2009

May 20, 2009

APR
Underpinning Economic Development
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April 2009 Metrologist NCSLI Worldwide News Vol. 2 No. 2
 NCSL International
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NCSLI WORLDWIDE NEWS
Publication ISSN #1940-2988
Vol. 2, No. 2, April 2009
Metrologist is published by NCSL
International and distributed to its
member organizations.
Jesse Morse, Fluke Corporation
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Copyright 2009, NCSL International. Permission to quote excerpts or to reprint any
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.................................................... In This Issue: APR 09

..............................................................................................................................
People Making a Difference
Dianne Lalla-Rodrigues
6
41
2009 NCSLI Conference 10
and Symposium

Committee Spotlight 8
Are Measurements as good
as we think they are?

Special Feature 16
SIM Time Network

10
35
Cover Art: Compliments of BIPM. www.worldmetrologyday.org

Departments News
From the President 2 Committee News 36
The Boardroom 3 Regional News 37
New Member Profiles 4 International News 42
NCSLI Calendar 5
Learning + Development 22 Take Ten
Advertisers Index 47 Metrology in Pop Culture 32
Membership Information 48 Math Question 38
Sudoku 40

www.ncsli.org 6 April 2009 : Metrologist 1

 From the President
......................................................

Peter Drucker, widely considered to be the
father of modern management, wrote The
purpose of business is to create and keep
a customer. He also wrote, Knowledge has
to be improved, challenged, and increased
constantly, or it vanishes.
NCSLI exists for its members and depends
on them for its continuing existence. In
Druckers terms, NCSLI must create and keep
members. To do so, on a sustained basis,
NCSLI must provide them with relevant
knowledge and access to that knowledge.
Eight years ago, it became clear that global
economics, and the rise of the Internet in par-
ticular, were causing fundamental changes to
the environment in which NCSLI operated;
both were affecting NCSLIs business and
were factors in the decline in NCSLIs mem-
bership. The board asked questions: what do
members value, what is the impact of the
Internet on NCSLI, how could we change, is
our membership structure appropriate, what
should we do differently? But asking ques-
tions didnt stop the decline.
Four years ago, Jesse Morse, then of Fluke,
know, or had forgotten that their organization
was an NCSLI member. They also did not
know, or had forgotten what the benefits of a
NCSLI membership were. This realization led
quickly to a new marketing strategy, which was
to deliver something to our members of per-
ceived value every month of the year, thereby
staying closely connected creating additional
value for them in their memberships.
The immediate consequence of this strat-
egy was the need to develop new products,
and marketing did exactly that when NCSLI
launched the smashingly successful Measure
Journal, the only scientific journal of its kind in
Knowledge has to be improved, challenged,
and increased constantly, or it vanishes.
the world. This was the Jewel-in-the-Crown of
this new strategy. Add to that the annual cal-
endar, listing metrology events around the
world, the ever-expanding series of technical
posters, the annual Whos Who (which keeps
everyone up-to-date with the people who
by the time of this years Conference). Coun-
terbalancing our accelerating use of technol-
ogy is the other, long-existing side of NCSLI,
its strength, its people. Everything we do on
this side is exceptionally high touch. Include
our regional meetings, our committees, our
tutorials, our training programs, our annual
Conference. These diverse forums are where
the human need for social interaction is met,
where personally rich networks are built, where
friendships develop between like-minded
people.
Neither side of what we do and offer is
enough by itself. NCSLI is singular in the
measurement science world in providing
such a richness of opportunity, such a wealth
of education and information, such a tapestry
of social connectivity. If youre reading this
and are a member you already know this from
experience. If youre not yet a member, its

recent new publication, metrologist World-

took on the task of leading our marketing
team.
He developed new marketing strategies,
and positioned marketing to play a critical
role in turning around NCSLIs declining
membership numbers and adding member-
ship value. Im delighted to be able to tell you
that these objectives have been met, continue
to be met, and that marketing will continue
to play a key role in NCSLIs health and its
vigour.
Marketing first determined that people in
our member organizations often did not
make NCSLI work) and of course, our most time to become one.
wide News.
In his 1980s hit, Megatrends, John Naisbitt
spoke of, high tech, high touch. He wrote,
The more high technology around us, the Dr. Malcolm C. Smith
more the need for human touch. Following NCSLI President
hard on the heels of the changes introduced msmith@wescancal.com
by marketing, NCSLI is moving quickly to
make improved use of new and better Inter-
net-enabled communication, of new product
and service delivery methods (youll see new
membership-management software rolled out

2 Metrologist : April 2009 www.ncsli.org

 The Boardroom
............................................
Malcolm Smith, our new NCSLI President, kicked off his term with the first Board meeting
of 2009 in San Diego, California. Thirty one attended including a number of visitors and
committee representatives.
Richard Ogg, Agilent Technologies, was wel-
comed to the Board as the Vice President of
the Northeastern US Division. Other assign-
ments changed, including Dana Leaman,
NIST/NVLAP, now assuming the Vice Presi-
dent of Documentary Standards position
replacing Derek Porter of Boeing, who has
moved into the Executive Vice President posi-
tion. Andy Henson from the NPL was
appointed as the new EURAMET representa-
tive. The Board also wished well to Jack Ferris,
who is retiring from many years of active
service on the Board.
Each meeting this year will have a focus
that supports Malcolms Strategic Plan for
2009. An entire half day was devoted to a
workshop focused on the International
aspects of NCSLI at this meeting. Keeping
with this theme, there were several interna-
tional visitors including Andrew Wallard
from the BIPM in Paris, Alan Steele from
NRC-INMS in Canada, Dianne Lalla-
Rodrigues representing SIM from Antigua and
Andy Henson representing EURAMET from
the United Kingdom.
The Handbook for ANSI/NCSLI Z540.3-2006
was approved for publication and will be
made available for download from myncsli.org/
pubs2009/. This was the culmination of three
years hard work by a dedicated committee,
and Past Presidents Jerry Hayes (1969) and Del
Caldwell (1989) who worked on the effort,
and were present for the important vote.
www.ncsli.org
Alan Steele, NRC-INMS had just returned
from a trip to London and was excited to
report the Watt Balance Project for an elec-
tronic kilogram will be transferred from NPL
in the UK to NRC-INMS in Canada. This is
one of two currently operational projects, and
Andrew Wallard of the BIPM expressed his
delight at Canadas involvement in this
leading edge metrology research.
Andrew Wallard reported the funding con-
straints for the projects at the BIPM (Bureau
International des Poids et Mesures) in Paris.
BIPM is the essential point for the coordina-
tion of measurements in the world. Its budget
is set by a governmental committee of
member countries called the CGPM (General
Conference on Weights and Measures.) The
budget for BIPM was frozen without an
increase for 2009-2012. Even with these con-
straints, Andrew said they have been able to
continue work on the most important proj-
ects including their top priority, the Watt
balance, and the preparations for a redefini-
tion of the kilogram.
Lonnie Spires, Dynamic Technology Inc.,
reported the Business office staff has been busy
with establishing the iMIS (Membership Infor-
mation System) which was approved at the
October 2008 Gatlinburg Board meeting. This
will provide an improved web site and access
to new web based services for our membership.
Terry Conder, 3M gave a presentation to the
Board on the EPA Proposed Regulations on
Continuous Parameter Monitoring Systems
(73 FR 59956, October 9, 2008) and the
implication this regulation has on calibration
services. Continuous Parameter Monitoring
Systems (CPMS) are used in environmental
applications such as wastewater, and typically
measure temperature, pressure, liquid flow
rate, mass flow rate, pH and conductivity as
indicators of good control performance or
emission source operations. The US EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency) estimates
that this regulation will affect over a quarter of a
million sources and cost facilities $175 million
in the first five-year period.
More members are using social networking
capabilities on the web to enhance metrology
projects. You are invited to join the NCSLI
group at Facebook.com.
The Board always welcomes visitors at these
meetings. Plan to join us for the next Board meet-
ing in Banff, Alberta, Canada April 26-29, 2009.
Dave Abell
NCSLI Secretary
dave_abell@pacbell.net
April 2009 : Metrologist 3
 New Member Profiles
....................................................................................................................
ATS Philippines Corporation
ATS Philippines Corporation, a subsidiary of
ATS GROUP OF COMPANIES in Singapore,
recognizes the importance of quality in indus-
try and is committed to continuous improve-
ment in the quality of work controlled under
our Quality Management System.
This quality management system meets the
requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and ISO
9001 that satisfies the requirements of our
accreditation organization(s). By implement-
ing a well certified and accredited in ISO/IEC
17025, ATS Philippines Corporation satisfies
the requirements of ISO/TS 16949 and ISO
9001 for an acceptable subcontractor.
ATS Philippines Corporation has the capa-
bilities to perform calibration of Measuring
and Test Equipment in the field of Electrical
and Mechanical Metrology. The management
and administrative sections of this quality
management system apply to all ATS Metrol-
ogy activities. Certain technical requirements
apply only to accredited metrology disciplines.
When requested, on-site (customer location)
calibrations shall be performed in accordance
with the requirements contained within the
quality management system.
For more information contact
Mr. Rolando Espanola Mendoza
2220 Prime cor. Market St.
Madrigal Business Park
Muntinlupa City, 1780, Philippines
63 (2) 8223973
r.e.mendoza@apac-ats.com
The University of
North Carolina at Charlotte
UNC Charlotte is classified as a research
intensive university, is the fourth largest of
the 16 institutions within the University of
North Carolina system, and is the largest insti-
tution in the Charlotte region.
The university comprises seven profes-
sional colleges and currently offers 18 doc-
toral programs, 62 masters degree programs
and 90 bachelors degrees. More than 900 full-
time faculty comprise the universitys aca-
demic departments and enrollment exceeds
23,000 students. UNC Charlotte boasts more
than 75,000 living alumni and adds 4,000 to
4,500 new alumni each year.
Based in the Department of Mechanical
4 Metrologist : April 2009
Welcome
New Members!
Engineering, the Center for Precision Metrology
is known throughout the world as a premier
location for research and instruction in
Dimensional Metrology. Faculty of the Center
for Precision Metrology are active in research
in new metrology instrumentation, character-
ization of uncertainty, machine-tool metrol-
ogy, and are also active in many national and
international standards committees.
For more information contact
Edward Morse
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001 USA
704.687.8342
emorse@uncc.edu
Baxter BioScience
Manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and medical
devices.
For more information contact
Richard Trinies
1978 West Winton Ave
Hayward, CA. 94545
510.723.2752
richard_trinies@baxter.com
CT Services
For more information contact
Thomas Eliason
PO Box 612155
San Jose, CA 95161 USA
408.206.7772
The Bionetics Corporation
Physical and Electrical Calibration and
Metrology Laboratories.
For more information contact
Perry C. King
ISC-6175, PAFB Bldg. 981
PAFB, FL 32925 USA
321.494.2504
perry.c.king@nasa.gov
Rohmann Services, Inc.
Rohmann Services, Inc., (RSI) was founded
and incorporated in the State of Texas in March
Henry Alexander
of 1982. We meet the qualifications of a Small
26555 Evergreen Rd., Suite 1325
Business as specified by the United States Small
Business Administration, and as set forth in
Chapter 19 of the Federal Acquisition Regula-
tions. RSI maintains a Top Secret Facility Clear-
ance granted by the Defense Security Service.
Our corporate headquarters are located at 2349
South W.W. White Road in San Antonio, Texas.
Government contracting is our business and
we pride ourselves on our exemplary perform-
ance record. We have a full understanding
and deep appreciation for the Governments
needs, gained through 24-plus years of con-
tracting experience. Each member of our cor-
porate management has served as a member
of the Armed Services or had direct affiliation.
We recognize that our strongest asset is our
personnel. We maintain an aggressive quality
control program with one simple goal service
that exceeds expectations!
For more information contact
Brent E. Watling
2349 South W.W. White Road
San Antonio, TX 18222 USA
210.359.1707
rsinsabew@satx.rr.com
Saudi Specialized
Laboratories Co.
Conformity Measurement,
Calibration and Verification Lab
Conformitys name reflects the company
vision, establishment and operation of special-
ized labs for calibration, testing and certifica-
tion for all goods, materials, tools, equipment
etc., locally produced and imported.
Measurement, Calibration and Verification
Lab MCL: has grown to be one of the most
highly respected laboratories in measurement,
calibration, certification and the repair arena.
The lab arsenal has a wide array of highly
sophisticated and top of the line equipment
operated by a highly trained technical team.
For more information contact
Hani Abdullah Muhaimid
PO Box 22640, Riyadh, 11416
Saudi Arabia
+966 1 4930276
hmuhaimid@conformity.com.sa
Perry Johnson Laboratory
Accreditation, Inc.
For more information contact
Southfield, MI 48076 USA
248.356.3545 x4771
halexander@pjlabs.com
www.ncsli.org
 NCSLI Calendar
................................................. ...................................................................

Region Meetings Committee Meetings

1324 Albuquerque Section 1135 Michigan Section 134 Legal Metrology
April 6-7, 2009 April 29, 2009 Combined RMAP Training Session
Albuquerque Convention Center NSF International April 19-24, 2009
Albuquerque, NM Ann Arbor, MI Hilton Hotel
Contact: Dr. Hy Tran Contact: Patrick Butler Concord, CA
505.844.5417 248.876.2331 Contact: Georgia Harris
hdtran@sandia.gov pat.butler@us.bosch.com 301.975.8091
gharris@nist.gov
1210 Mid-Atlantic Region 1110 New England Region
April 8, 2009 May 5, 2009
National Electronics Museum GE Sensing International Events
Linthicum, MD Billerica, MA
Contact: Vernon Alt Contact: Tim Cooke CMEM 2009
410.765.3292 774.402.1145 June 10-12, 2009
vernon.alt@ngc.com tcooke@repaircalibration.net The Algarve, Portugal
Algarve, Portugal
1225 Puerto Rico Section 1322 South Texas Section Wessex Institute of Technology
April 17, 2009 July 23, 2009 44 (0) 238.0293223
University of Puerto Rico Embassy Suites San Marcos Fourteenth International Conference on
Humacao, Puerto Rico San Marcos, TX Computational Methods and
Contact: Dimaries Nieves 361.972.7742 Experimental Measurements
787.622.1133 dkscoggins6@hotmail.com
dimeries_nieves@vwr.com 14th International Congress of
NCSLI Train The Trainer Metrology
1213 Virginia Section September 14-18, 2009 June 22-25, 2009
April 22, 2009 NCSLI Boulder Training Facility Paris, France
NIST Advance Measurement Boulder, Colorado www.metrologie2009.com
Laboratory Contact: NCSLI Business Office
Gaithersburg, MD 303.440.3339 7th International Symposium on
Contact: Thomas Hettenhouser gharris@nist.gov Fluid Flow Measurement
301.975.2013 August 12-14, 2009
thomas.hettenhouser@nist.gov Hotel Captain Cooke
Anchorage, Alaska
Don Kinney
NCSLI Training Center 970.897.2711
www.ceesi.com
Integrated Science Group
Suzanne Castrup, 661.872.1683
Board of Directors Meetings
April 27-29, 2009 June 22-26, 2009
Introduction to Uncertainty Analysis Uncertainty/SPC Analysis April 2729, 2009
Banff, Alberta, Canada
May 11-13, 2009 September 21-23, 2009 Banff Park Lodge
Measurement Decision Risk Analysis Introduction to Uncertainty Analysis 800.661.9266

May 14-15, 2009 October 19-23, 2009 July 2631, 2009

Interval Analysis Concepts and Methods Uncertainty/SPC Analysis San Antonio, Texas
Grand Hyatt
800.233.1234

October 1214, 2009

For detailed information on all NCSL Meetings go to Albuquerque, New Mexico
www.ncsli.org/calendar or call 303.440.3339 Embassy Suites
800.362.2779

www.ncsli.org April 2009 : Metrologist 5

People Making a Difference
..................................................................................................

Dianne Lalla-Rodrigues
Born in the most southerly isle of the Caribbean, the twin island
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and growing up with parents of
Christian, Hindu and Muslim backgrounds gave me a unique per-
spective on life. My great-grandparents were immigrants from
India at a time when Indians were brought to the Caribbean to
work on the sugar plantations. I was enthused by the stories of the
day told by my grandparents, my paternal grandmother being the
oldest of twenty-two children as one could imagine, there were
many stories to tell!

My early years were spent in the small village the outskirts of Pointe-a-Pierre. At age 12 after
of Pointe-a-Pierre where everyone knew successfully completing the secondary school
everyone and most were related by blood or entrance exam, I moved on to the prestigious
by marriage. In those early days, many took Naparima Girls High School (NGHS), San Fer-
advantage of our status as a British Colony to nando a school originally established by
migrate to Britain (the Canadian Missionaries
motherland as it was and now with Alumni
then known). My father Associations in many
did not avail himself of different/distant coun-
that opportunity, and tries. Looking back now,
so we (my parents, my I can recall vividly the
two brothers, two sisters many happy hours spent
and I) spent many sun- at NGHS on La Pique Hill
shine days on the beach during my seven year so-
about a 10 minute walk journ there. Many were
from our two bedroom, the days in year one, when
wooden home life was we looked forward with
very simple in those trepidation to Latin classes
days, and we enjoyed (taught by the Principal,
every moment of it. Mrs. Buelah Meghu, in
I remember clearly her effort to know all the
the day we got our first black and white tele- girls a feat she accomplished without falter-
vision, the day we finally had pipe borne ing). My greater trepidation was that she was
water in the house, the day my father got his my cousin and appeared to be even stricter to
crisp white Vauxhall - PG 4592, and thereafter me as a result. I gravitated naturally to the field
the many beach outings, and trips around the of sciences and ironically, physics was my
island. Achilles heel. At the University of the West
My primary school years were spent at the Indies, St Augustine I majored in Physics and
St Margarets Government school located on Mathematics, not particularly fond of dicing

www.ncsli.org

Those school girl days
up specimens (biology) or learning long
chemical formulae (chemistry) notwith-
standing the fact that Chemistry may have
brought my husband, Ivan, and I together,
spending six hours every Friday afternoon for
a year in the chemistry lab. Applied Physics
led me to work for a couple of summers at the
Iron and Steel Company of Trinidad and
Tobago (ISCOTT) investigating The Deoxy-
genation of Molten Steel in the Ladle and
trying not to allow my hard hat to fall off my
head into the molten steel.
After final year exams and prior to getting
results and graduating I began working at the
Caribbean Research Institute (CARIRI) on the
University Campus. It was here in the materials
testing division that I was formally introduced
to metrology - spending many hours doing
strength tests on steel bars and concrete blocks,
hardness testing, tensile strength of fibres, cal-
ibrating load cells, analysing samples on the
spectrograph, electroplating coins et al. Little
did I know that this would be crucial in my
formal entrance into the standards world.
After saying I do on November 17, 1984
I migrated to the twin island state of Antigua
and Barbuda, which had just gained inde-
pendence in 1981. This took some getting
accustomed to. The vast difference in size and
population (ten times less) was a new experi-
ence and I soon discovered one could easily
drive from across the entire country to the
other in less than an hour. After teaching
physics, chemistry, math and general science
for a few years I was encouraged, in September
1990, to apply for the post as Manager Tech-
nical Services at the newly established Antigua
www.ncsli.org
Cranfield University
Isnt he lovely . . .
and Barbuda Bureau of Standards (ABBS). My
first few years were spent training at a number
of well established Bureau of Standards and
NMIs Barbados National Standards Institute,
Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards,
Jamaica Bureau of Standards, NPL- India, NPL-
Teddington, and NIST. In June 1995, upon the
resignation of the former Director, I was
offered and accepted the post of Director of
ABBS. As anyone would know this entails doing
a balancing/juggling act balancing and jug-
gling administrative and technical responsi-
bilities. I often thought of abandoning the
administrative and going back to the technical
but we cant always have what we want. So,
option B was to switch gears and pursue
administrative qualifications in quality
management.
My year at Cranfield University, UK was lit-
erally cold but otherwise very rewarding. The
lessons learned and the expertise gained from
my year at Cranfiled was invaluable, and have
given me the impetus needed to meet some of
the challenges of todays global marketplace.
The most memorable being the opportunity
to work at Rolls Royce Plc, Derby, UK (affec-
tionately known as Royces).
My twin teenage sons still keep tabs on my
travel and sometimes frown when I announce
that I have to go overseas, but when at home,
I spend as much quality time with them as
possible. Lately we have taken to planting a
kitchen garden and work on it together. I try
to keep up my involvement in the Athletics
Association, Science and Technology, and the
School Board but with the developments in
world trade and the growing importance of
Family
technical barriers to trade and standards this is
a challenge.
My involvement in Standards and Metrol-
ogy has led me to a number of exciting and
interesting areas WTO TBT Agreement,
CROSQ (Caribbean Regional Organisation for
Standards and Quality), International Stan-
dards (ISO, CODEX, IPPC, OIE), SIM and the
SIM Presidency, Chairman SIM Quality
Systems Working Group), NCSLI, OECD Activ-
ities, Commonwealth Partnership for Tech-
nology Management (CPTM UK Ltd), and
countries Caribbean, USA, UK, South and
Central America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. In
the process I have had the opportunity to
interact with a number of intellectuals and
experts in the field. The interactions are
usually very stimulating and invigorating. I
have learned a lot, seen a lot, heard a lot and
been exposed to all aspects of standards,
metrology, trade, trade policy (and many
other things) over the years and I thoroughly
enjoy imparting that knowledge to new
entrants. Looking back at the balancing/jug-
gling act in the circus of my life, I wouldnt
change a thing.
Dianne Lalla-Rodrigues
SIM Representative to the Board
dianne.rodrigues@antigua.gov.ag
April 2009 : Metrologist 7
 The 142
Measurement Comparison
................................................................ Programs Committee
.......
Are measurements
Committee Spotlight
as good as we think
they are?
Those of us working in metrology laboratories can sometimes
become so enamored with our internal quality schemes, docu-
mented processes, and process controls that we forget about the
benefit of comparing our measurements to laboratories with similar
or better capabilities. Without such comparisons, can we be certain
that our measurements are as good as we think they are?
Can we know that employees responsible for making and evalu-
ating measurements are as competent as we hope they are? Waiting
on our customers to answer those questions for us can be extremely
risky. Most metrology laboratories understand the need to partici-
pate in some form of comparison with other laboratories, but they
might not realize that the Measurement Comparison Program Com-
mittee 142 exists to assist the National Conference of Standards Lab-
oratories International (NCSLI) members with developing and
initiating comparison schemes. Excerpts from the committee
charter states that the purpose of the committee is to:
Provide calibration laboratory management with suggested methods for
evaluating or improving the quality of measurements performed by their
laboratories. Activities will include providing guidance and assistance
with planning and executing Inter-laboratory Comparisons (ILCs); sup-
.........................
porting and reviewing all NCSLI sponsored ILCs; interfacing with other
NCSLI committees that are sponsoring or needing assistance with ILCs;
conferring with National Metrology Institutes (NMI) to promote their
participation; assisting with international, national and regional ILCs, as
appropriate. [1]
Before proceeding, we need to take a look at two very important def-
initions: Interlaboratory Comparison and Proficiency Testing.
Neither is defined in the International Vocabulary of Basic and General
Terms in Metrology (VIM). However, both are defined in several ISO
publications and Committee 142s own RP-15 (more on that docu-
ment later).
Interlaboratory Comparison: A program to provide organization,
performance, and evaluation of calibrations or tests on the same or similar
items or materials by two or more laboratories in accordance with prede-
termined conditions. [2]
Proficiency Testing: Evaluation of participant performance against pre-
established criteria by means of interlaboratory comparisons. [3]
The latter term is often used hand-in-hand with the former when
discussing measurement comparison schemes. In this article, the
term ILC will be used in reference to any comparison activity.
...........................................................................................................................
What may not be well known about measurement comparison is
that the concept has been an integral part of NCSLI since the early days
of the organization. An excellent historical perspective of NCSLI is pro-
vided at the Wikipedia web site at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
NCSL_International. That article states that the NCSL (as named then)
officially began on September 15, 1961. A few years later, the current
Committee 142 got its start as the Measurement Agreement Compar-
ison (MAC) Committee. The MAC Committee of NCSL, with assistance
from the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), organized and conducted
the first metrology ILC in 19651966. It was a very ambitious experi-
ment, involving forty-nine laboratories, including NBS. The disciplines
included DC voltage, resistance, radio-frequency (RF), mass, tempera-
ture, and dimensional metrology. The undertaking was successful
because it demonstrated the feasibility of ILCs and their capability of
independently evaluating a measurement process. [3] Since then, the
value of ILCs have been recognized for assuring quality in measure-
ment processes, troubleshooting problems, demonstrating measure-
ment competence, and developing robust training programs; all
important to the success of any internal quality program as well as cus-
tomer satisfaction. For those laboratories that regularly participate in
ILCs, there is no denying the benefits.
Over the many years of activity, NCSLI and Committee 142 have
been involved with sponsoring and/or assisting with planning and
implementing ILCs for many if not most metrology disciplines. But
ILCs are not confined to just the metrology community. A significant
number have been conducted in other industries such as chemical,
medical, materials manufacturing, and forensics just to name a few.
A web search for the term Interlaboratory Comparison yielded 1,890,000
hits. With quotation marks around the term, the number of hits
dropped to 43,900. Even at that, it is easy to grasp the enormity and
significance of ILCs in all aspects of our business world whether Man-
ufacturing, Government, Medical, Services, Education, R&D, etc. It is
even more apparent from the web search that metrology is only one of
the many economic sectors involved with comparison schemes.
ILCs can be mandated by regulatory guidance or accreditation cri-
teria, or they can be done voluntarily. Whether mandated or con-
ducted on a voluntary basis, they serve to confirm measurement
quality, consistency within peer organizations, as a training tool, and
simply to help evaluate a measurement process. Planning and con-
ducting an ILC can certainly seem like a daunting and time consum-
ing task, especially with the analysis and reporting of results. In fact,
it is believed to be a major deterrent to leading or even participating in
ILCs, but there are ways to mitigate that:
Interaction at NCSLI conferences with persons experienced with
conducting ILCs
NIST provided guidance and pre-formatted spreadsheets at the
following web address: http://ts.nist.gov/weightsandmeasures/
metrology/roundrobins.cfm
Consulting services from some PT providers
www.ncsli.org
Publications available through the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), NCSLI, and American Society for Quality
(ASQ) (most available online)
In addition to the list above, Committee 142 maintains the NCSLI Rec-
ommended Practice (RP) 15 Interlaboratory Comparisons. It was first
released in 1999 as a guide to help plan, organize, and conduct an ILC.
It has been updated twice, with the 3rd edition released in October
2008. RP-15 contains excellent information on how to plan, structure,
organize, manage, and report ILC activity. It contains a checklist and
sample report in appendices.
The great thing about writing the Committee Spotlight article is
that the author can put in a plug for their committee, so here goes: Our
committee is working hard to improve its value to the metrology com-
munity and can certainly use your help. While it is understood that
committee involvement is voluntary, it is extremely important to have
a core and stable membership to assist with activity that fits the charter,
goals and objectives of the committee. Committee 142 meets twice a
year, first at the Measurement Science Conference (MSC) and then
again at the NCSLI Workshop and Symposium. During these meetings,
we present information about ILCs completed, planned, and needed.
Not only does committee membership offer you an opportunity to
find others with similar interests, it can be very rewarding and inter-
esting. For example, the committee may be asked to review and eval-
uate technical articles submitted for NCSLIs Measure Journal or given
opportunity to review draft versions of ISO documents relating to Pro-
ficiency Testing or ILCs, or asked to assist with planning or review of
a proposed ILC, charter, or resulting measurement data.
A list of committees is available at the NCSLI web site:
www.ncsli.org/committees. Readers are encouraged to find at least one
committee of interest, and get involved! We look forward to seeing you
in March at the Measurement Science Conference in Anaheim, CA,
and in July at the NCSL International Workshop and Symposium in
San Antonio, TX.
We would especially like to have you drop by our committee meet-
ings, please check the conference schedules for location and time.
Bibliography
[1] Measurement Comparison Program, Charter. [Online] Available
www.ncsli.org/committees/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.dsp_chair
_info&position_id=142.0
[2] National Conference of Standards Laboratory-International
(NCSLI), Recommended Practice (RP) 15 Interlaboratory Comparisons.
3rd ed. Boulder, Colorado, 2008
[3] International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Conformity
assessment General requirements for proficiency testing, ISO/IEC
17043, Draft ed. Geneva, Switzerland, 2008.
Mike Cadenhead, Committee Chair
mike.cadenhead@afmetcal.af.mil
April 2009 : Metrologist 9
Things to Do and See
in San Antonio
Majestic Theater
San Antonio Zoo
San Antonio
Childrens Museum
Arneson River
Theater
River Walk
The Alamo
Sea World
Sunset Station
Tower of the Americas
San Antonio
Museum of Art
San Antonio
Symphony
Institute of
Texas Cultures
Museo Alameda
Mission Espada
Mission San Jose
Market Square
Guenther House
Basilica of the
Little Flower
McNay Art Museum
Mission Concepcion
San Antonio
Botanical Gardens
Mission San Juan
Buckhorn Saloon
Charline McCombs
Empire Theatre
San Fernando
Cathedral
Six Flags Fiesta Texas San Antonios River Walk, Spanish colonial
Witte Museum architecture, and fountain-laden parks and
HemisFair Park plazas make it one of Americas most picturesque
cities. Today, this seventeenth-century metropolis
is the seventh largest city in the nation with
contemporary venues and lavish accommodations,
all while maintaining an old world heritage
exuded through diverse artistry, ethnic cuisine
and an intimate and exquisite culture.
ncsl international workshop and symposium 2009

Metrologys Impact on Global Trade Keynote Address: Metrology-Underpinning Global Trade

Dr. B.D. Inglis
Global trade is becoming ever more important in a world driven by economy of scale, resource, environment and
financial constraints. Trade agreements, documentary standards and regulations all have a major impact on trade.
Indeed, it is estimated that approximately 80 percent of global trade is affected by standards and regulations, and with
the increasing demand for quality, low environmental impact, health and safety the pressure for regulation and
compliance with standards is likely to continue.
The quantitative basis for trade, trade agreements, quality, compliance with standards and regulation all comes back to
metrology. The metrology involved in trade agreements and regulations generally falls under the heading of legal
metrology while metrology that provides the basis for quality and compliance might be thought of as applied metrology.
Regardless of what form the metrology takes it requires a sound international system of measurement with agreed units,
measurement standards and demonstrated measurement traceability. The SI system provides the basis for such a system
and responsibility for this rests with BIPM and the Metre Treaty. Measurement standards are realized and maintained by

Register Now! National Measurement Institutes (NMIs) and the traceability from the NMIs is achieved through a network of laboratories
accredited for competence. Laboratory accreditation also provides the basis for quality and compliance testing.
The competitive nature of global trade demands increased efficiency by all parties and this applies equally to
Via the web at organizations like BIPM, the NMIs and the accreditation bodies. Their activities and services need to be relevant to the
www.ncsli.org/conference/ needs of their customers and should add value to their customers businesses. A key responsibility of BIPM that is
directly relevant to global trade is its coordination of international comparisons of standards maintained by NMIs. This
For registration questions and answers, activity provides the basis for mutual recognition of national standards and international traceability of measurement.
please call the NCSLI business office BIPM looks very hard at the relevance of its activities on a regular basis as part of its strategic planning process and in
1999 it established the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) to better serve the needs of its membership and
at 303-440-3339
more particularly the needs of the broader accreditation community and accredited laboratory network. The MRA was
established to address the ever increasing demand for bilateral agreements between NMIs to satisfy the requirements of
trade agreements, regulations and international traceability of measurement. The MRA now has 74 signatories and
covers 123 institutes designated by the signatory bodies. Under the MRA the BIPM maintains a Key Comparison
Database (KCDB), which currently contains in excess of 20,000 entries of comparison results and calibration
measurement capabilities (CMCs). This year is the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the CIPM MRA.

registration rates
Advance Rate Ends Regular Rate Begins Late Rate Begins
March 15, 2009 March 16, 2009 June 30, 2009

Member Rate $849 $899 $999

Non-Member Rate $1,049 $1,099 $1,199

tutorial rates
Regular Rate Ends Late Rate Begins
Per Half Day Session
June 29, 2009 June 30, 2009
Member Rate $150 $175
Non-Member Rate $200 $225
Per Full Day Session
Member Rate $250 $275
Non-Member Rate $300 $325
Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center
Workshop and Symposium Registration includes: Exhibitors Reception, Entrance into the Paper Sessions; Entrance into the Exhibit
Hall; Lunches (MondayThursday); One Banquet Ticket; Workshop materials, including the Proceedings (CD-ROM only)
Workshop and Symposium Registration does not include: The International Event; NCSLI Tutorials (see Tutorial
Registration Form for fees); Guest Program Tours (see Guest Registration Form for fees); Hotel Registration,
Airfare, Rental Car.

Grand Hyatt
San Antonio
1-800-233-1234
$155 Single or Double
$175 Triple or Quad

Group Code: NCSL

2009 ncsl international workshop and symposium tutorials
Saturday, JULY 25
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
T1 - Balance Calibration and Uncertainty
Val Miller, Mark Ruefenacht
This full-day tutorial will discuss the sources
of weighing uncertainties in analytical envi-
ronments, methodologies for quantifying the
uncertainties, and computation of balance
calibration uncertainty. Attention will be
given to uncertainty sources, selection of
standards, and various calibration and
testing procedures used in the balance
industry. Time will be spent in hands-on
exercises calibrating a variety of balances,
accumulating data, and developing uncer-
tainty budgets. Compliance with pharma-
ceutical (FDA/USP) and international
requirements will be discussed. Methodolo-
gies for process measurement assurance
techniques in analytical weighing will also be
covered. This tutorial is limited to 30 partic-
ipants. Laptop with spreadsheet capability
and / or scientific calculator are optional.
T2 - Monte Carlo Uncertainty Analysis
Using WinBUGS
William Guthrie, Blaza Toman
The recent draft of Supplement 1 to the
Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in
Measurement introduced a method of
uncertainty analysis based on propagation of
probability distributions through an explic-
itly-specified measurement equation by
direct Monte Carlo simulation. Supplement 1
states that its use of probability distributions
is generally consistent with the concepts of
Bayesian statistics underlying the GUM.
The open-source software WinBUGS,
intended for Bayesian analysis using spe-
cialized Monte Carlo methods, can also be
used to implement the methods of Supple-
ment 1. One advantage of using WinBUGS
over other implementations is that measure-
ment models can also be specified implicitly,
which is easier than specification of a meas-
urement equation when the distribution of
the data depends on the value of the mea-
surand. This course will introduce the con-
cepts underlying the Monte Carlo methods
for propagation of distributions, illustrate the
use of WinBUGS on simple measurement
models, and then demonstrate its full capa-
bility for a case in which the data and mea-
surand are interdependent. Hands-on
examples will be run in class to give partici-
pants experience using WinBUGS. Partici-
pants must bring a laptop that can run
programs designed for Microsoft Windows
to work these examples. Instructions for
downloading and installing WinBUGS will be
provided to participants prior to the work-
shop. Data files and WinBUGS scripts for all
examples will also be provided to partici-
pants.
12 Metrologist : April 2009
Saturday, JULY 25
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
T3 - Fundamentals of Calibration in
Dimensional Metrology
Amosh Kumar, Jim Salsbury
This tutorial provides an overview of calibra-
tion techniques and key issues in the field of
dimensional metrology. All the major types of
dimensional calibrations will be discussed.
We will start by studying the calibration, use,
and traceability issues of the standards,
such as gage blocks, ring gages, optical
flats, thread wires, and length standards. We
will then discuss the calibration of the
common small measuring tools such as
micrometers, calipers, dial indicators, and
height gages. We will then introduce the
issues surrounding the site calibration, or
field calibration, of major measuring instru-
ments such as CMMs, roundness measuring
machines, and optical comparators. In addi-
tion to presenting specific calibration
methods, the overall goal of the tutorial is to
develop an understanding of the principles
behind the dimensional calibration methods
thereby giving the attendee the necessary
tools to extend the concepts to other types
of calibrations. With that goal in mind, not
only will recommended procedures be pre-
sented, but also optional methods, sources
of uncertainties and methods to reduce
them, and techniques for estimating the
uncertainty of measurement. The tutorial
handouts will include example procedures,
numerous pictures of techniques, and uncer-
tainty budgets.
T4 - My Measurements are Traceable
Right? Demonstrating the chain of
traceability.
Dana Leaman
This half-day tutorial examines the require-
ments to demonstrate the traceability chain
for measuring and test equipment. Topics
will include the concept of traceability from
several perspectives, including the Interna-
tional Bureau of Weights and Measures
(BIPM), National Metrology Institutes, and
Accreditation Bodies. Within those discus-
sions, we will cover the Key Comparisons
Data Base (KCDB), accreditation and the
associated scopes, how to demonstrate
traceability for your laboratory, and miscon-
ceptions associated with traceability.
T5 - Humidity Calibration Tutorial
Jeff Bennewitz, Gregory Scace
This humidity calibration tutorial will provide
an information overview of basic humidity
definitions, dew point, frost point, relative
humidity, and humidity uncertainty. Partici-
pants will practice humidity calculations
and conversions using the HumiCalc humid-
ity conversion software. Also included will be
the humidity calibration technique using the
two pressure humidity calibration standard.
The instructors will demonstrate a typical
calibration setup of a hygrometer and dew
point instruments. Discussion of response
time and calibration procedure using the two
pressure humidity standard will be included.
T6 - Oscilloscope Calibration
Uncertainties
Randy Van Wie, Ken Futornick
This half-day tutorial presents techniques for
analyzing and expressing uncertainties in the
calibration (verification of calibration) of
oscilloscopes. Measurement methods and
associated uncertainties for the commonly
calibrated oscilloscope characteristics (gain,
timing and bandwidth) will be described. A
variety of real-time oscilloscope types will be
discussed, including analog and digital, 50
ohm and 1 megohm input, and ranging from
low-end to state-of-the-art. Expanded
uncertainties will be developed according to
ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty
in Measurement guidelines.
T7 - Measurement Uncertainty Made
Easy
Georgette Macdonald, Mike Ouellette
Why is it important to express the uncer-
tainty in measurement? Quite simply, there is
no traceability in measurements that lack
statements of uncertainty at every link of the
traceability chain. For this and other reasons,
ISO/IEC 17025 requires calibration laborato-
ries, in particular, to provide estimates of
uncertainty of their measurements using
accepted practices. The instructors will
discuss the basics for preparing uncertainty
estimates for typical, uncomplicated meas-
urement processes. This approach is con-
sistent with the GUM but it dispenses,
wherever possible, with the algebraic nota-
tions, statistical jargon, arithmetic modeling,
and differential calculus operations found in
the GUM that perhaps encumber a person
who requires no more than a simple, con-
servative estimate of the uncertainty in the
result of a simple measurement process. For
these situations, it will be shown that the
mathematics is quite straightforward and
that the actual challenge, if any, to estimat-
ing uncertainty in measurement is in defining
the factors that affect the measurement;
namely, in understanding the metrology.
Participants will receive an example Excel
spreadsheet for making simplified uncer-
tainty calculations. The tutorial will include a
group exercise. Participants should bring
stationary and pocket calculators.
Saturday, JULY 25
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
T8 - CMMs in the Calibration Lab
Jim Salsbury, Amosh Kumar
For the past 50 years, the use of coordinate
measuring machines (CMMs) has continued
to grow into new areas, and now we are
seeing more and more CMMs being used in
dimensional calibration labs. The original use
of the CMM was for measuring large pro-
duction workpieces, where the CMM offered
major savings in measurement time, ease of
use, and flexibility. As CMMs have continued
to become more and more accurate, we are
seeing many CMMs being used for calibra-
tion purposes, not only for calibrating master
workpieces and special gages, but also for
the calibration of length gages, cylindrical
www.ncsli.org
 2009 ncsl international workshop and symposium tutorials
masters, squares, and a variety of other tra-
ditional dimensional gages that have histor-
ically been checked using alternative
methods. The differences between CMM
measurement methods and traditional
methods will be discussed. The tutorial will
cover using CMMs to measure manufac-
tured workpieces, the inspection of special
fixture gages, and the calibration of a variety
of dimensional gages. The tutorial will also
include a wide breadth of accuracy ranging
from part inspection on manual CMMs with
uncertainty around 0.01 (0.25 mm) to high
accuracy CMMs being used to measure
length standards with an uncertainty under
10 millionths of an inch (0.25 micrometers).
This tutorial will focus on techniques, under-
standing sources of errors, traceability, and
the uncertainty of CMM measurements.
T9 - Running an Effective Laboratory
Measuring Performance
Malcolm Smith
This tutorial will be of interest to owners,
managers, and supervisors of calibration
laboratories, both in-house and commercial.
The tutorial will cover four areas where per-
formance measurements are important in the
running of a laboratory: productivity, finance,
service levels and customer satisfaction. The
range of measures that can be used to
monitor performance in each of these areas
will be discussed. Suggestions on how
these measures might be used in practice
will be reviewed. Examples of performance
measurements, with discussion of their
effectiveness and appropriateness for
process improvement, will be given.
T10 - Metrology Management Software
Implementation
Walter Nowocin
This half day two-part tutorial will describe
the key factors to consider in selecting and
implementing a calibration management
software solution for your laboratory, espe-
cially in a regulated environment. Part 1:
Selecting a Calibration Management Soft-
ware Solution. The following topics will be
discussed: Selection Process Overview,
Identifying Key Business Representatives,
Developing Business Requirements, Identi-
fying Vendors, Sending Business Require-
ments to Vendors, Converting Requirements
to Scoring Matrix, Selecting Vendors for
Demonstration Phase, Evaluating Vendor
Demonstration Software, Client Surveys,
Vendor Financial Health, and Selecting a
Vendor of Choice. Part 2: Implementing a
Calibration Management Software Solution.
The following topics will be discussed:
Implementation Process Overview, System
Development and Validation Life Cycle, Data
Conversion, Test Scripts, Training, and
Project Planning.
T11 - Torque Theory, Tools and Concepts
Jim Godby, Gary Fitzhugh
The target audience for this tutorial are
torque wrench calibration technicians, cal
lab trainees, and companies with torque cal-
ibration labs. The tutorial will cover basic
www.ncsli.org
torque concepts, such as torque theory,
measurements, and application of the torque
formula. Transducer theory and construction
will include how transducers are built and
how they work. The discussion will include
proper use and limitations of tension and
clamping force: What is it? Why is it impor-
tant? And different methods of achieving
clamping force. Torque distribution will
include a discussion of the 90/10 Rule and
how to minimize friction to maximize torque.
For torque tools, we include safe torque tool
use, different types of torque tools and their
usage, proper use and care of torque
wrenches, and their re-calibration. Finally,
the evolution of torque in a changing world
will include: Torque and going green,
future of torque, and torque tool evolution.
T12 - Gas Flow Workshop
Robert B. DeRemer, P.E.
The Gas Flow Workshop is intended to be an
introductory level tutorial. The main thrust of
the workshop will be the comparison of vol-
umetric flow meters and mass flow meters in
gas measurement applications. Specific
topics covered will include explanations of
the fundamental principles of operation of
various types of flow meters, factors that
influence when to choose a mass flow
meter or a volumetric flow meter, how to
interpret performance specifications, how
the various types of meters are calibrated,
and an example of measurement uncertainty.
Sunday, JULY 26
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
T13 - Collecting Objective Evidence: The
Internal Audit Process in Preparation for
the On Site Assessment
Barbara Belzer, Thomas Hettenhouser,
Gregory Strouse
This tutorial will be of interest to managers
and staff of laboratories with new or mature
quality systems. It will cover what consti-
tutes objective evidence by stepping
through the internal audit process. The tuto-
rial will emphasize the importance of records
for all aspects of the management system
including reference documents, method val-
idation and their interdependency with
metrological traceability and reporting results.
Using the described internal audit process
prior to an on-site assessment, companies
new to the accreditation process, as well
those with mature quality systems, will be
able to prepare better for an upcoming on-
site assessment.
T14 - Implementing ANSI/NCSL Z540.3
Steven Doty
ANSI/NCSL Z540.3 in a US national con-
sensus standard that prescribes require-
ments for a calibration system to control the
accuracy of the measuring and test equip-
ment (M&TE) used to ensure that products
and services comply with prescribed require-
ments. This tutorial provides an overview of
a calibration system, the critical elements of
that system, and the management of the ele-
ments necessary to control M&TE accuracy.
The major steps to implement and assess a
calibration system to meet the requirements
of Z540.3 are presented. Also included are
discussion and examples from the Z540.3
Handbook on the practical implementation
of the principal components of a calibration
system, e.g., M&TE identification, calibration
requirements, as-found condition, measure-
ment uncertainty, probability of false accept-
ance, test uncertainty ratio, guard banding,
calibration procedures, measurement trace-
ability, calibration reporting and records, cal-
ibration intervals, and calibration system
assessment and improvement. This tutorial
is intended for individuals who have a need
to manage or support the implementation of
a calibration system to meet ANSI/NCSL
Z540.3 requirements including, metrologists,
calibration laboratory managers and calibra-
tion engineers and technologists. This would
also include those associated with quality
assurance programs and calibration system
audit, assessment, and monitoring.
T15 - Analysis of Metrology Data for
Laboratory Managers and Technicians
Dilip A. Shah
This full-day tutorial addresses metrology
data generation and analysis techniques for
laboratories that are ISO 17025 accredited or
are in the process of getting their accredita-
tion. There are many sections in ISO 17025
requirements that deal with metrology data
generation and/or analysis (Sections 5.3.2,
5.4.6, 5.5.2, 5.5.9, 5.5.10, 5.6.3.3, 5.7, 5.9).
The workshop will discuss methods and
techniques for data generation, statistical
analysis of data, and usage of data for meas-
urement uncertainty, proficiency testing, sta-
tistical process control (SPC), and calibration
interval analysis. The correct usage of metrol-
ogy terminology per ISO Guide 99:2007, as it
applies to measurement techniques, is also
covered so that metrology professionals can
practice and converse in the same lan-
guage. The workshop is targeted for labora-
tory managers and technicians who are
involved in maintenance, test and calibration
activities. Practical examples are demon-
strated using a spreadsheet. Participants are
provided with a copy of the spreadsheet tem-
plate. Please bring a scientific calculator for
problem solving exercises.
Sunday, JULY 26
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
T16 - Fundamentals of Temperature
Calibration
Mike Coleman, Thomas Wiandt
This tutorial will review the fundamentals of
temperature calibration. Topics covered will
include calibration equipment, calibration
techniques, curve fitting issues, and the
mathematics important to thermometry.
Types of thermometers covered include
platinum resistance thermometers, thermis-
tors, thermocouples, and combined ther-
mometer/readout systems. This tutorial is
intended for those who are new to tempera-
Continued on page 14
April 2009 : Metrologist 13
2009 ncsl international workshop and symposium tutorials
ture calibration, those who need to validate
what they already know, or those who have
some troublesome questions that need to be
answered.
T17 - A Quality Calibration Program for
Biotech and Pharmaceutical Companies
Jay L. Bucher
If a business (biotech, pharmaceutical, chem-
ical, or any life science company) expects to
be a player in its market segment, their
product(s) must have the quality demanded
by their customers. This can only be accom-
plished with test instruments that produce
repeatable, accurate and traceable measure-
ments and/or outputs. In the 21st Century,
most industries have compliance standards
(i.e. ISO 9000 or ISO 13485) or regulatory
requirements (QSR, cGMP, etc. for the FDA)
that view the calibration of test equipment as
a top priority. It is common knowledge that
the calibration function is one of the top
three areas written up for non-compliance to
ISO standards and QSR regulations. It isnt
enough to just calibrate a piece of test
equipment anymore. Calibration procedures
must be written and followed. Records for
each and every calibration must be com-
pleted, signed, saved and archived. A written
process must be in place for items that are
found to be out-of-tolerance and this is
only the tip of the quality calibration program
iceberg. Traceability, calibration standards,
uncertainty budgets, calibration intervals,
labels and the laboratory environment must
also be documented. We will also review cal-
ibration management software, scheduling
practices, training and continuous process
improvements. This tutorial will cover the
calibration requirements needed to meet and
exceed the standards and regulations. The
lessons learned from developing, imple-
menting and managing a Best in Class cal-
ibration program will be shared with the
attendees. Examples of calibration proce-
dures, records (electronic and hard copy),
and interval analysis will help demonstrate
how easy it is to have a quality calibration
program, while saving time and money by
not having to send all your test equipment
out for calibration.
T18 - Introduction to NCSLI RP-12-2008
Determining and Reporting
Measurement Uncertainties
Suzanne Castrup
This half-day tutorial provides an overview of
NCSLI RP-12-2008 Determining and Report-
ing Measurement Uncertainties. Attendees
will be introduced to important uncertainty
analysis principles and methods contained in
this RP. Procedures and guidelines for apply-
ing these principles and methods will be dis-
cussed and illustrated. This tutorial is intended
for metrology and quality assurance personnel
responsible for implementing uncertainty
analysis methods and procedures.
14 Metrologist : April 2009
T19 - Aspects and Philosophy of the
International Vocabulary of Metrology
(VIM3)
Chuck Ehrlich, Marlene Moore,
Marcus McNeely
This half-day tutorial examines overall phi-
losophy and select aspects of the recently
published International vocabulary of metrol-
ogy Basic and general concepts and asso-
ciated terms (VIM3), ISO/IEC Guide 99:2007.
An overview of the structure of the vocabu-
lary will provide the framework within which
detailed concepts and terms will be dis-
cussed. Particular emphasis will be given to
the fundamental concepts of measurement,
true value, nominal properties, measurement
uncertainty, and measurement error, with a
discussion of the similarities and differences
between these last two concepts. Metrolog-
ical traceability will also be elaborated along
with the changes to the definition that were
made in order to cover measurements in
chemistry, biology, bio-technology and labo-
ratory medicine. Time will be given for discus-
sion of terms of particular interest to tutorial
attendees.
T20 - Good, Bad, or Indeterminate: Who
Makes the Call?
David Deaver
When calibration data are provided on a cer-
tificate, ISO 17025 requires a statement of
the measurement uncertainty. In addition, if a
statement of compliance with specifications
is made, the uncertainty of the measurement
must be taken into account. ANSI/NCSL
Z540.3 requires the false accept risk to be
less than 2% if a TUR of greater than 4:1
cannot be maintained. This tutorial will
describe some practical ways to consider
uncertainties and their associated false test
decision risk when making in-tolerance or
out-of-tolerance declarations.
Sunday, JULY 26
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
T21 - Microwave Network Analysis and
Power Calibrations
Bart Schrijver
This tutorial will focus on an introduction to
microwave measurement concepts and
specifically on network analysis and RF
power measurement. The measurement
architecture of both types of measurements
will be shown and described in detail. In
addition topics such as signal flow diagrams,
S-parameters, network analyzer calibration,
calibration techniques, uncertainty analysis
and traceability for both network analysis
and power measurements will be reviewed.
T22 - Paperless Records Isnt It About
Time?
Jay L. Bucher
Weve all heard the adage: Necessity is the
mother of invention. In 1999, while manag-
ing a metrology department, it became nec-
essary to find a solution for signing, sorting
and filing hard copy calibration records for a
biotechnology company. The answer was
simple go paperless in the collection,
recording, storage and archiving of all the cal-
ibration records. Once the decision was
made and the necessary tools were put in
place, there was no looking back. The only
thought that continued to plague us was,
Why didnt we do this sooner? This tutorial
will cover how to use MS Word and Adobe
Acrobat Professional in designing and creat-
ing your own electronic forms. Attendees will
get Lessons Learned about formatting, field
placement, editing finished forms and pro-
tecting both the forms that are used and the
data recorded from modification and tam-
pering. Attendees should bring a laptop with
a copy of MS Word 2003 as a minimum (bring
copies of your calibration forms and turn
them into eRecords). If they wish to learn how
to use Adobe Acrobat to comply with 21CFR
Part 11, then they will also need a copy of
Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Professional (9.0 is avail-
able and will also work). All journeys start with
the first stepisnt it about time?
T23 - Interval Analysis Concepts and
Methods
Howard Castrup, Ph.D.
This half-day tutorial provides an overview of
calibration interval analysis concepts and
methods. Attendees will be introduced to risk
analysis concepts, measurement reliability
modeling methods, statistical interval analy-
sis techniques, calibration interval objectives
and potential interval analysis spin-offs, such
as equipment outlier identification. Concepts
are illustrated using commercially available
software and selected freeware. This tutorial
is intended to provide quality and calibration
managers, systems analysts, equipment
managers and metrology engineers with a
practical basis for selecting, developing,
implementing and operating a calibration
interval analysis system.
T24 - Metrology Personnel Qualification
and Development
Richard S. Brenia
In recent years the world of metrology has
seen a decline in the availability of trained and
experienced metrologists in the job market.
This is mainly due to the U.S. Armed Forces
reducing the number of technicians being
trained to calibrate M&TE. There is an in-
creased demand for documented metrologist
qualifications stemming from more stringent
quality program requirements. Although there
has been an increase in the number of public
sector schools offering metrology training,
there arent enough technicians to cover the
void left by the reduction of the U.S. Military
Metrology training. One solution to this
problem is to develop an in-house metrology
training program. Such a training program has
an added intangible effect of boosting techni-
cian morale because the technician can see a
clear and concise path to becoming a trained,
experienced journeyman.
www.ncsli.org
 2009 ncsl international workshop and symposium exhibitors and sponsors
exhibitors
A.K.O. Inc., Torque Specialties Division Fluke Electronics Corporation sponsor Development
A2LA GE Sensing NIST Measurement Services
Abacus Software GIDEP NIST/NVLAP
AcuCal, Inc. GRAS Sound & Vibration NMIJ/AIST
Advanced Test Equipment Rentals Guildline Instruments Limited Northrop Grumman
AFRIMETS Gulf Calibration Services (GCS) NSWC Measurement Science
Agilent Technologies sponsor Hart Scientific, a Fluke company Oak Ridge National Laboratory
AMETEK Calibration Instruments Heusser Neweigh OHM-Labs, Inc.
Andeen-Hagerling, Inc. ICL Calibration Laboratories, Inc. On Time Support, Inc.
ANSI ASQ National Accred. IEEE I&M Society One Red X Software
Board/ACLASS IET Labs, Inc. OpLink Solutions
ANSI Online IndySoft Corporation Paroscientific, Inc.
Army Primary Standards Laboratory INORA Technologies, Inc. Pond Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
ASQ-MQD INSCO Metrology PPM Instruments
AssetSmart Instrulab, Inc. Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems
ATC, Inc. Instrument Rental Labs Pratt Whitney Calibration Services
BAE Systems Interface, Inc. Quality Vision Services, Inc.
Beamex ISOTECH North America Radian Research, Inc.
Bionetics Corporation - Newark Kaymont Consolidated RH Systems
Metrology Operations King Nutronics Corporation Rice Lake Weighing Systems
Bios International Corporation Laboratory Accreditation Bureau sponsor Rotronic Instrument Corporation
Blue Mountain Quality Resources, Inc. Lockheed Martin STS Calibration Sartorius Corporation
Bruel & Kjaer, North America, Inc. Services SIM
Burns Engineering, Inc. Lockheed Martin Technical Operations SIMCO Electronics
Cal Lab Magazine Mahr Federal, Inc. Snap-On/CDI Torque Products
Cal Lab Solutions Martel Electronics Corporation Sypris Test & Measurement sponsor
Clarke-Hess Communication Research Masy Systems, Inc. TAC Precision Environments Group sponsor
Colorado Engineering Experiment MCS Calibration, Inc. TDK-LAMBDA AMERICAS
Station, Inc. Measurement Science Conference TEGAM, Inc.
CONDEC Measurements International Tektronix
COOMET, Euro-Asian Co-operation of MeasurePT TestEquity, Inc.
National Metrology Mensor Corporation sponsor The Modal Shop, Inc.
Crystal Engineering Corporation Meriam Process Technologies Thunder Scientific Corporation
Data Proof Mettler Toledo Tovey Engineering, Inc.
Davis Calibration Michell Instruments, Inc./PMC Transcat
DH Instruments, a Fluke company Minnesota Metrology Laboratory Troemner, LLC
DH-Budenberg, Inc. sponsor Mitutoyo America Corporation Universal Label Technologies
Dynamic Technology, Inc. Modus Metrology Services Vaisala, Inc
Edison ESI sponsor Morehouse Instrument Company Veriteq
ESSCO Calibration Laboratory National Physical Laboratory Western Environmental Corporation
EURAMET e.V. National Research Council of Canada WorkPlace Training
Exelon PowerLabs Navy Primary Standards Laboratory Y-12 National Security Complex
Flow Systems NCSL International - Learning and Yokogawa Corporation of America

sponsors
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www.ncsli.org/conference/2009/sponsorship/

www.ncsli.org April 2009 : Metrologist 15

Special Feature
..............................................................................................................
The SIM Time Network
and its Contributions to Metrology in the Americas
The SIM Time Network (SIMTN) has been one of the great success
stories of the Sistema Interamericano de Metrologia (SIM), a regional
metrology organization (RMO) that includes the 34 member nations
of the Organization of American States (OAS). The SIMTN has made it
easy for national metrology institutes (NMIs) throughout the SIM
region to participate in international comparisons and to coordinate
their time standards. It provides continuous, near real-time compar-
isons between SIM NMIs by utilizing both the Internet and the Global
Positioning System (GPS). This article provides an overview of the
SIMTN, examining both the technology involved and its contributions
to metrology in the Americas.
Background
Like its fellow RMOs, SIM works to ensure the uni-
formity of measurements throughout a large
section of the world by establishing traceabil-
ity to the International System of units (SI).
SIM working groups review the quality
systems of NMIs and their calibration and
measurement capabilities. They also organize
regional comparisons that help the NMIs of small
and developing nations maintain standards at the level of
accuracy that is needed to support their economy.
Of course, each RMO faces its own unique challenges, and SIM faces
several. SIM is the largest of all RMOs in terms of land area (Figure 1),
and there is a large variation in both the populations of the SIM
nations and the strength of their economies. The SIM region extends
throughout North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean, an
area that encompasses roughly 27 % of the worlds land mass and some
14 % of its population (an estimated 920 million people as of 2007).
However, about two-thirds of the people in the SIM region (approxi-
mately 600 million people) reside in the United States, Brazil, and
Mexico. In contrast, 12 other SIM nations, mostly islands in the
Caribbean region, have populations of less than one million. As of
2007, the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States
and Canada exceeded $38,000 USD, but ten SIM nations had per capita
GDPs of $7,000 USD or less. This disparity in population and money
directly translates into the level of resources that are made available for
metrology. For example, NIST has about 40 full-time professionals
employed in its time and frequency division, but many SIM NMIs are
fortunate if even one metrologist is free to focus on time and frequency
measurements.
The concept of the SIMTN was first discussed informally at the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2003. At the
time of these discussions, most of the SIM cooperation in time and fre-
quency had been between the three North American NMIs; NIST, the
16 Metrologist : April 2009
National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, and the Centro Nacional
de Metrologa (CENAM) of Mexico. NIST and NRC already had long
standing reputations as major timing laboratories. CENAM was a rel-
atively new NMI that was formed in 1994 and had made rapid
progress. With the exception of laboratories in Brazil and Argentina,
the other NMIs in the SIM region were essentially unknown in the
international time and frequency community, and had little or no pre-
vious interaction with NIST, NRC, or CENAM.
Figure 1. The worlds regional metrology organizations (SIM is in orange).
In July 2004, representatives from NIST, CENAM, and NRC met in
Ottawa, Canada to discuss ways to link the NMIs of the Americas
together, so that as many as possible could establish measurement
traceability to the SI. To establish traceability, each SIM NMI would first
have to participate in international comparisons. The time and fre-
quency community has an established vehicle in place for organizing
international comparisons, because the Bureau International des Poids et
Mesures (BIPM) key comparisons are used to generate Coordinated Uni-
versal Time (UTC). However, not all SIM NMIs are able to participate
in the BIPM key comparisons. Some have not signed the BIPM Mutual
Recognition Agreement (MRA), and others lacked the resources, train-
ing, experience, and contacts that are required to participate. For these
reasons, the discussion in Ottawa focused on developing a new mech-
anism for international comparisons that had as few barriers to entry
as possible. Thus, the SIM time network (SIMTN) was born.
The design goals for the SIMTN were:
To encourage cooperation and communication throughout the
SIM region by building a network that allowed even the smallest
labs to compare their standards to those of the rest of the world.
To choose equipment that was low cost and easy to install,
operate, and use, because SIM NMIs typically have limited
resources and small staffs.
www.ncsli.org
.................................................................................................................
Figure 2. The SIM Measurement System
To make measurements with uncertain-
ties small enough to characterize the best
standards in the SIM region. This meant
that the measurement uncertainties had
to be as small, or nearly as small, as those
of the BIPM key comparisons.
To report measurement results in near
real-time, without the processing delays
of the BIPM.
To build a democratic network that
favored no single laboratory or nation.
Once the design goals were established, the
development of the network quickly pro-
ceeded. SIM measurement systems were devel-
oped at NIST and delivered to CENAM and
NRC in the spring of 2005. The first compar-
isons began in May of that same year. [1, 2, 3]
tions of this technique have been used by the
BIPM for their key comparisons since the
1980s. The common-view technique is quite
simple and works well. The obvious best way
to measure the difference between two time
standards would be to locate them in the same
laboratory and directly compare them to each
other. Of course, national time standards must
remain in their respective countries, and in the
case of SIM the distance between them can be
quite far; nearly 9000 km in some cases. Since
it is impossible to make a direct comparison,
the solution is for each NMI to compare its
standard to signals that all of the laboratories
can receive, such as the signals from the GPS
satellites (the SIM system can receive up to
eight satellites at once). The satellite signals are
not used as a timing reference, but simply as a
transfer standard. When the measurements
recorded at two sites are subtracted from each
other, the satellite time falls out of the equa-
tion, and what remains is the time difference
between two NMIs.
The main shortcoming of the common-view
technique is that the results are often not
known until long after the measurements are
made, due to the time required to exchange
and process the data. The SIMTN solves this
problem by exchanging and processing data
on the fly and then displaying the measure-
ment results in near real-time. All systems trans-
fer data every ten minutes to Internet servers
that process the results within a fraction of a
second. The measurement results can be viewed
with any web browser, so that no special soft-
ware is needed, and no training is required. The
SIMTN favors no individual laboratory or
nation. All members (as well as the general
public) can view the results of all comparisons.
The web site of the SIM Time and Frequency
Metrology Working Group (http://tf.nist.gov/
sim) includes a real-time grid (Figure 3) that
shows the most recent time differences be-
tween SIM NMIs. The grid receives new data
every ten minutes, and refreshes automati-
cally every five minutes. If a user clicks on one
of the time difference values displayed on the
grid, a graph of the comparison for the
current day will appear in their web browser.
The real-time measurements allow all
network participants to instantly compare
their time standards to each other. This bene-
fits all SIM NMIs, including those that already
participate in the BIPM key comparisons and
contribute to the computation of Coordinated
Universal Time (UTC). The UTC contributors
can now view interlaboratory data without
waiting for the BIPMs monthly Circular-T
report, which includes results that are typically
from two to seven weeks old at the time of
publication. Another advantage is that data
are reported every ten minutes for the SIMTN,
as opposed to every five days in the case of the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

Description of the SIM

Time Network
The SIMTN consists of a group of common-
view GPS measurement systems that are con-
nected to the Internet. The measurement
systems (Figure 2) measure the time standard
located at each NMI by comparing it to
signals received from the GPS satellites. The
measurement results are then sent to file
servers located at NIST and CENAM (a third
server at NRC is planned). The measurement
systems and servers were paid for by either the
OAS or the NMIs. Excluding labor, the entire
network in its present state has cost about
$100,000 USD, a very modest price for such a
major undertaking.
The common-view GPS technique used by
the SIM systems is well established, and varia-
Figure 3. The SIM Real-Time Measurement Grid.

www.ncsli.org April 2009 : Metrologist 17

.............
............................................................................................................
Circular-T. This makes it easier to identify short-term fluctuations, and
allows measurement problems to be solved more quickly.
Even though the measurements are made in near real-time, the
measurement uncertainty is essentially equal to the BIPM comparisons
that involve GPS links. The time uncertainty (k = 2) is typically less
than 15 ns, and the frequency uncertainty (k = 2) is about 5 1014 after
1 day of averaging. [2, 3]

Current and Future

Membership
About half of the SIM NMIs now operate, or plan to establish, a time
and frequency laboratory. Twelve NMIs have been sent SIM time and
frequency measurement systems, and 11 (as of February 2009) are now
engaged in continuous international comparisons. Four additional
NMIs have expressed interest in joining the network, and will be added
as soon as possible. A map of the SIM region showing the current and
known future members of the network is provided in Figure 4, and
Table 1 provides a list. We anticipate that other SIM NMIs will also be
interested in establishing a time and frequency laboratory, and that
additional requests to join the network will eventually be received.
Table 1 also lists the type of national time and frequency standard
maintained by each SIMTN member. NIST and the other leading
timing laboratories around the world maintain UTC time scales that
consist of an ensemble of cesium oscillators and/or hydrogen masers.
Four SIM NMIs operate ensemble time scales: NIST, NRC, CENAM, and
the National Observatory Rio de Janeiro (ONRJ) in Brazil. [4] The other
SIM NMIs maintain either a cesium oscillator, a rubidium oscillator, or
a GPS disciplined oscillator (GPSDO) as their primary standard.

Contributions of the SIMTN to Metrology

in the Americas
The SIMTN has benefitted the overall state of
metrology in the Americas in many ways. Here Figure 4. A SIM map showing the locations of the current (light) and future
members (dark) of the network.
are some highlights:
Improved Time Coordination - SIM NMIs
now keep their standards in close agree-
ment with the standards maintained in the
other countries. The NMIs with ensemble
time scales, and several others with cesium
standards, now routinely keep time within
50 ns of each other. To illustrate this, Figure 5
shows the results of a comparison between
the time scales of CENAM and NIST for the
20-month period beginning June 1, 2007
and ending January 31, 2009. The daily
values from the SIMTN have error bars
showing an estimated uncertainty (k = 2) of
12 ns. Values from the BIPM Circular-T are
shown at five-day intervals, and fall within
this uncertainty. Note that the time differ-
ence between NIST and CENAM never
exceeded 50 ns.
Definition of Calibration and Measure-
ment Capabilities (CMCs) A goal of the
SIM effort is to have all NMIs develop
quality systems and to submit their calibra-

18 Metrologist : April 2009 www.ncsli.org

...........................................................................................................
SPECIAL FEATURE

......................................................................................................................................
Member of National
Country NMI SIM Standard
Network
Argentina INTI Yes Cesium

Brazil ONRJ Yes Time Scale

Canada NRC Yes Time Scale

Chile INN Future Rubidium

Colombia SIC Yes Cesium

Costa Rica ICE Yes Cesium

Guatemala LNM Yes Rubidum

Jamaica BSJ Yes Cesium

Figure 6. Instructors and Attendees at the December 2005 SIM Training
Course in Paraguay.
Mexico CENAM Yes Time Scale

Panama CENAMEP Yes Cesium tion and measurement capabilities (CMCs) to the BIPM Key Com-
parison Database (KCDB). This database can be found at:
Paraguay INTN Yes Rubidium http://kcdb.bipm.org/AppendixC/default.asp
A total of 30 timing laboratories are included in the KCDB as of
Peru INDECOPI Future Rubidium
February 2009, but only two are from the SIM region. Ironically,
St. Lucia SLBS Future Rubidium CENAMEP of Panama, a very small NMI, was the first SIM lab to be
included, followed by NIST in June 2007. At least four other SIM
Trinidad/Tobago TTBS Future Rubidium NMIs are now going through the review process, but some SIM lab-
oratories need to sign the BIPM MRA before becoming eligible for
United States NIST Yes Time Scale
inclusion. Much work remains to be done in this area, but the
Uruguay UTE Yes GPSDO important first step of building awareness among SIM NMIs has
now been taken.
Table 1. Current and Future SIM Network Members.

60
50 SIM Network Data obtained in real-time

40 Post processed Circular-T data

30

20
Nanoseconds

10

-10

-20

-30
-40
-50
-60
-70
54240

54280

54320

54360

54400

54440

54480

54520

54560

54600

54640

54680

54720

54760

54800

54840

54880

Modified Julian Dates (June 2007 through January 2009, 20 months)

Figure 5. One year comparison between the CENAM and NIST time scales.

www.ncsli.org April 2009 : Metrologist 19

.............
............................................................................................................
SPECIAL FEATURE
Figure 7. Article in Paraguay newspaper about the introduction of the SIMTN.
Metrology Education and Improved Communication - SIM has
conducted two four-day time and frequency training classes, and each
were attended by over 25 metrologists. The first was held in Asuncin,
Paraguay in December 2005, and the second was in Buenos Aires,
Argentina in February 2008. A third course is planned for late 2009.
Figure 6 is a photo of the participants in the course in Paraguay.
The training effort goes on continuously through emails and
phone conversations and the cooperation between the laboratories
has been excellent. Several interlaboratory visits have taken place in
addition to the training courses described above.
The Establishment of a SIM Time Scale - In late 2008, work began at
CENAM on the development of algorithms for a SIM time scale, to be
known as SIM-Time. This time scale will accept the real-time inputs
from each of the participating laboratories, and then generate a com-
posite time scale based on the weighted average of each contributor.
When this work is completed, it will be possible for all members of the
SIMTN network to compare their standards not only to each other, but
also to SIM-Time. [5, 6]
Benefits of the SIMTN to SIM NMIs
Each of the 12 nations now participating in the SIMTN has benefitted
in numerous ways. A few highlights are listed here:
The NMIs in Panama and Paraguay have used the SIMTN to gain
status as the official timekeeper for their country. For example,
Figure 7 is a news story that was published in Ascuncion, Paraguay
when the SIM system was first turned on at the Instituto Tecnolo-
gia y Normalizacin (INTN) in February 2009.
The Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Industrial (INTI) in Buenes
Aires, Argentina acquired a cesium oscillator in 2008 and is already
participating in the BIPM key comparisons and contributing to
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) using data collected via the
SIMTN (several other SIM NMIs contribute to UTC using other
systems). The SIM data format differs from the BIPM format, but
through the use of conversion software, INTI reported their first
measurement to the BIPM in October 2008.
The National Observatory Rio de Janeiro (ONRJ) in Brazil has a rel-
atively new time and frequency program, but has made rapid
progress in recent years. The real-time reporting of the SIMTN has
helped ONRJ to evaluate and improve their time scale without
20 Metrologist : April 2009
waiting for post processed measurement results. ONRJ collaborated
with NIST on a 2007 study [4] that demonstrated how the real-time
results from the SIMTN compare favourably with the post-
processed results from other NIST-ONRJ comparisons, particularly
over long averaging times.
The Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (SIC) in Bogota,
Colombia had operated a time and frequency laboratory prior to the
development of the SIMTN, but the SIMTN allowed them to engage
in international comparisons for the first time. The SIC program has
made rapid progress. The national standard for time and frequency
in Colombia had been a rubidium oscillator that was measured by
the SIMTN from May 2007 until January 2008, when it was replaced
by a cesium oscillator. A second cesium oscillator has been pur-
chased, and SIC reported in October 2008 that they are beginning
the development of an ensemble time scale.
When the SIM measurement equipment arrived at the Instituto
Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) in Costa Rica in March 2007,
their national time and frequency standard was a quartz oscillator,
accurate to only parts in 108. ICE acquired a new cesium standard
in August 2008, improving their calibration capability by five orders
of magnitude.
The Centro Nacional de Metrologa (CENAM) maintains two SIM
measurement systems and a backup file server for the SIMTN. The
second measurement system is connected to their new experimen-
tal time scale [6], and allows CENAM to compare the experimental
time scale to both their original time scale and the other standards
in the SIM region. CENAM is applying their time scale algorithms
to the formation of a SIM time scale (see previous section), and has
exemplified the cooperative spirit of SIM by providing considerable
technical support to other NMIs throughout the SIM region.
In 2007, NIST and CENAM collaborated on a project to synchro-
nize the clocks in the TELMEX communications network in Mexico
to the UTC(CNM) time scale. TELMEX is the largest telephone
provider in Mexico and serves many millions of customers. The
TELMEX telephone network includes eight cesium primary refer-
ence clocks, with a pair of cesium oscillators located in each of four
different cities in Mexico. The goal of the project was to continu-
ously compare the eight cesium clocks to UTC(CNM), the national
time standard in Mexico. The goal was accomplished by building a
time network for TELMEX that is similar to the SIMTN, but that uses
slightly different hardware and software. Figure 8 is a photograph
showing a GPS antenna being installed at one of the TELMEX sites.
The Centro Nacional de Metrologa de Panam (CENAMEP) in
Panama City, Panama is a sterling example of what a small NMI in
a small country is able to accomplish. The population of Panama is
roughly 1 % of the U. S. population, and CENAMEP had just 12
employees as of 2008. Even so, their laboratory covers all major
areas of metrology, and CENAMEP operates two cesium oscillators
and contributes to UTC. They also operate a web clock (horaex-
acta.cenamep.org.pa). The first time service at CENAMEP began in
May 2006, shortly after joining the SIMTN. It was a continuous time
display broadcast by a Panamanian TV station. Since the entire
country resides in one time zone, they simply focused a video
camera on a clock driven by their cesium oscillator.
Summary
The SIMTN has been a great success. It has not only accomplished its basic
objective of providing NMIs with a convenient way to establish trace-
www.ncsli.org
...........................................................................................................
ability to the SI, but has also led to other bene-
fits that have enhanced time and frequency
metrology throughout the Americas. Now that
a new spirit of communication and coopera-
tion exists among SIM laboratories, even more
progress can be expected in the future.

References
[1] M. A. Lombardi, A. N. Novick, J. M.
Lopez-Romero, J. S. Boulanger, and R. Pel-
letier, The Interamerican Metrology
System (SIM) Common-View GPS Com-
parison Network, Proceedings of the Joint
2005 IEEE Frequency Control Symposium
and Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI)
Systems and Applications Meeting,
pp. 691698, August 2005.
[2] J. M. Lopez-Romero, M. A. Lombardi, A. N.
Novick, J-S. Boulanger, R. de Carvalho, R.
Solis, and F. Jimenez, 2008, The SIM
Network: Improved Time Coordination for
North, Central, and South America, Pro-
ceedings of the 22nd European Frequency and
Time Forum (EFTF), 9 pages, April 2008.
[3] M.A. Lombardi, A.N. Novick, J.M. Lopez, F.
Jimenez, J.S. Boulanger, R. Pelletier, R. de
Carvalho, R. Solis, C. Donado, H. Sanchez,
C.A. Quevedo, G. Pascoe, and D. Perez,
The SIM Time and Frequency Network,
INFOSIM, pp. 1525, December 2008.
Figure 8. GPS installation at a TELMEX site.
[4] M. A. Lombardi, V. S. Zhang, and R. de
Carvalho, Long Baseline Comparisons of
the Brazilian National Time Scale to
UTC(NIST) Using Near Real-Time and
Post-Processed Solutions, Proceedings of
the 39th Annual Precise Time and Time
Interval (PTTI) Systems and Applications
Meeting, pp. 415426, November 2007.
[5] J. M. Lpez-Romero, N. Daz-Muoz and
M. A. Lombardi, Establishment of the
SIM Time Scale, Proceedings of the 2008
Simposio de Metrologia, Quertaro, Mexico,
5 pages, October 2008.
[6] J. M. Lpez-Romero and N. Daz-Muoz,
Progress in the generation of the
UTC(CNM) in terms of a virtual clock,
Metrologia, vol. 45, pp. S59S65, Decem-
ber 2008.

Michael A. Lombardi
National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST)
lombardi@nist.gov

www.ncsli.org April 2009 : Metrologist 21

 Learning + Development
...................................................................................................................
.........

Continuing Whats a CEU?

A Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a measure used in con-
tinuing education programs, particularly those required in a
licensed profession in order for the professional to maintain

Education the license. Generally, a CEU is defined as ten hours of partici-

pation in a recognized continuing education program, with
qualified instruction and sponsorship. CEU records are widely
used to provide evidence of completion of continuing educa-

Units
tion requirements mandated by certification bodies, profes-
sional societies, or governmental licensing boards. The records
also provide employers with information on training pertinent
to particular occupations.

What, How, The term CEU is in the public domain. Any organization may
award a traditional CEU without requiring any accreditation.
Who Cares, and With a traditional CEU an employer or other organization
must decide on an individual basis whether to honor the CEU

What Can You Do? from a training provider.

Due to certain CEU providers not adhering to high standards,

and the lack of standards for specific fields, there is sometimes
a distrust of the value of a CEU, and accrediting organizations
have been created to standardize what a CEU means. The
International Association for Continuing Education & Training
(IACET) offers the most industry wide accreditation of CEUs.
Specific industries, such as nursing, health, etc., have their own
accrediting processes for CEUs. Any accredited CEU generally
has a preface of the accrediting body. For instance training
institutions accredited by the IACET can offer IACET CEUs.1
1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, February 19, 2009

.............................................................................................................
How do we become an
Authorized Provider?
NCSLI has been seeking to become
compliant with the ANSI/IACET stan-
dards for several years. When we
began the process, IACET had guide-
lines. In 2007, they partnered with
ANSI to issue the ANSI/IACET Stan-
dards for Continuing Education and
Training. Ideally, NCSLI will
undergo an audit and become an
Authorized Provider to provide
greater credibility to the CEUs offered at
NCSLI Workshops and Symposia (conferences), Tutorials,
Regional Training Events, and possibly even Section Training sessions
in the future. Becoming an Authorized Provider of CEUs is much like
becoming an Accredited calibration laboratory. Becoming authorized
is our next step in gaining professional credibility as an educational
organization.
IACET notes that IACET CEUs may be awarded by a college, associ-
ation, company, or any other organization willing and able to meet
each of the requirements in the ANSI/IACET 1-2007 Standard estab-
lished for the use of the IACET CEU. The Authorized Provider applica-
tion process is an authorization process whereby the organization
submits representative samples of its educational offerings to be
reviewed for compliance with the Standard. The applicant also agrees
to an on-site visit to verify the contents of the written application.
What are the ANSI/IACET Requirements?
There are ten key standards (Items) in the ANSI/IACET standard. As
anyone familiar with standards knows, there are subsections and
requirements for each criteria. Appropriate policies and procedures
must be documented and followed. And, of course, we need to conduct
regular internal audits and we must have adequate evidence that we
comply with the standard. The following ten sections give you an
overview of the criteria and how NCSLI complies or is working to
address each component of the standard.
1. Continuing Education and Training Organization (2): The Provider
must have an identifiable continuing education or training (CE/T) unit
or group with assigned responsibility for administering continuing
education and/or training events/programs.
NCSLIs Articles of Incorporation specifically designate us as an educa-
tional organization. The business office staff maintain records for par-
ticipants, sessions, and instructors. The data has been used to compile
the submissions that are sent to the Combined Federal Campaign. Our
organizational mission statement specifically addresses metrology edu-
cation and training, we need to have an organizational chart showing
where the responsible unit or group fits (see the latest Whos Who), and
www.ncsli.org
Becoming an Authorized Provider of CEUs
is much like becoming an Accredited
......................................................................................................................................
calibration laboratory.
we need to have position descriptions identifying responsibilities for
continuing education and training events. This is the same kind of
information you need to have for your accredited calibration labora-
tory, right?
2. Responsibility and Control (3): The Provider, through its CE/T unit,
has established an appropriate system of responsibility and control for
ensuring consistent application of each CE/T standard and supporting
criteria.
NCSLI needs to have an internal, periodic review of the policies and
procedures, and evidence to support that we are following them. Of
course, anyone doing the assessment must be qualified and have a posi-
tion description stating their responsibility for compliance. Some of our
current guidelines for the conference, Tutorials, and Regional Training
Events (RTEs) address this item. Additional effort is needed to docu-
ment responsibilities for the business office staff in this area. We also
have to have a documented process for how we calculate CEUs for each
learning program. For the conference and Tutorials we have commu-
nicated this information in cover letters. For the RTEs we have included
the description in the course planning documents. We need to have a
generic procedure that can be applied to all CEUs. Because 1 CEU
equals ten contact hours, this last item is pretty straightforward as
metrologists, most of us are pretty good with numbers!
3. Support Systems for the Learning Environment (4): A learning envi-
ronment and support services are provided that reflect the intent of
the program and are effective for achieving all expected learning
event/outcomes.
The organization needs to have a process in place to ensure that we
have all of the essential resources to support a quality education and
training program. The trickiest part of this for NCSLI is that the crite-
ria include all sites where a learning event is held. For example, we have
site selection criteria and we have meeting coordinators to ensure that
we have adequately addressed room, lighting, and temperature control
at conference and Tutorial sessions. But, we also need to ensure that we
have guidelines for Region/Section and RTE coordinators to ensure a
physical environment that is conducive to learning. (How often have
you sat in a room that was too dark, too warm, or in uncomfortable
chairs?!) If there are technology requirements, we have to notify the
participants of requirements in advance (e.g., Computers will be
required for this session). We also need to have learner support serv-
ices available that are appropriate for the learning program. For
example, in the Boulder Training facility, we have power cables and
internet services available for laptops, restrooms close by, and a kitchen
for convenient breaks.
4. Learning Event Planning (4): Each learning event is planned in
response to the identified needs of a target audience.
Formal needs assessment methods are one of our current systematic
weaknesses. We have coordinators for Tutorials and Sections who have
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
April 2009 : Metrologist 23
.............
............................................................................................................
Use a concept in
a new situation.
Understand the
meaning of a
problem, be able
to translate into
own words.
Recall data or
information.
Knowledge Comprehension Application
Levels of Understanding
Figure 1. Blooms Taxonomy of Knowledge
pretty good insight into what the training needs are. Course evaluation
forms we are now using for the conference, Tutorials, and RTEs contain
questions about needs assessments, but ensuring that identified needs
are summarized and used in planning subsequent events are not yet
coordinated. We need this information for Region/Section meetings as
well. Many Region/Section coordinators have conducted local needs
assessments to find out what topics and speakers would most interest
their sections. Unfortunately, the information is typically only used
locally and not shared with other regions/sections and is not centrally
collected or coordinated. We must have a documented system or
process for gathering or centrally summarizing training needs infor-
mation. Identified needs are also supposed to be related to the learning
outcomes as noted in the next section and the course/program evalu-
ation process must feed back into the event planning.
Guidelines for the conference and Tutorials and for RTEs already
identify some of the constraints and parameters (e.g., size limits,
number of sessions, funding/budgets, instructor availability). Infor-
mation about each event is also identified and communicated prior to
the learning events.
5. Learning Outcomes (4): The Provider has clear and concise written
statements of intended learning outcomes for each learning event
based on identified needs.
In 2008, we added learning objectives to the annual conference.
However each learning event (and session) needs to identify measura-
24 Metrologist : April 2009
Make judgments,
justify a solution,
etc.
Produce
something from
different
elements
(e.g. a report).
Can split
concepts into
parts and
understands
the structure.
Analysis Synthesis Evaluation
ble outcomes that are clear, specific and concise. Learning outcomes
need to be established for each session within a large event like our con-
ference. Instructional delivery needs to include specific learning objec-
tives before content is discussed. Learning objectives are typically based
on Blooms Taxonomy (as noted in the ANSI/IACET Standards). Blooms
domains are divided into three domains, Cognitive (Knowledge), Affec-
tive (Attittude), and Phsychomotor (Skills). In the Cognitive category
there are six major levels of understanding as shown in Figure 1.
Example verbs for describing what a learner needs to be able to Do
are shown in Table 1.
This is a current weakness in many of our training events. For
example, objectives provided in papers and training events often say
we are going to cover this, that, and the other thing rather than at
the end of this session you will understand the calibration procedure
and be able to successfully calibrate this widget in a proficiency test.
We will have a train the trainer session at the 2009 annual confer-
ence for all Tutorial instructors so that we can begin identifying learn-
ing objectives and including them in our planning, resources, and
instructional content. This is one of the key topics selected for the 2009
Train the Trainer event. Ideally, learning objectives will be established
for technical sessions at the conference as well as for RTEs and local
Region/Section meetings.
6. Planning and Instructional Personnel (5): Qualified personnel are
involved in planning and conducting each learning event.
www.ncsli.org
...........................................................................................................
LEARNING + DEVELOPMENT
Example Verbs. Participants will be able to_____ upon
Level
completion of the training.
Describe, identify, recall, arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize,
Knowledge
name, order, recognize, reproduce state.
Comprehend, give example, classify, describe, discuss, explain, express,
Comprehension identify, indicate, locate, recognize, report, restate, review, select,
translate,
Apply, change, construct, compute, choose, demonstrate, dramatize,
Application employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve,
use, write.
Analyze, break down, relate, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare,
Analysis contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine,
experiment, question, make inferences, find evidence, test.
Summarize, arrange, combine, categorize, assemble, collect, compose,
Synthesis construct, create, design, develop, formulate, manage, organize, plan,
prepare, propose, set up, write.
Appraise, interpret, argue, assess, attach, compare, defend, estimate,
Evaluation
judge, predict, rate, core, select, support, value, evaluate, prove, deduct.
Table 1. Blooms Taxonomy Knowledge Abilities
This section of the standard requires that party compensation. As an organization, we
those involved with planning and delivery of are also required to have policies and proce-
training are 1) highly qualified; 2) participate dures regarding intellectual property rights.
in professional development in technical While we do not know of specific problems
areas as well as learning methods; 3) have a in this Item and we do have policies regarding
high standard of professional conduct; and 4) sales pitches in our training sessions, we do
disclose any proprietary interests or third- not generally have other documented policies
www.ncsli.org
......................................................................................................................................
and procedures for this Item for the confer-
ence or Tutorials. The application process for
instructors as a part of the Regional Training
Event (RTE) program addresses these items
because we designed the RTE guidelines based
on the IACET criteria. The one-day Train the
Trainer session at the conference this year in
San Antonio, Texas and trainer certification
seminar at the Boulder training facility, Sep-
tember 14 to 18, 2009 is to encourage profes-
sional development in learning methods for
technical experts who are currently teaching.
7. Content and Instructional Methods (3):
Content and instructional methods are appro-
priate for each learning outcome.
Sample course outlines showing that content
supports learning outcomes are one item we
need to obtain for courses as described in this
Item. Additionally, the standard requires that
instructional methods are consistent with,
and facilitate, learning outcomes regardless of
the delivery mode. In addition, various learn-
ing styles must be considered by the instruc-
tors, with flexibility encouraged to meet
learning objectives. Adult learning styles are
another topic that will be covered in the train
the trainer events this year.
8. Assessment of Learning Outcomes (3): Pro-
cedures established during event planning are
used to assess achievement of the learning
outcomes.
This Item covers three areas: the use of needs
assessment documents to aid in planning
training events, assessments that cover
achievement of learning outcomes, and how
participants are provided feedback on their
learning. Our current evaluation process is
generally handled via course evaluations. The
learner must take responsibility for identifying
(self assessment) what they have learned and
will be able to apply from the training event.
The standard notes that a self evaluation is
insufficient to indicate that learning has
occurred and that instructor feedback to the
participants on their mastery of the content is
needed. There are a number of ways this can
be done. We are currently using an Instructor
Evaluation form for each RTE to assess the
student learning, but feedback is not individ-
ualized for each participant.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
April 2009 : Metrologist 25
.............
............................................................................................................
300
250
200
CEUs Issued
150
100
50
0
Total
Tutorials
Conference
Total
Tutorials
Conference
Total
2004 2005
Year and Event
Figure 2. NCSLI Continuing Education Units
In the typical educational system and many of the CD-ROM courses
used in the measurement arena, a test is given to participants to measure
their learning. Most instructors are leery of using testing for adult con-
tinuing education. In some courses, a certificate of successful completion
is not offered unless participants meet objectives that were stated in the
beginning of the course. In other measurement courses, hands-on labo-
ratory measurements or proficiency tests are assigned as follow-on activ-
ities. In these cases, the CEUs may not be offered until the assessment is
completed. We need some creative ideas for this kind of assessment in
each of our training events and we need to keep it as simple as possible.
9. System for Awarding the CEU and Maintaining Learner Records (4):
The Provider maintains a complete, permanent record of each learners
attendance and satisfactory completion of CEUs, and can provide a
copy of that record upon request.
The NCSLI business office maintains databases for attendance and par-
ticipation at the conference, Tutorials, RTEs and those Region/Section
meetings that use the on-line registration system. These records are
available when we prepare summary reports for our training efforts
(such as those we submit with the Combined Federal Campaign appli-
cation). What is missing are documented policies to provide student
records/transcripts and to ensure privacy and security. The records are
currently available to students and information is currently secure, but
we need to develop the documented policies. None of the information
is available on-line or accessible through the Internet at this time. If
26 Metrologist :April 2009
Tutorials
Conference
Total
Tutorials
Conference
Total
Tutorials
Conference
2006 2007 2008
information becomes available on-line, we will need to ensure suitable
security and privacy policies are in place and followed.
10. Program Evaluation (4): The major elements of a program are eval-
uated at the conclusion of each learning event for the purpose of con-
tinual improvement.
This section requires a comprehensive program evaluation process.
Evaluations, such as those described in Kirkpatricks Learning and
Training Evaluation Theory (references available to members in the
Training Aids Library) need to be used. The evaluation needs to include
more than smile sheets to assess whether everyone was happy with
the training. They must also evaluate the learning, behavior, and results
of the course. Instructors also need to be consistently effective in
meeting learning objectives and learners expectations.
The NCSLI evaluation process was modified in 2008 to address the
Kirkpatrick model for the conference and Tutorial evaluations (for
CEUs). The same evaluation form was originally integrated into the RTE
program. These new evaluation forms also address the needs assess-
ment components, but needs have not been fully analyzed or incor-
porated into planning efforts as described in Item 4. NCSLI appears to
be in pretty good shape for this Item and we expect ongoing improve-
ments. The assessment system is expected to be automated via the
NCSLI website in the near future to allow greater flexibility in analyz-
ing our entire system of training programs as well as integrating the
needs assessment into Item 4.
www.ncsli.org
...........................................................................................................
LEARNING + DEVELOPMENT

So, who cares? more involved in the CEU assessment process Instructor/Training Providers: As a speaker at
(gharris@nist.gov). the conference you are asked to submit a biog-
Many metrologists have expressed a desire for
raphy that is used to introduce you to the audi-
greater professional recognition. Maintaining
Coordinators: Whether a conference coordi- ence. You normally would include your formal
records of courses attended, especially if they
nator, a host for a Regional Training Event, or education and work experience, i.e., your tech-
offer formal CEUs, is one way to document
even a Region/Section coordinator, you can nical qualifications. But, you can also include
ongoing professional development. NCSLI
assist us in complying with the standard. You your teaching qualifications. This information
offered CEUs from 2001 to 2004 with a formal
can register your sessions and provide an is important for local section training events as
relationship with Sinclair Community College
abstract for each title, ensure your instructors well as the conference. NCSLI has tracked
(OH). Issuing CEUs at that time required
are registered and qualified, (you only need to instructor information from the Tutorial pro-
NCSLI to pay a per person and per event fee
obtain a biography). You also can help by con- grams held at the annual conference, but we
for administration. In 2005, NCSLI began the
ducting session evaluations. As noted before, need this for other events as well. We are
process of complying with the IACET guide-
even if you are not interested in CEUs for your encouraging instructors to register themselves
lines standards. NCSLI has been tracking
session, the evaluations provide essential and their courses so that we have a database of
events, names, and data required for issuing
information about what went well, what can potential instructors and contacts. You can also
CEUs for much longer than we have actually
be improved, and what future training and make sure you start each session by addressing
offered them. NCSLI has processed the CEU
sessions are needed by the participants. You the Learning Objectives, close each session by
certificates since 2001. You can see the interest
may have noticed at the 2008 conference that providing feedback to participants on whether
from NCSLI conferences and Tutorials for
we included Learning Objectives and provided they have met the Learning Objectives and use
2004 to 2008 in Figure 2.
resources for you to apply what you learned course evaluations. You can also attend the
The American Society for Quality, Measure-
back on the job. We also conducted follow-up train the trainer sessions to ensure that your
ment Quality Division established the Certi-
surveys to begin identifying areas of applica- understanding about Learning Objectives
fied Calibration Technician (CCT) exam to
tion and the impact of our educational efforts. matches what the standard requires and that
address requests for professional certification
You can include Learning Objectives at local you have a good awareness of adult learning
in the metrology profession. Since the exami-
training events as well. Some of the recent styles and approaches.
nation was first offered in June 2003, over
feedback we have gotten at the Board of Direc- If you have additional ideas about how
1500 participants have sat for the examination
tors level is that participants are more able to NCSLI can improve the professional credibil-
and 1078 have passed (as of January 2009).
justify attendance at a local training event ity of our educational programs, please feel
Part of the ongoing requirement for main-
than a meeting. Think about presenting free to contact me at gharris@nist.gov.
taining CCT status is to retake the test period-
your local region and section meetings as a
ically, or demonstrate ongoing professional Georgia Harris
training event.
development through work and training. Par- NCSLI V.P. Learning and Development
ticipants who are Certified Calibration Tech-
gharris@nist.gov
nicians often request training certificates and
CEUs.

What Can You Do?

Participants: If you are a participant at the
NCSLI Annual Workshop and Symposium or
conference Tutorials, you can complete the
evaluation forms to ensure we get adequate
feedback on instruction, logistics, levels of
learning, and future training requirements.
Your feedback is critical for compliance to the
standard, but more importantly, is essential for
ensuring ongoing improvement in NCSLI edu-
cational efforts. You can also request your
CEUs for the sessions. This is a FREE benefit
that comes with your individual or organiza-
tional membership. If you (or your organiza-
tion) are not a member, the cost is minimal.
You can also let me know what you think
about CEUs and whether you would like to be

www.ncsli.org April 2009 : Metrologist 27

 Learning + Development
...................................................................... ............................................
Metrology Job Description
Initiative
I heard on the radio that the U.S. Dept. of
Labor wanted to hire 2000 persons in the
Houston area to conduct interviews for the
2010 U.S. Census. I thought to myself what
an ironic coincidence, and began to rehash
the activities and hard work done by so
many individuals responsible for the
Metrology Job Description Initiative.
28 Metrologist : April 2009
The U.S. Department
of Labors Decision
Brief Background
Metrology Job Description Initiative
In preparing the proposal for a Certified Calibration Technician (CCT)
program for the American Society for Quality (ASQ) Board of Directors,
several demographic related websites were queried in an effort to estimate
the number of personnel in the calibration field who were likely candidates
to take the CCT exam. Researching the Standard Occupational Classifica-
tion (SOC) system, administered under the auspices of the U.S. Dept. of
Labor, it was discovered that the SOC did not have specific job titles for Cal-
ibration Technician (Technician, Calibration) or Calibration Engineer
(Engineer, Calibration) and that the job title of Metrologist, though listed
in the SOC, referenced a grossly inadequate job description. Talking with
SOC administrators it was learned that inclusion in the SOC is the normal
prerequisite for an occupation to be premiered in the U.S. Dept. of Labors
Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). The OOH is the leading authority
for occupational information in the U.S., and is frequently used by coun-
selors and educators to inform students about career opportunities. Unless
an occupation is listed in the OOH it would be unlikely that a student
would be given guidance about it. It was further learned that the SOC is
updated once every 10 years and that in 2005 the U.S. Dept. of Labor would
be accepting proposals for changes and additions for its 2010 edition.
In early 2004, a proposal called the Metrology Job Description (MJD) ini-
tiative was presented to the National Conference of Standards Laboratories
International (NCSLI) Board of Directors and ASQ Measurement Quality Divi-
sion (MQD) officers. The proposal contained the following key elements:
Compile job descriptions from the U.S. metrology/calibration industry
for Calibration Technicians, Calibration Engineers, and Metrologists.
Identify topics of commonality derived from submitted job descriptions
for Calibration Technician, Calibration Engineer, and Metrologist.
Develop survey items for soliciting input on topics of commonality from
U.S. Metrology calibration industry regarding applicability, agreement, etc.
Send out surveys, compile and summarize survey results.
Generate three to five sentence descriptive narratives (i.e., job descrip-
tions) from survey results to submit to the SOC for Calibration Techni-
cian, Calibration Engineer, and Metrologist.
www.ncsli.org
...........................................................................................................
The NCSLI Board of Directors and ASQ
MQD officers unanimously approved the pro-
posal. NCSLI created the 163.1 Sub-Commit-
tee, Standard Occupation Classifications,
under the auspices of NCSLI 163 Education
and Training Committee to oversee the initia-
tive. ASQ MQD officers agreed to fund the ini-
tiative (administration costs). The proposal
was submitted to Professional Examination
Services (PES) for administration. With the
help of calibration practitioners from private
and public sectors and various governmental
agencies, 67 Metrologist/Calibration Engi-
neers and 191 Calibration Technicians job
descriptions were submitted to PES for com-
monality evaluation. The following Metrology
job descriptions were developed from the sub-
mitted descriptions, approved by the 163.1
Sub-Committee and provided to SOC admin-
istrators for inclusion in the SOC 2010
edition.
Calibration Technician: Apply knowledge of
measurement science, mathematics, physics,
and electronics to calibrate inspection, meas-
urement, and test equipment (IM&TE) in the
electrical, dimensional, optical, physical,
mechanical, environmental, and/or chemical
disciplines to ensure measurement accuracy.
Identify and utilize appropriate measurement
procedures. Perform corrective actions to
address identified measurement problems.
Adapt equipment, standards, and procedures
to accomplish unique measurements. Main-
tain calibration standards. Perform laboratory
and/or departmental housekeeping.
Calibration Engineer: Apply measurement
science, mathematics, physics, and engineer-
ing to design and develop systems, equip-
ment, and methods for calibrating electrical,
dimensional, optical, physical, mechanical,
environmental, and/or chemical inspection,
measurement, and test equipment (IM&TE).
Analyze and solve calibration problems using
advanced mathematical and engineering
knowledge. Use statistics to analyze measure-
ment standards and processes. May develop
software to assist in calibration laboratory
and/or departmental processes. Recommend
calibration standards and IM&TE. Maintain
calibration laboratory and/or quality systems.
Perform laboratory and/or departmental
administration and management.
www.ncsli.org
Metrologist: Apply measurement science,
mathematics, and physics to develop, docu-
ment, and maintain calibration systems, pro-
cedures, and methods for electrical,
dimensional, optical, physical, mechanical,
environmental, and/or chemical inspection,
measurement, and test equipment (IM&TE)
based on analysis of measurement problems,
and accuracy and precision requirements.
Evaluate new calibration methods and proce-
dures. Use statistics to analyze measurement
standards and processes. Recommend calibra-
tion standards and IM&TE. Maintain calibra-
tion laboratory and/or departmental
accreditation, and quality systems. Perform
laboratory and/or departmental administra-
tion and management.
After submittal of the Metrology Job
Descriptions, periodic correspondence with
SOC administrators regarding acceptance
status was consistently replied to with the
Metrology job descriptions were received and
should the SOC committee have any ques-
tions they would be contacting you. This
limbo state lasted for almost two years.
SOC Decision
On May 22, 2008, Federal Register Notice Vol.
73, No. 100 from the Office of Management
and Budget titled, Standard Occupational Clas-
sification (SOC)Policy Committees Recom-
mendations for the 2010 SOC; Notice was
released and did not contain the submitted
Metrology job descriptions. It was quickly
learned that the majority of SOC committee
members felt that Metrology occupations
should not be added to the 2010 SOC for the
following reasons:
Too few degree programs, especially at
bachelors and masters level
Too small population in the Metrology
occupations
Calibration and metrology included in various
other occupations
This sparked a Call to Action effort to
solicit comments from the U.S. measurement
community during the open public comment
period. Nearly 200 emails were received by the
SOC, the most they have ever received regard-
ing an occupation, strongly urging the SOC to
recant their decision. These emails were
written on behalf of individuals, professional
organizations, private industries and govern-
mental agencies.
Before the next meeting of the SOC Com-
mittee, SOC administrators recommended
combining the Metrology Job descriptions of
Calibration Engineer and Metrologist into a
single occupation category due to overlapping
core job attributes and re-submitting it to the
committee. The following was drafted and
sent (edited for brevity):
After conferring with officers from two of the
worlds largest professional Metrological associa-
tions, the National Conference of Standards Lab-
oratories International (NCSLI) and the American
Society for Quality (ASQ) Measurement Quality
Division (MQD). it is agreed that there is suffi-
cient overlap of core responsibilities and expecta-
tions such that combining them into a single
occupation would not mask or dilute eithers essen-
tial job related attributes. We recognize the
uniqueness of the two job descriptions but under-
stand that in the interest of collecting, analyzing
and disseminating occupational related informa-
tion, it is advantageous to focus on core attributes
and agree with the recommendation to combine
the two job descriptions into one occupation.
Recommendation: Two job descriptions, Metrol-
ogists and Calibration Engineers and Calibra-
tion Technicians for inclusion in the proposed
2010 SOC.
Metrologists and Calibration
Engineers
Apply measurement science, mathematics,
physics, and engineering principles to develop
and/or design and support measurement systems,
processes, and procedures for calibration of inspec-
tion, measurement, and test equipment (IM&TE)
based on analysis of measurement problems, accu-
racy and precision requirements. Use statistics to
analyze calibration standards and processes.
Evaluate new calibration methods and procedures.
Recommend calibration standards. Monitor com-
pliance with calibration laboratory and/ or depart-
mental quality systems. May develop software to
assist in calibration laboratory and/or depart-
mental processes. May perform laboratory and/or
departmental administration and management.
Work Duties:
Develop and/or design and support systems,
processes, methods and procedures for
calibrating IM&TE based on analysis of
measurement problems, accuracy and
precision requirements
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
April 2009 : Metrologist 29
.............
............................................................................................................
Analyze calibration standards and processes
using statistics
Evaluate new calibration methods and
procedures
Research calibration requirements in order
to recommend calibration standards
Monitor compliance with laboratory
and/or departmental quality systems
May develop software to assist in calibration
laboratory and/or departmental processes
May perform laboratory and/or departmental
administration and management
Calibration Technicians
Apply knowledge of measurement science, math-
ematics, physics, and electronics to calibrate
inspection, measurement, and test equipment
(IM&TE) to ensure measurement accuracy. Iden-
tify and utilize appropriate calibration standards
and procedures. Perform corrective actions to
address identified calibration problems. Adapt
equipment, standards, and procedures to accom-
plish unique measurements. Maintain calibration
standards. Perform laboratory and/or departmental
housekeeping.
Work Duties:
Perform calibrations on IM&TE to ensure
measurement accuracy
Identify and utilize appropriate calibration
standards and procedures
Perform corrective actions to address
identified calibration problems
Adapt equipment, standards, and
procedures to accomplish unique
measurements
30 Metrologist : April 2009
Maintain calibration standards and
associated support equipment
Perform laboratory and/or departmental
housekeeping
In addition, the following was submitted (also
edited for brevity) to contrast Metrology
occupations with the SOCs past recognition
of other occupations, e.g. Conservation Sci-
entists and Foresters, in addressing these
arguments:
Too few degree programs:
The Campus Program website was queried
to determine how many degree programs are avail-
able for Conservation Scientists (www.campus-
program.com/index.html)
The Campus Program website lists seven Col-
leges in five states offering Conservation Scientists
Undergraduate and Graduate degree programs. To
contrast, U.S. Colleges and Universities offering
Metrology related curricula are:
Butler County Community College
California State University Dominguez Hills
Central Georgia Technical College
Macomb County Community College
Madison Area Technical College
Ohio State University
Piedmont Technical College
Purdue University School of Technology
Ridgewater College
Rock Valley College
Sinclair Community College
Tidewater Community College
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
University of Central Florida, Orlando
Yuba College
Too small numbers:
The following information was obtained from the
Occupational Outlook Handbook for the Conser-
vation Scientists and Foresters occupations as to
how many people are employed in the occupation
(www.bls.gov/ oco/ocos048.htm)
Conservation Scientists - Employment, 2006;
20,000
Foresters - Employment, 2006; 13,000
To contrast, conservative estimates from indus-
try leaders and officers from professional associa-
tions place Metrology occupation employment
figures at: 25,000 to 35,000.
Calibration and metrology are included
in various other occupation:
The following information was obtained from the
Occupational Outlook Handbook for Foresters and
Conservation Scientists occupations;
Conservation scientists and foresters manage,
develop, and protect natural resources. Other
workers with similar responsibilities include envi-
ronmental engineers, agricultural and food scien-
tists, biological scientists, environmental scientists
and hydrologists, geoscientists, and farmers,
ranchers, and agricultural managers.
When given the same litmus test as that
being given by the SOC committee to Metrology
occupations we can conclude that Conservation
Scientists and Foresters occupations are included
in the occupations of environmental engineers,
agricultural and food scientists, biological scien-
tists, environmental scientists and hydrologists,
geoscientists, and farmers, ranchers, and agricul-
tural managers.
Despite these and many other direct and
behind the scenes efforts, the SOC committee
made its final decision to exclude Metrology
occupations in the 2010 SOC. The following
explains the committees reasoning:
Federal Register
Volume 74, No. 12 / Wednesday, January
21, 2009 / Notices / Pg. 3923
In cases involving requests for occupations
already covered in the existing SOC, the SOCPC
often altered definitions and titles of existing SOC
occupations to clarify where the workers specified in
www.ncsli.org
...........................................................................................................
LEARNING + DEVELOPMENT
a particular comment should be classified. One example involves the many
requests the SOCPC received to add one or more metrology-related occupations.
The SOCPCs research found that the number of workers performing metrol-
ogy and calibration tasks as their primary activity is not substantial enough
to support new detailed occupations, and that metrology occupations are dis-
persed across many industries. Although there is no minimum required employ-
ment number, from a practical standpoint, occupations must be large enough
to collect and publish at national, regional, State, and local levels. The current
definitions of Engineers and Engineering Technicians meet those publisha-
bility goals. In contrast, metrology and calibration tasks may be performed
by workers in several Engineering and Engineering Technician occupations, and
calibrating is often a task performed in conjunction with other tasks. There-
fore the definitions and titles for various engineers, engineering technicians,
and production workers were modified to clarify coverage of metrology and cal-
ibration tasks.
SOC Website
(www.bls.gov/soc/soc2010responses.htm)
Responses to Comments on 2010 SOC
Multiple dockets requested new detailed occupations, or modifications to exist-
ing SOC definitions, in order to improve classification of metrology-related
workers. Proposed new occupations included: Calibration Engineers, Cali-
bration Technicians, Instrument Engineers, Instrument Technicians, Metrol-
ogists, Metrologists and Calibration Engineers, Metrology Engineers,
Metrology Specialists, and Quality Engineers.
The SOCPC did not accept the recommendations for new detailed occupa-
tions based on Classification Principle 1 which states that occupations are
assigned to only one occupational category and Classification Principle 9 on col-
lectability. Metrology and calibration functions or tasks may be performed by
workers in several occupations, such as Electrical Engineers, Industrial Engi-
neers, Mechanical Engineers, Aerospace Engineering and Operations Techni-
cians, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians, Electro-Mechanical
Technicians, Industrial Engineering Technicians, and Mechanical Engineering
Technicians. The number of workers performing metrology and calibration tasks
as their primary activity is not substantial enough to support new detailed occu-
pations.
The SOCPC reviewed and modified definitions for engineers, engineering
technicians, and production workers, to clarify coverage of metrology and cal-
ibration tasks. Also, the SOCPC recommended removing Calibrators from
the title of 51-2093 Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters.
Upon receiving the SOC committees decision to exclude Metrology
occupations in the 2010 SOC, a meeting was setup with governmental
agency officials. Attendees included:
Chief Statistician, Office of Management and Budget
Senior Analyst, Human Resources Statistics Program,
National Science Foundation
Economist, Statistical and Science Policy,
Office of Management and Budget
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Occupational Statistics and
Employment Projections, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
www.ncsli.org
......................................................................................................................................
ASQ Managing Director
ASQ Government Liaison Affiliate
ASQ MQD Division Chair
ASQ CCT Certification Chair
After a brief narrative about the Metrology Job Description Initiative,
government officials explained their decision and their actions to
modify some existing occupations to clarify coverage of Metrology and
calibration tasks. They also related that they were open for suggestions
regarding other occupations which may also require clarification once
the tentative 2010 SOC is published on SOC website. During discus-
sions it was learned that inclusion in the SOC was not the only way for
an occupation to be premiered in the OOH and that specialty occupa-
tions such as Metrology occupations can be added to the OOH pro-
vided they met certain criteria. As of this writing (9 Feb 2008) I am still
awaiting response from the Assistant Commissioner as to how to get
the ball rolling for submitting Metrology occupations as a specialty
occupation in the OOH. I will be continuing efforts to get this infor-
mation and will be reporting on it in the future.
Summary
The Metrology Job Description Initiative involved hundreds of
Metrology / Calibration practitioners, concerned individuals and two
professional organizations (NCSLI and ASQ MQD) working together to
help increase the probability of young persons entering Metrology
occupations by increasing public awareness. Exclusion from the 2010
SOC adversely impacts organizations and individuals ability to collect
demographic information regarding Metrology occupations such as
how many persons are in the occupations, how many are leaving the
occupations, etc. Modifying selective existing SOC occupations will
help discern those individuals involved in Metrological / calibration
tasks to those inquiring about these occupations. The biggest oppor-
tunity for achieving one of the major goals of the Metrology Job
Description Initiative (increased public awareness of Metrology occu-
pations) is the prospect of the addition of Metrology occupations as a
specialty occupation within the OOH. To this end I will be working and
soliciting the help of others to make this happen.
I sincerely want to express my sincere appreciation for the many
people who helped with the Metrology Job Description Initiative and
responded to the call to action notice.
Side Note: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has recently notified
the Department of Defense of its intention to revise the job classification stan-
dard for Electronic Measurement Equipment Mechanic, 2602 series. This is
the job series OPM has directed to be used for technicians who calibrate elec-
tronic measurement equipment.
Chris Grachanen, 164 Committee Chair
chris.grachanen@hp.com
April 2009 : Metrologist 31
Metrology in Pop Culture
..............................................................................................................

Buzzer Beaters,
Shot Clocks, and
Metrology in

In the last Pop Culture column we looked at length measure-

ments in football. Sports fans are even more familiar with time
interval measurements. Racing sports such as track and field,
swimming, auto racing, horse racing, and so on, all rely on timing
devices that need to be accurate enough to separate the winners
from the also-rans, and the required uncertainty of the measure-
ments can be surprisingly low. For example, Michael Phelps won
the 100 meter butterfly in the 2008 Olympics (the seventh of his
astonishing eight gold medals) by finishing 0.01 seconds ahead of
a Serbian swimmer named Milorad Cavic. That tiny margin was so
hard to accept that the Serbians understandably protested the
results. However, the analysis of high speed video shot at 10,000
frames per second confirmed Phelps victory.
Metrologists who watched the Olympics had to be impressed
with the technology used to time the swimming events. The time
interval measurements are tightly controlled, their start coincides

32 Metrologist : April 2009

.......................................................................................................................
with the sound from an electronic pistol,
and they stop when the swimmer presses a
touch pad at the end of the race. It requires 3
kg of pressure to trigger the touchpad, as a
more sensitive pad would be triggered by the
waves. This means that the swimmer has to
push the pad, and not just brush their finger-
tips against it.
My favorite sporting event is the NCAA
basketball tournament, and this issue of
Metrologist should arrive about
when the tourney is ending. If
youve been watching hoops
lately with your bracket in
hand, you might have noticed
that the time interval measure-
ments in basketball arent
nearly as tightly controlled as
they are in swimming and have
a much higher uncertainty. A
friend of mine in the construc-
tion trade used to joke that he
measured wood with a micro-
meter, marked it with a crayon,
and cut it with a chainsaw. Time interval
measurements in basketball are similar. The
instrumentation is more than accurate
enough for the job, but the measurement
method has so much variability that nothing
else matters. In honor of March Madness
and the upcoming NBA playoffs, lets look at
several time interval measurements in bas-
www.ncsli.org
ketball, including the game clock, the shot
clock, and my personal favorite; the highly
subjective three-second rule.
The game clock is a countdown timer that
counts the time remaining in the quarter,
half, or overtime period. The resolution of the
game clock is normally one second, but it
changes to 0.1 seconds during the last minute
of a period. When the game clock reaches
zero a buzzer sounds, and a shot only counts
if it left the players
hand before the buzzer.
NBA and NCAA referees
can use video replays to
determine whether or
not a shot beat the
buzzer, but at lower
levels of basketball the
refs have to make a
judgment call. My
daughter plays grade
school hoops and I
once saw a game where
the refs counted a short
jump shot at the end of the first half that
banked in off the backboard. You could hear
the ball thump against the backboard about a
second after the buzzer. The duration of the
buzzers sound varies from gym to gym, but it
generally lasts for at least two seconds. So
unless the ball was in the air for three
seconds, which is impossible from that dis-
tance, the shot was late and shouldnt have
counted. Someone muttered that the ref was
blind, but deaf would have been a better
assessment. A metrologist could have made
the call with their eyes closed.
One of the most famous shots in basketball
history occurred in the 2004 NBA playoffs,
after the San Antonio Spurs had apparently
beaten the Los Angeles Lakers on an incredi-
ble shot by Tim Duncan. However, 0.4 seconds
still remained on the game clock after
Duncans shot, and the Lakers had one last
chance. After three consecutive timeouts
were called (two by the Lakers and one by the
Spurs), the Lakers finally threw the ball in to
Derek Fisher; who caught the ball, turned,
and shot the game winning basket. Fisher
wasnt sure if he had beaten the buzzer, and
sprinted off the court hoping the play would
not be reviewed. Of course the play was
reviewed, but the referees decided that the
ball had left Fishers hands before the game
clock expired.
Although the replay did show that the ball
left Fishers hand in time, basketball fans still
debate whether or not the shot should have
counted. You wont find many Spurs fans
who thought it was good! According to the
rules, the game clock starts when the ball is
first touched by a player on the court. The
clock is manually started; and there is, of
CONTINUED ON PAGE 34
April 2009 : Metrologist 33
..............................................................................................................

course, some uncertainty in the start time.

Once the ball was touched, the maximum
amount of time remaining on a game clock
that reads 0.4 seconds and has 0.1 second res-
olution would be 0.44 seconds. Thus, the
question is whether a player can catch, turn,
and shoot a basketball in 0.44 seconds? I
watched the game live on television, and
while Fisher made an unbelievable play, I
thought that the game clock started late.
Watch a replay yourself and see what you
think. Many videos of the shot are available
on YouTube (search on Derek Fisher 0.4).
Making a shot with 0.4
seconds left on the game
clock is within the NBA
rules, but the leagues
Trent Tucker Rule disal-
lows any regular shot to
be taken if the ball is put
into play with less than
0.3 seconds remaining.
Trent Tucker was a New
York Knicks player who for its hurried life style. Johnny Carson once down timer called the shot clock. The shot
made a three point shot defined a New York Minute as the period of clock prevents holding on to the ball indefi-
after an inbounds pass with 0.1 seconds to time between when the light turns green and nitely, which leads to higher scores and makes
play on January 15, 1990. The referees ruled when the guy behind you honks his horn. the game more interesting to the fans. Teams
that the shot counted, and the Knicks beat However, based on the shots by Tucker and need to attempt a shot that either touches the
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls by a Lee, basketball time passes more slowly in rim or enters the basket before the shot clock
score of 109-106. New York City than it does anywhere else. expires. If not, they receive a shot clock vio-
Tuckers shot generated a lot of contro- Basketball games rely on another count- lation, and the ball is given to the other team.
versy, and the NBA reviewed the incident.
They learned that tests conducted by Euro-
pean basketball leagues proved that it takes at
least 0.3 seconds for an inbounds pass to
touch a player who then releases it for a shot.
Thus, the Trent Tucker Rule was passed. The
NBA also made it a requirement for all arenas
to have their game clocks calibrated, and
most teams wound up replacing their old
scoreboards with new equipment.
A deflection is not considered a regular
shot, and the NBA still allows a player to
deflect an inbounds pass into the basket even
if less than 0.3 seconds remain on the game
clock. This occurred on December 20, 2006
when another New York Knick named David
Lee scored a game-winning basket on an
inbounds deflection with 0.1 seconds to play.
Both Tuckers shot and Lees shot ironically
took place in New York City, a place famous

34 Metrologist : April 2009 www.ncsli.org

.......................................................................................................................
George Mikan (far right) with divers Miller
Anderson and Bruce Harlan, Banquet of Sports
Champions, 1948.
The length of time on the shot clock varies.
In NCAA basketball the shot clock counts
down from 35 seconds in mens games and
from 30 seconds in womens games. The NBA
has used a 24-second shot clock since 1954,
when it was introduced by Danny Biasone,
the Italian-born owner of the Syracuse
Nationals (the team later became the Philadel-
phia 76ers). Biasone noted that in the games
that he most enjoyed watching, each team
took about 60 shots, or a total of about 120
shots for both teams. Since the length of the
game was 48 minutes, this resulted in one
shot every 24 seconds. Like the game clock,
the shot clock starts when the ball is first
touched by a player on the court, and ends
when a shot hits the rim or goes in the basket.
www.ncsli.org
The shot clock is manually started and
stopped, and fans occasionally see a notice-
able error. Even so, the shot clock seldom gen-
erates controversy.
That brings us to the three-second rule,
which prohibits offensive players from
remaining in the free throw lane for more
than three seconds. The rule
dates back to 1936 and was
designed to keep tall college
players from gaining an
unfair advantage by waiting
close to the basket. In those
days the lane was only six
feet wide, but in 1951 the
NBA doubled the width of
the lane to 12 feet (3.7
meters) to keep 610
George Mikan of the Min-
neapolis Lakers from totally dominating the
game. Coupled with the three second rule, the
wider lane prevented big players from stand-
ing within easy range of the hoop. The width
of the lane remains 12 feet in college hoops,
but is now 16 feet (4.9 meters) in the NBA, and
even wider in Olympic basketball, where the
trapezoid shaped lane is 3.6 meters wide at the
free throw line and 6 meters wide under the
basket.
The three-second rule has served the game
well for decades, but for a metrologist, its a
tough rule to stomach. Forgot about measure-
ment uncertainty, its total guesswork! There
are no electronic timers; the referees simply
count to three while trying to watch every-
thing else that is going on. The rule takes on
a new level of absurdity in pick-up games
where there are no referees and players are on
the honor system. I play in pick-up
games where many of the players,
including yours truly, are around a
half century old. Some of you
might remember the 1992 basket-
ball movie White Men Cant Jump.
The films title is a clich and a bad
rap for a lot of white men, but this
middle-aged white man not only
cant jump, I cant run very well
either. There are nights when I
couldnt cross the lane in three
seconds if I were being chased by a pack of
rabid dogs.
Of course, the intent of the three-second
rule is to keep players from camping out under
the basket. Players who are trying to get out of
the lane, or even players standing with one
foot in the lane near the free throw line, arent
violating the intent of the rule, and no one
usually objects. In pickup games, however,
some players make no effort to obey the rule
and stay in the lane so long that they might as
well bring a good book and a pair of slippers.
Speaking of rules, I need to wrap up this
column because Ive already violated the
three pages rule. Thanks for reading! Spring
training has already started, and in the next
Pop Culture column well complete a
metrology in sports trilogy by taking a look
at the grand old game of baseball.
Michael Lombardi
lombardi@nist.gov
April 2009 : Metrologist 35
Committee News
..................................................................................................
153 Utilities Committee
Daily news reports highlighting
the current economic situation
keep us focused on our sagging
economy. This situation has
some real ramifications on the
Utilities Committee membership as the cor-
porate purse strings are tightened. Participa-
tion in activities such as the annual sym-
posium and the benefits derived from our
involvement is often difficult to quantify to
our management when we are trying to pry
funds out of the coffers for travel and expenses.
We recently queried our membership to see
how deep this impact has been on our members
and the response was sobering. When asked if
the member was going to be funded to attend
either the Measurement Science Conference
(MSC) in Anaheim and or the NCSLI Confer-
ence in San Antonio, fully 50 % of those
responding had not been given a concrete
response one way or another. Eighteen
percent of those who had been provided
funding planned on attending the MSC and
45 % were going to attend the NCSLI. We
need to seek contingencies to ensure our
members remain engaged in committee activ-
ities. Our plan is to leverage technology to
bring many more people together to network,
share resources and discuss information rela-
tive to committee activities. As this edition
goes to press we completed a proof of concept
virtual meeting and a fully function virtual
meeting. Our success and difficulties in
accomplishing our goals will be discussed
during the MSC and will be included in the
meeting notes to be posted on the NCSLI Util-
ities Committee webpage as well as distrib-
uted to everyone in our member database. We
will initially employ the offerings from the
Florida Power and Light IT infrastructure to
deploy Microsoft Live Meeting for the visual
portion of the meeting and a conference
bridge through the AT&T phone system for
up to 40 members for simulcast audio. The
goal is to obtain as much valuable input to
our projects and to duplicate as much as pos-
sible the meeting process that occurs at the
conferences.
Two committee sponsored ILCs continue
under the management of Richard Brenia
(Edison ESI) and Greg Cenker (Edison ESI) with
36 Metrologist : April 2009
Exelon PowerLabs Technician Kirk Marshall performing a calibration check of the Utilities Committee flow
artifact for ILC 153-3.
the 153-2 temperature ILC; and Cory Peters the MSC. We hope to have our refined struc-
(Exelon Powerlabs) and James Reid (Duke ture available for review by mid July.
Energy) with the 153-3, 20-SLPM flow ILC. The next meeting for the 153 Utilities
Member involvement has been very good with Committee will be at the NCSLI Symposium
participants from both the United States and in San Antonio, TX July 2630, 2009.
Canada. Several additional ILCs have been
proposed and are being evaluated for develop- William Hinton, Committee Chair
ment and implementation later in 2009. william_hinton@nexteraenergy.com
A recurring question is presented to our
members as budgets tighten and new people
rotate into management positions within the
member organizations. That question is why
are you here? The typical utility is in the
business of producing power, and managers HELP WA NTED
want to know why we have a metrology
group and how are they a benefit to the Region and Section
organization. This question has been asked Coordinators Needed!
enough times in the last six months that a
collection of responses is being captured and Do you have an interest in becoming
will be made available as a member resource. more active? Are you interested in
There have been several excellent surveys and participating at the organizational
discussion threads on the Utilities Committee level with NCSLI? If so we would like
Forum that will form the base for this collec- to hear from you!
tion. There will be additional surveys issued _________________________________
over the next few months leading up to the
The Carolinas section coordinator,
conference in San Antonio with the hopes
James Reid, is looking for assistance
that we will be able to distribute a draft docu-
in running Section 1212. Please
ment for comment and discussion at the con-
contact Southeastern US VP Mark
ference. Contributions to this project may be
Lapinskes for more details.
emailed to the committee chair.
mark.lapinskes@sypris.com
Significant progress in our review of the Util-
ities Committee charter and goals is expected
NCSL International 2995 Wilderness, Place, Suite 107
as a result of the meetings prior to and during Boulder, CO 80501 303-440-3339
www.ncsli.org
Regional News
...................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................
1221 Atlanta Section

Hosted By: Central Georgia

Technical College
February 24, 2009
The Southeast Region Atlanta
Section 1221 held its meeting
(delayed from December) on February 24. The
meeting was hosted by Central Georgia Tech-
nical College (CGTC) and opened by Program
Chair Tony Abel. In attendance were 18 indi-
viduals representing industry, Department of
Defense, State governmental organizations
and CGTC. Section Coordinator Ron Kirstat-
ter presented the Board of Directors Meeting
Highlights from Januarys San Diego meeting.
Rob Knake with A2LA counted down the Top
10 Most Common Deficiencies as they relate
to ISO 17025 audit assessments. First we iden-
tified the sections of the standards which pro-
vided deficiency examples and the most
common causes of those deficiencies. Not sur- Atlanta Section Group Photo.
prising, the most common deficiencies were
those cited against laboratories for not fol- viding a better understanding of manage- grams available for students to offset their
lowing their own policies and procedures. Fol- ments perspective, and key values, which costs while taking classes either on campus or
lowing Rob Knake was Randy Fowler, Fluke should help guide attendees in the equipment through their ANGEL Learning Management
Corporations Government Account Manager justification process including a view of System for distant learning. A tour of the
for Precision Measurement. Randys timely financial analysis tools needed to justify the metrology training facilities completed
presentation was Tools to Financially Justify purchase of test equipment. After lunch another very successful exchange of knowl-
Purchasing Capital Equipment. While all of Randall Francis an instructor for CGTC pro- edge and all attendees were sent home with a
us are struggling to communicate equipment vided an overview of the colleges metrology little something provided by the following
needs to management in terms they can degree program and related technical certifi- supporters: Central Georgia Technical
understand, Randy achieved his goal by pro- cations. Randall also outlined the various pro- College, A2LA, Agilent Technologies, Applied
Technical Services, Oplink Solutions and
Fluke Corp.

Ron Kirstatter, Section Coordinator

ronald.kirstatter@usmc.mil

www.ncsli.org April 2009 : Metrologist 37

..........
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1223 Huntsville Section

Huntsville Section 2008 Fall Meeting Attendees

The Huntsville Section 1223 meeting was held Novem-
ber 20, 2008 at the Radisson Huntsville Airport in
Madison, Alabama. A total of 31 attendees were greeted
by Ken and Beverly Garcia, Huntsville Section Coordi-
nators with coffee and pastries provided by NCSLI
Southeastern U.S. V.P. Mark Lapinskes. For our first presentation, Mr.
Lapinskes gave a review of the NCSLI Board of Directors meeting
report, with special emphasis on the benefits of possible future multi-
day training events to be held in the various regions based on need and
interest.
Mr. Jeff Willey of Measurements International presented Auto-
mated Resistance Measurement Systems with Sub-PPM Accuracies, a
technical paper describing both direct current comparator bridges and
binary voltage divider bridges used to traceably disseminate the value
of the Ohm from the National level to the field.
Mr. Mike Lally, President of The Modal Shop gave a technical pres-
entation entitled Practical Considerations for Accelerometer Calibra-
tions with particular focus on laser interferometer intrinsic methods
versus traditional back to back calibration techniques as well as the
inherent calibration accuracy effects caused by the transverse motion
in armature movement of electro-dynamic shakers which traditionally
have been used for accelerometer calibrations. Attendees were able to
spend some time networking over lunch at the Radissons Gazebo
Restaurant.
Mr. Randy Fowler of Fluke Corporation gave a technical paper entitled
Estimating Measurement Uncertainty for Electrical Calibrations that
covered both basic and advanced concepts in an interesting and easy to
understand format. Attendees were encouraged to submit requests for
particular subjects of technical presentations for the spring meeting and
also submit their opinions as to beneficial training programs.
Mr. Richard E. Turner, Executive Director, U.S. Army TMDE Activity
gave a presentation entitled USATA 101 describing the Armys cali-
bration program.
Thanks to the sponsors of the Huntsville Section Fall 2008 Meeting:
Fluke Corporation, Pinnacle Test Solutions and the NCSLI.
Ken Garcia, Section Coordinator
kenneth.garcia3us.army.mil
Solution on Page 47

Math Questions
How to measure 16 minutes using only a She then gives you this puzzle: How can you measure exactly
16 minutes with these 2 hourglasses? The one rule is this:
7 minute and 5 minute hourglass?
When any one of the hourglasses finishes measuring its time,
You are having fun visiting your mothers aunt while on vaca-
it must be flipped over immedi-
tion, exploring her old house, especially the attic. Opening 7m 5m
ately to keep it running.
a large trunk, you discover a small and a large hourglass.
Calling upon your measure-
Taking out your digital watch, you time the small hourglass
ment and logic skills, you start
several times and determine that it measures 5 minutes 8
playing with the hourglasses to
seconds. Timing the large hourglass, you determine that is
solve this puzzle.
measures 7 minutes 10 seconds.
You show the hourglasses to your aunt, who tells you the
story about how she obtained them when she was a little girl.

38 Metrologist : April 2009 www.ncsli.org

.................................................................................................... REGIONAL NEWS

................................................................................................................................................
1311 Twin Cities Section

Hosted By: Dytec Instruments and On Time Support

February 11, 2009
The NCSLI Twin Cities Section 1311 conducted its first
meeting of the year on February 11, 2009. This meeting
took place at the Inver Grove Community Center in
Inver Grove, Minnesota. Our meeting hosts were Roger Zematis of
Dytec Instruments and Doug Lynde of On Time Support.
We had 79 attendees from numerous companies throughout the
region. Since it was going to be a very busy day with five speakers,
various announcements and an open discussion period, the meeting Twin Cities Section Meeting.
started promptly.
process for technical papers selected for the NCSLI Conference in 2009.
The Twin Cities section coordinator, Kevin Rust of MTS Systems Cor-
Shawn also solicited and received several volunteers to participate in
poration, opened the meeting with some initial introductions and wel-
the conference paper judging process. Terry Conder from 3M provided
coming everyone for attending. Next, we took a few minutes to ask all
an overview of proposed EPA regulations associated with Require-
attendees to stand and introduce themselves. Although everyone had
ments for Continuous Parameter Monitoring Systems and how these
a nametag, with groups this large its always nice to hear from every-
regulations could impact member laboratories and their calibration
one and know where they are from. One of our hosts, Roger Zematis
operations. Terry also presented an update on NCSLI, the upcoming
from Dytec Instruments, provided a brief introduction and overview
conference in San Antonio and the recent NCSLI Board of Directors
of Dytec Instruments and thanked everyone for attending.
meeting.
Our first speaker was Mike Imholte from Boston Scientific who pre-
After lunch and a brief door prize session, it was time for the next
sented his paper entitled Temperature Back to Basics. Mike had pre-
installment of our ongoing series entitled How do you calibrate that?
viously presented this paper at the 2008 NCSLI conference. Mike
Jeff Otto from 3M presented Torque Art of Science? Wrenches and
discussed performance and drift monitoring techniques for PRTs,
Transducers. Jeff provided examples and insight into the various
annealing processes and his experiences evaluating capabilities of exter-
torque measurement and calibration techniques he has encountered
nal calibration vendors. The subject matter and practical examples
and/or developed over the past several years. Jeff also described the
Mike presented was of keen interest to many members and resulted in
various difficulties and problems he has encountered when conduct-
numerous follow-up questions at the conclusion of his presentation.
ing torque measurements and analysis. Some additional light was shed
The next speaker was Walter Nowocin from Medtronic who pre-
on this subject since many of us at the meeting were also struggling
sented an update on the recently revised RP6 Calibration Quality
with these same issues on a daily basis. Given the general interest,
Systems for the Healthcare Industries. Since Walter is the current chair-
lengthy follow-up questions and discussions, the subject of Torque is
person of the RP6 Committee, he provided valuable insight regarding
slated for a return engagement at an upcoming Twin Cities section
the revisions to RP6. In addition to numerous revisions and enhance-
meeting.
ments to RP6, Walter took us behind the scenes and described the
After a quick break, it was on to our fifth and final speaker of the day.
long hours, hard work and dedication it took from the RP6 Commit-
Rick Brion from Martin Calibration presented Thread Gages Meas-
tee to bring this project to a successful conclusion. In addition, several
urement and Calibration Uncertainties. Rick presented an introduc-
other RP6 Committee members from the Twin Cities section were also
tion to various thread gage industry standards and compliance
recognized for their contributions.
regulations. The pros and cons of different measurement techniques
After a short break our third speaker Peter McCullar and two of his
and their impact on final measurement results were discussed in detail.
colleagues Bill Thimsen and George Beckensten from Leeds Micro-
As a calibration service provider, Rick also offered insight into what to
scopes presented on the topic of Microscopes Usage, Care and Han-
look for and examine when outsourcing thread gages for calibration.
dling. The fundamentals of various microscope designs, components
The meeting concluded by 3:30 PM with some final announcements
and applications were initially discussed. This was followed by exam-
and the door prize finale. I wish to thank our hosts, speakers, numer-
ples of microscope usage, care, handling, maintenance and the poten-
ous door prize contributors and my fellow committee members for
tial effects of interchanging components from one microscope to
making this another successful and well attended Twin Cities
another. Peter also described some of the more interesting experi-
section meeting. Our next meeting is May 7, 2009 at Medtronic in
ences he has encountered while servicing microscopes in a variety of
Moundsview, MN.
locations and industries. These experiences ranged from the organic to
animal and beyond.
Kevin Rust, Section Coordinator
Next up, a few announcements were in order. Shawn Mason from
Boston Scientific provided a summary of the review and judging kevin.rust@mts.com

www.ncsli.org April 2009 : Metrologist 39

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REGIONAL NEWS

1410 Central CA/Nevada Region

Hosted By: College of San Mateo A round-table discussion covered many topics. Richard Ogg sum-
November 13, 2008 marized the NCSLI board meeting. Several entries were made on the
The NCSLI Section 1410 Central California and Nevada blog during the discussion (why metrology matters, describe RP-10, cal-
Region conducted the year-end meeting on 13 Novem- ibrations over the Internet) and Dr. Wallard of BIPM replied on the
ber 2008. The meeting took place at the College of San blog. We discussed how to get students involved in the measurement
Mateo (CSM) in San Mateo, California. The meeting host was Thomas field; without volunteers to work with schools or students or youth, it
Main, CSM Instructor and President of International Process Solutions. is difficult to create a buzz; some YouTube videos and other hip Inter-
The half-day meeting had three speakers and a round-table discussion net things would help. Richard Fertell asked all to pick a college, school
on various topics. or youth group to work with to get a buzz going about measurement
The first speaker was Sandra Mellor, Dean of Corporate and Con- science. Richards goal is to have section meetings at all of the San Fran-
tinuing Education of the College of San Mateo. Sandra discussed the cisco Bay Area Colleges. Several people volunteered to present at the
topic of Developing a Curriculum for College with Industry. Sandra next section meeting.
described the many costs involved in running a college and college cur- For those interested in the biological lab, Thomas Main gave a facil-
riculum with the equipment, teachers and advertising. Sandra stated ity tour.
that students want to see that there are jobs in the field before they will
invest time and money in classes. Sandra presented a case study success Richard Fertell, Region Coordinator
at the College of San Mateo: the utility lineman curriculum. A utility richard@proteusind.com
company needed trained personnel because the workers were retiring.
The utility company committed funds for equipment and created a
pilot jobs program for the students. The graduating students performed
well in the jobs and the company committed more funds to expand
the training program.
The second speaker was Dennis Dubro of PG&E. Dennis presented
a sample of Bayesian 101 Statistics, the NIST workshop being devel-
oped with Dr. William Guthrie for the NCSLI National Conference in
July 2009. Dennis spoke enthusiastically of mathematics and we were
eager to understand the mathematical highlight of proving which door
is best when playing the game show Lets Make A Deal. Dennis
proved to us it is best to stick with the first door because there is a better
than 51 % chance that it has the best prize.
Sudoku
The third speaker was Jim Wookey of Fluke. Jim presented the topic
Tools to Financially Justify Purchasing Capital Equipment. This is the
2 1 4
process used at Fluke to justify purchasing capital equipment. With the
trends in the economy, this process is even more important because
companies are not spending money unless the need is now. So, it is
5 7 6
important to get all of the financial analysis ducks in a row.
The fourth speaker was Richard Fertell, the NCSLI Section 1410 7 8
Region Coordinator. Richard gave the Coordinators Report. Richard
gave an update on the Mass Standard, Watt Balance Experiment, from 1 6
his visit of the BIPM in Sevre, France. The Watt Balance Experiment is
moving forward to the 2011 implementation (see separate report in Cal
Lab Magazine). From IMEKO Conference in Florence, Italy, Richard
8 5 3
reported highlights: Human Being Measurements, Pendulum method
for third way for mass standard, and a call for help on the Jitter Stan- 7 4 9
dard (contact toml@hittite.com or blairjj@nv.doe.gov). Richard
reviewed and received feedback on the Section 1410 website, blog and 8 3 5
email newsletters (find Section 1410 website with search for: NCSLI
Answers on Page 47

1410). All attendees were trained how to use the blog. The group likes 8 2
and encouraged further development of the website and monthly
email newsletters from Section 1410 (over 700 people worldwide
receive email newsletter).
6 5 3

40 Metrologist : April 2009 www.ncsli.org

 May 20, 2009
.............................

The Metre Convention (Convention du Mtre) is a treaty that provides the basis for the international agreement on units
of measurement. It was signed in Paris on 20 May 1875 by representatives of 17 States. Today, 52 States adhere to the
treaty and many others enjoy its benefits.
World Metrology Day (WMD) commemorates the signing of the treaty and it is a day when all the countries in the world
that enjoy the benefits of a single, coherent system of measurements, traceable to the International System of Units (SI),
celebrate the scientific, technological, and economic achievements that this treaty has enabled for more than a century.
The WMD project is an effort to promote the benefits of metrology to society. It provides various promotional products
that can be customized to your country and your language, and it provides the means for all metrologists in the world to
share the experience of this celebration.
The WMD 2009 Team wishes you a most successful 2009 World Metrology Day.

Measurement
affects 80 % of all
Why is measurement important? trade in manufactured goods

You probably do not think about it very often, but meas-

urement is an important part of our lives.

When you are ill, it is important that you receive the
correct dose of a medicine

You pay for the energy used to heat or cool your home
based on a meter reading

The air you breathe is monitored for pollution

Supplies of food are carefully measured to ensure their
quality and quantity
When a doctor takes your temperature with a thermome-
ter, the measurement it makes is based on standards
developed at a National Metrology Institute (NMI). Small
changes in your temperature can indicate a serious
illness, so accurate temperature measurement can Measurement in your country
improve medical treatment and save lives.
Most commercial goods and services must be
measured to demonstrate they conform to legisla-
tion or meet buyers specifications. Everything from
aircraft engine parts to healthcare products, build-
ing materials to childrens toys have to meet strict
legislation to ensure they are safe and provide
expected value.
Measurement and related legislation issues are
looked after by National Metrology Institutes, which
exist in most countries. Their roles are to maintain
measurement standards and facilities, to research
new measurement techniques to support innovation
in the economy, and to assure confidence in regu-
lated areas by exerting legal control. Their help is
far-reaching and absolutely essential to many
industries.

Compliments of BIPM
www. worldmetrologyday.org
Metrology is the science of measurement
International News
...........................................................................................................
NCSL International Japan Region Report
Mr. Watanabe giving his greeting message at the
opening of the Symposium.
Dr. Kojima of NMIJ presenting her paper.
Mr. Sugimoto of JQA presenting his paper.
Mr. Yamazaki of Anritsu presenting his paper.
42 Metrologist : April 2009
The 17th Annual NCSLI-Japan Forum was
held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Ohta-ku
Industrial Plaza on November 21, 2008, with
over 460 attendees. The forum was organized
as The Japan Measurement Standards Forum
Fifth Symposium, and operated by NCSLI
Japan and NMIJ in collaboration, under the
auspices of the Ministry of Economy, Trade,
and Industry. Other participating organiza-
tions were NITE, JAMP, JAPIA, JARM, JCCLS,
JEMIC, JQA, JMIF, FAA, CERI, JAB, JSA,
JEMIMA, JEMA, JEITA, JTM, JMCT, JEMCA,
MMRN, TRA. There were two courses of paper
presentation sessions, the Metrology Stan-
dards session and an NCSLI-Japan session, and
in parallel with them was a Posters Session by
NMIJ. The forum was opened with a greeting
message by Mr. Shigenobu Watanabe of METI,
followed by a keynote speech entitled
Turning Point Metrological Traceability by
Dr. Mitsuru Tanaka, Research Coordinator of
AIST (National Institute of Advanced Indus-
trial Science and Technology).
The following papers were presented in the
sessions:
Metrology Standards Session
Publication of VIM3 as ISO/IEC Guide 99
and Its Translated Version for JIS
By Hidetaka Imai of NITE, NMIJ, JEMIC
Measurement Uncertainty in the Medical
Laboratory and Its Value
By Katsuo Kubono of JAB
Development of National Measurement
Standard of Particle Number Concentra-
tion in Liquids
By Takayuki Sakaguchi of NMIJ/AIST
Results of Assessment and Surveillance
Related to Accreditation for JCSS
By Yoshihiro Iwasaki of IAJapan/NITE
A Small Companys Challenge to JCSS
Accreditation
By Hiroyuki Sugita of Sankyo Engineering
Inc.
Update on the Issues Discussed in the
ILAC Accreditation Committee (Defini-
tion of CMC, etc.)
By Yoshinobu Uematsu of IAJapan/NITE
Current Situation of ISO10012 (in Japan
and China)
By Hiroyuki Nakano of The Aichi Prefec-
ture Measurement Joint Association
The Corporate Spirits of Quality Assur-
ance in Suntory
By Motomitsu Sawada of Suntory
Limited., Safety Science Institute Quality
Assurance Division
On the Occasion of Termination on
NIMT Project
By Yoshiaki Akimoto of NMIJ/AIST
NCSLI Japan Session
A non-sinosoidal Voltage and Current
Standard: How Harmonics can be
Measured and Analyzed
By Tatsuji Yamada of NMIJ/AIST
RF Power Meter Interlaboratory
Comparison
By Toshio Yamazaki of Anritsu Customer
Service Co., Ltd./JEITA
Phase Angle Measurement for AC Power
Standard
By Jun Kawagoe of JEMIC
Present Status and Future Plan of Remote
Calibration System
By Yoshio Hino of NMIJ/AIST
Remote Calibration System for Pressure
Standards
By Momoko Kojima of NMIJ/AIST
Vibration Acceleration Calibration
System Employing e-trace scheme
By Takashi Usuda of NMIJ/AIST
Oxidization Characteristics of Some
Standard Platinum Resistance
Thermometers
By Toru Yamaguchi of Yamatake
Corporation
Calibration of Rockwell Testing
Machine
By Shin Sugimoto of JQA
Traceablity Tracking System with MS
Access
By Masashi Kurokawa of Agilent Tech-
nologies International Japan, Ltd.
www.ncsli.org
............................................................................................................
Mr. Kato directing the door prize drawing.
JEMIC representatives introducing their recent
study at the Poster Session
Products/Services exhibit.
Speakers, and Board of Directors of NCSLI Japan
with volunteer helpers
Mr. Yamaguchi of Yamatake presenting his paper.
www.ncsli.org
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The following organizations had a booth to show their products and services:
Agilent Technologies International Japan, Ltd.
Alpha Electronics Corporation
Fluke Corporation
Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment
Japan Association for Metrology Promotion
Japan Electric Meters Inspection Corporation
Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association
Japan Measurement Instruments Federation
Japan Quality Assurance Organization
Key Techno Co., Ltd
National Institute of Technology and Evaluation
Ohte Giken, Inc.
ORIX Rentec Corporation
Rohde & Schwarz Japan K.K.
Sankyo International Corporation
Shinyei Technology Co., Ltd.
Spectris Co., Ltd.
SunJEM Co., Ltd.
Yamamoto Scientific Tool Laboratory Co., Ltd.
Yamari Industries, Ltd.
Yokogawa Electric Corporation
The forum was organized by the following dedicated volunteers with many others:
Akiu Yamazaki, Agilent Technologies International Japan, Ltd.
Hiroaki Sakuma, JEMIC
Hiromi Murata, NITE
Hisaichi Mine, JQA
Hisao Nishiyama, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
Isao Kishimoto, NMIJ
Jun Ode, Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute
Katsuhiko Setsurakku, Key Techono Co. Ltd.
April 2009 : Metrologist 43
 International News
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Letter from
EUROPE
Measurement, testing and analytical laboratories
measure quantities to characterize objects of scientific,
economic or societal interest: substances, products,
engineered components, etc.
But how can the work of a laboratory itself be mea-
sured to characterize its quality and performance? The
answer is Proficiency Testing (PT). This letter describes
the scope of proficiency testing and its importance for
laboratories with a view from Europe.
The purpose of proficiency testing is to assess performance
of laboratories for their conduct of specific test, measure-
ments or calibrations. PT provides an opportunity to
undertake such comparisons and to have an independent
appraisal of the laboratorys data compared to reference
values or to the performance of similar laboratories.
Benefits for Laboratories participating in Proficiency
Testing Programs have been named last year by ILAC in a
brochure, with a cover picture of metrologists and their
work, as follows:
Confirming competent performance
Identifying testing or measurement problems
Comparing methods and procedures
Improving performance
Educating staff
...........................................................................................................
44 Metrologist : April 2009
Comparing operator capabilities
Determining method precision and accuracy
Satisfying regulators and accreditors
Providing laboratories with risk management
In Europe, the evolution of the European Common
Market urged laboratories to extend their work over
national boundaries and to compare it with those of other
laboratories internationally. This has led to the develop-
ment of EPTIS, the European Proficiency Testing Infor-
mation System.
EPTIS is a free online service that lists almost 1,000 PT
schemes operated worldwide.
Laboratories can search the database and see whether a
specific scheme is available in their region or worldwide.
On EPTIS they find information on sample matrices, mea-
surands, testing methods, standards, prices, contact
details and much more. EPTIS also explains how PT
providers assess laboratory performance. This helps labo-
ratories to judge whether a specific PT scheme is fit for
their purposes. A screenshot of the EPTIS website
www.eptis.bam.de looks like this:
Scope of proficiency testing
programs
Laboratories can easily consult the database themselves.
This can be for a specific keyword or a specific type of PT
scheme (i.e. a country, testing field or product group).
There is an extra tick box to restrict the query to accred-
ited or otherwise recognized PT providers. Some labora-
tories contact the EPTIS team personally. Their emails
show exemplarily what many laboratories are actually
looking for and how EPTIS can help them. One example:
My name is , I am working in [a Latin-American
private lab] and I want to conduct inter-laboratory
comparisons for gravimetric analysis of filters used for
ambient air monitoring for Particulate Matter (PM10 and
PM2.5). Maybe you know about a committee that makes
round robins or inter-laboratory comparisons with filters
you could please tell me about. We want to do this
www.ncsli.org
..........................................................................................................
because we want to be accredited ISO/IEC
17025:2005 in this analysis (filter initial
and final weight) and this normative
indicate that we must make proficiency tests
by inter-laboratory comparison.
Particulate matter has become a major air
pollution problem in several parts of the world.
PM2.5 measurements are very challenging and
special care must be taken to ensure accurate
results. A competent PT provider may not be
easily found locally. This is where EPTIS comes
in as a list of regular PT schemes that are avail-
able globally. Two possible schemes plus the
contact details of a reputed research laboratory
that might organize method validation trials
on this topic could be suggested from the EPTIS
secretariat.
Development of proficiency
testing schemes
The history of EPTIS goes back to the 1990s.
At that time, proficiency testing enjoyed a fast
growing interest in Europe as an excellent tool
to demonstrate and assess the performance of
analytical laboratories. In 1998, 16 organiza-
tions in 16 European countries joined forces
to overcome the information barrier. The
partners extensively surveyed the availability
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2000 2001 2002 2003
Number of different visitors per month on www.eptis.bam.de as per January 2009
............................................................................................................
www.ncsli.org
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
...........................................................................................................................
of PT schemes and their characteristics within The local coordinators are listed on the EPTIS
their countries. All this information was website. The number of PT schemes on EPTIS
entered into the EPTIS database, which was is increasing, as is the number of EPTIS visitors.
made public on the internet in 2000. The
European Commission supported the foun- Prof. Horst Czichos, EUROLAB Past President
dation of EPTIS. Since then, EPTIS has grown Professor at TFH Berlin
considerably, both in terms of schemes regis-
University of Applied Sciences
tered and country participation, and today it
horst.czichos@t-online.de
is a truly international database. At present,
+49-30-8013913
37 countries take part in EPTIS.
EPTIS is not for profit. The database and
website servers, along with the secretariat, are
hosted by the BAM Federal Institute for Mate-
rials Research and Testing in Germany.
Further information can be obtained from
Johannes van de Kreeke (mail to: johannes.
kreeke@bam.de) from the EPTIS secretariat,
who compiled this overview.
Pt registration
Who can enter PT schemes into the database?
PT providers find registration forms on the
EPTIS website. They send the completed forms
to a national or regional EPTIS coordinator
who then checks their statements for correct-
ness, and enters the schemes into the data-
base. This service is often free for the PT
providers although in some cases a fee applies.
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
April 2009 : Metrologist 45
International News
..................................................................................................
th
14 International Metrology Congress
22 to 25 June 2009 Paris, France
Metrology is facing new and
numerous challenges: First, from
fundamental science where a number
of discoveries in quantum physics are
transforming the present system of
units, and secondly, with the
emergence of new technologies to
meet the needs of society in the areas
of environment, health, safety and
security. More than ever, the
comparability of measurements
remains a key activity to ensure
quality-assured measurements,
traceability to known references,
and fair trade.
Within this context, the 14th International Metrology Con-
gress will be a forum for researchers, from government,
industry, and universities, to discuss these issues.
A complete day will be dedicated to issues involving
health and metrology, including the fields of chemistry
and biology, as well as ionising radiation. The highlights
will be:
Traceability of measurements for bio-species, regard-
ing new European requirements for in vitro-diagnos-
tic medical devices. Bio-species have already
benefited the treatment of some cancers.
Application of spectroscopic methods by laser
absorption to analyse the human breath, in order to
detect molecules linked to specific diseases.
Reference materials and new methods to characterise
complex molecules and to ensure traceability to the
SI in the field of chemistry and biology.
Radiotherapy, which has cured many patients,
requires increased efficiency and lower uncertainties
related to doses delivered to the patients.
Finally, a round table discussion on Whats at Stake for
Metrology in the Health Field will include physicians, com-
panies specializing in medical devices, and metrologists,
to present what metrology and accreditation can bring in
the field of medical analysis.
In the last ten years, a great effort has been expended
to coordinate metrology at international level, in order to
support international business and reduce barriers to
trade. In 1998 the CIPM (Comit International des Poids et
Mesures) elaborated a mutual recognition arrangement,
the CIPM-MRA, to enable the world-wide recognition of
calibration and measurement certificates in order to
ensure the traceability to the SI of measurement per-
formed in laboratories.
Therefore, a complete session will be dedicated to the
10th Anniversary of the CIPM-MRA and will include pre-
sentations by Andrew Wallard, Director of BIPM, Terry
Quinn, Emeritus Director of BIPM, and Claudine
Thomas, who is responsible for the KCDB.
Programme and Registration on:
www.metrologie2009.com
info@cfmetrologie.com
Advertisers Index Thank You Advertisers!
..................................................................................................
2009 NCSLI Conference and Symposium
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Measuring 16 minutes using a 7
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glass will reach zero at exactly 16 minutes!
Heusser Neweigh www.neweigh.com. . . . . . . . . . 37 Time 7 Minute 5 Minute
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Integrated Sciences Group
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Measurements International 15 minutes 5/2 1/4
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www.ncsli.org April 2009 : Metrologist 47

48 Metrologist : January 2009 www.ncsli.org
Why should you become
a member of NCSL International?
NCSL International is a unique organization that offers a wide Organization Membership is intended for a company or
variety of benefits to all its members. As a person involved in organization at the same physical location.
the practice of metrology, calibration, quality management, or
any other related field, you should not miss out on the benefits Associate Membership is for individuals (additional lab
of being an NCSL International member. managers, engineers, or technicians) within an organization
membership at the same physical site. A current/active
You will improve your professional abilities, learn about new organization membership account is required to apply for this
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