Measures Program
[email protected] exists to protect Texas consumers and businesses by
firstcoastcalibration.com ensuring that equity prevails in all commercial trans-
actions involving determinations of quantity. The lab
First Coast Calibration has been locally owned and operat- is recognized by NIST at the levels of Mass, Echelon III
ed in the Jacksonville, FL area since 1983, offering honest, and Volume Transfer, II. Currently, calibration services
professional and quality service for 34 years. We offer include large mass weights, weight carts, small mass
convenient in-lab calibration services, so customers can weights, volumetric calibrations ranging from 5 gallons
either ship instruments to us or drop them off. We know to 1000 gallons and LPG calibration. GML is the singular
how important your equipment is to the daily operations state agency metrology laboratory, employs three metrol-
of your business, therefore we offer a fast turnaround ogists and a total staff of six employees.
time of 3-5 business days with the option of expedited
service. Our facility is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 stan-
dards and all calibrations are traceable to the National
Institute of Standards Technology (NIST).
Pressure Specifications
Specification 760-LLP 760-D 760-MA
±30 inH2O -12.5 to 35 psi -12.5 to 300 psig
Max Pressure Range
(75 mbar) (-0.86 to 2.5 bar) (-0.86 to 20 bar.g)
Accuracy 0.05%FS[1] 0.02%FS[1] 0.02%FS[1][3]
Resolution 6 digits
[2] Stability based on FS of the internal pressure module. Stability is 0.005%FS or 0.05 pa whichever is greater. Internal module is switchable.
[3] Specification based on gauge measurement. An additional 60 pa uncertainty will need to be included when measuring in absolute mode.
[4] 60 Pa uncertainty (k=2) includes calibration uncertainty, linearity, and long-term stability (<30 Pa per year). Barometer range of 60 to 110 kPa.
Electrical Specifications
Specification Range Resolution Accuracy Note
Pressure Switch Open, close. Support for mechanical switches and NPN/PNP digital switches.
Founded in 1968, Interface Inc. is a U.S. based family Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, home of the
and woman-owned technology manufacturing compa- world renowned Skunk Works®, turns visionary air-
ny located in Scottsdale, Arizona. We are the trusted craft into reality and is known for building the finest
world leader in force measurement solutions; designing, military aircraft in the world. This recognition is con-
manufacturing, and guaranteeing the highest quality tinually earned through our commitment to relentless
performance load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis research and development of high-performance aircraft,
sensors, and related instrumentation available. continuously seeking innovative, low-cost design and
Our world-class engineers provide solutions to the manufacturing strategies, and delivering operational
aerospace, automotive/vehicle, energy, factory automa- readiness for our customers' missions to ensure contin-
tion, medical and health, and test and measurement ued relevancy for the life cycle of our products.
industries, from grams to millions of pounds in hundreds Our products play an important role in the national
of configurations, constructed using Interface propri- security of the United States and more than 70 other
etary alloy strain gages, ensuring the highest degree of countries, ensuring peace and stability around the world.
performance possible. Highly trained and specialized personnel and facilities
Our reach and influence is global as the preeminent are key to the company's unrivaled success in the aero-
supplier to Fortune 100 companies worldwide, includ- nautics industry. Our workforce of more than 25,000 has
ing Boeing, Airbus, NASA, Ford, GM, Johnson & Johnson, pre-eminent expertise in advanced aircraft design and
the National Institute of Standards and Technology production, modification and support, stealth technology
(NIST), the National Metrology Institute of Germany and systems integration.
(PTB), and thousands of certified calibration labs. Our Sustainment is a facet of every program at Lockheed
in-house calibration labs, certified to ISO/IEC 17025 and Martin Aeronautics to ensure our customers’ products
ANSI/NCSL Z540.1, support a variety test standards are mission ready and have relevant capabilities through-
including ASTM E74, ISO-376, and many others. When the out the entire lifecycle. Our capabilities span across all
world's most respected companies need to perform static product support elements which allows the flexibility to
and fatigue tests on their products, they use Interface deliver the relevant capabilities required to meet your
load cells. most demanding operational requirements at the lowest
total cost.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is headquartered in Fort
RBR LTD. Worth, Texas, with additional production and operations
95 Hines Road facilities in: Clarksburg, West Virginia; Greenville, South
Ottawa, Ontario K2K 2M5 Carolina; Johnstown, Pennsylvania.; Marietta, Georgia;
Canada Meridian, Mississippi; Palmdale, California; and Pinellas
Contact: Shabeba Bucknor Park, Florida. We also have offices and personnel in vari-
(613) 599-8900 ous countries throughout the world.
[email protected]
rbr-global.com
BAE SYSTEMS
4050 Peppers Ferry Road
Radford, VA 24141
Contact: Michael Pierce
(540) 639-8263
[email protected]
www.baesystems.com
Registration Includes:
• Monday Evening Reception, Materials Bag, Continental Breakfast, Lunch
and Expert Measurement Training for that day!
Jim Salsbury PhD, Mitutoyo Discounts:
• 10% discount when registering 3 or more attendees from your company.
Must call the NCSLI Business office at 303-440-3339 to register and receive
discount.
• Non-Members: Join NCSL International and receive member pricing on your
Technical Exchange registration.
NCSL INTERNATIONAL | 303-440-3339 | NCSLI.ORG | 5766 CENTRAL AVENUE, SUITE 150 | BOULDER, COLORADO 80301
Michael Johnston,
Patrick Timmons, The Modal Shop Julia Scherschligt, NIST Scott Crone, Ametek (right) Fluke Calibration
NCSL INTERNATIONAL | 303-440-3339 | NCSLI.ORG | 5766 CENTRAL AVENUE, SUITE 150 | BOULDER, COLORADO 80301
TECHNICA L E XCHA NGE ME ASUREMENT TR AINING PROGR A M
and don’ts, calibration techniques and methods to certify the certificates. The hands-on use of important measurement
temperature and humidity chambers. Finally, an explanation of standards, such as gage blocks, ring gages, and optical flats will
some of the most common and not so common uncertainties also be covered, as well as what to look for in the calibration of
associated with the measurement results while using the the standards. Lastly, this course will briefly discuss the field
portable chambers. Several different types of temperature and calibration of major instruments such as optical comparators and
humidity chambers will be introduced. A few minutes will be coordinate measuring machines.
dedicated to a glimpse of future developments in temperature
and humidity measurements and the impact of Quantum SI on TE-23 | Wednesday, February 28
these measurement disciplines. 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | 1-Day (8 Hours)
RF & Microwave Measurement Basics
TE-21 | Wednesday, February 28
Instructor: Ronald Ginley, National Institute of Standards and
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | 1-Day (8 Hours)
Technology (NIST)
Good Weighing Practices
Have you ever wanted to learn more about microwave
Instructor: Ian Ciesniewski, Mettler Toledo
measurement techniques? This session is the place to be! An
Did you know that a balance calibration is incomplete, without introduction to the measurement concepts for microwave power
a statement of measurement uncertainty? Or that balance and scattering-parameters will be covered. Specific topics
uncertainty is largely independent of loaded mass? Most covered will include transmission line theory, practical handling
analytical balance weighing inaccuracies occur outside of the or the do’s and don’ts for transmission lines and microwave
balance, but are attributable to influences within the control of connectors, Vector Network Analyzer calibration/measurements
the user. Most calibration regimes contain elements of legacy and real-world sources of uncertainties, microwave power
metrology programs that have been passed directly down from detectors types, power measurements and uncertainties, and the
mechanical weighing instruments, even though the components session will conclude with a discussion of verification techniques
of measurement uncertainty exhibit themselves differently, for for microwave measurements.
an electronic weighing instrument. Many organizations “Over
test” without generating much meaningful metrology. During TE-24 | Wednesday, February 28
this session, we will break down how measurement uncertainty 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 1/2-Day AM (4 Hours)
exhibits itself, across the capacity of an electronic balance or
scale. We will cover how to assess and assign a Measurement Theory and Operation of Dry-Block Temperature
Uncertainty budget for an electronic balance or scale, and Calibrators
discuss robust, risk-based approaches to the assessment and Instructor: Scott Crone, Ametek
estimation of significant, contributing uncertainty components,
This course will describe the construction, evolution, and
in order to build a thorough, yet scientifically-sound risk based
practical use of dry-block temperature calibrators. This will
metrology program for bench or floor weighing instruments. We
include the basic design, the added features that are bringing
will cover overcoming potential errors, and optimize a balance
later generations closer to the precision of calibration baths, and
metrology regime.
how they should be used as well as common misuses.
Tony Bryce,
Ian Ciesniewski, Mettler Toledo Dean Williams, Duke Energy Sandia National Laboratories Andy Oldershaw, NRC
Crystal
XP2i
Crystal
nVision Lab
crystalengineering.net
JOFRA
ASC-400
M&G
PKII
Measurement
Is Vital to Delivering
the Vision of the
UK Government’s
Life Sciences
Industrial Strategy
Michael Adeogun
Head of Life Sciences and Health at NPL
Fostering growth
Another key theme to the Life Sciences Industrial
Strategy is the need to create an environment that nur-
tures start-ups and growth across the UK by building on
strengths, including access to finance and the expansion
of manufacturing in the sector.
As part of the strategy, the government announced
£146 million to help fund new manufacturing centres
for vaccines, cell and gene therapy and medicines man-
ufacturing, in addition to announcing increasing R&D [ 1 ] www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/publications/tomor-
investment, to 2.4 per cent of GDP2, to ease cooperation rows-pharmacist/drug-development-the-journey-of-a-medi-
cine-from-lab-to-shelf/20068196.article
between academia and industry in this area.
[ 2 ] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-boost-to-
NPL is working to discover, screen and validate new rd-and-new-transport-fund-to-help-build-economy-fit-for-
classes of antimicrobials with Ingenza, a world leader the-future
[ 3 ] https://amr-review.org/background.html
regulation to be embedded to ensure different systems also developing data standards to ensure the integrity of
can be correlated and combined such as radiology and data, accelerate its use in critical applications like health-
pathology systems. Through high quality, validated and care and drug development, and ease the integration of
standardized data, AI and machine learning tools can be non-medical datasets, such as those from wearables, into
developed. NPL is also exploring how metadata around a clinical setting.
data quality might be stored at a machine-readable level, The explosion of wearable devices holds much promise
to make this data more accessible. for healthcare. It offers the potential to combine data to
NPL is working with the Royal College of General provide early warning signs (for example, if someone is
Practitioners’ Research and Surveillance Centre (RCGP less mobile or not sleeping). But the meeting of long-run-
RSC) network to provide more accurate surveillance of ning, confidential data sets with new consumer ones that
diseases and epidemics in the UK. The network has been have different confidentiality requirements will require
running for 50 years and uses patient records to iden- careful management. While the physical world is gov-
tify and measure incident rates e.g. the RCGP RSC was erned by standards, the digital one is not. A key focus
vital in understanding and responding to the 2009 swine for the NMS is to address this by delivering confidence
flu epidemic. However, medical records are not always in intelligent and effective use of data. NPL is working on
accurate. NPL will be addressing this by using its data introducing a systematic approach to create a measurable
mining expertise to improve the accuracy of the data level of confidence in data4. When thinking about big data
sets and help optimise retrospective data in identifying quality, NPL looks at the four Cs: collection, connection,
trends, and assessing the efficacy of treatments. NPL is comprehension and confidence. For example, how do we
CPC6050
Modular Pressure Controller
ensure that uncertainty propagation through those data of that data, then we’ll be take a more informed approach
sources is properly understood? Today, the best tool for to treating patients, ultimately leading to improved
modeling that propagation is the Guide to Uncertainty patient outcomes.
in Measurement (GUM), which was developed by NPL NPL welcomes the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy and
and the International community. It describes how its vision to make the UK a world leader in the area. To
uncertainty propagates across different sensors and get there, progress is required across the research, tech-
data sources, and what that means for decision making. nology, manufacturing and regulatory landscapes, and
NPL is developing a methodology to quantify the uncer- measurement is critical to achieving this.
tainty associated with a model. The NMS is crucial in bringing confidence and trace-
We hear a lot about data privacy – which is of course ability, and by increasing our engagement with industry
exceptionally important when dealing with medical we will be better able to support the UK, leading the way
records – but data integrity is often overlooked. With in world-class reproducible research and collaborating
the stakes so high, it is imperative that we understand internationally to tackle upcoming challenges. It is vital
the origin and accuracy of data to ensure that it is that we pool our resources effectively, align ourselves
actionable. NPL has recently invested in creating a Data and create and deliver the measurement infrastructure
Science Department specifically to support the growing to underpin new therapies, accelerate medical innova-
use of data analytics and the integration of large data- tion and improve patient outcomes.
sets. If we are able to collect better quality preclinical, [ 4 ] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/22/new_standards_
biomedical and clinical data, with improved traceability for_big_data/
CONFIDENCE
IN YOUR FORCE MEASUREMENTS
BEGINS
WITH YOUR CALIBRATION PROVIDER
When Accuracy Matters...
Companies Rely on Morehouse
for Force Calibration Services.
Your measurement uncertainty is directly affected by the standard used to perform the calibration. Morehouse
customers are achieving lower uncertainties, and have more confidence in their measurement process.
••• N AT I O N A L
••• METROLOGY
••• INSTITUTES
Ravikiran Attota
[email protected]
Measurements
of Tomorrow
Oregon Convention Center | Portland, Oregon
Measurements of Tomorrow
The long-anticipated redefinition of the SI base units in 2018 will constitute a
revolutionary and historic transformation in the world of metrology. But how will
it affect the day-to-day work of standards labs and their personnel?
Defining each base unit in terms of the fixed value of a physical General Requirements
constant not only removes the last artifact standard and provides a Abstracts are required for all proposed presentation
uniform conceptual basis for the entire system; it also makes scalable types; oral presentations, poster presentations, panels etc.
measurements readily achievable across orders of magnitude. But
what changes will it require in the instruments and methodology we Abstract Requirements And Deadline
use, and the tests and evaluations we perform? Abstracts must be 350 words and submitted electronically
using the CATALYST Abstract Management System by
It is likely that, as a practical matter, the new definitions will result in Omnipress no later than December 1, 2017.
no, or extremely minimal, discernible impact on the results we deliver
to customers, with expected differences in a few calibrations limited Abstract Acceptance Date
to the range of parts per million – well below the level of significance Speakers will be notified on or before January 15, 2018
to most of industry and commerce. But how will the redefinition alter if their abstract has been accepted. Once abstracts are
the ways in which we establish traceability, ensure quality control, and selected for the NCSLI Technical Program, speakers will
train the next generation of lab professionals? be provided a link and manuscript instructions.
The 2018 NCSLI Annual Conference is the ideal forum to address Manuscript Requirements And Deadline
these and related questions, learn how your peers are planning to All manuscripts must be uploaded by April 16, 2018.
deal with the impending changes, and suggest new procedures and All papers received by the manuscript deadline will
techniques for success in the post-redefinition era. be included in the NCSL International Conference
This year’s Workshop & Symposium, with the theme “Measurements Proceedings CD.
of Tomorrow,” promises to be one of the most exciting and valuable Speaker Discounts
— because tomorrow is here. • All speakers who upload their abstract by the
December 1, 2017 deadline (and are accepted) will
receive a $150 discount off registration.
• All speakers who upload their manuscript by the
April 16, 2018 deadline will receive a $400 discount off
registration.
• All deadlines must be met to receive the maximum
speaker registration discount of $550.
Best Paper Awards
Conference Hotel The “Best Paper” awards will be presented to the top
highest scored papers. The overall Best Paper will be
DoubleTree by Hilton Portland awarded to the paper with the highest point total. All
1000 NE Multnomah Street, Portland, Oregon, 97232 deadlines must be met to qualify for the Best Paper
TEL: +1-503-281-6111 Award.
NCSLI Group Rate $189 | Government Rate $182
Measurements
International
30 Years of
Measurement
Uncertainty
The spark
In 1987 Duane Brown was a man facing uncertainty
head on. Exponential growth in the electrical mea-
surement field was leading to greater and greater
challenges in the improvement of measurement
uncertainty with respect to designing, manufactur-
ing and calibrating the measurement equipment we
all take for granted. Never a shy man when it came
to measurement or metrology, Duane embraced the
challenge and, alongside Dr. Andrew Dunn, launched
Measurements International Limited (MIL) where
they leveraged their backgrounds in mathematics,
physics, electronics and electrical metrology.
Who is MIL?
Today, Measurements International Limited’s distinc-
tive "blue boxes" are used around the globe primarily in
National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) which are respon-
sible for research into fundamental metrology for new
primary standards and methods, and calibration labora-
tories (applied metrology) which are responsible for the
calibration and maintenance of their primary standards
for electrical measurements in industry.
MIL’s success is fueled by its ability to innovate. It often
collaborates with national research institutes (such as
the NRC in Canada) to discover innovative technologies
to reduce measurement uncertainties. It recently intro-
duced accreditation support and training services (based
around MIL systems) to laboratories and industry players
who want to meet ISO/IEC 17025 standards.
MIL is accredited as a Type 1 laboratory by the Standards
Council of Canada (SCC) through the Canadian Laboratory
Assessment Service (CLAS). In all of North America, MIL
is second only to the National Research Council, Canada
(NRC) and NIST in calibration capabilities.
MIL has a very experienced and diverse global work-
force of 42 people. The majority work at headquarters in
Prescott, Ontario, which includes scientists and engineers
from around the world. The balance work in customer
support offices: MI USA in Orlando, Florida; MI Europe in
Hradiste, Czech Republic; MI China in Beijing; MI India in
Delhi and Mumbai and MI Japan in Tokyo.
The company sits on the IEEE Power Engineering
Society Committee, the IEEE Instru-
mentation Society Committee, and NCSL
International committees.
30 years of progress
It all started when Duane Brown and Dr. Andrew Dunn metrologists to semi-automate their process and carry
set up a small office in Prescott, Ontario in 1987 in the out calibrations faster than anything on the market.
new Kriska Transportation building. Their first line of That same year, Duane developed and marketed the
business was providing training in metrology and how to first fully automated resistance bridge. This is one of the
make good measurements. world’s most significant developments in the measure-
In 1990, the company moved to a larger location as ment of resistance over the last 30 years. Today, there
it started designing and developing its own measuring is an MIL resistance bridge in almost every NMI around
equipment, and quickly grew to 10 people. During this the world. These bridges provide laboratories with faster
time the company designed, built and launched the and more repeatable measurements while reducing the
world’s first 4-Terminal Matrix Scanner which allowed impact of human operator error.
In 1993, as space was again getting tight, the com- In 2002, Ryan Brown joined the team and became a
pany moved to its current custom-built location in the guest worker at the National Research Council of Canada
Edwardsburg Industrial Park (Prescott, ON) with ample where he studied in the quantum physics field. His pri-
room for research laboratories, manufacturing, assem- mary focus was the NRC quantum Hall system.
bly, inventory and administration. MIL was the only commercial company in the world
Also, in 1993, Sandia National Laboratories in New that was able to develop a portable quantum Hall pri-
Mexico (responsible for nuclear safety in the United mary resistance system. Operating at a temperature of
States) asked MIL to provide courses on DC Metrology 1.2K and a magnetic field of 8 tesla, this system on the
and Calibration. Shortly after, having seen the MIL auto- i=2 plateau produces a resistance of 12906.4035 ohms and
mated resistance bridge, they contracted MIL to design has been installed in several NMIs worldwide to repre-
and build an automated resistance measurement system sent their country’s ohm.
to replace their manual resistance systems; the new sys-
tem had to work with currents up to 2000 A. Sandia came
back a few years later with another research contract to
develop and automate their high resistance capabilities
and several other measurement disciplines. The mea-
surement capability of these instruments was first proven
at MIL through a Sandia technical audit and then again at
Sandia’s primary laboratory in Albuquerque, NM.
Since then, and along with international standards for
measurement and calibration (notably ISO/IEC 17025),
the MIL client base has expanded to include organiza-
tions and companies such as the US Military, Boeing,
Lockheed Martin, leading pharmaceutical companies,
and power utilities.
In 2004 Measurements International entered into the TBEA, BHEL and Siemens; to measure losses in medium
AC Power field. Building on their experience in measure- and high power transformers.
ment automation in DC metrology instruments, they Over the years, MIL has undertaken a number of
developed a series of automated calibration devices and pioneering R&D projects with NRC, METAS and CERN
standards for the NRC including; a primary power and (Switzerland), these are some of the more notable projects:
energy calibration system, a series of power meters, high The Kibble (watt) Balance experiment depends on a pre-
voltage dividers, and a loss measurement system. cise measurement of Plank’s constant (to within 1 part in
The primary power and energy calibration system is 10-8) which will allow the world’s measurement institutes
used by NMI’s in several countries as their power and to redefine the Kilogram moving away from reliance on a
energy standard. The loss measurement system is used physical artefact (currently sitting at BIPM in Paris) to a
by transformer manufacturers including: ABB, Alstom, science based one which could be recreated anywhere in
the world. And at the forefront, NRC is using MIL’s quan- these collisions give scientists insights into the structure
tum Hall system and precision temperature bridge as of our world and perhaps answer the ultimate question of
part of this exacting experiment. The Kilogram redefini- life, the universe, and everything.
tion is expected to be agreed in 2018. At that time the SI MIL’s equipment was selected to ensure that each of
table of electrical units as we know it today will change the electromagnets is precisely calibrated so that the
to show physics constants. This will be the basis for the particles both accelerate properly with more accurate
measurement of the volt, the ohm and other electrical collisions. All of the high current DCCTs were extensively
properties. tested and calibrated using the MIL 20kA range extender
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is the world’s most pow- as a reference. Greg Hudson, technical engineer at CERN
erful particle accelerator and the largest single machine said, “…you should be very proud that your unit had such
in the world. It lies in a circular 27 Km tunnel under the an integral part in the evaluation /calibration of the most
Swiss-French border where several superconducting elec- critical DCCTs in the LHC. As the beams did complete
tromagnets are used to force subatomic particles to collide laps of the LHC at injection level, it means that the DCCTs
at incredibly high speeds. Analysis of the by-products of were indeed well calibrated."
The MIL team The past, the present and the future
MIL attracts and retains some of the best minds in metrol- Over the last 30 years, the decrease in technology and
ogy, with exciting R&D work in Prescott and elsewhere measurement uncertainty has been incredible, moving
around the world. The team is constantly working at the away from reliance on a physical artefact, with traceabil-
leading edge of technology looking for ways to reduce the ity to an NMI to an uncertainty of <1.0 ppm, to a science
level of uncertainty when taking precise measurements. based one which could be recreated anywhere in the
The leadership team includes: world. Today the ohm value comes from the QHR System
where the 2-DEG layer of electrons in the Hall sample
Duane Brown produces a resistance of 12906.4035 ohms. Traceability is
MIL's founder and CEO, was hon- now through an NMI to the SI table of units via the quan-
ored by NCSL International in 2012 tum Hall system.
with the William A. Wildhack Life- MIL’s development of the QHR System on GaAs-based
time Achievement Award as the QHR standards has led to a Cooperative Research and
most exacting metrologist in the Development Agreement, with the National Institute
world. He does this every day, and of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the US. This
thrives on the challenge of identi- agreement, signed in early 2017, is to commercialize a
fying a hypothesis, the attention to detail and developing graphene-based quantum Hall resistance (QHR) stan-
logical methods to a conclusion. Duane loves experi- dard based on graphene devices produced by the Physical
menting and learning how to do things that have never Measurement Laboratory (PML) of NIST. MIL brings
been done before. He can foresee the day when he will let expertise and experience in commercialized GaAs-based
his team run the day-to-day operations and he’ll stay in QHR standards, while PML’s quantum conductance proj-
the lab dreaming up new ways to reduce uncertainty and ect provides expertise in fabricating and characterizing
acting as a metrology advisor. graphene quantum Hall devices to be used in QHR sys-
tems. This collaboration furthers PML’s ongoing quantum
Hall device research and is aligned with PML’s mission
Ryan Brown to make primary realizations of units available to the
Duane’s son, who joined the com- marketplace.
pany in 2002 and now serves as Vice MIL is also working closely to find alternatives to liq-
President of Operations where he uid helium or wet systems as liquid helium is becoming
leads the manufacturing, admin- hard to source and is expensive. Experimentation on a
istration and quantum physics dry system (uses helium gas rather than helium liquid)
operations with shared responsi- is ongoing and reaching fruition. MIL is also working on a
bilities in sales and marketing. new power and energy standards and an updated power
loss measurement system with improved accuracy.
MIL’s ongoing mission is to increase the accuracy and
Alessio Pollarolo quality of these systems while at the same time reducing
Joined the company in 2017 as Vice the cost and complexity so as to make them easier to use,
President of Measurement Science less expensive and more widely deployed.
with responsibilities for new prod- Measurements International Ltd., will remain a lead-
uct design and QHR development. ing global player in the science and engineering-intensive
He received his PhD in Metrology electrical metrology segment of the test and measure-
from the Politecnico di Torino, ment industry. It will continue to provide equipment that
Torino, Italy, in 2011. From 2006 enables the world to set national and international stan-
to 2009 he was with the Electromagnetic Division at dards. And it will support economic growth by providing
INRIM in Italy. In 2009 he joined NIST in the Quantum highly accurate calibration equipment to an ever-wider
Electromagnetics Division of NIST Boulder (USA). range of industries.
www.mintl.com • [email protected]
••• REGIONAL NEWS
Huntsville
Beverly Garcia plasmonic lattice modes (PLMs) using two dimensional
[email protected] arrays of large gold metallic nanodisks (MNDs), demon-
strating that such PLMs happen when the incident light
The Huntsville spring section meeting is normal to the planes of these arrays, offering a wide
was held on May 18, 2017 at the Shelby range of applications, from sensitive sensors to telecom
Center for Science and Technology at devices.
the University of Alabama in Hunts- Dan Allen of FLIR delivered the next presentation titled
ville. Sponsors included: Pinnacle Test “Thermal Camera Update for Reliability and Scientific
Solutions, JM Test Systems, Inc., Tegam and Tektronix. Applications,” describing the potential for large area
The first session of the day titled “Ultrahigh Refractive measurement with infrared cameras.
Index Sensitivity and Tunable Polarization Switching “Pressure Uncertainty Budgets when using a Modular
via Infrared Plasmonic Lattice Modes,” was presented Pressure Controller,” was delivered by Tim Francis of
by University of Alabama Huntsville NCSLI grant recip- Fluke Calibration. Modular Pressure Controllers are a
ient Rithvik Reddy Gutha. Rithvik is a PhD candidate of common and useful tool for performing pressure calibra-
Optical Science Engineering and graduate teaching assis- tions. The modular design splits the different tasks that
tant in the physics department’s Nano and Micro Devices the controller/calibrator performs into separate modules,
Center (NMDC). providing more flexibility, expandability, and simplifies
This lecture discussed formation and polarization support. In splitting the tasks into multiple modules,
switching of near infrared and infrared NIR and IR it also splits the different sources of uncertainty. This
Michigan
Sam Davis
[email protected]
taking time out of their day to attend the fall section
The Michigan section held its meet- meeting. Lloyd Baker started off with a brief presentation
ing on November 7, 2017. Sam Davis, on the importance of being an NCSLI member and the
NCSLI section coordinator welcomed benefits that come along with it. He also briefly touched
all attendees and thanked them for on the new release of ISO/IEC 17025.
Southern Ohio/Kentucky
Mr. Jack Somppi continued the program with a thor-
Matthew Denslow
ough explanation of potential electrical measurement
[email protected]
errors. Jack revealed how guarding voltage and resistance
measurement connections can reduce errors. Jack pro-
The Southern Ohio/Kentucky section
vided examples of how dissimilar connector materials
held a meeting on October 26, 2017 at
can affect DMM indications do to thermal emfs.
the Central Technical Education Center
Mr. Ryan Fischer concluded the day’s event with an
(C-TEC) campus Adult Education
extensive presentation of the impact of the upcoming
Center in Newark Ohio. The Bionetics
changes to ISO/IEC 17025. Ryan’s presentation included
Corporation sponsored the event and lunch was enjoyed
a short history of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard and the
by the small group of attendees.
ILAC related policy documents; Working Group (WG) 44
Mr. Greg Tolentino, Tegam, began the day’s program
activities; a brief overview of ISO/IEC FDIS 17025:2017 and
with an in-depth explanation of microwave calorimetry.
assessment changes from ISO/IEC 17025:2005 to the FDIS
Greg described the major components of a microwave
(NCSLI LM-6). Ryan left the group with the following
calorimetry system. Next, Greg discussed the calibra-
suggestions:
tion process for the calorimeter using a high accuracy
1. If currently accredited based on ISO/IEC 17025:2005,
AC Power Standard to define the input power quantity.
•W AIT for additional information on the transition
Concluding the presentation, Greg provided a list of
process for your specific accreditation program from
uncertainty components and an example of a completed
your Accrediting Body
uncertainty analysis for the microwave calorimetry.
2. Obtain a licensed copy of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017
Mr. Lloyd Baker, General Motors, kept the program
3. Use a crosswalk document to:
moving with a presentation on the upcoming NCSL
• Identify new clauses, revised clauses, deleted clauses
International happenings. We reviewed the upcoming
4. Review against your own management system and
Technical Exchange, the 2018 Conference call for papers,
accreditation program requirements to:
the recent ISO/IEC 17025 approved draft, and made a call
• I dentify what policies, practices, procedures need to
for volunteers to anyone interested in joining the recently
be revised
restructured NCSLI 141 Measurement Information
• I dentify what new policies, practices, procedures
Infrastructure Committee.
need to be implemented
Mr. Lloyd Baker, General Motors, Mid-Western Region Coordinator. Mr. Greg Tolentino, TEGAM.
Mr. Jack Somppi, Test and Measurement Consulting. Mr. Ryan Fischer, ANAB.
A K
MOL S
CD M
KG
Washington/Oregon
Wes Thompson perform measurements. Our attendees rotated to a new
[email protected] demonstration every 15 minutes while hors d’oeuvres
were passed throughout the exhibit hall.
The Washington/Oregon section meet- Jeff Gust from the Fluke Corporation presented deci-
ing was held November 9, 2017 at the sion rules and measurement risk updates in the new
Museum of Flight in Seattle, Wash- ISO/IEC 17025. The newest draft of the document better
ington. The meeting was well attended describes consumer risk and how a certification labo-
with measurement scientists, instru- ratory should document their decisions to achieve that
mentation vendors and technicians from various level of risk management. He discussed the results of the
industries across the Northwest. vote on the FDIS, estimated publication date for the new
Our section meeting was designed as a hands-on standard and suggested new tools for implementation for
demonstration and networking social event, to encourage NCSLI members.
more direct interaction of our attendees with our exhibi- Our primary exhibiting sponsor for this section meet-
tors. Our goal at this event was to provide opportunity for ing was Interface. They demonstrated their Gold
our attendees to be introduced to a measurement science Standard® Calibration System, a hydraulic load frame
discipline and receive an understanding of how this state with a fully-integrated PC-based system, to perform an
of the art instrumentation could work in their laboratory ASTM E74 calibration. With this system, the load cell
or work space. Test Instrumentation manufacturers were under calibration is compared directly to a reference load
provided the opportunity to get their instrumentation in cell and all calibration data is collected automatically.
front of test equipment users and have them use them to Interface has developed a system that not only provides
Network, Network, Network. Elliot Speidell, Technical Service Manager and Miles Hufford, Computer Programmer,
Interface Force Measurement Solutions.
REGIONAL NEWS
•••
state-of-the-art accuracy but can also complete an auto- attendees. The NCSLI member team that organized this
mated calibration run in less than 5 minutes. Many of event included Tony Reed, Leah Lindstrom, Nick Rider
our attendees use Interface equipment and used this and Wes Thompson.
as an opportunity to meet face to face with represen- Many, many thanks to all those who supported this
tatives while learning how to increase their calibration event: Interface, Inc.; The Boeing Company; Etalon
throughput. North America, Inc.; Fluke Calibration; King Nutronics
This section meeting was well received by all and Corporation; Mitutoyo America Corporation; Rosco
offered quite a lot for our members to take back. Our Precision Machinery, LLC; SAF North American; Tegam,
exhibitors did a wonderful job with their demonstrations Inc.; Tektronix, Inc.; Western Tool & Supply; The Museum
and were very engaged with the questions asked by the of Flight and NCSL International.
Interface-T206100
Gold Standard®
Calibration System
Load Cell Calibration 101
Elliot Speidell
Technical Service Manager
[email protected]
A load cell is a transducer that converts a force into an force control and the other two being the reference stan-
electrical signal. Most load cells use well proven strain dard load cell and unit under test (UUT). The reference
gage technology in which strain gages are precisely posi- standard load cell is a load cell that has been calibrated
tioned and wired into a Wheatstone bridge configuration by primary standards; it can also be configured with a
along a flexing element. The load cell outputs electrical second bridge (additional output) to serve as the control
signals corresponding to changes in resistance caused channel for the load frame and eliminating the need for
by the amount of applied force. Instrumentation can be a separate control load cell. The control load cell or bridge
connected to the load cell, interpreting these electrical confirms the force applied, which may be used to control
signals to provide readings in units of measurement such the actuator or determine the force required to meet the
as pounds-force, newtons, etc. desired calibration set points. Readings from the refer-
While there are many types of load cells, including ence standard and UUT load cells are collected manually
bending beam, column, shear beam, and low profile/ or through instrumentation software. After collecting
shear web (to name a few), they all require calibration readings from the calibration points within the UUT’s
to characterize performance. Calibration verifies that rated capacity, the readings are compared and differ-
the load cell meets designed performance parame- ences analyzed to determine the load cells performance.
ters for non-linearity, hysteresis, and static error band Load cell manufacturers such as Interface, Inc. cal-
among other specifications. In some industries, calibra- ibrate their load cells at the factory. Interface uses its
tion is also important for traceability and quality system Gold Standard® Calibration Load Frame System, which
requirements. includes a rigid four-post hydraulic load frame, Gold
Load cell calibration, simply explained, consists of Standard® reference standard load cell, and propri-
applying a series of known forces and recording the out- etary software, to calibrate every load cell manufactured
put from the load cell. The two most common methods before it is shipped to the customer.
of applying a known force are to use calibrated dead “The key to good calibration is to keep the applied
weights, or a reference standard load cell coupled with force as concentric as possible,” said Ken Bishop, Senior
some means of applying a force (such as a hydraulic Applications Engineer at Interface. “A rigid four-post load
actuator). There are pros and cons to either method; dead frame minimizes chances of off-axis loading. Also, using
weight results in lower uncertainties but may be more a moment-compensated load cell as the control or ref-
impractical or expensive as the level of force increases, erence standard further reduces error since any off-axis
while using a reference standard may have a higher loading will be mechanically compensated for.”
uncertainty but can offer more efficient calibration and Calibration systems use a variety of means to apply
be more practical at higher force levels. loads, including hydraulic or electric actuators, or dead
The reference standard method of load cell calibration weights. Since, in many cases, the dead weight method
typically involves two or three load cells mounted inline requires a change in setup for tension and compression
in a load frame. Three load cells are often used in an readings, an actuator system that can apply tension and
automated load frame setup, where one sensor is used for compression in the same setup can save valuable time
during calibration and reduce uncertainty due to setup changes between ten-
sion and compression runs. Software can also make a difference. For example,
Interface’s Gold Standard® Calibration Software, which is used by more than
300 metrology labs around the world, can compile up to eight calibration runs
into a single curve-fit analysis for even greater accuracy. The software also
prevents the overshoot of any calibration points. “Once the system is set up,
an automated tension and compression calibration run typically finishes in
less than five minutes including exercising the load cell,” says Brian Shaw,
Production Engineering Manager at Interface. “Between software automation
and the load frame allowing back to back tension and compression runs with-
out changing setup, Interface’s Gold Standard® Calibration System reduces
calibration time by 50 to 90 percent.”
After a load cell leaves the factory, it typically requires recalibration fol-
lowing a certain period of use. If following ASTM E74 guidelines, new load
cells should be recalibrated within a year to determine stability. Subsequent
calibration intervals can then be adjusted based on the observed stability
per ASTM E74. Interface offers recalibration services for their own load cells
as well as from other manufacturers. Interface offers calibration and repair
services for a wide range of load cells with various options, including inter-
nally and externally amplified load cells, load cells with indicators, and TEDS
(transducer electronic data sheet) load cells. Load cells with amplifiers can be
tested in-rig to provide a single traceable calibration certificate for the load
cell and amplifier combination, and a similar setup can be used to provide a
calibration certificate for a load cell and indicator combination. Custom cali-
brations for specific customer requirements can also be accommodated. Interface-T206117
• High Accuracy: High accuracy and low uncertainty (as low as 0.04% of reading)
• Broad Range: System can be used for calibration points down to 1% of rated
capacity
Cert # 1991.01 7418 East Helm Drive • Scottsdale, Arizona 85260 • 480.948.5555 • www.interfaceforce.com
CONFERENCE ON PRECISION
ELECTROMAGNETIC
MEASUREMENTS
PARIS • FRANCE
July 8 -13, 2018
Hosted by tHe Laboratoire nationaL de métroLogie et d’essais in coLLaboration witH cnrs and observatoire de Paris
••• AD INDEX
Additel page 6
www.additel.com
Ametek page 19
crystalengineering,net
Mensor page 26
www.mensor.com
Morehouse page 27
www.mhforce.com
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