**Agenda of the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) Committee**

Louis Straub

Chief

Maryland Weights and Measures

Reference

Key Number

# 500 Introduction

The NTEP Committee will address the following items at its 2003 Interim
Meeting. Table A identifies agenda items by Reference Key Number, title,
and page number. The fact that an item may appear on the agenda does not
mean it will be presented to the NCWM for a vote. Committee members will
review their agenda at the Interim Meeting and may withdraw some items,
present some items for information and additional study, issue
interpretations, or make specific recommendations for votes at the
Annual Meeting. The recommendations presented in this agenda are
statements of proposal and not necessarily recommendations of the
Committee.

Revisions proposed by Committee members are shown in **bold face print**
by ~~crossing out~~ information to be deleted and
[underlining]{.underline} information to be added. New items proposed
for addition to NCWM Publication 14 or other documents are designated as
such and shown in **bold face print.**

**Table A**

**Index to Reference Key Items**

**Reference Title Page**

**Key No.**

[500 Introduction 1](#introduction)

[501-1 International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) Certificate
Project
2](#international-organization-of-legal-metrology-oiml-certificate-project)

[501-2 Test Data Exchange Agreements 2](#test-data-exchange-agreements)

[501-3 Adoption of Uniform Regulation for National Type Evaluation by
States
3](#adoption-of-uniform-regulation-for-national-type-evaluation-by-states)

[501-4 NTEP Policy: Challenges to a Certificate of Conformance and
Verification that Production Meets Type
3](#ntep-policy-challenges-to-a-certificate-of-conformance-and-verification-that-production-meets-type)

[501-5 NTEP Participating Laboratories and Evaluations Reports
3](#ntep-participating-laboratories-and-evaluations-reports)

[501-6 NTETC Sectors Reports 4](#ntetc-sectors-reports)

[501-7 Grain Moisture Meter (GMM) and Near Infrared (NIR) Instruments
Dual Certification -- Can a Single Certificate be Issued?
5](#grain-moisture-meter-gmm-and-near-infrared-nir-instruments-dual-certification-can-a-single-certificate-be-issued)

**Details of All Items**

**(In Order by Reference Key Number)**

# 501-1 International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) Certificate Project

**Source:** Carryover Item 501-1

**Background:** This item is included on the Committee's agenda to
provide an update on NTEP's work to issue OIML R 60**,** "Metrological
Regulation for Load Cells" and R 76, "Non-Automatic Weighing
Instruments" Certificates.

***OIML Certificate System:*** At the 2002 Annual Meeting, Dr. Charles
Ehrlich, NIST International Legal Metrology Group (ILMG, formerly
Technical Standards Activities Program) updated the Committee on pending
changes to the OIML certificate system. Dr. Ehrlich reports that there
is no additional information on the pending changes.

See the 2002 Final Report of the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP)
Committee for additional background information.

# 501-2 Test Data Exchange Agreements

**Source:** Carryover Item 501-2

**Background/Discussion:** This item is included on the Committee's
agenda to provide an update on NTEP's work to establish bilateral
agreements.

In April 1998, representatives of the NCWM, NIST International Legal
Metrology Group (ILMG, formerly Technical Standards Activities Program),
NIST Weights and Measures Division (formerly Office of Weights and
Measures), and other OIML countries met to discuss the development of
arrangements for mutually accepting type evaluation test data among
participating OIML countries. Under such an arrangement, manufacturers
would be able to submit their equipment to any of the participating
countries for testing to OIML‑recommended requirements. The resulting
test data would be accepted by other participants, as a basis for
issuing each country's own type approval certificate. The following is a
report on the three types of test data exchange agreements.

***Mutual Acceptance Arrangement (MAA):*** Dr. Ehrlich, ILMG has
indicated that there have been no activities on the MAA since the report
to the NTEP Committee during the 2002 NCWM Annual Meeting.

***Bilateral Agreements:*** At the 2001 NCWM Annual Meeting, the NTEP
Committee reported that Germany's Physickalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
(PTB) has approached NCWM with a proposal to establish a bilateral
agreement between NTEP and PTB in the area of load cells and
non-automatic weighing instruments. Additionally, NTEP representatives
visited the Nederlands Meetinstituut (NMi) in the Netherlands and the
National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) in the United Kingdom
several years ago to discuss the possibility of establishing bilateral
agreements to mutually recognize type evaluation test data. The NCWM
Board of Directors believes that other countries may express a similar
interest. The Board remains open to the possibilities of establishing
agreements with these and other countries to mutually recognize type
evaluation test data. The Board does not wish to establish exclusive
agreements and is willing to consider working with any interested
country.

During the 2003 NCWM Interim Meeting, Stephen Patoray, NTEP Director,
will update the NTEP Committee on the progress of any bilateral
agreements.

***NTEP-Canada Mutual Recognition Program***: At the 2002 NCWM Annual
Meeting, NTEP Chairman Louis Straub announced that an agreement was
reached between NCWM and Canada to expand the NTEP‑Canada Mutual
Recognition Program to include retail motor-fuel dispensers. The
agreement is a two-year pilot program that recognizes test data
collected at the Canadian NTEP Participating Laboratory for use in
issuing an NTEP Certificate of Conformance.

Stephen Patoray and Louis Straub will update the Committee on the
progress to implement the agreement and a meeting with the NTEP
Participating Laboratories and Measurement Canada in October 2002.

See the 2002 Final Report of the NTEP Committee for additional
background information.

# 501-3 Adoption of Uniform Regulation for National Type Evaluation by States

**Source:** Carryover Item 501-3

**Background/Discussion:** The Scale Manufacturers Association (SMA) has
hosted NTEP adoption and implementation meetings for state directors at
each regional weights and measures association conference. These
meetings enable jurisdictions to share information about adopting and
implementing NTEP in their respective jurisdictions, encourage non-NTEP
jurisdictions to adopt the regulation, and allow current NTEP
jurisdictions to share ideas on how to make enforcement more effective
and uniform among the States. The meetings also provide NTEP management
with information related to areas in which the operation and
implementation of the program can be improved. Several questions have
been posed at these meetings about issues associated with NTEP
interpretation or practice. Comments from 1997 to 2001 have been
summarized, without attribution, and are available for review and
download on the SMA web site at
[http://www.scalemanufacturers.org](http://www.scalemanufacturers.org/).

SMA will update the NTEP Committee on two new standards for weighing
devices being developed by SMA. The standards are intended to promote
uniformity in audit trail information and RFI/EMI test procedures. The
first standard addresses the access of audit trail information. At the
2002 Interim Meeting, Daryl Tonini, SMA, noted that this standard would
be available early in May 2002 to any manufacturer who might be
interested in adopting a standard method of accessing audit trail
information. The second standard addresses RFI/EMI Field Test
Procedures. About 20 years ago, SMA developed a document outlining
RFI/EMI Test Procedures; this document, however, was based on the
technology in place at that time. SMA is in the process of updating the
procedures to reflect current technology. SMA hopes to raise the level
of understanding and interest in both these standards at the 2002
regional weights and measures meetings.

SMA will also update the NTEP Committee on the status of SMA\'s drive to
assist States to adopt the Uniform Regulation for National Type
Evaluation and the Uniform Regulation for the Voluntary Registration of
Servicepersons and Service Agencies.

See the 2002 Final Report of the NTEP Committee for additional
background information.

# 501-4 NTEP Policy: Challenges to a Certificate of Conformance and Verification that Production Meets Type

**Source:** Carryover Item 501-4

**Background:** This item has been moved to the NCWM Board of Directors
Interim Agenda. See the 2002 Final Report of the National Type
Evaluation Program Committee for additional background information.

# 501-5 NTEP Participating Laboratories and Evaluations Reports

**Source:** Carryover Item 501-5

**Background:** At the 2003 NCWM Interim Meeting, Stephen Patoray, NTEP
Director will update the Committee on NTEP laboratory and administrative
activities since October 1, 2001. A report of NTEP Laboratory Activities
will be distributed at the 2003 NCWM Interim Meeting.

The NTEP Weighing and Measuring Laboratories held a joint meeting in
June 2002 in Albany, NY. Mr. Patoray reported that the agenda topics for
this meeting focused heavily on technical training issues for the
laboratories. The NTEP Weighing Laboratories also met September 29,
2002, before the meeting of the Weighing Sector in Annapolis, MD. The
NTEP Measuring Laboratories met prior to the October 2002 annual meeting
of the Measuring Sector in Richmond, VA. The next laboratory meeting is
planned for April 2003, in Sacramento, CA.

Mr. Patoray reported that a policy to expedite the process for issuing a
CC after a device completes a successful evaluation would go into effect
by January 1, 2003, for NTEP applicants that desire the expedited CC
process. The NTEP process is in response to concerns from manufacturers
that the delay between the date an evaluation was completed and the date
CC numbers were assigned would hold up production and distribution of
devices. In summary, the plan requires an applicant and NTEP to agree
upon the testing to be performed and the contents of a draft CC prior to
the start of an evaluation. The final CC and number would be ready for
signature and distribution at the conclusion of a successful evaluation.
The plan was discussed at the 2002 National Type Evaluation Technical
Committee (NTETC) Sectors and BOD meetings.

See the 2002 final report of the NTEP Committee for additional
background information.

# 501-6 NTETC Sectors Reports

**Source:** Carryover Item 501-6

**Background:** The Committee will hear an update on the activities of
the National Type Evaluation Technical Committee (NTETC) Sectors at the
2003 NCWM Interim Meeting. Outlined below is a brief summary of Sector
activities since the 2002 NCWM Annual Meeting.

***Grain Moisture Meter and NIR Protein Analyzer Sectors:*** The NTETC
Grain Moisture Meter and NIR Protein Analyzer Sectors held a joint
meeting in Kansas City, MO on August 21-23, 2002. A summary of these
joint meetings was distributed to Sector members in October 2002. The
summary will be provided to the Committee prior to the 2003 NCWM Interim
Meeting. The next meeting of the Grain Moisture Meter and NIR Protein
Analyzer Sectors is scheduled for August 20-22, 2003 in Kansas City, MO.
For questions on the current status of Sector work or to propose items
for a future meeting, please contact the Sector Technical Advisors,
Diane Lee, NIST WMD, or Jack Barber, J.B. Associates. Ms. Lee can be
reached by telephone at 301-975-4405, by fax at 301-926-0647, by e-mail
at diane.lee@nist.gov, or in writing at NIST, 100 Bureau Drive -- Stop
2600, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2600. Mr. Barber can be reached by
telephone at 217-483-4232, by fax at 217-483-3712, by e-mail at
jbarber@cityscape.net, or in writing at J.B. Associates, 10349 Old
Indian Trail, Glenarm, IL 62536.

[]{.mark}

***Measuring Sector:*** The NTETC Measuring Sector met October 11-12,
2002, in Lexington, KY. A summary of that meeting will be distributed to
the Sector in January 2003. The summary will be provided to the NTEP
Committee prior to the 2003 NCWM Interim Meeting. The next meeting of
the Measuring Sector is scheduled for October 3-4, 2003, in Charlotte,
NC, in conjunction with the Southern Weights and Measures Association's
Annual Meeting. For questions on the current status of Sector work or to
propose items for a future meeting, please contact the Sector Technical
Advisor Richard Suiter, NIST WMD. Mr. Suiter can be reached by telephone
at 301-975-4406, by fax at 301-926-0647, by e-mail at rsuiter@nist.gov,
or in writing at NIST, 100 Bureau Drive -- Stop 2600, Gaithersburg, MD
20899-2600.

[]{.mark}

***Weighing Sector:*** The NTETC Weighing Sector met September 30 -
October 2, 2002 in Annapolis, MD. A draft summary will be distributed to
Sector members in early December 2002. The meeting summary will be
provided to the Committee prior to the 2003 NCWM Interim Meeting. The
next Weighing Sector meeting is tentatively scheduled for
September 11‑13, 2003, in Fresno, CA, and will be held in conjunction
with the Western Weights and Measures Association's Annual Meeting. For
questions on the current status of Sector work or to propose items for a
future meeting, please contact the Sector Technical Advisor Steven Cook,
NIST WMD. Mr. Cook can be reached by telephone at 301-975-4003, by fax
at 301‑926-0647, by e-mail at stevenc@nist.gov, or in writing at NIST,
100 Bureau Drive -- Stop 2600, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2600.

***Automatic Weighing Systems Working Group (AWS):*** The AWS Working
Group met on October 2-3, 2002, in Annapolis, MD, following the meeting
of the NTETC Weighing Sector response to remaining issues related to a
proposal to change the status of the tentative AWS Code in NIST Handbook
44. The Work Group dealt with several items related to the current NCWM
Publication 14 NTEP Draft Checklist and Test Criteria. The AWS Work
Group made several suggestions for amending language in Handbook 44 and
will be submitting their recommendations to the NCWM S&T Committee and
the NTEP Committee prior to the 2003 NCWM Interim Meeting. Contact
Stephen Patoray, NTEP Director, or NIST WMD Technical Advisor, Steve
Cook, to request a copy of the proposed changes. Mr. Patoray can be
reached by email at <spatoray@mgmtsol.com>. Steve Cook can be reached by
telephone at 301-975-4003, by fax at 301‑926‑0647, by email at
<steven.cook@nist.gov>, or in writing at NIST, 100 Bureau Drive-Stop
2600, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2600.

***NTETC Sector Summaries:*** At the 2002 Annual Meeting, Mr. Straub
discussed the whether or not it is necessary to publish the NTETC
Sectors summaries as part of the Interim Agenda and Interim Committee
Reports. The summaries currently account for more than one third of the
size of the referenced publications. The NCWM Board of Directors and
NTEP Committee agreed that the Sector summaries do not need to be
published in the NCWM Interim Agendas and Committee Reports for the
Annual Meeting. The NTEP Committee will continue to receive copies of
the summaries prior to the NCWM Interim Meeting for their review and
approval. The NTETC Sector summaries will continue to be included as
appendices in the NCWM Annual Reports. Additionally, future Interim
Agendas and Committee Reports will state that the NTETC Sector summaries
are available upon request from NCWM and NIST.

# 501-7 Grain Moisture Meter (GMM) and Near Infrared (NIR) Instruments Dual Certification -- Can a Single Certificate be Issued?

**Source:** NTETC GMM and NIR Sector

**Background:** Of the five Grain Moisture Meter (GMM) types with active
NTEP Certificates of Conformance (CC\'s), two are whole-grain Near
Infrared (NIR) Instruments with the potential to seek certification as
NIR Grain Analyzers. In a previous Sector meeting, the question was
raised as to whether a single CC could be issued to cover devices
certified as both GMMs and NIR Grain Analyzers. Time constraints caused
consideration of this question to be postponed to a future meeting.

In deciding whether a single CC could be issued to cover devices
certified as both GMMs and NIR Grain Analyzers, there are two
requirements to consider:

1)  CC\'s for GMMs automatically expire July 1. To maintain \"active\"
    status, meters must remain in the NTEP ongoing calibration program
    and the CC\'s must be reissued annually with valid calibration
    constants for moisture.

2)  NIR Grain Analyzers that display a measured whole grain moisture
    value are required to comply with the requirements of the GMM Code
    and be type approved as a grain moisture meter.

When an instrument has been approved under both codes, it would seem
that NIR Grain Analyzer CC's are subordinate to GMM CC's, because
failure to maintain an "active" GMM CC would automatically invalidate
the corresponding NIR Grain Analyzer CC. A single CC, such as a "GMM CC
with NIR Grain Analyzer Certification" would have to be reissued
annually (and whenever a calibration change is made) so there would be
no ambiguity regarding the NTEP status of the instrument and its
calibrations. Weights and Measures personnel would have only one CC
number to check. Manufacturers would have only one CC to maintain per
instrument type. Marking requirements would be simplified. The
maintenance fee structure for a CC with a "certification" for compliance
with another code could be set to recover any loss in NCWM, Inc. revenue
that would result from the elimination of the second certificate.

**Recommendation:** The Sector agreed to ask that the NTEP Committee
consider recommending that NCWM, Inc. authorize issuing a single CC for
devices successfully type evaluated under two inter-related codes (e.g.,
a "Grain Moisture Meter CC with Near Infrared Grain Analyzer
Certification" or, simply, "NIR Grain Analyzer with Dual
Certification").

L. Straub, Maryland, Chairman

R. Anderson, New York, NCWM Chairman

D. Ehrhart, Arizona, NCWM Chairman-Elect

D. Onwiler, Nebraska

M. Gray, Florida

NTEP Technical Advisor: S. Patoray, NTEP Director

NIST Technical Advisor: S. Cook, NIST WMD

**National Type Evaluation Program Committee**