Media
Contact:
Michael
Baum, (301) 975-2763
Small Business
Ferris Wheel
Maker Gets on MEP Ride to Productivity
Since
introducing the first portable ferris wheel in 1900, the Eli Bridge
Co. of Jacksonville, Ill., has been providing the United States and
the world with the rides that many of us consider an essential part
of summer. However, while it takes great pride in the quality and
modern craftsmanship of its manufacturing, Eli Bridges system
for tracking costs and inventory was out-of-date and inefficient,
costing the small company time and money.
For help, the
company contacted the Illinois Manufacturing Extension Center, an
affiliate of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership. After meeting
with Eli Bridge president and CEO Patty Sullivan (great-granddaughter
to company founder W.E. Sullivan) and assessing the companys
entire operation, IMEC specialists helped the company select and install
a new software tracking system. As a result, Eli Bridge reduced costs
by $100,000 and created five new jobs.
MEP is a nationwide
network of 400 manufacturing extension centers and field offices providing
a wide variety of expertise and services to small manufacturers (under
500 employees) in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Small manufacturers
may reach the nearest NIST MEP center by calling (800) MEP-4MFG (637-4634).
Information about the program is available on the web at www.mep.nist.gov.
Media
Contact:
Jan
Kosko, (301) 975-2767
Materials
New International
Standards Activity in Polymer Mass Spectrometry
A
new technical working areaTWA 28in quantitative mass spectroscopy
of synthetic polymers has been formed within the Versailles Project
on Advanced Materials and Standards (known as VAMAS) to explore the
development of a standard method for determining the molecular mass
distribution of synthetic polymers (plastics).
With recent advances
in mass spectrometry, it is now possible to measure the molecular
mass of some biological and synthetic polymers. The distribution of
the molecular chain lengthsthe number of small and long onesaffects
the processing of materials and the properties of the final product.
The first step is to identify the mixture of chains. A variation of
time-of-flight (refererred to as ToF) mass spectrometry called matrix
assisted laser desorption ionization has the potential to be an absolute
method for measuring the molecular mass of polymers. MALDI ToF mass
spectrometry uses laser ablation to produce charged polymers in the
vapor state, which allows the direct measurement of the mass distribution.
The VAMAS activity
brings together leading laboratories in Japan, Germany, Italy, Canada
and the United States in a collaborative research project that will
develop the test protocols and establish the systematic measurement
uncertainties of the MALDI method. NIST is chairing the new working
area.
For more information
on the new VAMAS activity, contact NISTs Charles Guttman, chair
of TWA 28, at (301) 975-6729, charles.guttman@nist.gov.
Media
Contact:
Pamela
Houghtaling, (301) 975-5745
Standards
Grant Will Help
Advance National Standards Strategy
The
American National Standards Institute will use a recently awarded
$500,000 annual grant from NIST to support international standardization
and conformity assessment activities influencing international trade
and regulations and to help advance the aims of a recently adopted
U.S. National Standards Strategy.
In line with
key objectives of the NSS, including work to improve processes
internationally to more closely reflect our [United States] principles
and vision and to "provide an outreach program to show
those outside the United States the value of U.S. technology, standards
and processes, ANSI says it will allocate NIST grant funds to
initiatives such as outreach and education. Monies also will be used
to identify opportunities to ensure that US technology, standards
and standards-development processes receive fair consideration from
other nations and regions.
Education initiatives
will include training sessions for US participants in standards bodies
such as the International Organization for Standardization and the
International Electrotechnical Commission, and for representatives
of developing nations that trade with the United States. ANSI also
will provide training to acquaint other nations with the US standards
and conformity assessment system. Another activity will help standards
personnel in developing countries acquire the skills and knowledge
necessary to host the secretariats (or administrative headquarters)
of committees that develop standards for international use. The Western
Hemisphere and Asia-Pacific region will be the primary focus of these
efforts.
The NSS, which
was developed by public and private-sector representatives of the
standards community under ANSIs leadership, was approved on
Aug. 31, 2000.
For more information,
contact Walter Leight, NIST Office of Standards Services, (301) 975-4010,
walter.leight@nist.gov.
At ANSI,
contact Stacy Leistner, (212) 642-4931, sleistne@ansi.org;
or Joseph Tretler, (212) 642-4977, jtretler@ansi.org.