Legal Metrology
Without us realizing it, metrology and its associated standards and services play a big role
Laying the Perfect Wood Floor
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Credit: Scheucher Holzindustrie GmbH
It creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. Its natural grain and color tones have a lively effect and add character to a room. We are talking about classic wood flooring—usually laminate, and optionally with a click system for easy installation.
Designing Tiny Filters to Solve Big Problems
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In his lab at MIT, Zachary Smith is designing membranes with tiny pores that can filter tiny molecules based on their size. Here, Smith holds a “membrane coupon,” which is a small piece of polymer that can filter gas molecules selectively.
For many industrial processes, the typical way to separate gases, liquids, or ions is with heat, using slight differences in boiling points to purify mixtures. These thermal processes account for roughly 10% of the energy use in the United States.
Surface-Based Sonar System Rapidly Maps Ocean Floor at High Resolution
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Stephen Murray, Jason Valenzano, David Kindler, Paul Ryu, and Andrew March deploy their 8 m × 8 m sonar-array test bed, held together by a metal frame, in Boston Harbor for sea tests. Photo courtesy of Lincoln Laboratory.
On June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible was about 90 minutes into its two-hour descent to the Titanic wreckage at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean when it lost contact with its support ship.
Talk NISTy to Me
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Right now, the U.S. and Germany have different approaches to defining, or realizing, as the researchers call it, the kilogram. Here, NIST researcher Darine Haddad looks on as German researcher Beatrice Rodiek places a sphere on NIST’s highly accurate weighing machine, known as the Kibble balance. The goal of the research is to get closer to the same definition using the different methods. Credit: B. Hayes/NIST
NIST is unique as the national measurement science institute. We are the U.S. agency responsible for maintaining measurement standards, from the second to the kilogram.
Scribing for New Heights
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Mahr Digimar 817 CLT height gages: 350 mm, 600 mm and 1,000 mm
The need for long-range height measurements has been around since the principles of layout work became a fundamental requirement in machine shops.
IDS Cameras Redefine Astrophotography With Starvis 2 Sensors
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Telescope image of the planet Saturn (with Astrodon I series color filter) and IDS camera. Credit: Anthony Wesley/IDS
Our solar system has fascinated mankind for thousands of years. Astronomical research is looking for answers to the big questions of human existence. How big is the universe? How did it come into being?
Medical Device Compliance
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Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash
Compliance with industry regulations and standards is a fundamental part of medtech. Without proper medical device compliance, companies risk patient harm, litigation, and reputational damage.
How the Metrology Office Will Evolve in the Next 10 Years
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If data are currency, we must invest in tools that grow the investment and put data to work in the most effective way. Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
W ith the rapid digital transformation of manufacturing, including technologies like cloud solutions, digital twins, next-generation devices, automation, and AI, the role of metrology is poised for a transformative evolution.
The Jet in Pneumatic Gauging: A Practical Viewpoint
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Examples of air plug gauges from Baker.
The jet in pneumatic dimensional (or air) gauging is the mechanical part of the sensing probe—air plug gauge, air ring gauge, air caliper gauge—through which compressed air is directed onto the part under measurement.