Developments at NIST on traceability in dimensional measurements

Abstract

This paper reports to the international community on recent developments in technical policies, programs, and capabilities at the U.S. (United States) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) related to traceability in dimensional measurements. These developments include: formal NIST policies on traceability and assuring quality in the results of the measurements it delivers to customers in calibration and measurement certificates, and a program to support the achievement of traceability to the SI (International System of Units) unit of length in dimensional measurements by manufacturers without direct recourse to a National Metrology Institute (NMI) for dimensional calibrations.

Measurement technologies for precision positioning

“…These standards can be calibrated by NMIs or accredited labs according to [97] thus ensuring the realization of the meter to a specified uncertainty. An alternative way to achieve traceability in the manufacturing environment was described in [4,203].…”

Dimensional artefacts to achieve metrological traceability in advanced manufacturing

“…This international standard requires that calibrations and measurements made by the laboratory are traceable to the SI. Following a discussion originally initiated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) [273], the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) published a guideline focussing specifically on the traceability of dimensional measurements [11]. In ancient cultures, the development and maintenance of a practical, reliable and accepted system of weights and measures was regarded as a governmental task and the necessary base for all measurements performed in daily life.…”

Influence of tilt on collinear calibration of a laser interferometer

“…This method is simple and can resist the Abbe offset, which is extensively adopted by metrological institutes and manufacturing enterprises [23][24][25][26][27][28]. But the accuracy of the method is usually affected by the tilt of the target retroreflectors and the dissymmetry of the optical paths during the calibration.…”