NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

KEY CONDITIONS TO GET A HIGH QUALITY IN MEASUREMENTS

ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND EU REQUIREMENTS

Ionel URDEA MARCUS

Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005
Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

METROLOGY
Appeared and developed together with the exchange of goods out of the practical need to have: comparable, repeatable and reproducible measurements common measurement units as an absolutely necessary support for these exchanges. Modern metrology is a result of: the development of the industrial type of products manufacturing the increased circulation of goods and commodities
Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005
Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
A functioning system of weights and measures is a prerequisite for all trade and manufacturing. Until the 19th century weights and measures were at best harmonised on a national level but quite often local systems prevailed. Industrialisation, mass production of technical goods and increasing cross-border trade called for the creation of a consistent internationally applied system of measuring units.

Result:
In 1875, the leading industrial nations of those days signed the Meter Convention, a diplomatic treaty whereby they agreed to use and promote the Metric system of units, which is now called the International system of units (SI).
Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005
Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

METROLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE
By the end of the 19th century it became obvious that the traditional dissemination of units through National Offices for Weights and Measures was no longer sufficient to meet the demand of industry for advanced measuring techniques in particular in the field of mechanics, electricity and optics. In 1887, in Germany, a new type of institute was founded, the Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt which was dedicated to research and development in the field of metrology to support industry and government. TODAY: Practically all nations operate National Metrology Institutes (NMIs)

Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005

Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL METROLOGY INSTITUTE

National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) have the responsibility to:
- realise and disseminate the SI system of units to industry and society - conduct research and development for improving the realisation of the SI, in order to meet the needs of industry and society - develop and validate measuring procedures in support of industrial and societal needs and for government directives - give advice to government, society and industry regarding metrological issues

Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005

Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

NEW CHALLENGES TO METROLOGY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 21st CENTURY

Modern society requires measurements that provide confidence and lead to the same result irrespective of the place where the measurements are performed.
The globalisation of trade and industry, the increased movement of goods and services across state borders or regional limits generates an increasing interest for accurate and reliable measurement results to underpin social and economical development. A global measurement system is needed in which a metrological task is solved world-wide according to the same criteria, i.e. the same physical units, the same product standards, the same calibration procedures and the same calculation of the measurement uncertainties.

Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005

Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

ONE-STOP MEASUREMENT
The manufacturer of measuring instruments prefers the type testing and conformity assessment to be carried out in a particular country and the certificates issued then to be accredited all over the world. This requires harmonisation and mutual confidence

Harmonisation
One-stop testing

Mutual confidence

World-wide acceptance of certificates Removal of metrological barriers to trade

Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005
Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

HARMONISATION AND MUTUAL CONFIDENCE

Harmonisation refers to:

Legislation Measurement units

Mutual confidence refers to:

Traceability Inter-laboratory comparisons

Product standards
Calibration and test procedures Conformity assessment

Quality systems
Accreditation / self-declaration Mutual recognition arrangements

Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005

Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

MEASUREMENT UNITS
Even 130 years after the signing and introduction of the metric system, a few countries still use antiquated, i.e. non-metric units in everyday lives. In the meantime all the countries have officially introduced the SI metric system, some of them with transition periods. A crucial task of an National Metrology Institute is to realise and disseminate the SI system of units to industry and society providing traceability routes to the SI units with stated measurement uncertainties
Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005
Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROLOGY

MEASUREMENT ERRORS ARE COSTLY

American experts have calculated that if gasoline pumps in the U.S. were found to be set just to the limit of the maximum negative tolerance (-96 mL) it would result in U.S. consumers being overcharged more than $1 Billion dollars per year, which is far greater than the annual cost of all U.S. weights and measures programs combined. The Mars Climate Orbiter mission failed in September 1999: instead of being launched into a stable orbit, the satellite burnt out in the atmosphere of Mars. One reason for the failure was that the control centres in Denver and Pasadena had used different units of measurement, i.e. one team had used the meter and the kilogram, the other the foot and the pound.
Bucharest 20-21 June 2005 WORKSHOP IWIRAD 2005
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THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION ARRANGEMENT (MRA)

In 1999, representatives of 38 national metrology institutes (including INM) and two international organisations signed the Mutual recognition of national measurement standards and of calibration and measurement certificates issued by national metrology institutes. Essential points of the MRA are regulations for world-wide key comparisons. The key comparisons are to show the degree of equivalence of national standards and measurement capabilities. Besides the results of key comparisons, a database maintained by BIPM contains information on the calibration and measurement capabilities notified by the NMIs through their regional metrology organisations (RMOs) and reviewed by a Joint Committee of the RMOs and the BIPM. Operation of an efficient QM system is indispensable to ensure that equivalent working methods are always applied and that the confidence is kept up in the intervals between regular comparison measurements. This QM system must fully satisfy the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025
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Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

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THE SYSTEM OF KEY AND SUPPLEMENTARY COMPARISONS

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ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL VALUE OF GOOD MEASUREMENTS In an effort to quantify the value of measurement to Europe, a study, The assessment of the economic role of measurements in modern society, was commissioned by the European Commission to a group of experts led by Dr. Geoffrey Williams, Fellow in Economics and Project Director, Pembroke College, University of Oxford, and published in July 2002.

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CONCLUSIONS
Europe spends more than 83 billion per year, or nearly 1% of EU GDP, on measurement activity from directly quantifiable sources alone. Adding in social spending on health, environmental regulation, safety testing, antifraud projects and normal day-to-day activity raises this figure considerably. For example each year more than 13 billion is spent on measurement and testing across European health services and a further 5 billion on safety and emissions tests in the 160 million vehicles used by drivers every day in Europe. By comparing these costs with estimates of the benefits of measurement, we can see that this money is well spent. Our econometric estimates of the economic impact of measurement activity show that this spending generates almost 230 billion of directly estimable benefits through application and from the impact measurement knowledge has on technology driven growth. This is equivalent to 2.7% of EU GDP.
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Key conditions to get a high quality in measurements

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Good measurements cost money Bad measurements cost more

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THANK YOU!

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