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Measurements are made in a variety of places, for many different purposes. From clinical tests in the medical laboratory to weighing scales in the supermarket; from electricity meters to process control instrumentation in the food industry; from frequency spectral analysis in telecommunications to pollution measurements in environmental protection; and from the micrometer in the mechanical workshop to metallurgical analysis equipment in mining laboratories. The reason for the ever increasing importance of metrology is the turbulence associated with globalization and global trade. It is clear that the best route for any economy to prosper in the global market place is to improve the international competitiveness of its manufacturing industry. This certainly requires better products at lower prices, however, even that is not enough – the potential customer also needs to be convinced of the quality and compliance of the product, which must be proven by reliable test reports and conformity assessments.
To achieve all this, a continuous upgrading of technology and expertise is needed. Typically the accuracy required of national measurement standards doubles every ten years. This demand for increasing precision and uniformity not only applies to national standards but also to the implementation of quality systems based on international standards. For example, the ISO/IEC 17025 quality standards require that all measuring instruments used for production or service are calibrated; where calibration means the comparison of the instrument's measurements with standards or reference materials of known value.
Metrology institutions around the world are tasked with the provision of a measurement infrastructure, consisting of measurement standards and calibration services in each country. These national standards have to be compared with each other to determine their degree of equivalence. Within nearly every country, a system of accreditation laboratories is in place to ensure that calibration and test laboratories are competent and that their equipment is calibrated against national standards. The aim is that tests, calibrations and conformity assessments performed in one country will be accepted by other countries and there will be consistency in measurements worldwide.
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| Accurate measurement is at the heart of physics, and in my experience new physics begins at the next decimal place. |
| Steve Chu, Nobel Laureate, 1997 |
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The task of metrology and metrologists is to achieve the dependable measurement results that are needed to ensure quality and efficiency of production in industry, fairness in trade, consumer protection, health and safety of human and animal life and protection of the environment. This process began with Eli Whitney in the USA introducing mass production into American industry in the 1820s; with Joseph Whitworth in England in the 1830s introducing gauges and the systematic use of flat surfaces in machines and making proposals for standardizing screw threads; and in 1862, with Auguste de Rive and Marc-Anthoine Thury founding the Société Genevoise – the world's first company engaged in the mass production of machine tools. The adventure of metrology is an enterprise which has been propelling the evolution of the modern world and which continues to excite the imagination and assist society.
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Summary
