Calibrations and Special Tests

The primary mission of the Dimensional Metrology Group (683.01) is to provide US industry with practical access to the unit of length through high accuracy calibrations. The group specializes in measurements on objects approximately one meter in length up to kilometers. The group’s calibrations serve the aerospace, land surveying, petroleum gauging, law enforcement, metrology instrumentation developers, and large scale manufacturing industries.

Calibrations are available to the industrial public on a fixed fee basis. Special tests are on a fee for service basis; our facilities are available to industry to test new measurement technologies or prototype metrology instruments. Tests are run by NIST staff with the input of the LSCM Group’s customer or their designate.

The Dimensional Metrology Group maintains unique facilities for performing very high accuracy long length measurements. All calibrations are traceable to the SI meter, realized through an iodine-stabilized helium neon laser and are continuously monitored by internal quality assurance measurements. Periodically we perform internal quality audits equivalent to ISO 17025. Calibrations reports and data or results of special tests are the exclusive property of the customer and are treated as confidential information.

Special test for CMM performance.

A 1 km fiber optic length standard under calibration.