Much like your attic, garage or basement, the NIST archives are home to quite a number of arcane objects of unclear origin and purpose.

Surface appearance can change your perception of color. Think of a glossy magazine. If the light is shining directly on the page, you may need to tilt the magazine and change the reflection angle to clearly see the colors.

Modern 3D laser confocal scanning microscopes can resolve fine surface-topography detail as minute as a few nanometers, quickly and easily. It is the solution that advanced manufacturing industries turn to for efficient quality assurance surface inspections.

You can’t see well without lenses that can focus, whether those lenses are in your eye or the microscope you peer through.

Invented in 1987 and commercially available since 1991, laser trackers have long been a mainstay of the aerospace industry. Automotive manufacturers have also adopted laser trackers for quality control (QC) and design.

A decade before an iceberg shattered the hull plates of the Titanic and half a century before a plague of brittle fract

To control color, you need to be able to compare very small differences, determine their impact and understand how to address that impact.

In our March 30, 2018, episode of QDL, we discuss the gig economy, metrology training, and psychobabble (you know who I mean).

Being from Colorado, I’m a big fan of winter sports: skiing, skating, snowboarding, hockey, bobsledding, and even curling. Like many people, I look forward to the Winter Olympics every four years.

In 2013, the Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) launched the first level-one certification for 3D portable measurement professionals. Since that time, the organization has consistently rolled out additional assessments to support the industry.