The mission of the Division is to fulfill the measurements and standards needs of the U.S. discrete-parts manufacturers in mechanical metrology and advanced manufacturing technology by:

Under NIST's and MEL's legislative authority, the Division acts as the Nation's reference laboratory for the mechanical metrology units of mass, force, acceleration, sound pressure, and ultrasonic power. The Division's commitment to this responsibility involves many facets: realizing, maintaining, and improving the primary standards for these quantities; conducting intercomparisons and other studies to coordinate and establish comparability of these standards to those of other countries; providing the States' Weights and Measures Laboratories traceability to these standards; developing suitable mechanisms to enable the transfer of this accurate measurement capability to customers in the field and secondary calibration laboratories; and, continual attention to providing efficient test and calibration services of the highest quality. Examples of the Division's work are the calibration of special artifacts such as prototype kilograms including subdivisions and multiples of this unit, and testing and calibration of instruments and devices such as load cells, proving rings, microphones, hearing aids, accelerometers, and ultrasonic transducers. Typically, more than 3000 standard tests and calibrations are performed each year.

Ongoing research and development are conducted as a means to improve these measurement services continually. New ways of performing measurements are researched and, when appropriate, developed to improve measurement services through reduced uncertainties, transfer of measurement capabilities to customers, and scientific underpinnings of measurement instrumentation and procedures. Similarly, R&D can lead to new types of measurements for the provision of services (e.g., torque) for new quantities or for new ranges of measurements (e.g., micro-forces), the new realization of a unit (e.g., Watt-based kilogram), and new measurement methods and data for industrial product development (e.g., loudspeakers, hearing aids).

While providing measurement services for this broad national need, the Division has a parallel and integrated focus on meeting the special measurement and standards needs of the U.S. discrete-parts manufacturers in advanced manufacturing technology. To provide the context for efficient development of manufacturing metrology methods, advanced manufacturing processes and machines are explored and developed to support U.S. industry's need to improve productivity, tighten tolerances, and machine new materials. Areas of manufacturing technology now being studied include: parallel-link machines, high-speed milling and grinding, lapping and polishing processes, finite-element modeling of orthogonal metal cutting, high strain rate materials properties, diamond turning, advanced optical fabrication and metrology, solid free-form fabrication, economically-driven environmentally-sensitive manufacturing, smart sensors for machine/process monitoring and control, and machine tool and subsystem characterization. Research and development topics include physics-based models of manufacturing processes and machine behavior and methods for in-situ, real-time, or process-intermittent measurement of material removal or modification processes, machine performance, and workpiece properties. Applications include development of means for improved dimensional accuracy through error compensation and improved surface quality of machined parts through tuning algorithms for machines and cutting tools.

Cross-cutting the Division's work in mechanical metrology and manufacturing technology are programs in sensors, interfaces and networks and in providing leadership at national, regional, and international standards organizations. The sensors, interfaces, and networks program is aimed at exploring and developing new sensor and distributed measurement and control technologies, and assisting industry and government in the use of sensors, sensor interfaces, and sensor network technologies. Additionally, this work aims to support the rapid deployment of these technologies for remote measurement services and remote machine/process monitoring. The goal of the standardization program is to use the foundation of rigorous metrology established in the other division programs to work with industry in formulating and developing documentary standards that embody strong representation of U.S. interests and technology. The Division led, participated in, and made major contributions to key international comparisons in over 60 standards committees and working groups during this past year.

The Division consists of a strong team of scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff, including post-doctoral fellows, full-time guest scientists, and part-time students. We are fortunate to have staff with expertise and skill in many disciplines including applied mathematics, acoustics, applied mechanics, optics, computer science, electrical engineering, electroacoustics, mechanical engineering, materials science, mechanics, metallurgy, and physics.