Improvements in Calibrations and Uncertainty Evaluation Project

Effective measurement services require that ongoing research into improvements to high accuracy calibrations be continually done. This research focuses on improving either high value components or high leverage calibrations to ultimately achieve the highest accuracy for the customer base.

Improving dimensional calibrations through reduced uncertainty, greater throughput, and new measurands is a core mission of the DMP. This project develops these new capabilities through acquiring new equipment, characterizing measurement processes, and developing documentation and quality assurance activities for improved measurement services. Additionally, the project advances the theory and practice of measurement uncertainty evaluation, for both DMP calibrations and industrial practice.

Specific calibration improvements include upgrading contact surface roughness capability through new instrumentation, improving survey tape accuracy, characterizing gauge penetration effects, and increasing throughput of flatness measurements. Activities in measurement uncertainty characterization include advancing the state of the art in uncertainty evaluation theory, providing practical access to measurement traceability, and developing new evaluation procedures compliant with the international Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM).