![]() ![]() NVLAP accredits commercial laboratories, manufacturers’ in-house laboratories, university laboratories, and federal, state, and local government laboratories. NIST supports the accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories through its National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program ( NVLAP). Inside a 60-meter-long underground tunnel, measurement scientists check the accuracy of tape measures. How It’s Measured: Calibrating Tape Measures “There are separate organizations that would accredit the manufacturer to say yes, we've checked their procedures and they do follow a quality system.” “What's important in that traceability is the idea of a quality system,” he continues. measurement standard for the meter,” Fedchak says. And that accuracy is ultimately traceable to the U.S. “If NIST calibrates a tape measure and sends it to a measurement lab that calibrates a manufacturer’s tape measure, the tape measure the manufacturer produces may have an accuracy of 0.1 millimeters by the time they’re done. “It would not be unheard of to go through four or five comparisons by the time it gets to the customer.” “It could totally vary, but a typical rule of thumb is that if you do a comparison measurement, you basically lose a factor of four in accuracy every time,” Fedchak says. That may seem like overkill, but it provides a sufficient level of accuracy by the time it gets to the customer. Using lasers, a tape 60 meters long can be measured to an accuracy of 0.1 mm. ![]() NIST has a 60-meter “tape tunnel” that calibrates tape measures for customers ranging from oil companies to sports officials and crime scene investigators. Calibrations are no less important for that product. We need to have a measurement services partner that can provide us with the world’s smallest measurement uncertainties.”Īt the other end of the technology spectrum is the humble tape measure. ![]() There are single calibrations that NIST performs for Fluke Corporation that affect hundreds of millions of dollars of manufactured test and measurement equipment. The critical few calibrations that NIST performs have incredible impact. “The measurement services that NIST provides are a critical component of technological advancement in the United States. Gust, chief corporate metrologist for Fluke Corporation in Everett, Washington. “Technology cannot be advanced unless one has the ability to accurately measure it,” says Jeff C. They can push technology to the cutting edge. For example, calibrations can help manufacturers make the best possible products for their customers. Calibrations may sound mundane, but they actually open up a world of possibilities. ![]()
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