A111D5 1D22SS

NBSliL80-2022 ^ NBS/AID Course on

Weights and Measures Services

Edited by: H. Steffen Reiser

Charles C. Raley

Albert D. Tholen

Penelope M. Odar

Office of International Relations

National Bureau of Standards

U.S. Department of Commerce

Washington, D.C. 20234

Held July 15-27, 1979

Issued April 1980

Prepared for Agency for International Development

Department of State

Washington, D.C. 20523

QC

100

.U56

80-2022

1980
I
NBSIR 80-2022

NBS/AID COURSE ON

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES SERVICES

MATIOWAL mnUSAD

or tTAMBABDI

UBKAKt

may 1 3 1981

\ . CL iyC^iL^O

/?6. -c^-- c#-

Edited by;

H. Steffen Reiser

Charles C. Raley

Albert D. Tholen

Penelope M. Odar

Office of International Relations

National Bureau of Standards

U S. Department of Commerce

Washington, D C. 20234

Held July 15-27, 1979

Issued April 1 980

The Course was conducted as a part of the program under the

US/NBS Agency for International Development RASA TA(CE) 6-71

Prepared for Agency for International Development

Department of State

Washington, D.C. 20523

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Philip M. Klutznick, Secretary

Luther H. Hodges. Jr., Deputy Secretary

Jordan J. Baruch, Assistant Secretary for Productivity. Technology, and Innovation

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION, Mr. H. Steffen Peiser, Chief of the Office

of International Relations, National Bureau of Standards,

Washington, D.C., United States 1

PHOTOGRAPH 4

PHOTOGRAPH IDENTIFICATION 5

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS AND ADDRESSES 6

AGENDA OF TRAINING COURSE 8

SUBAGENDA--DETAILS OF VISITS TO:

National Conference on Weights and Measures 10

Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures 11

Rockwell International [also see Appendix I] 14

CONTRIBUTED PAPERS BY PARTICIPANTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

COOPERATION BETWEEN SCIENTIFIC METROLOGY AND THE WEIGHTS AND

MEASURES SERVICE IN EGYPT, Dr. Mohammad M. Ammar, Director,

National Institute for Standards, Cairo, Egypt 17

MY P^SpNAL OPINIONS ON THE_ NEED AND POTENTIAL FOR AN

EFFECTIVE LAW ON WEIGHTS AND MEASUREMENTS,

Mr. Guillermo E. Rivera A., Department of Engineering

and Standardization, General Directorate of Industries,

Ministry of Economy, Tegucigalpa, Honduras 23

STANDARDS OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES IN INDIA, Dr. Debabrata Sen,

Scientist-in-Charge, National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi,

India 27

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACTIVITIES IN LIBERIA,

Mr. J. Klemue Kollle, Assistant Director, Bureau of Standards,

Monrovia, Liberia 37

A NATIONAL SYSTEM FOR THE CALIBRATION OF STANDARDS AND

MEASURING INSTRUMENTS IN MEXICO, Mr. Julian Basurto,

Dlrecclon General de Normas, Mexico D.F., Mexico 41

THE DEVELOPMENT OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ADMINISTRATION

IN NIGERIA AFTER THE COLONIAL ERA, Mr. Y. A. Balogun,

Deputy Superintendent of Weights and Measures, Federal

Ministry of Trade, Lagos, Nigeria 43

111
Page

THE PRESENT STATE OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF WEIGHTS AND

MEASURES IN SRI LANKA, Mr. A.P.H.G. De Waas Gxinawardena

Assistant Superintendent of Weights and Measures, Weights

and Measures Division, Colombo, Sri Lanka 47

RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING OF SUDANESE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

OFFICERS, Mr. Bablker Abu El Hassan, Assistant Director,

Weights and Measures Administration, Khartoum, Sudan 51

CONTROL OF RETAIL MARKETS IN THAILAND, Mr. Wlchlan Pratoommas,

Commercial Counselor, Royal Thai Embassy, New York, N.Y. ... 59

SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE OFFICE OF WEIGHTS AND

MEASURES IN TUNISIA, Eng. Mohleddlne Ben Larbl, Chief,

Food Products Section, Central Laboratory, Tunis, Tunisia ... 61

EVENING DISCOURSE BY INVITED GUEST

LAWS ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES IN THE UNITED STATES,

Mr. Allen J. Farrar, Legal Adviser, National Bureau of

Standards, Washington, D.C., United States 63

EVALUATION AND CLOSING SESSION

EVALUATION AND CLOSING SESSION, Mr. H. Steffen Pelser, Chief,

Office of International Relations, National Bureau of

Standards, Washington, D.C., United States 67

EVALUATION OF TRAINING COURSE BY PARTICIPANTS

EVALUATION OF THE NBS/AID COURSE ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, 1979 71

APPENDIX I

SUMMARIES OF PRESENTATIONS DURING VISIT TO INDUSTRIAL

METROLOGY LABORATORY OF ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL 81

Iv
INTRODUCTION

On behalf of the National Bureau of Standards (I^BS) and the Agency for

International Development (AID) , we present this report on the conduct '' In July 1979 of the second experimental two-week "Course on Weights and

Measures Services," as they are practiced In the United States of

America. Participants were Intended to be, and were for the most part,

heads or senior technical staff members of weights and measures agencies

In their own countries. AID fund support for participation In the

course was used primarily to pay the expenses of suitable candidates,

who had been sponsored by USAID Missions In less developed countries.

The purpose of the course was to show by Illustrative visits, lectures,

and laboratory demonstrations how weights and measures systems operate

In the United States, No country would wish to Imitate these systems as practiced In the United States, but an awareness of the problems and

methods was previously shown to be helpful for technical leaders In

rapidly developing economies (compare, for example, NBS Interagency

Report 79-1721 on the first NBS/AID Course on Weights and Measures

Services) . A second purpose of the course was to make It possible for

the participants who came from Africa (5 countries) , Asia (3 countries)

,

and America (2 countries) to share with one another and us In the United

States knowledge on how they solve problems and how they view the needs

and opportunities for weights and measures services in their own

countries.

This second purpose was fulfilled by papers on selected relevant topics

being presented by the participants themselves. These papers are reproduced in this report in full and In alphabetic order by the name of

the country. Although each participant had the opportunity to obtain

consent for the text of his paper from his home agency, these papers

should be regarded as Informal, personal statements of views on problems

and challenges, and by no means as official governmentally endorsed

documents.

The U.S. systems of weights and measures can be looked upon from the

following viewpoints:

(1) How local government assures equity and uniformity in

retail markets,

(2) How a modern company assures itself of measurement control for raw materials, production processes, and quality of products,

(3) How an Instrument manufacturing company ensures Itself of

credibility for traceable calibration and the stability and

reliability which it claims for Its products.

(4) How a professional technical society provides a forum for

discussion of research and development In measurement methodology and applications.

1
(5) How the U.S, National Conference on Weights and Measures

(NCWM) provides a forum of discussion leading to a consensus among agencies, enforcing the laws for assuring equity and

uniformity in retail markets, the Instrument industry, the

trading public, and the U,S, National Bureau of Standards

which disseminates the technical state of the art in measurement science and technology.

The first of these viewpoints was effectively Imparted to the course participants by the visit to the Department of Weights and Measures of

the County of Los Angeles, California (see p, 11). This was a most

memorable visit for the excellence of the technical facility and the

competence of the staff, as well as for the personal contacts made by

the participants.

The second viewpoint was illustrated during the equally outstanding

visit to the metrology laboratory of Rockwell International (see p, 14).

This firm opened the doors of its metrology laboratories where the group was introduced to measurement techniques and administration that rank

among the very best.

The third viewpoint was represented to the course participants by the

visit to the John Fluke Manufacturing Company, whose electrical

Instruments are found in all parts of the world where electrical

measurements of very high accuracy and precision are required.

The fourth viewpoint was demonstrated by a brief visit to the

headquarters of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers

where the course participants were given an insight into the highly

specialized publication and conference program of this Society.

The fifth and last viewpoint was most effectively achieved by the

attendance of all members of the course at the annual meeting of the

National Conference on Weights and Measures. Although this conference

has in its title the word “national,'* for many years the NCWM has hosted

interested specialists from abroad with a special warmth of welcome.

The course participants, in addition to being welcome at all meetings of

the NCWM in which they had an interest, were given a special lecture

program (see p. 10) to suit their needs. The talks on the functions of

the NBS Included an evening discourse on weights and measures lax^^s. This paper is reproduced in full in the report (see 63)

The course ended with an evaluation session (p. 67) where participants

were able to give us the benefit of their views on the effectiveness and

desirability for regularly held courses on weights and measures. Written evaluations were offered on a questionnaire which, with a summary of the responses, is reproduced in this report (p. 71).

2
This introduction could hardly acknowledge all the many contributors who

have notably assisted us in the preparation and execution of this course. Outstanding efforts deserving our special gratitude were made

by the following:

Mr. and Mrs. W, Mossberg, Hr, N, Gluck, and their colleagues

at the Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures;

Mr. J, Driver, Mr. G. Rice, Mr. R, Vavken, Mr. R, Couture, and

their colleagues at Rockwell International; Mr. E, Heineman,

Ms. C. Lien, Messrs. Agy, Dellenbach, and Huntley and their

colleagues at John Fluke Manufacturing Company; Mr. J, Yaver,

Ms. Lundquist, Mr. and Mrs. Barrett, and their colleagues at

the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers and the

Western Washington College; and the organizers and speakers at

the 64th National Conference on Weights and Measures,

H. Steffen Felser

Chief

Office of International Relations

Albert D. Tholen

Chief

Office of Weights and Measures

• October 18, 1980

3
4
PHOTOGRAPH IDENTIFICATION

From left to right:

1. Mr. G. Rivera

2. Mr. K. Kollie

3. Mr. J. Basurto

4. Mr. Y. Balogun

5. Mr. S. Peiser

6. Mr. W. Pratoommas

7. Mr. C. Raley

8. Mr. A. Gunawardena

9. Mr. Agy (Fluke Mfg. Co.)

10. Mr. B. Hassan

11. Mr. Huntley (Fluke Mfg. Co.)

12. Dr. D. Sen

13. Dr. M. Ammar

14. Mr. Dellenbach (Fluke Mfg. Co.)

15. Mr. M. Ben Larbi

(Photograph courtesy of John Fluke Manufacturing Company)

5
Participants

21BS/AID TRAISIII^ COUBSE ON WEIGHTS

AND MEASURES SERVICES

July 15-27, 1979

(alphabetical by country)

Dr. Mohammed M. Ammar

Director, National Institute

for Standards

P.O. Box 2343, Dokkl

Cairo, Egypt

Eng. Guillermo Rivera A.

Engineer, Dept* of Engineering

and Standardization

General Direction of Industry

Ministry of Economy

Edit Rivera Lopez

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Dr. Debabrata Sen

Sclentlst-ln-Charge, Length Standards,

Dimensional Metrology, and Mass Metrology Sections

National Physical Laboratory

Hillside Road

New Delhi 110012, India

Mr. J. Klemue Kollle

Assistant Director

Bureau of Standards

Ministry of Commerce,

Industry, and Transportation

P.O. Box 9041

Monrovia, Liberia

Mr. Julian Basurto

Dlrecclon General de Normas

Tuxpan No. 2, 3 Plso

Mexico 7 D . F . , Mexico

6
Mr. Y, A. Balegun

Deputy Superintendent

of Weights and Measures

Policy and Management Division

Federal Ministry of Trade

P.M.B. No. 12514

Lagos, Nigeria

Mr. A.F.E.G. De Waas Gunawardena

Assistant Superintendent of

Weights and Measures

Weights and Measures Division

Park Road

Colombo 5, Sri Lanka

Mr. Bablker Abu El Hassan

Assistant Director

Weights and Measures Administration

Ministry of Cooperation, Commerce, and Supply

P.O. Box 194

Khartoum, Sudan

Mr. Wlchlan Pratoommas (Thailand)

Commercial Counselor

Royal Thai Embassy

3 World Trade Center, Suite 3443

New York, NY 10048

Eng. Mohleddlne Ben Larbl

Chief, Food Products Section

Laboratolre Central

Montfleury, Rue Dr. Braquehaye

Tunis, Tunisia

7
A G K N D A

National Bureau of Standards

Agency for International Development

TRAINING COURSE ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES SERVICES

July 15-27, 1979

July 15, Sunday

AM - PM Arrive Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

8:00 PM

July 16. Monday

Opening Dinner

8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures

11012 Garfield Avenue

South Gate, CA 90280

(213) 922-8916

Host: Mr. W. Mossberg, Director

July 17. Tuesday

8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures

July 18, Wednesday

7:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Rockwell International

Autonetics Marine Systems Division

3370 Mlraloma Avenue

Anaheim, CA 92803

(714) 632-2685

Host: Mr. G. 0. Rice

Manager, Metrology and Test Equipment

6:30 PM -

9:00 PM

July 19. Thursday

Dinner Meeting

7:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Rockwell International

8
July 20, Friday

8:30 AM - 3:30 PMJohn Fluke Manufacturing Co.

P.O. Box 43210

Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043

(206) 774-2211

Host: Mr. E. Hineman, Export Sales Manager

5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers

P.O. Box 10

Bellingham, V/A 98225

(206) 676-3290

July 21, Saturday

Host: Mr. Joseph Yaver, Executive Director

AM - PM Free

July 22, Sunday

6:00 PM Conference Reception

National Conference on Weights and Measures

July 23-27, Monday-Friday

AM - PM 64th National Conference on Weights and Measures

(See supplementary program on next page)

9
SUPPLEMENTARY PROGRAIl

for

COURSE PARTICIPANTS

PRESENTED BY

NBS STAFF

at the

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

July 23-27, 1979

1. "Weights and Measures in the U.S.A.," Mr. R. N. Smith, Office of

Weights and Measures, NBS

2. "Standards and Laboratories," Mr. B. Keysar, Office of Weights and

Measures, NBS

3. "Measurement Engineering Projects," Mr. S. Hasko, Office of Weights

and Measures, NBS

4. "U.S. Participation in the International Organization for Legal

Metrology (OIML)," Mr. D. E. Edgerly, Chief, Office of Domestic

and International Measurement Standards, NBS

5. "Legal Aspects of Weights and Measures," Mr. A. J. Farrar, Legal

Adviser, NBS (Dinner Meeting)

6. "Measurement Sciences Challenges," Dr. C. B. Brickenkamp, Office of

Weights and Measures, NBS

7. "Prototype Examination," Mr. H. Opperman, Office of Weights and

Measures, NBS

8. Summary and Evaluation Seminar, Mr. H. S. Peiser, Chief, Office of

International Relations, NBS (Breakfast Meeting)

(NCWM Program available from:

National Bureau of Standards

Office of Weights and Measures

Washington, D.C. 20234

10
CDETAILED AGENDA)

W <9 MOSS9EAG

eiBICTO* •IamAN m GLUC*t

AtSUT**>r OltlCTO*

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

DEPARTMENT OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

1(012 gaffielc ArftNue SOUTH gate CiLlFCRHI* SC29C TELEPHONE <213; 922-8916

TRAINING FOR FOREIGN V7EIGHTS & >tEASURES OFFICIALS

Purpose : To share our technology with other countries.

July 16, Monday

8:30 A.M. Assembly Room - Room 144A

Introduction by Director to the

Department Staff and guests.

Films - 1. A true standard (NBS)

2. Assignment Wts. Meas. (NBS)

3. Video Tape - Rath Case

9:30 A.M. Break

9:45 A.M.

10:15 A.M.

11:30 A.M.

12:30 P.M.

Chronology of W & M in U.S. to present - traceability, laws, and county structure.

Slide presentation on L.A. County activities

Metrology Lab discussion and tour of L.A.

County facilities including vehicle scale

and fast flow meter demonstrations.

Lunch

Assembly Room - Room 144A

Meter Division

1. Responsibilities

A. Meter section.

B. Metrology Laboratory

2. Variable Frequency Inspection.

3. Cost - benefit - impact.

4. Enforcement - disciplinary action

criteria

.

5. Registered Repairman.

11
Training Course for Foreign Weights

& Measures Officials

Page 2

1:25 P.M. Scale Division

1. PrograTT.s - work load - procedures.

2. Device repair program.

3. Cost - benefit - impact.

A. Statistics.

5. Enforcement - disciplinary action

citations.

2:20 P.M. Break

2:30 P.M. Quantity Control Division

1. Work locations.

2. Type of products.

3. Methods of tests.

4. Inspection results.

5. Disciplinary Action.

6. Statistics

.

7. Demonstrations.

3:25 P.M. Investigation Division

1. Programs - procedures (neat audit - Mkt. Insp.)

2. Test purchases,

3. Delivery checks.

4. Petroleum and Weighmaster programs.

5. Citations - infractions - legal.

6. Demonstration,

4:30 P.M. Dismiss

July 17, Tuesday

8:00 A.M. Assembly Room 144A

Divide Field in-plant inspection schedule

into two groups.

9:00 A.M. Group A

Arrive Ralphs retail market - Los Angeles

Point-of-Sale System - Electronic Scanner - U.

1. Market Inspection on site prepackaging

of meat, fish, and poultry items,

2. Service Counter - test purchase procedure

3. Check-out stand demonstration of U.P.C.

Scanner System and its inspection.

4. Retail (^.C. demonstration.

Disciplinary action procedures explained.

12
Training Course for Foreign Weights

& Measures Officials

Page 3

8:30 A.M.

11:00 A.M.

12:00 noon

1:30 P.M.

1:30 P.M.

3:30 P.M.

4:00 P.M.

Group B

Arrive Distribution Center or Processor to

observe the inspection of prepackaged

commodities at whole sale level.

A. Linge Bros. Coffee Co. - Commerce.

B. Safeway Bakery or Deli Plant Commerce.

C. Certified Grocers - Commerce.

Arrive - Board of Supervisors Hearing Room-

(Both Groups - A & B) Observation

Local Government in Action - Introduction.

Lunch

Group A

Arrive - Distribution Center or Processor to

observe the inspection of prepackaged commodities

at wholesale level.

A. Fish King Processor (De^Glazing) - Los Angeles

B. Inter Polymer Ind. (Polyethylene)

Group B

Arrive - Ralphs retail market - Los Angeles

Point-of-Sale - Electronic Scanner - U.P.C.

1. Market Inspection on site prepackaging

of meat, f ish , and poultry items.

2. Service Counter - test purchase

procedure.

3. Check-out stand demonstration of U.P.C.

Scanner System and its inspection.

4. Retail Q. C. demonstration,

disciplinary action procedures

explained.

Leave area. Regroup Assembly Room 144A.

Review

Farewell

13
(DETAILED AGENDA)

AGENDA

ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL METROLOGY SEMINAR

SPONSORED BY

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

^1^ 18 - 19 JULY 1979

Rockwell International

ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS GROUP

AUTONETICS MARINE SYSTEMS DIVISION

Janes R. Driver Director

Production Operations

George 0. Rice Manager

Metrology

Roland Vavken Manager

Metrology Operations

Robert J. Couture Manager

Metrology Engineering

James L. Arther Metrologist

Laurie M. Baker Metrologist

Jack A. Hall Metrologist

Kenneth J. Lund Metrologist

Thomas A. Samp Metrologist

14
AGENDA

Wednesday, 18 July 1979

7:30 Orientation

Tour of facilities not covered by

technical sessions

9:15 Break

9:30 Technical Sessions: A Inductance and Capacitance T. A. Samp

B Pressure L. M. Baker

11:15 Luncheon - Griswold's Smorgasbord

12:15 Technical Sessions:

A Magnetics J. L. Arther

B Length K. J. Lund

2:00 Break

2:15 Technical Sessions:

A Mass L. H. Baker

B Optics and Photometry J. A. Hall

4:00 Adjourn

6:30 Griswold's Hotel - Crystal Room B Attitude Adjustment

7:00 Dinner

8:00 Presentation: The Industrial Standards

Laboratory

Introduction/Moderator G. 0. Rice

Purpose and Development of

Rockwell's Metrology Laboratory

Management Interface J. R. Driver

Metrology Engineering R. J. Couture

Metrology Operation & Controls R. Vavken

Questions & Answers G. 0. Rice

9:00 Adjourn

15
Thursday. 19 July 1979

7:30 Technical Sessions:

B Inductance & Capacitance

A Pressure

T. A. Samp

L. H. Baker

9:15 Break

9:30 Technical Sessions:

B Magnetics

A Length

J. L. Arther

K. J. Lund

11:15 Luncheon - Griswold's Smorgasbord

12:15 Technical Sessions:

B Mass A Optics & Photometry

L. H. Baker

2:00 Break

2:15 Suninary Session

3:30 Depart for Airport

16
COOPERATION BETWEEN SCIENTiriC METROLOGY AND THE I>7EIGIITS AND MEASURES SERVIGE IN EGYPT

by

Dr. Mohaiamed M, Ammar

Director, National Institute for Standards

Cairo, Egypt

Acknowledgment

It is a great pleasure to express my thanks and gratitude to the U.S.

Agency for International Development, to the National Bureau of

Standards, and to the Office of International Relations of NBS for

giving me the opportunity to attend this Course on Weights and

Measures Services and to discuss some of our problems and what v;e are doing about them.

Introduction

Measures play a very Important role in our life and and decide about

most of our acts vAiich are counted, weighed, and measured. Measures

make it possible on the national and international levels to engage in

loyal and honest commercial exchanges and to assure everybody that

what is due to him can be demonstrably given to him. Therefore,

instruments and apparatus used in these operations should be

controlled by the government which must teach metrology in all

schools. Impose a system of measures, make laws and regulations

concerning the measures, and create an administration for their

application and supervision.

Development of the SI System of Units

The science of measurement was revolutionized by the adoption in 1875

of the metric system, realized through definitions of constant

standards and its growing use throughout the world. Although the

metric system was primarily devised to benefit industry and commerce,

it was also necessary to choose a convenient nomenclature for large

multiples and submultiples of these units which benefit science and

technology. The earliest standards adopted were the centimeter, gram,

and second known as the C.G.S. system of units.

However, for industry and trade these units were rather small, and

there was a growing use in metric countries of the meter, kilogram,

and second. In 1900 the MKS system replaced the C.G.S. system of

units.

In 1935 the International Electrotechnical Commission (lEC)

recommended the addition of a fourth basic electrical unit, the

ampere; this new system (MKSA system) in 1954 was adopted by the

17
General Conference on Weights and Measures as a basis for a practical

system of units for international use, with the adidiit^on of three

further base units: the kelvin for thermodynamic temperature, the

candela for luminous intensity, and the mole for the amount of

substance. The system was designated by the General Conference on

VJeights and Measures as the International System of Units (SI)

,

Functions and Obligations of a Weights and Measures Service

One of the major functions of a weights and measures service in a

coiuitry is to disseminate the SI system of units by carrying out the

following steps:

(1) To suppress the use of old units and old measuring devices,

(2) To formulate the regulations which are necessary to define

the legal units and national standards of measurements and

to consider the use of any other units as illegal,

(3) To consider that all sales or purchases, all public or private

contracts using other units of measurement, are illegal.

(4) To make the teaching of the legal units compulsory in schools;

they should be the only ones taught in primary schools.

(5) To prohibit for use every device or measuring instrument

graduated in other units than the legal ones.

Besides these functions, a weights and measures service is responsible

for:

(1) The approval of every device or measuring instrument intended

for use in trade and to check regularly that all measuring

Instruments exhibited, sold, or used by the public as being of an officially admitted type and that they satisfy

regulations issued concerning them,

(2) The regular control and verification of the constancy of their

clvaracteristics during use and after repair.

(3) The application of the laws and the analysis of the progress

achieved and delays suffered in their application as well

as of the exceptions that might be authorized.

Weights and Measures Service in the Arab Republic of Egypt

In Egypt the Weights and Measures Service is a responsibility of the

Ministry of Supplies and Internal Trade, A central office is located

in Cairo and 30 district offices are situated throughout the country.

They have a total staff of about 100 inspectors. The Service controls

18
weights, weighing instruments, volume measures, length measures,

petrol pumps, gas meters, and water meters.

The metric system is the only legal one, and regulations require

initial verification and stamping of all instruments Bianufactured in

Egypt. Transport is provided for inspection and on site testing of

fixed equipment. The Weights and Measures Service also operates a workshop for the repair of Government-owned weighing instruments.

Some facilities are made available to private users. Weights, length

measures, volume measures, and weighing instruments which are locally

manufactured are approved by the Service. The central office at Cairo

maintains the standards used for calibrations. These standards are calibrated regularly by the National Institute for Standards.

Cooperation Between the National Institute for Standards and the

Weights and Measures Service

a. Calibration of the primary standards ;

In Egypt scientific metrology is the responsibility of the National

Institute for Standards (NIS) , vjhich also keeps in its custody the

legal national standards of measures, NIS provides to the VJeights

and Measures Service the periodic recalibration of its standards.

As was mentioned in a previous article,* it is uneconomic to establish such a high level institute as NIS in every country and a wellequipped institute is sufficient to serve the whole region, MIS in

Cairo carries out calibration of the reference standards of length

and weights of the different countries which are members of ASMO

(Arab Organization for Standardization and Metrology)

b. Training ;

NIS in Cairo provides training programs for different aspects of

metrology and in the testing and calibration of standards for

which the facilities of the Institute could be used.

In the CASTARAB Meeting held in Rabat, Morocco, in August 1976, it was stated:

"The National Institute for Standards in Cairo possesses excellent

facilities for the purpose of training. It is therefore suggested

that CASTARAB urge the Governments of the Arab states to give their

active support to the organization of such courses on a regional

basis,"

In 1975 the National Institute for Standards submitted a request

under UNESCO's Program for extending its service to training of

*Ammar, Mohammed M,, "Metrological Services in the Arab Republic of

Egypt," Report to AID on an NBS/AID VJorkshop on Standardization and

Measurement Services, October 1-18, 1977, NBSIR 78-1712, p. 39.

19
personnel acting in the field of metrology on both national and

regional levels.

Under this project, UNESCO was requested to assist in supplying the

Institute with some equipment similar to the existing ones but of

less precision. This is necessary to get the trainees acquainted

with Instrument handling before operating on the high-precision

Instruments, already existing.

UNESCO was also asked to supply other equipment needed to cover

various fields of legal metrology, such as large masses, measures

of volume for liquids and capacity for seeds, meters for domestic

gas, etc. However, due to lack of funds, the project was postponed.

At the present time, the National Institute for Standards in

collaboration with ASMO and the Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria

University, is trying to carry out training on both the national

and regional levels. The duration of the course may be one year.

The candidates must be graduates in engineering or science and

working in the fields of industrial or legal metrology. The topics

must cover different areas. The first area is a very general one and

should include such subjects as the definitions of terms used in

metrology, precision, accuracy, theory of errors and statistical

treatment of data, the physics, and other subjects related to

metrology, some general lectures on the overall function of a national weights and measures service, the international organizations with responsibilities in weights and measures, etc.

The second part includes the methods of testing the standards and

equipment required by a weights and measures service to ensure the

continued accuracy of its own testing, e.g., the calibration of

standard weights using a reference set, the care and use of

precision balances and methods of measuring their accuracy, etc.

The third part may include testing of the various types of V7eighing

and measuring equipment V7hich are likely to be subject to legal

control. This part should include also the theory and construction

of these equipments.

The Expected Cooperation Between the National Bureau of Standards

and the National Institute for Standards

At the present time, a project proposal has been submitted to the

United States Agency for International Development (AID) for

cooperation with I®S in manpower development and transfer of

measurement science and technology. The aim of this proposed project

is to facilitate NIS:

(1) To acquire experience in the design and construction of

specialized measuring apparatus.

20
(2) To utilize acquired knowledge and skills to transfer successfully appropriate measurement technology from the United States

to Egypt.

(3) To acquire the capability for the selection, use, and maintenance of precision measuring Instruments.

(4) To develop experience in adopting modern methods of metrology

for upgrading existing basic standards and extending the range

of their application.

(5) To develop appropriate means to disseminate efficiently and

quickly the techniques of modem measurement science and

technology to the appropriate domestic industrial and service

sectors.

(6) To make appropriate plans for the effective use of availa’>::

buildings for metrology.

It is certain that this project will strengthen NIS capabilities and

extend its activities, to benefit both legal and industrial metrology ^

Egypt and in the other countries of the region.

21
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MY PERSONAL OPINIONS ON THE NEED AND POTENTIAL FOR AN

EFFECTIVE LAW ON WEIGHTS AND MEASUREMENTS*

by

Mr. Guillermo Enrique Rivera A.

Department of Engineering and Standardization

General Directorate of Industries

Ministry of Economy

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

For a complete report on the possibilities and potential of an effective law on weights and measurements in Honduras, many basic

elements of judgment are necessary. Judgments should be based on some investigations including tests, opinion surveys, observations,

experience, etc. However, in this report I will try to make general

observations without strong back-up which is not yet fully available

in Honduras.

Inconvenience Found in the Application of the Decimal Metric System

At the moment, Honduras does not have an effective law on weights and

measurements; the legal support for metrological activities is the

Legislative Decree No. 39 which was issued on May 11, 1895, with the

legislative power vested in a National Constituent Assembly, and which

came into force from February 22, 1897, with a By-Law which

establishes the decimal metric system as the only measurement system

in Honduras. However, in spite of the fact that for that time it was

a very functional system, a series of difficulties prevented its

application and acceptance because:

1. It was not foreseen that a national institution would be needed

to provide basic metrological services.

2. A lack of equipment and laboratories makes the enforcement of the

Law extremely difficult.

3. The influence of external markets in weight and measurement

equipment with the Anglo-Saxon and antique Spanish systems.

A. Deficiencies in the transfer of technology.

5, Little development of the mass communications within the country.

6, Fiscal difficulties in the governmental administrative organizatiop.

*The opinions expressed in this paper are the author’s and in no way

represent the official policy of the Government of Honduras or its

agencies.

23
Efforts Made by the Ministry of Economy of Hondwcag for Obtaining

Metrological Legislation

In the last few years, the Government, In spite of the above problems,

has been making concrete efforts to improve this situation. For

example, the Ministry of Economy promotes metrological programs and

standardization and quality control, A committee was formed with

representatives and authorities of the Ministry and of some other

sectors that have direct competence in the affected fields for the

elaboration of a draft legislative decree to establish the

International Units System, SI, as the sole units to be used v/ithin

the whole country. At the Department of Engineering and

Standardization of the General Directorate of Industries, Engineer

Juana Ghambasis Lorenzana made plans for making some corrections and

additions to the draft of the Committee. Up to now, it has not been

possible to obtain approval by the Legislative or the Executive,

Inconveniences Suffered from the Lack of Adequate Legislation on Weights and Measur«»-ments

The lack of an effective law on weights and measurements causes inconvenience among which I count:

a) Delays in the adoption of modern and efficient technology for the

industry of the country,

b) The absence of guarantees in transactions made between vendors

and purchasers.

c) Inconvenience for other governmental actions Involving measures,

such as price control, the establishment of technical standards

for industrial products, etc.

d) Inappropriate use and interpretation of some measurement equipment

in the country,

e) Improvisation with out-of-date laws for regularizing commercial

transaictlons and the use of measuring Instruments.

f) Out-dated methods and techniques for making measurements.

g) Confusion in legal writings and lack of uniformity.

h) Incomplete assurance in the exchange of technology with countries

that have a complete metrological service.

i) Lack of control of imported metrological instruments and equipment

entering local market v/ithout prior tests of the precision stated

by the manufacturer and of the suitability of the model for the

intended use.

24
j) Lack of legal competence for exercising an initial and periodic

control of the measuring instruments used in all productive

operations in the country.

Potential for a Weights and Measures Law in Honduras

In all industrialized countries, it is essential to have an effective

law on weights and measures and an organization in charge of

implementation. This is also a necessity in a developing country like

Honduras. To obtain the effective implementation of such legislation,

Honduras has some qualified personnel in industry, education,

technical investigation, and commerce who could meet in committees

called by the General Directorate of Industries and Internal Commerce

in the Ministry of Economy. At this time, a Committee of foreign

advisors with wide experience in the execution of this type of program

is not available. And at this time, the Ministry of Economy does not

have its own technical support, equipment, or laboratories to support

a weights and measures law. However, the National Autonomous

University of Honduras (UNAH) has varied laboratory equipment

(chemical, physics, engineering, etc.) and is willing to participate

in any project that will extend its services through tests and assays,

as well as to increase its fields of research. The same willingness

to participate exists in some private laboratories in the country.

The Department of Engineering and Standardization, which is in charge

of standardization, metrology, and quality control, contemplates the

establishment and maintenance of a metrological laboratory. The

General Directorate of Internal Commerce will coordinate its price

control program with the weights and measures control of the

Department of Engineering and Standardization and thus be responsible

for a part of the Weights and Measurements Law.
1
STANDARDS OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES IN INDIA

by

Dr. Deb ab rata Sen

Scientist-in-Charge

National Physical Laboratory

New Delhi , India

Introduction

In this paper, I shall describe the measurement standards and

comparators used In the weights and measures service In India and

discuss some problems we face In making and calibrating these.

Weights and measures service began In India In a systematic way about

23 years ago and Is now well established. Its main concern has been

the correctness of mass, dimension, and volume measurements made In

trade and commerce. In that task, the weights and measures

organization of India has achieved a good degree of success. There

are plans to Include In this service the verification of flowmeters,

pressure gages, clinical thermometers, electrical energy meters, etc.,

and to extend Its activity In the area of engineering metrology

relating to quality control In production In small-scale Industries.

Organization

I shall first describe briefly the organizational aspects relating to

the measurement hierarchy In our weights and measures service. In

India, weights and measures Is a state subject, and the legislation

for this service and Its Implementation are the responsibility of the

state government. There are 22 states and 9 union territories In

India. Each has a department of weights and measures which Is often a part of the ministry of Industries of the state. The chief or the

controller of weights and measures In a state coordinates that

activity In his state. Actual measurements and verifications are made

at the district and lower levels. The field work, that Is,

verification of weights and measures and weighing and measuring

Instrxjments In use In trade and those made by a manufacturer. Is done

by an Inspector of weights and measures. He Is equipped with a working standard length measure cxim comparator, a set of working

standard weights and balances, and a set of working standard capacity

measures. The Inspectors' working standards are verified at district

headquarters which Is equipped with similar sets of secondary

standards. At present, a little over 100 sets of secondary standards

and about 1,000 sets of working standards are In use in India.

The original plan was to establish In each state a metrological

laboratory equipped with reference standard measures and corresponding

measuring Instruments for verification of the secondary standards.

Only the reference standards were to be calibrated at the National

27
Physical Laboratory for traceability to the national standards. That

target has not been achieved, and at present, the National Physical

Laboratoxry verifies both the reference and the secondary standards.

In the future, the responsibility of maintaining the reference

standard measures and verifying the secondary standards will be vested

in the Reference Standard Laboratories. Five such laboratories are being established in different parts of the country.

The overall coordination of weights and measures activities in the

country is done by the Directorate of Weights and Measures of the

Government of India. Its responsibilities are drafting of rules and

specifications for adoption by the parliament and by the state

legislative bodies, training of weights and measures personnel, and

ensuring the supply of measurement standards and the means of their

verification. The last two tasks are actually carried out

respectively by the Mint of the Government of India in Bombay and the

National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi. A convention of the state

controllers of weights and measures is held annually to discuss the

special problems of individual states and to ensure the uniformity of

the weights and measures services throughout the country. These

conventions are attended by representatives of the National Physical

Laboratory, the India Government Mint, the Indian Standards

Institution, and other organizations associated with the weights and

measures service in India.

The Directorate of Weights and Measures runs the Institute of Legal

Metrology at Ranchi for training of weights and measures personnel.

This Institute conducts courses on the science of techniques of

measurement and on the law relating to the weights and measures

activity. All weights and measures personnel in India are initially

trained at this Institute. Training at a higher level in measurement

techniques is given by the National Physical Laboratory and in

documentary standards by the Indian Standards Institution, also in New

Delhi. Several other Asian and African countries make use of these

facilities for training their weights and measures personnel.

The Directorate of Weights and Measures is now taking over part of the

responsibility for calibration and measurement of standards at the

reference and secondary levels. The reference standard laboratories

mentioned earlier are being established for that purpose. Two of

these laboratories have just started functioning. The future

extension of weights and measures services is expected to take place

through these laboratories.

Measurement Hierarchy

The weights and measures service now maintains measurement standards

for mass, length, and volume. There are four hierarchical levels in

this system of measurement. This is depicted in table 1. In this

system, the Directorate of Weights and Measures drafts the specifications for standard measures and the measuring instruments.

28
TABLE 1

Hierarchy of Measurement Standards

Used In Weights and Measures Service

LENGTH MASS VOLUME

National standard

NPL transfer standard

Reference standard —

National st^andard

NPL transfer standard

Reference standard

Secondary standard

Working st^dard

Commercial length measures

Secondary standard

Working standard

Commercial weights

and weighing machines

Secondary standard

Working standard

Commercial capacity measures

29
maintains the reference standards, and verifies the secondary

standards. The National Physical Laboratory maintains the national

standards and verifies the reference standards. The India Government

Mint manufactures all the standard measures and the secondary standard

comparator. Both the National Physical Laboratory and the India

Government Mint carry out R&D work on the design of standard measures

and measuring instruments. The weights and measures departments of

the states maintain the secondary and the working standards and verify

the working standards and the measures and measuring instruments in

use in trade and commerce.

Secondary standard balances for verification of working standard

weights and working standard balances for verification of commercial

weights are made commercially in the country. New balances before

installation are checked and certified by the National Physical

Laboratory. In the future, the Reference Standard Laboratories may

take over that work. The reference, secondary, and working standards

for weights and measures are used at their face values, and no corrections are applied for their true values. Therefore, these

standards are maintained so that their values are within the specified

limits of tolerance. Any defective measure is either adjusted or replaced at the time of verificlatlon. The recommended periods

between verifications arc two years for the reference standards, three

to five years for the secondary standards, and one year for the

working standards.

Mass Measures and Balances

All the gram and kilogram weights of the reference, secondary, and

working standard sets are made of admiralty bronze. The specification

permits the use of nickel-chromium alloy and austenitic stainless

steel, but these are not in use yet. The 500 mg to 10 mg weights of

the reference standard set are made of platinum wire, the 500 mg to 50

mg weights of the secondary standard are made of cupro-nlckel sheet,

and the 500 mg to 100 mg weights of the working standard are made of

admiralty bronze. The smaller weights are all made of pure aluminum

sheet or wire. The gram and kilogram weights of the secondary and the

working standard sets have provisions for mass adjustment. The

reference standard weights do not have this provision. All the

standard weights are calibrated on the assumed density of 8,400 kg/m^,

which is the density of the reference standard gram and kilogram

weights. The denominations and the tolerances of the standard weights

are shown in table 2. There is a proposal to make the tolerances

finer for the reference standard weights and bring these at par with

the class E2 weights recommended by the International Organization of

Legal Metrology (OIML)

.

The specifications for the secondary and the working standard balances

are shown in table 3. These are two-pan, equl-arm balances and are made commercially in the country.

30
TABLE 2

Denomination and Tolerances of Standard

Hass Measures Used in Weights and Measures Service

Denomination Tolerance in mg

Keference Secondary Working

20 kg +200 -100

10 kg +50 -25 +100 - 50

5 kg +25 -12.5 +25 -12.5 + 50 - 25

2 kg +10 - 5 +15 - 7.5 + 30 - 15

1 kg + 5 - 2.5 +10 - 5 + 20 - 10

500 g + 2.5 - 1.25 + 5 - 2.5 + 10 - 5 200 g + 1 - 0.5 + 4 - 2 + 8 - 4 100 g + 0.5 - 0.25 + 3 - 1.5 + 6 - 3 50 g + 0.25 - 1.2 + 2 - 1 + 4 - 2 20 g + 0.1 - 0.05 + 1.5 - 0.75 + 3 - 1.5

10 g + 0.04 - 0.02 + 1 - 0.5 + 2 - 1 5 g + 0.04 - 0.02 + 0.8 - 0.4 + 1.6 - 0.8

2 g + 0.04 - 0.02 + 0.6 - 0.3 + 1.2 - 0.6

1 g + 0.04 - 0.02 + 0.4 - 0.2 + 0.8 - 0.4

500 mg + 0.04 - 0.02 + 0.4 - 0.2 + 0.8 - 0.4

200 mg + 0.04 - 0.02 + 0.2 - 0.1 + 0.4 - 0.2

100 mg + 0.04 - 0.02 + 0.2 - 0.1 + 0.4 - 0.2

50 mg + 0.02 - 0.02 + 0.1 - 0.05 + 0.2 - 0.1

20 mg + 0.02 - 0.02 + 0.1 - 0.05 + 0.2 - 0.1

10 mg + 0.02 - 0.02 + 0.05 - 0.02 + 0.1 - 0.05

5 mg + 0.02 - 0.02 + 0.05 - 0.02 + 0.1 - 0.05

2 mg + 0.02 - 0.02 + 0.05 - 0.02 + 0.1 - 0.05

1 mg + 0.02 - 0.02 + 0.02 - 0.02 + 0.05 - 0.05

31
TABLE 3

Specification for Standard Balances

Used In Weights and Measures Service

Capacity Sensitivity

figure in

mg/scale dlv.

Minimum distance

between scale

divisions in mm

Maximiua variation in sensitivity figure

- Minimum

- Overall

Accuracy

A. Secondary standard balance

10 kg 25 2.0 lOZ 25 mg in 10 kg

5 kg 7.5 1.5 lOZ 7.5 nig in 2 kg

1 kg 1.5 1.0 lOZ 1.5 mg in 100 g

50 g 0.4 1.0 lOZ 0.4 mg in 5 g

2 g 0.02 0.75 lOZ 0.02 mg in 1 mg

B. Working standard balance

50 kg 100 2.0 20Z 100 mg in 10 kg

5 kg 10 1.5 20Z 10 mg in 500 g

200 g 1.0 1.0 20Z 1 mg in 5 g

2 g 0.02 0.75 20Z 0.02 mg in 1 mg

32
Length Measures and Comparators

All the 3 standard length measures are meter bars. The reference

standard bar has an "H" section and is made of 58 percent nickel

steel. The secondary and working standard meter bars have rectangular

sections and are respectively made of 58 percent nickel steel and of

pure nickel. The main specifications of the length measures are given

in table 4. The reference temperature of calibration of the length

measures is 20*0. The standard length measures and the standard

weight sets are made by the India Government Mint. The reference

standard meter bar is still in the development stage.

The carrying case of the working standard meter is designed to serve

as a comparator for the measurement of both line and end gages. The

meter bar is provided with a graticule and a magnifier for estination

to 0.1 mm. The secondary standard comparator used for verification of

the working standard meter is a simplified form of the transverse

comparator. It has a least count of 0,01 mm. The reference standard

comparator for verification of the secondary standard meter will be a longitudinal comparator with 0,001 mm least count. It is now under

development.

Capacity Measures

The standard capacity measures are cylindrical vessels made of

admiralty bronze and are provided with striking glasses. These are made by the India Government Mint. Their denominations and tolerances

are given in table 5, The reference temperature for their calibration

is 27®C. The secondary standard capacity measures are calibrated

gravimetrically using the reference standard mass measures and

balances for weighing. Distilled water is used as the liquid of kjiown

density. The working standard capacity measure set contains also two

one-mark pipettes of 10 ml and 5 ml capacities and one 5 ml pipette

graduated at every 0,1 ml.

Current Developments

The work in making the new set of reference standard weights is being

carried out both at the National Physical Laboratory and at the India

Government Mint. These weights will be made either of nickel-chromium

alloy or of austenitic stainless steel. Initially there was difficulty in getting the alloy bars, but that problem has been

solved. The new set of reference standard weights may come into use

soon. High precision balances required for use at the reference

standard level are not being made in India, It will be uneconomical

to try to develop such balances in the country at present. While

making standard-weight pieces from nickel-chromium bars, we found that

rhodivnn plating can be a convenient and precise method of adjusting

their masses. We have hardly any knowledge about the durability of

the electroplated rhodium film and will welcome comments on the

advisability of using rhodium-plated weights when the accuracy

33
TABLE 4

Specifications for Standard Length Measures

Used in Weights and Measures Service

Parameter Specification

Reference Secondary Working

Material 58% nickel steel 58% nickel steel Nickel

Shape H section Rect. section Rect. section

Size In mm 25 X 25 X 1030 38 X 15 X 1030 30 X 15 X 1030

Graduation 1 mm from -1 mm

to 1001 mm

1 mm from -10 mm

to 1000 mm

1 mm from -10 mm

to 4'10 mm

0.1 mm between

-5 to -4 mm

and 44 to +5 mm

5 mm from 410 mm

to 1000 mm

Width of graduation 8 ym to 10 ym 30 ym to 50 ym 50 ym to 80 ym

Maximum varlatlon of line

width In one

scale

+ 10% 4 10% + 10%

Maximum permissible error

-t- 10 ym between

any two graduation marks on main scale

± <25 + (50 4 -|q) ym

4 5 ym between

any two graduation marks on

fine scales

Where L Is the nominal length

in mm between two graduation marks.

34
TABLE 5

Denomination and Tolerance of Capacity Measures

Used In Weights and Measures Service

Denomination

in cm^

Tolerance In cm^

Secondary standard Working standard

10000 + 8

5000 ± 2 + 4

2000 + 1 + 2

1000 + 0.8 + 1.5

500 + 0.5 + 1

200 + 0.4 + 0.8

100 + 0.3 + 0.6

50 + 0.2 + 0.4

20 + 0.1 + 0.2

35
required is almost 1 part in 10^. Another problem we face in mass calibration is to know how non-magnetic the weight piece is. For

weights made at NPL,we can measure the magnetic property of the

material. But this is not convenient when we calibrate weight pieces

made by others. It will be useful if a simple quantitative method is

recommended to check whether the magnetic property of a weight piece

is within the tolerance limits for its class of weight.

The development of the reference-standard length measure has been

nearly completed at the India Government Mint. It will soon be put

into use. The main problem in its fabrication was to make the

graduated face flat to within 0,05 mm. The out of flatness of the

graduated face does not materially affect the accuracy of the

graduation but makes the calibration of the meter bar very

Inconvenient

.

The reference standard comparator is being developed at the National

Physical Laboratory. The specification recommended a longitudinal

comparator of 0.001 mm least count. To reduce the size and the cost

we designed a comparator based on the Eppenstein principle. The first

prototype of the comparator will be completed soon. We are nov; faced

with a problem which we did not anticipate at the design stage. The user of the comparator must have the means to check the alignment of

the optics. The tolerances are quite large, but the alignment of

several different components is required. We are trying to design one device which will enable the user to check all the alignments.

Conclusions

These problems of fabrication of standard measures of comparatively

high precision and their calibration are faced by metrologists working

in well-equipped laboratories. Verification of measures and measuring

instruments in use presents other problems which are perhaps more

difficult to solve. In a country like India, measurements in the

field have to be carried out often with the bare minimum of equipment

and under hostile environment. A large variety of measures and

measuring instruments of a wide range of sophistications are required

to be verified, and the metrologists available for that work are not

always fully trained.

These difficulties will Increase in the future as metrology has to . keep pace with the rapid progress of industry and technology in the

country. There is a plan to establish in India a national calibration

service, to coordinate the activities of different organizations

engaged in metrology, and to ensure reliability and traceability in all

the fields of measurement. In that service, the weights and measures organization of India will have the main responsibility for reaching

and serving the actual users of measures and measuring instruments.

36
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACTIVITIES IN LIBERIA

by

Mr. J, Kiemue Kollie

Assistant Director

Bureau of Standards

Monrovia, Liberia

Introduction

The Bureau of Standards was created by an Act of Legislature in May

1972 and charged with the overall responsibility of supervising,

implementing, and enforcing standardization, quality control, and

metrological (weights and measures) activities in the country. Since

its creation, the Bureau has made some significant contributions to

the overall economic development of the country. Prior to 1972,

standardization in the true sense of the word did not exist in

Liberia. The job of standardization was entrusted to several

government agencies, each doing what it saw fit.

The situation is quite different in Liberia today, thanks to the

wisdom of President William R. Tolbert, Jr., for taking such a giant

step. Though very young compared to other standards bodies, the

Bureau is gradually taking its place among the International community

in standardization.

Organizational Structure of the Bureau

The Bureau is headed by a Director, who is assisted by a Deputy

Director. There are three sections in the Bureau, namely Standards

Specifications, Quality Control, and Metrology. Each of these

sections is headed by a sectional head who is responsible for

supervising the day-to-day work of the section.

History

To help the reader to understand this paper, it is only proper to give

some historical highlights of weights and measures practices in

Liberia. Up until 1976, the legal measuring system in Liberia was the

imperial system. In 1976, the legislature enacted a law which made

the metric system the only legal system of measurement in the country.

Since this declaration, the Bureau has aimed to make the public aware

of the importance of weights and measures in the total life of a nation. Knowing that the economic development of a country cannot be

divorced from metrology, the Bureau of Standards is doing all it can

to bring to the attention of the Government the vital role that

metrology plays in a nation's life.

37
Present Weights and Measures Activities In Liberia

In Liberia today, weights and measures activities are centered around

calibration of gasoline filling stations, calibration of gasoline tank

trucks, calibration of measuring devices used in trade and commerce,

etc. As a government agency, the Bureau is working in the Interest of

the general public, and all the above tasks are performed free of

charge except the calibration of gasoline tank trucks. Even in this

case, government trucks are not charged the modest fee of $5 charged

to other people.

Upon Inspection and calibration of the above-mentioned categories of

businesses, a "Standards Certificate" is issued to enable the ox^er to

operate for a period of six months. The law provides that any of the

above businesses found operating without a "Standards Certificate" is

liable to a fine ranging from $1 to $10,000. The rationale behind

this penalty is to encourage the businesses concerned to perform

according to rules and regulations.

The Bureau of Standards, by an Act of Legislature, is empowered to

seize and detain any measuring devices that are found to be defective.

In the case of gasoline pumps, when a defect Is discovered, the pump

Is sealed and the owner notified that he is not to use the pump in

commerce until it is calibrated by the Bureau of Standards and/or an independent repair man. The law provides that any person who removes

a seal placed by the Bureau of Standards without notifying the Bureau

Is liable to a fine of $5,000 and/or a six-months' jail sentence.

Problems of Weights and Measures Activities in Liberia

The reader of this paper may wonder why activities of weights and

measures are so limited in Liberia. Of course, there are vast areas

to be covered, but the problem of logistical support should not be

overlooked. In Liberia, as in other developing countries, the

financial problem is number one. To fully cover the vast spectrum of

commerce with weights and measures activities demands a great deal of

money. Moreover, there exists some lack of knowledge on the part of

politicians. At present, the basic instruments and equipment for the

smooth operation of metrological activities do not exist at all.

The second problem is that of the lack of qualified manpower. Because

many people have not come to know the interface of standardization,

quality control, and metrological activities and the low salary

offered, the recruitment of personnel Is our number tv;o problem. At

present, we only have three staff members to cover the whole country

of 43,000 square miles.

What Is Being Done About the Problems

The Bureau, having realized the tremendous problems that lie ahead,

has undertaken the following;

38
1. The enactment of comprehensive weights and measures laws to

replace the old ones.

2. Encouraging the Government to put more money Into metrological

activities.

3. Encouraging the Government to declare Its Intention of "going

metric."

4. Recruiting more qualified personnel.

We at the bureau of Standards feel that If the above plans are

Implemented, the weights and measures activities In Liberia will

surely take on a new direction towards Improvement.

Conclusion

Though lacking most of the vital Ingredients needed In weights and

measures activities, the Bureau of Standards has brought about

considerable Improvement In the area. Presently, the consumer Is

assured that when he buys a pound of meat from the butcher. It Is a pound of meat. He Is assured that when he drives his car to the

gasoline filling station and requests a gallon of gasoline, he gets a gallon.

As time goes on and the Bureau strengthens Its manpower, all other

areas of trade and commerce will be covered. We feel that weights and

measures services are beneficial to both the consumer and the producer

and as such must claim the attention of all concerned.

I

39
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A NATIONAL SYSTEM FOR THE CALIBRATION OF

STANDARDS AND MEASURING INSTRUMENTS IN MEXICO

by

Mr. Julian Basurto

Dlrecclon General de Nonnas

Mexico D.F,, Mexico

Introduction

The Industrial development of Mexico makes It of paramount Importance

to start a national system of calibration and certification of testing

equipment and measuring standards used In the production of goods and

services In order to guarantee to the domestic and foreign consumer

that the quality of products and amount received are reliable.

The Dlrecclon General de Normas (General Directorate of Standards--

DGN) In no way has the human and material resources to render

calibration service to each and every one of the measuring Instruments

and standards used In Industry for each and every one of the

measurable magnitudes (length, area, volume, flow, force, pressure,

temperature, time, electric quantities, etc.). The technique used,

equipment, and personnel are quite specialized and dissimilar, aside

from the high cost of Installing an adequate laboratory which Is

always Incomplete as methods, standards, and measuring apparatus vary

continuously.

On account of circumstances. It Is considered that conservation and

transmission of measures In the national territory lean upon a national system which will comprise all metrology laboratories of

private companies and official agencies that are In operation in the

country. In this way, the technical know-how of these laboratories

could be made generally available. At present, knowledge of their

activities is rather limited. The effective operation of a national

measurement system would encourage modernization and technical

Improvement of all establishments. Some of them with confidence In

their own competence could exercise the option of intervening In the

verification and calibration of standards and measuring instruments

used in the national Industry In accord with the overall direction and

control of DGN.

Description of System

1. The national system of verification, calibration, and

certification of standards and measurement apparatus has the purpose

of regulating and promoting veracity and reliability of measurements

carried out In the fields of science, technology, industry, and

commerce by means of standards and measuring apparatus duly certified,

calibrated, and adjusted.

A1
2. The dispositions of this system are applicable to manufacturers.

Importers, repairers, merchants, and those using standards and

measuring devices in the national territory,

3. A national registry of standards and measuring devices has been

established.

4. Manufacturers and Importers must verify and calibrate, at the

beginning, each and every one of the measuring devices manufactured or imported in order to obtain the corresponding official certificates

and registry numbers, in cases and terms pointed out by the general

regulations of this Decree, before putting them at the disposal of

seller or user.

3. Repairmen of measuring devices must verify and calibrate each and

every one of the devices repaired in order to obtain the corresponding

official certificates in cases and terms pointed out by the general

regulations of this Decree before putting them at the disposal of

users, as well as showing DGN the registry number of the repaired

apparatus and what the repairing consisted of.

6. Merchants are not allowed to sell standards without their

corresponding official certifications and registry numbers.

7. Users of standards must demand from their suppliers the

corresponding official registry. It 1s prohibited to use for any

purpose standards without their official certificates and registry

numbers

.

8. Users of standards must verify them periodically,

9. The official certification required for standards and measuring

devices is issued by the Secretaria de Fomento y Fomento Industrial

(Secretariat of Development and Industrial Development) through DGN,

based on the judgment of verifications and calibrations made by

official laboratories or private ones duly qualified.

10. Laboratories referred to above will be the ones that comprise the

voluntary acknowledged laboratories of the national system with

specific authorization in metrology.

Conclusion

It is intended with the present system to build up the corresponding

mechanism that will permit a better development to integral

standardization in accordance with national needs and international

practice. It is intended also to solve problems in commerce. Industry, and technology, which require the organized and recognized

supervision in verification, calibration, and certification of

standards and measuring devices in order to ascertain results that

measurements made are reliable.

42
THE DEVELOPMENT OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ADMINISTRATION

IN NIGERIA AFTER THE COLONIAL ERA

by

Mr, Y, A, Balogun

Deputy Superintendent of Weights and Measures

Federal Ministry of Trade

Lagos, Nigeria

Weights and measures activity may be ranked as one of the most

pervasive activities in the life of every individual in human society.

It enters into the economic arrangements and daily concerns of every

family. It is in the realization of this that the Government of

Nigeria thought it imperative to ensure a fair deal in any transaction

involving the determination of quantity.

During the colonial era, the administration of v/elghts and measures in

Nigeria was saddled on the Nigeria Police, who were already overburdened. The police lacked many requirements to be able to carry out

the weights and measures activities efficiently and effectively.

First, they lacked the manpower and training necessary to be able to

certify any weighing or measuring instrument accurately for

transactional purposes.

Second, the police had no equipment to carry out their onerous job.

At best, the Inspector of Police merely Issued "Certificates of

Justness" in respect to instruments without testing them. These,

together with other problems, militated against the efficient administration of weights and measures in Nigeria. As a result of this lack

of a virile weights and measures administration, equipment used for

the buying and marketing of agricultural produce (which were our main

foreign exchange earners, namely, palm kernel, palm oil rubber,

cotton, groundnuts, cocoa, and ginger) was not properly tested and

maintained. Consequently, the Government was heavily surcharged for

shortwelght bagged commodities which ran to millions of dollars. This

no doubt led the Nigeria Government to withdraw the service from the

police and to contemplate the use of some other organization capable

of administering weights and measures controls in the country.

Just before the Nigerian Independence in 1960, the need for a proper

setup for a weights and measures service in the country became even more imperative. Towards this end, a United Nations expert in weights

and measures was engaged by the Federal Government to draft the

Weights and Measures Act which was enacted in 1962 and to establish a School of Legal Metrology at Oshodi-Lagos. The first batch of

trainee-inspectors of weights and measures recruited in 1961 underwent

two years of theoretical and practical training after which they sat

for the Testamur Certificate of the British Institute of Trading

Standard Administration (formerly called the British Institute of

43
Weights and Measures Administration) which is the Nigerian qualifying

examination for Inspectors.

Inspectors later go on attachment to local weights and measures

authorities in the United Kingdom where they receive further courses

of instruction and then sit for the Board of Trade Examination for

qualification as Inspectors of Weights and Measures in the United

Kingdom. In the past few years, the Nigerian Inspectors have had the

opportunity of visiting other weights and measures establishments in

India, Western Germany, and Australia, and the wealth of experience

gained during these visits has tremendously improved our own setup and

adminis trat ion.

One of the problems facing the Administration of Weights and Measures

in Nigeria today is the dearth of qualified inspectors. Nigeria, with

a population of about 80 million and an area of 913,091 square

kilometers (373,640 square miles), still needs the services of more

inspectors of weights and measures to cover all the towns and villages

more effectively. At the moment, we have a weights and measures

office in each of tVie 19 states, and with only 40 Inspectors (which

averages about 2 inspectors per state), the administration is

overextended in its duty to test and certify the accuracy of all

trading scales and measuring instruments used in the Federation.

The British Testamur Examination which produced only 10 inspectors in

4 years did not provide an answer to the problem. Moreover, the

abolition of the Testamur Examination by the Institute as a result of

the phasing out of the old-style United Kingdom qualifying examination

system was of special concern to the Federal Government of Nigeria. A

United Nations expert in weights and measures was engaged in 1975

under the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to reorganize the

training school. The report of this expert has been accepted by the

Federal Government. As a result, a Nigerian Gertlflcate in Weights

and Measures—a Diploma Gertlflcate~ls to be Issued by the Yaba

College of Technology. It will replace the Testamur Certificate.

This new Nigerian Certificate will have international recognition, and

it is envisaged that students for the three-year course will be drawn

from Nigeria and other neighboring African countries. The subjects

for the course include mathematics, law in relation to weights and

measures, weights and measurements technology, care and custody of

standards and balances, practical verification, statistics,

electronics, and economics. Many industrial establishments in the

measuring and weighing business and the Federal Government will

readily absorb graduates from the course. It will not be long before

we attain our ultimate goal of providing a weights and measures

service to every nook and corner of the country.

The activities of the Department can be classified under three main

headings—verification, inspection, and technology. Under

verification. Inspectors test all weighing and measuring appliances in use for trade to see whether they are performing well within

44
permissible error allowances. If they are correct, they are stamped

as fit for use for trade and "Certificates of Verification" are

issued. Incorrect equipment is rejected and notices given to the users to liave them repaired and resubmitted for further tests. During

inspection, the inspectors go round to see that the original accuracy

is maintained within the tolerances permitted. Breaches of the law

are usually minimized by the knowledge that legal proceedings against

offenders can be Instituted with a high probability of conviction by a magistrate's court. A lot of maturity is required of the inspectors

to see that offences committed as a result of Intent to defraud are prosecuted rather than those arising from ignorance or carelessness.

Under technology, the Inspectors ensure that our standards (primary,

secondary, tertiary, and working) are properly kept and maintained in our standards laboratories in Lagos and in the state offices. A lot

of new techniques in the testing of bulk flowmeters and taximeters are being acquired so that inspectors can cover these areas of enforcement

of the Decree.

Nigeria went completely metric on January 1, 1979, with the

promulgation of the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Decree 1978 which

gives Inspectors wide powers, including the sealing of premises where

offenses have been committed. It is therefore lawful to use only

metric units for the purposes of trade and other commercial

transactions

With Improved staffing and training, it is hoped that in the next 10

years Nigeria will be able to boast of a very efficient and effective

Weights and Measures Administration comparable to those in some advanced countries.

45
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.'Jiidira
THE PRESENT STATE OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES IN SRI LANKA

by

Mr. A.P.H.G. De Waas Gunawardena

Assistant Superintendent of Weights and Measures

Weights and Measures Division

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Legal Metrolosev In Sri Lanka

Systems of weights and measures have been In existence In the Indian

subcontinent for nearly 3,000 years. These systems are described In a manual of statecraft written during the reign of Emperor Asoka of

India. The ruins of Mohlndejara and Harappa demonstrate that the

concept of standardization existed even In these early times. In Sri

Lanka, large-scale Irrigation schemes depended on channels with very

small gradients, an Indication of the ability even at that time to

measure with a fair degree of accuracy. During the 10th and 11th

centuries, Sri Lanka was a trading center for exchange of goods

between the West and China. Therefore, one can presume that some kind

of control of quantities was exercised.

In the year 1878, a Law was established to control the weights and

measures In Sri Lanka, and under this Lav, standards of mass, length,

and volume were Imported and distributed to the district offices for

testing and stamping of weights and measures of traders, but no central office, laboratory, or national standards were available to

calibrate the district standards periodically. In fact, once given in

1878, nothing was done subsequently to calibrate these standards.

Under a new Weights and Measures Law In 1954, for the first time

standards for mass (the pound) and length (the yard), verified and

stamped at the Standards Department of the Board of Trade In England,

were brought Into use In Ceylon and were proclaimed as Ceylon

Standards.

It was only in the year 1955 with the enactment of the Weights and

Measures Ordinance and Regulations In Sri Lanka, together with the

establishment of the Weights and Measures Standards Laboratory, that

some meaningful action was taken to regularize the system of weights

and measures. It is this Law and the subsequent amendments which

provide for the establishment and maintenance of national and

derivative standards of measurement: the (Amendment) Act No. 7 of

1971; Weights and Measures (Amendment) Law No. 24 of 1974, and the

Weights and Measures (Amendment) Act No. 16 of 1979. Under the

Weights and Measures (Amendment) Law No. 24 of 1974, the International

System of Units (SI) as the principal system of measurement Is now

legally recognlz^ In Sri Lanka. However, the "yard" and the "pound"

47
defined in relation to the meter and the kilogram can be lawfully used

concurrently with the units of the international system.

The original Law established in 1935 was limited to the measurement of

length, mass, and volume, and the national and derivative standards

were available for only these three units. The establishment of

national and derivative metric standards in SI commenced in 1974 and

are in the process of being progressively built up under the country’s

metrication program.

The Weights and Measures Regulations which lay down specifications for

measuring instruments used in trade are confined to the measurement of

length, mass, and volume only. These regulations formulated in 1955

have now been revised completely in accordance with the International

Organization for Legal Metrology (oniL) recommendations. The scope of

these regulations will be extended very shortly,

1, Structure and Function of the National Service of Legal Metrology

The emphasis so far has been on metrology confined to compulsory

verification of measuring Instruments used in the determination of

length, mass, and volume in trade.

The central office for both administrative and technical purposes is

situated in the administrative capital of Sri Lanka and comprises a laboratory installed and equipped for maintaining the national and derivative standards. The working standards used in the field by

Inspectors are calibrated against the derivative standard. One local

laboratory is situated in each district where all testing and stamping

of weights and measures and weighing and measuring instruments are done by inspectors.

2, Commodities Sold in Containers and Packages

Weights and Measures (Amendment) Act No, 7 of 1971 requires by an order published in the gazette that commodities which are put up for

sale in a container or a package should carry conspicuously on the

outside of the container or package a statement of the net weight,

volume, or length of the contents where such article has been declared

to be a "specified article," Almost all commodities commonly used and

which are marketed by weight, volume, or length and are prepacked have

been brought under this requirement by being declared as "specified

articles." I'Jhen products in a container are also encased in a package, the statement should appear both on the container and the

package. Under the Metric Conversion Law, a start has been made to

mark the net contents in fixed metric quantities only for tea,

toothpaste, and paint. For other scheduled commodities, it would

suffice if the equivalent metric quantity is marked.

The policy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is for

free and open trade. Import restrictions have been liberalized. As a

48
result of this policy, consumer goods have not only been imported

freely but consumers have been ensured of the continuing availability

of a very wide range of consumer products. Consequently, the

responsibility of protecting the consumer has become increasingly

relevant. The Consumer Protection Act No. 1 of 1979, which is

intended for this purpose, was proclaimed in January 1979. To meet

this demand to protect the consxjmer, the metrology laboratory will

expand its capabilities.

Petrol (Gasoline) Pumps

Since the Metric Conversion Law of 1974 came into force, petrol pumps

are being converted to read in metric units. Along with this

conversion, petrol pumps are verified and stamped by inspectors. Due

to frequent breakdown of calibrated pumps, a problem has arisen.

Petrol pumps initially designed and manufactured to deliver in units

of the imperial gallon, its multiples, and sub-multiples had to be

converted to deliver in the metric unit of liters, which is a comparatively smaller unit of volume. This requires the display

mechanism to work faster with a consequent increase in the number of

breakdowns. Apart from this, the metering device also goes out of

calibration fairly often requiring adjustment of the metering chamber

which requires the breaking of the mark of authentication by the

inspector. Dealers of fuel have to get their broken-down pumps

repaired very quickly in order to serve the customers. This means the

inspector's mark of authentication has to be broken. A large number

of broken pumps and lack of transport facilities hinder the

recalibration and stamping by Inspectors. Simply because an inspector

cannot be made available, the dealer cannot be expected to refrain

from using a repaired pump, thereby possibly causing a major breakdown

of the transport system. Therefore, a reasonable solution has to be

found to allow the dealer to use such pumps till they are calibrated

and stamped, but at the same time, consumers will have to be notified

of the condition of the pumps by implementation of needed regulations.

Preliminary investigations in progress aim to develop controls over

gas, water, and electrical energy meters, hydrometers used in the

rubber industry, and moisture meters used in the grain trade.

Moisture Meters

Resistance and capacitance electrical moisture meters are used to

determine the moisture content of grain. The Paddy Marketing Board,

the major buyer, is using the resistance type, commonly called Keth

meters. The OIML method, a direct drying method, takes a fairly long

time and is not suited to the use for purchasing paddy at a store or in the fields. A survey to correlate the OIML method with the

readings of the Keth meter is being carried out.

49
Alcoholometry

The OIML method for ethylalcohol content has been recognized

officially, but In practice, Sykes hydrometers are used, and

Ebullometers are also used* Reconciliation of these methods has been

achieved, and rules are being prepared. With the present shortage of

fuel and Its ever-lncreaslng prices. It Is expected that this

meastirement may become Important In the very near future because there

exists the possibility of producing alcohol In coconut plantations as an alternative fuel.

Thermometry

At this Initial state, thermometry Is confined to testing of clinical

thermometers. Steps are being taken to provide the district

laboratories with facilities to test clinical thermometers because

different types of clinical thermometers from a number of countries

are available in the market. Very few of these bear any

certification.

50
RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING OF SUDANESE

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OFFICERS

by

Mr. Bablker Abu El Hassan

Assistant Director

Weights and Measures Administration

Khartoum, Sudan

The purpose of my paper Is to trace the development of the training of our weights and measures staff and to describe future training policy.

The term ’’Officer" means a person appointed under Section 26 of the

Weights and Measures Ordinance 1955 to be a Weights and Measures

Officer of the standards section of the Ministry of Commerce and

Supply. Section 26 of that Ordinance reads as follows:

"1. The Under Secretary may from time to time appoint persons satisfying prescribed qualifications to be Weights and Measures

Officers of the Standards Section of the Ministry of Commerce

and Supply to administer the provisions of this Ordinance. All

such appointments shall be published In the Gazette.

"2. The Under Secretary may delegate to any council established by

warrant under a local government ordinance for the time being in

force the power to appoint officers for Its area."

Therefore, attention has been given to the recruitment, training, qualifications, and appointments of Sudanese Weights and Measures Officers

even before the Weights and Measures Ordinance came Into effect.

In August 1952, the Sudan Government signed a contract with a British

expert In weights and measures who was holding the British Board of

Trade certificate of qualifications for weights and measures

Inspectors and who was a member of the British Institute of Weights

and Measures Administration. That was Mr. L. G. Theobald. His

principal duties were as follows:

1. To assist In the establishment of a comprehensive weights and

measures service In the Sudan.

2. To train Initially seven Sudanese weights and measures officers.

3. To establish a school for the training of weights and measures

officers.

The title of his post was "Training Officer." He was working under

the direction of a British Weights and Measures Inspector, Hr. J. L.

Penn, who was appointed before him to establish a nationwide weights

and measures service In the Sudan.

51
The Weights and Measures Ordinance 1955 was passed by Parliament and came Into force on June 15, 1955.

Structure and Extent of the 1955 Ordinance

The Ordinance consists of four parts as follows:

Fart I contains the title, the repeal of previously existing laws, and

the application. Interpretation, and enforcement of the Ordinance.

Fart II Is concerned with the Sudanese units of weights and measures.

Fart III deals with the physical standards.

Part IV Is a general part. It contains the general provisions

affecting the public. Inspection and verification of trade equipment

and goods, ministers and officers given responsibility and power,

prosecutions of weights and measures offenses, penalties, etc.

Weights and Measures Regulations 1956

In the exercise of the powers conferred upon him by Section 39 of the

Weights and Measures Ordinance 1955, the then Minister made the

regulations which came Into effect on May 15, 1957.

These regulations fall Into two groups as follows:

1. Legal technical specifications with which weighing and measur-*

Ing Instrtunents must comply.

2. Regulations which have penal clauses under Article 40 of the

Weights and Measures Ordinance 1955 and with which the trader

must comply.

These latter amplify the provisions of the Ordinance.

This Is the general picture of the Ordinance and Regulations.

Accordingly, a guide for recruitment, training, and appointment of

weights and measures officers has been drafted. Terms for appointment

to posts of weights and measures officers have been approved by the

Public Service Commission after careful negotiations.

The Minister of Commerce and Supply Is empowered under Section 39,

l.e., of the Weights and Measures Ordinance 1955, to make regulations

prescribing the qualifications necessary for appointments as weights

and measures officers. It Is stated In the memorandum of the draft

regulations made under the provisions of Article 39 of the Ordinance

that "The general aim Is to provide In the Ordinance rigid principles,

and In the Regulations, flexible laws that could be amended as the

need arose or developed further without the need to have a new bill

put before Parliament."

52
The Regulations here described have been drafts^ In consultation with

the Attorney General and the Public Service Commission. They were

called "The Weights and Measures Qualifications and Duties of

Officers, Regulations 1957," They were passed by the Minister of

Commerce and Supply In March 1957 and came Into effect on May 15,

1957.

The major outline of the Regulations Is as follows:

1. Entrance qualifications.

2. Qualifying course,

3. Duties of the weights and measures officers In the execution of

their powers under the Ordinance.

The full text of the Regulations Is given In Appendix A. A detailed

syllabus for every subject has been drafted.

The Minister or the Under Secretary Is not empowered to suspend or revoke a certificate of qualification given to any office under these

Regulations. For the case of frequent misconduct In the execution of

his duties, such provisions may be made provided that a recommendation

to suspend or cancel the certificate Is Issued by a court of justice

or discipline boards.

Future Training Policy

Recently a technical committee was formed by the Sudanese National

Council for Higher Education. It has Investigated and evaluated the

performance of our weights and measures school with regard to:

1, Qualifying syllabus,

2, Training facilities.

3, Future development.

The committee was headed by the head of the engineering faculty of the

Institute of Technological Colleges with other representatives. Their

final report Is receiving our careful consideration.

The recommendations are as follows:

1, The syllabus should be enlarged to Include:

a. Latest developments of trade weights and measures equipment.

b. Study of office administration techniques.

c. Expanded knowledge of legal procedures and study of any

other new weights and measures legislation.

53
d. Advanced methods of calibration of standards and trade equipment.

e. Electricity and applied electronics.

f. Technical drawings and statistics.

I g. Study of metals technology.

2. The term weighing and measuring practice should be altered to

read "technology of weighing and measuring instruments" to

widen the scope of training.

3. Entrance qualifications should be reviewed.

Appendix B outlines the available school training facilities.

Training Abroad

Qualified officers are selected from time to time for scholarships for

studies concerning weights and measures in accordance with their

academic qualifications and record of work.

Institute of Weights and Measures (WMI)

We have in hand a scheme to develop our weights and measures school to a technical weights and measures institute. The proposed scheme will

broadly speaking take the form of:

1. Physical needs, such as:

a. Erection of school buildings.

b. Setting up of a library equipped with textbooks and

references.

c. Supply of technical equipment.

d. Supply of furniture.

2. Staffing. (Lecturers, tutors, and Instructors should have ex- tensive training in the weights and measures field, whether

obtained locally or abroad.)

3. Foreign consultants to help in the establishment of VJMI.

The Sudan is seeking financial funds in local and hard currency in

order to start the Implementation of this scheme. Contributions from

international organizations or agencies, either in the form of

technical aid or financial assistance, would be highly appreciated.

54
APPENDIX A

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES REGULATIONS, 1957

(QUALIFICATIONS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS)

In exercising the powers conferred upon him by Section 39 of the

Weights and Measures Ordinance 1955, the Minister of Commerce and

Supply hereby makes the following Regulations:

I Qualifications of Officers

1. Persons who have completed their secondary education or who have

passed the relevant public service examination shall be eligible for

recruitment as weights and measures trainees.

Weights and measures trainees who have completed three years as approved trainees and assistant weights and measures officers who have

completed five years approved service shall be eligible to take the

departmental qualifying examination for appointment as weights and

measures officers.

2. The qualifying ex2unlnatlon, whenever held, will be held In >larch.

3. The syllabus for the qualifying examination shall Include the

following subjects, but may be altered by the Minister from time to

time:

a. English (written and oral).

b. Arithmetic and mensuration.

c. Physics.

d. Weighing and measuring practice.

e. Law.

f. Oral and practical tests.

The passing standard will be 50 percent overall and AO percent In a single subject. The minimum passing standard In oral and practical Is

50 percent.

Duties of Officers

A. Each officer shall be responsible for the Inspection of every

trade and Its premises within his charge at least once In every year.

5. He shall be responsible for properly maintaining his standards and

equipment which shall at all times be In his custody. He shall

regularly compare his standards with the area standards Issued to him

and adjust the same to agree exactly (Section 18).

6. He shall maintain a dally record of his Inspection and

verification work.

55
7. His records shall consist of:

a. Work diary.

b. Inspection rough notes.

c. Inspection records.

d. Verification records.

e. Records of standards book.

f. Register of traders.

g. Caution book and record of prosecutions.

8. An officer shall not reveal to any person any Information that

comes Into his possession In the course of his duties or otherwise

betray the confidence of his office.

9. An officer shall not show any favor to any scale maker or repairer

or supplier of scales or weights or measures by making any

recommendations to any trader.

10. Inspection visits will, as far as possible, be planned and

carried out with an element of surprise. Surprise visits should not

be confined to official working hours only but must be designed to

take place when least expected.

11. It Is the officer's duty to supervise the work of his assistants,

bearing In mind that the officer cannot delegate to an unqxiallfled

assistant any of his own statutory duties (Section 26-3).

12. Ho prosecution should be Initiated without, obtaining written

authority from headquarters; and the results of each prosecution, with

a note of the defense. If any, should be rendered at the conclusion of

the case. No authority from headquarters shall be required for the

prosecution of persons under Sections 22, 31A, 37, and 38 of the

Weights and Measures Ordinance.

13. Every officer acting under Section 32 who seizes any weighing or measuring Instrument or part thereof, shall give a receipt In writing

for the same and shall, at the first opportunity, examine and fully

test It according to the requirements of the relevant regulations in

the presence of the owner.

The results of the test shall be sent to the Superintendent of

Standards and the Magistrate If necessary In the form of a complaint.

The appliance or an essential part of it should be produced before the

Magistrate.

14. At the conclusion of every successful prosecution, the officer

shall request the Magistrate to order the destruction of the article

regarding which the complaint was made.

56
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CONTROL OF RETAIL MAFJCETS IN THAILAND

by

Mr. Wichlan Pratoommas

Commercial Counselor

Royal Thai Embassy

New York, N.Y,

In Thailand, many ministries and independent agencies make measurements. For example, in the Ministry of Industry, we have the

Department of Science with many test facilities and the Thai Institute

for Industrial Standards with a number of capable committees

representing industries and Government. The Ministry of Health has

pharmaceutical and microbiological measurement capabilities, but it is

the Ministry of Commerce that by law is responsible for the national

measurement standards and the regulation of retail markets with a modest central office in Bangkok with substations in most provincial

capitals. By comparison with U.S. state offices, the staff and

equipment as yet are very modest, and the control of the thousands of

traders with their measuring devices is not as effective as desirable.

The consumer is more on the lookout for unfair treatment than his

counterpart need be in the United States. So far the Government has

not successfully insisted on the use of the metric measures,

especially by farmers and wholesalers, although these measures alone

are legal in Thailand.

I believe it is a function of the Government to protect the consumer

in retail markets and hope that the Royal Thai Government should and

will do more in this direction. Thailand has the technical

capabilities in the universities, such as especially Chulalongkorn

University, which could cooperate in training, and the United Nations

or other countries could advise on the facilities needed. Just

outside Bangkok is situated the Asian Institute of Technology which is

ideally suited to assist. Graduate students could study the problem

and suggest solutions which could be the subject of their theses.

59
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SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE

OFFICE OF WEIGHTS AND MJIASURES IN TUNISIA

by

Eng, Mohieddine Ben Larbi

Chief, Food Products Section

Central Laboratory

Tunis, Tunisia

The Office of Weights and Measures of Tunisia is concerned any time a commercial transaction involves the measuring of weights or lengths.

Its action is based on several decrees:

1. The Decree of January 12, 1885, establishing the metric system

in Tunisia,

2. The Decree of January 29, 1909, concerning the verification and

construction of weights and measures, as V7ell as weighing and

measuring instruments.

3. The Decree of December 26, 1911, setting the value of the metric

carat at 0,2 g,

4. The Decree of January 29, 1912, concerning the use of carat

weights,

5. The Decree of Jlay 10, 1930, concerning the general conditions

for the verification and hallmarking of measuring apparatus.

6. The Decree of June 20, 1930, regarding the periodic utilization and verification of gas pumps.

In addition to the above decrees, the office also refers to foreign

laws to complete its practices. Standard weights are obtained from

Service des Instruments de Mesure de Paris (SIMP)

There are four permanent offices (Tunis, Sousse, Bizerte, and Sfax)

working under the control of different regional offices whose task is

to check all newly-cons true ted weighing and measuring devices. This

check covers:

1. Precision.

2. Sensitivity.

3. Accuracy of measuring instruments.

Every imported measuring instrument must go through the permanent

office for verification and initial hallmarking. The same is done

with a locally manufactured instrument. The importer or manufacturer

will pay a fee for this initial hallmark. The hallmark consists of a

61
letter of the alphabet stamped on the instrument v;hich must be then

periodically presented for a new check. It should be noted that each

year a ministerial decree sets the length, the place, and the weight

stamp letter for that year's verification of measuring and weighing

instruments. The weight stamp letter is valid for all measures and

weights and is changed each year. There are temporary offices,

operating under the control of various permanent offices, that are responsible for these periodical inspections of weights and measures. Another task of the Office of Weights and Measures is to make sure

that no "unstamped" weighing instruments ever go on the market.

As regards weigh-bridges (truck scales), the office sends its

inspectors with standard weights to carry out a site inspection.

Furthermore, it ensures control over tank capacity both for oil

companies and the railway (tank cars) , They also check on the

accuracy of volumeters (water or gas companies, oil companies, etc.).

The Central Laboratory also ensures control over electric meters, both

locally-made and imported. Some companies run their own weights and

measures inspection services, as for example, the Societe Tunisienne

d'Electricite et de Gaz (STEG)

.

The Central Laboratory is also responsible for inspecting meters used

for the export of oil products. To carry out this task, the

Laboratory has two engineers trained in two specialized institutions

in the Federal Republic of Germany (Brunswick)

.

The Office of Weights and >'easures in Tunisia will further extend the

scope of its activities with additional staff and more specialized

equipment. To that end, the assistance of the National Bureau of

Standards/Washington has been requested, and a preliminary project is

underway

,

62
LAWS ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

IN THE UNITED STATES

(during the 6Ath National Conference on Weights and Measures)

by

Mr. Allen J. Farrar

Legal Adviser

National Bureau of Standards

Your host, Mr. Steffen Peiser, has asked me to speak to you about the

laws under which the National Bureau of Standards operates in the

field of weights and measures. Before doing so, however, I should

like to add my voice of welcome and to express the hope that you are

enjoying your visit and are benefiting from your association with the

other weights and measures officials at this Conference.

I know that if you are in the capable hands of Mr. Peiser, you are being well taken care of as he is the classic example of what an ambassador of good will should be. I was therefore quite flattered

when he asked me to speak to this selected prestigious group. It is

my understanding that Mr. Peiser has furnished you a copy of a talk

concerning the Bureau* s laws that I gave to the 60th National

Conference on VJelghts and Measures.* I shall therefore limit my

remarks to a few highlights of that earlier talk and give you an opportunity when I finish to ask me any questions that you may wish

relating to the Bureau's legal authority in the area of weights and

measures activities. In that way, I believe our informal get-together

this evening may be interesting and productive for you.

The theme of my earlier talk~People Make the Difference—is as important in international dealings involving weights and measures

activities as it is in our Federal-State relationship within the

United States. If aid in this field of endeavor is to prove

beneficial, it must be given willingly, it must be offered graciously,

and it must be provided in a manner that is understandable and useful.

The details on how such assistance may be provided to your country, if

desired, by the United States are, of course, matters to be worked out

between the appropriate officials in our respective countries in a spirit of mutual cooperation and friendship.

Any examination of the legal authority of the National Bureau of

Standards in the area of weights and measures must begin with the

Organic Act of NBS—an Act that was originally enacted in 1901. That

*Farrar, Allen J., "The Perfect Formula and PMTD," pp. 123-33, Report of

the 60th National Conference on Weights and Measures, 1975, NBS Special

Publication 4A2, issued May 1976.

63
Act sets out the Bureau’s general mission and provides the legal basis

and authority for carrying out that mission. It is, in a sense, a charter which describes the nature and scope of the Bureau's

activities, for whom it may perform those activities, and pertinent

administrative requirements relative to carrying out its activities.

Two of the basic functions assigned to NBS under that statute which

relate to weights and measures activities are:

(1) "The custody, maintenance, and development of the national

standards of measurement and [providing the] means and

methods for making measurements consistent with those

standards, including the comparison of standards used

in . . . commerce . . . with the standards adopted or recognized by the Government,"

(2) "Cooperation with other government agencies and with private

organizations in the establishment of standard practices,

incorporated in codes specifications,"

In carrying out those basic functions, the Bureau is authorized to

undertake a number of specific activities in support of those

functions. One of those supporting activities is:

"Cooperation with the States in securing uniformity in weights

and measures laws and methods of inspection,"

If I may return for a moment to the International aspects of weights

and measures activities, I would point out that in 1972, the NBS

Organic Act was substantially broadened. Before 1972, NBS was essentially limited to carrying out its functions for the Government

of the United States, States and municipal governments within the

United States, and other institutions, firms, and individuals within

the United States. The 1972 amendment, however, enlarged the NBS

authority so as to permit it to carry out its functions for

international organizations of which the United States is a member,

for governments of friendly countries, and for institutions, firms,

and individuals in friendly countries. The exercise of the Bureau's

functions in the international area, however, must be coordinated with

the Department of State,

Possibly some of you may have noted in reading my earlier talk that

there were a total of 20 Federal statutes that have been enacted over the years which assign specific scientific duties to NBS, You may be

interested to know that in the intervening four years between that

talk and now, an additional six statutes have been added to that

total. One of those statutes which I believe would be of special

interest to you is the Metric Conversion Act of 1975. That Act has

taken on added significance recently in light of the problems caused

by the steep increase in the price of gasoline and of the talks being

carried out at this Conference involving the issue of converting

64
gasoline pvimps from Its present measurement system in terms of gallons

to the metric system where the measurement would be In liters. The

Act sets up a U.S, Metric Board to coordinate the voluntary conversion

of the United States to the metric system. It Is of Interest to note

that this Act was passed nearly 110 years after the Congress legalized

the use of the metric system In the United States.

One aspect relating to the matter of the Bureau's legal authority that

often Is surprising to those who Interact with NBS Is the fact that

not one of the 26 statutes which Impose various responsibilities on

NBS, Including its Organic Act, confer any regulatory or enforcement

powers on NBS. Hence, as l-IBS has no regulatory or enforcement powers,

the way In which It carries out Its authorized mission of developing

the national standards of measurement, the establishment of standard

practices for Incorporation In codes and specifications, and securing

uniformity In weights and measures laws and methods of Inspection, Is

through cooperation. Up to now, the cooperative efforts exercised by

NBS in the weights and measures field has largely been with other

government agencies, private organizations, and the Individual States.

Hopefully, the level of cooperation which NBS has undertaken In the

International field regarding weights and measures can be extended and

broadened so that our knowledge and experience can be shared v;lth all

nations who desire to Improve and upgrade the reliability and

efficiency of their weights and measures activities and

responsibilities

.

I should like to conclude my remarks with a reference to the United

States Constitution. As you no doubt realized during the past 10 days

of your Course and especially at this Conference, the emphasis on weights and measures activities has been on the role played by the

States In carrying out those activities. Some of you may find that

strange in light of the provision in the United States Constitution

that says "the Congress shall have the power ... to regulate

commerce . . . among the several states . . . and . . . to fix the

standards of weights and measures."

The fact is, however, that although it has been more than 200 years

since the United States was formed. Congress has done very little in

the field of weights and measures.

In 1836, 60 years after this country issued its Declaration of

Independence from England, Congress adopted a Joint Resolution which

directed the Secretary of the Treasury to supply each state with a copy of weights and measures adopted as standards for the customhouses. The purpose of that Resolution was to establish a uniform

standard of weights and measures throughout the United States.

In 1866, Congress legalized the use of the metric system and ordered

that each State be furnished a set of standards of the metric system.

Finally In 1881, a complete set of all the weights and measures that

65
had been adopted as standards was ordered by Congress to be delivered

to each State*

In 1966, NBS embarked upon a ten-year program to distribute to each of

the States a completely new set of standards, precision balances, and

laboratory instruments as replacements for the sets of standards and

instruments originally authorized 130 years earlier. NBS recently

completed that distribution.

Except for the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, which I mentioned a few

moments ago, some minor Standard Barrel Acts of World War I vintage

that are likely to be repealed if a survey, currently being

considered, confirms our suspicion that they are being used very

little, if at all, and the mentioned Joint Resolutions calling for the

furnishing of sets of weights and measures adopted as standards to the

States, Congress has not seen fit to exercise, to any substantial

degree, its authority under the Constitution to establish weights and

measures. Nor has it seen fit to vest that power in any Federal

agency. What the Congress has done is to make plain its intention

that a joint effort be made between the Federal Government and the

States to establish a viable and effective weights and measures

system.

We like to feel that NBS has been successful in establishing such a system by undertaking, as called for in its Organic Act in the portion

I have cited earlier, namely;

"Cooperation with the States in securing uniformity in weights

and measures laws and methods of Inspection."

I hope that my comments on the laws affecting NBS in the field of

weights and measures has been helpful and that it may serve to

facilitate your understanding of the various points set out in my

earlier talk on this subject.

I would be very pleased at this time to answer any questions about any

of the matters I have covered or about the various laws affecting the

mission, purpose, and functions of the National Bureau of Standards.

66
EVALUATION AND CLOSING SESSION

by

Mr. H. Steffen Pelser

Chief

Office of International Relations

National Bureau of Standards

Mr. H. Steffen Pelser Invited evaluation and criticism or elaboration

of specific problems In the countries of the participants. He

suggested that perhaps some would wish to relate their remarks to the

papers that had been presented or to the evaluation sheets already

submitted, for which Mr. Pelser expressed appreciation also on behalf

of AID whose support for the NBS projects would be terminated. He

pointed out that If any of the various NBS experiments for assistance

to Industrializing countries were judged to be successful, new

mechanisms may be found. At this time, he noted, the Senate had

defeated the proposed Institute for Scientific and Technical

Cooperation (ISTC) but not without understanding the need for a more

innovative approach which may yet be adopted by the U.S. Government In

future years. (Very soon after the end of the Course, the ISTC was

approved In a compromise between the Senate and the House of

Representatives.

)

Mr. Bablker Abu El Hassan then spoke of the benefit he had derived

from this Course for planning the Sudan Government's new Institute for

Metrology.

Mr. Albert D. Tholen, Chief of the NBS Office of Weights and Measures,

Joined the session briefly to Invite guest workers to NBS from the

organizations represented and to offer copies of NBS literature to all

participants.

Mr. A.P.H.G. De Waas Gunawardena spoke of the expansion of the

Institute of Sri Lanka Standards Into fields of measurement technology

beyond the mass, length, area, and volume concerns of most consumer

retail markets. He had a special Interest In collecting documents,

catalogs, and Information on electrical standard test procedures, as this was the next phase of development In the functions of this

Institute.

Mr. Y. A. Balogun spoke of the division of the weights and measures

authority In Nigeria from the Nigerian Bureau of Standards which

reported to a different ministry,

Mr. J. Klemue Kollle, as all other speakers, expressed his gratitude

to NBS and AID with great sincerity. He requested NBS to Issue

certificates of participation. He compared favorably his experience

In this two^week Course with s,ix months* training he had received in

67
the U.S.S.R. He felt that the Course should have had more laboratory

work and would be most useful to technicians rather than heads of

laboratories.

Dr. Mohammed M. Ammar, on the contrary, felt that heads of laboratories alone had the width of knowledge and Interest to appreciate

most of these wide-ranging demonstrations.

Mr. Falser thought that perhaps two different types of courses would

be required, although technicians who should gain practical experience

really needed months of practical experience In their specialties.

Dr. Debabrata Sen wondered how NBS had acquired such an excellent

reputation. Was It lack of regulatory control or real technical

excellence? In response, Mr. Allen J. Farrar, NBS Legal Adviser,

thought that both these factors were Involved.

Counselor Wlchlan Fratoommas thought the United States was leading the

way In showing how the consumer could and should be protected.

Mr. Guillermo Rivera emphasized that Honduras has a growing

manufacturing sector, and the metrological concerns of his Department

were corresponding by growing In Its fields of Interest.

Dr. Julian Basurto welcomed the self-reliance which had been fostered

by this Course.

Eng. Hohleddlne Ben Larbl appreciated the help received even In his

specialty of food processing control and was looking forward to

supplementing this experience by visits to the Food and Drug

Administration during the following week. He also remarked about the

Course Itself and said that it would be better for each one of the

group to have more technical sessions In his own field at the end of

the Course and gather Information to exchange within the group.

Mr. Farrar summarized his impressions by praising the cooperative

spirit of the participants and suggesting that the resources of NBS

should be used selectively and thoughtfully to benefit development*

All agreed that the Course had been worthwhile and fruitful and had

given much benefit and pleasure to the participants. Lasting

friendships had been formed, and Mr. Kollle challenged all to keep It

up by correspondence.

Then followed a discussion on Mr. Farrar's evening discourse on legal

Issues In regard to NBS and weights and measures control In the States

of the Union (see p. 63). The question was raised about whether a weights and measures Inspector, when he has discovered an Infraction,

should be expected to make a judgment of whether an Intent to defraud

existed or If only Ignorance was Involved* Mr. Farrar thought that on balance It was best to leave this judgment to the impartial courts

of law.

68
s

Mr. Bablker's paper (q.v., p. 51), It was pointed out, had listed the

parts of a good weights and measures ordinance. Mr. Farrar thought

all of these were Important except the Interpretation, which could

often be decided by the debates preceding the legislation or by

reference to courts of law. Finally, the question was examined as to

what extent transactions had to be strictly confined to legal units,

standards, and certified Instruments. The other extreme alternative

was to make the vendor responsible under threat of prosecution to

measure In terms of recognized units on Instruments In tolerance, as laid down by a law.

69
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EVALUATION OF THE NBS/AID COURSE

ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, 1979

A. RELEVANCE TO YOUR PROGRAMS IN YOUR COUNTRY

1, What portion of the presentations had any relevance to your

a. present needs?

I AMMAR: Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures,

Rockwell International, and SFIE.

BALOGUN: All facets of the course*

BASURTO: Rockwell International, NCWM,

GUNAWARDENA: Metrication, check weighing of prepackaged

goods, testing of gasoline pumps,

HASSAN; All presentations.

KOLLIE: Practical demonstrations In the mass laboratory

at Rockwell.

RIVERA; Laboratory visits In Los Angeles.

SEN: Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures.

b. future needs ?

AMMAR: Fluke Manufacturing Co. and NCWM.

BALOGUN: Laboratory technology, calibration, packaging, NBS,

and OIML.

BASURTO: Rockwell International, NCV7M, Fluke Manufacturing.

BEN LARBI: Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures,

coffee plant, milk department, and fish market.

GUNAWARDENA: Training of weights and measures personnel,

electrical standards, grain moisture measurement.

HASSAN; All presentations.

KOLLIE: Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures,

RIVERA: Calibration system of Rockwell and Fluke,

SEN: Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures,

71
I

and Fluke Manufacturing instruments and systems for

electrical calibrations.

2, Which presentations could have been omitted

a. at the Los Angeles Department of VJeights and vteasures?

b. at Rockwell International?

c. at Fluke Manufacturing ?

d. at the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers?

e. at the National Conference on Weights and Measures?

The group agreed, almost unanimously, that none of the

above presentations could have been omitted.

3. Which presentations could have been expanded

a. at the Los Angeles Department of Weights and Pleasures?

AMMAR: ^letrology laboratory demonstrations.

iJAlX)GUN; Practical test of bulk measuring Instruments.

BEN LAKBI: All presentations.

GUNAWARDENA: Examination of gasoline pumps.

HASSAN: All presentations.

KOLLIE: Practical demonstrations.

RiVEFvA: Gas meter and taxi meter inspections.

SEN: Methods of verification of large capacity v;eighlng

machines, volume measuring devices, and taxi meters.

b. at P.ockwell International?

BALOGUN: Calibration of mass and balances.

HASSAN: All presentations.

KOLLIE: More laboratory visits and more practical

demonstrations

SEN: More time at the metrological laboratory.

All others felt the presentations did not need to be

expanded.

72
c. at Fluke Manufacturing?

HASSAN: All presentations.

KOLLIE: Practical demonstrations,

SEN: Automated system for electrical calibration.

All others felt the presentations did not need to be

expanded.

d. at the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers?

GUNAWARDENA: A visit to the laboratories would have been

better.

All others felt the presentations did not need to be

expanded

.

e, at the National Conference on Weights and Measures ?

BALOGUN; Packaging.

BEN LARBI: All presentations,

HASSAN: All presentations.

KOLLIE: Package inspection, prototype examination,

national net weight policy, weights and measures

in the United States.

SEN: Tlie special lecture presentations.

All others felt the presentations did not need to be

expanded

.

4, Which presentation was most valuable for you

a. at the Los Angeles Department of Weights and Measures?

AMMAR: Visits to the retail marketplace.

BALOGUN: Setup and activities of a weights and measures

office in the United States.

BASURTO: Market and packing visits,

BEN LAPJI: All presentations.

GUNAWARDENA: Metrology laboratories, quality control,

inspection of packaged goods.

73
HASSAN: All presentations.

KOLLIE: Practical demonstrations, factory, and supermarket tours.

RIVERA: Hass, volume, equipment.

SEN: Talks on different aspects of weights and measures

activity.

at Rockwell International?

AMMAR: All presentations.

BALOGUN: Calibration of mass and balances, construction of a testing laboratory.

BASURTO: Purpose and development of Rockwell's metrology

laboratory.

GUNAWARDENA: Metrology laboratories.

HASSAN: All presentations.

KOLLIE: Practical demonstrations, laboratory tours.

RIVERA: Equipment calibration.

SEN: Visit to length and pressure measurement laboratories.

at Fluke Manufacturing?

AMMAR: All presentations.

BALOGUN: Calibration of Instruments by computers.

BASURTO: Devices demonstration and calibration laboratory.

GUNAWARDENA: Metrology laboratories and visit to manufacturing plant.

HASSAN: All presentations.

KOLLIE: Practical demonstrations, factory and laboratory

tour.

RIVERA: Device demonstration.

at the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers?

AMMAR: All presentations

74
BALOGUN: Job content

BASURTO : Technical books

,

HASSAN: All presentations.

RIVERA: Technical Information,

e* at the National Conference on Wel?>hts and Measures?

AMMAR: All presentations.

BALOGUN: All presentations.

BASURTO: Standards and laboratories) legal aspects of

weights and measures.

GUNAWARDENA: Standards and laboratories, legal aspects of

weights and measures, packaged goods Inspection.

HASSAN: All presentations.

KOLLIE: Package Inspection, prototype examination, net

weight policy.

R.IVERA: Legal aspects of weights and measures.

SEN: Measurement sciences challenges, prototype examination.

5. What presentations could have been added?

BALOGUN: Present day developments In bulk purchasing

Instruments, testing of taxi meters.

BASURTO: Visit to NBS laboratories.

BEN LARBI: Prepackaging, real applications of control of weights

and measures In the United States.

HASSAN: Short visits to NBS, gasoline pump manufacturers,

scale manufacturers Including maintenance and repair

service. Practical demonstration of type approval for weighing and measuring Instruments Including requirements and

examinations.

SEN: Some demonstrations of the methods of measurem.ent. This

was done only for mass and pressure at Rockwell International.

75
6, General comments on the overall benefits of this course to you

and your country ,

AMMAR: I greatly benefited from the course, especially the

quality assurance program, the activities of the National

Conference on Weights and Measures, the Fluke scope of production, and the publications of the Photo-Optical Society,

BALOGUN: The course has been highly beneficial, especially now

that my country Is about to build a laboratory for caljLbratlon

and type approval. Meeting with different manufacturers

for the purchase of testing equipment.

BASURTO: This course was well organized; with my country preparing to Install new laboratories for metrology, all of the

visits were beneficial for our purposes.

BEN LARBI: Getting to know the details of the American system

of weights and measures Is very Interesting; It Is possible

to compare this system to the French system.

GUNAUARDENA: The Training Course was very useful and will

benefit my country's future programs In weights and measures

in expansion of Its activities In the new fields of electrical measurement, measurement of moisture content In grain,

and gasoline pijmps,

HASSAN: This course will enable me to establish our Legal

Metrology Laboratory which was approved In principle by the

Sudan Government's six-year development plan. I have had the

privilege of making the outlines for the project, and I look

forward to having technical consultations with you. The other

benefits are Innumerable.

RIVERA: Devices knowledge, metrology laboratory organization,

legal aspects of metrology.

SEN: The course has made me realize that professionally I am not a good metrologlst, perhaps not a metrologlst at all,

and has shown me what I should do to become one. I do not

know what the benefits will be to my country,

PERSONAL QUESTIONS

1. Did you

a, enjoy the course ?

All answered yes.

b. regret attending the course?

All indicated no.

76
2, Did you profit professiopally and tec^lcg^ly?

All answered yes.

3. Do you feel you have established personal and useful contacts

with the

a. NBS staff or state weights and measures officials?

All answered yes.

b. other U.S. colleagues from the States?

All answered yes except one person who replied no.

c. other U.S. colleagues from Instrument Industry or Industrial standards laboratories?

All Indicated yes.

d. other course participants?

All Indicated yes.

4, Do you feel your country should have sent someone else of

a . greater position seniority?

Six persons answered no.

b . lesser position seniority?

Four persons Indicated yes, and four no.

c. greater technical experience?

Two persons answered yes, three no.

d. lesser technical experience?

One person indicated yes, four no.

5. What suggestions would you make for the possible organizational

arrangements of future courses?

AMMAR: The course was well designed and adequate for such purposes and in such a period of time.

BALOGUN: Visits to premises of weighing manufacturers, e.g.,

Toledo, Fairbanks, and measuring Instruments for gasoline,

e.g., Gilbarco. Some period within NBS very essential.

77
B/vSURTO; Initial meeting In order to discuss participants'

papers.

BEN LARBi! It would be better If we had stayed at the same place to study several points. We can cover several subjects,

and I think that we will have enough time.

GUNAWARDENA: Practical training, will be very beneficial to

participants, and the period of training should be extended

for the presentations.

HASSAN: Please allow two or three days for personal interests.

KOLLIE: 1. The course should be more than two weeks. This

will give participants time to do in-depth studies

of their problems.

2. More practical examples should be Included.

3. The participants should have a chance to stay at

one location for at least a week.

C. OTHER COMMENTS

BALOGUN: The course should be stabilized to continue annually so that developing countries can acquire knowledge and experience

from A country occupying a unique position like the United

States. Present participants should be Invited at least within

the next two years for further reorientation and to knov; how

far this present course has benefited them by way of practical

application.

BASURTO: I offer my thanks and congratulations to Mr. S. Felscr

and to Mr. C. Raley and the NBS staff for the organization

of this course and for all their attention.

BEN LARBI: The organization of the course is very good; we have

respected the time of the meeting. It Is very beneficial to meet

people from other countries.

GUNAWARDENA: I found the Training Course very useful and beneficial.

It has exposed me to more sophisticated and advanced teclmlques

In the field of weights and measures.

My sincere thanks and congratulations to Mr. Steffen Pelser,

a genuine ambassador of good will, and to other officials of

NBS for the excellent planning and scheduling of this program.

Also, I express my sincere thanks to the Americans for their warm welcome and hospitality.

78
UASSAU: In *o r.v^^ technical and legal ^lilt let, I hav# feaers «®si^n.^d rst.posji>ibillty &f planning ail'd'' cation «f devslop^:* n’i projects and schemes. This course

vfill ifsprwe my planning en^l-ni^entation capabilities. I have

aIs© 'fe^p^nded my kfiowled^'a of my pivfes'slon, k lot of th.anS's to;

Cl) :iBi, (2) /J^D, (1) all p'me?5«n tat. long j (A) co evcryhodv »^hn

participated in the ©rga.ni t.ttioa of this wnii^ui^. course. Special

thanks to ssy fries?d« '•ir, Itcffee. Felser and -tr. C. C, Tai®y.

In fact, they looked aftgt ns carefully fad patiently. "Uev

thanks to isy friofid, hr, Albert Tholen,

A«;aia, thanks te the As>^ericans for their hoar-it allty. 1 Xool.

forward m future close cooperation hetw.on ®y J^partment* hBS,

hlUg end sa©at of the wsanufacturers, snppHorf, associations

organisations, etc., who partlclpaced in thJi h^th ilationoi

Conference on Uelfhts ?md neasaT'ee and in the presentationg of the

training Course.

KJDLLIEj The cmirse as planned is quite In order. However, I x-ttmli

like E© Sdfe in the future more eranhasis on practical actiricies

than visit®. In my opinion, this will equip dte participants ce better understand their jobs. It may ba even better if the

Participants could spend a week at MBS deins>: practical Tlvis

will give them a chance to understjnd further the problems.

RIVElAs Thank you very much, Mr, Peiior and Hr, Talcy.

79
fU

I
APPENDIX I

NBS SPONSORED GROUP VISIT

TO ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL METROLOGY

Summary of

Technical Presentations and demonstrations

Technical presentations are given by senior members of the technical staff for

each of six measurement subjects which are part of the measurement acti\aties

of this industrial metrology laboratory' . These are:

1. Inductance and capacitance

2. Magnetics

3. Mass

4. Length

5. Pressure

6. Optics and Photometry

The presentations include demonstration of measurement and calibration setups.

The objective of the presentations is to provide the attendees with a comprehensive

overview of the nature and complexity of the work of this industrial metrology

laboratory. Subjects of discussion include measurement environment, equipment

used, the value of the measurement, the accuracies of measurement and traceability to national standards (NBS).

Participation of the attendees is encouraged. Questions, discussion and demonstrations are treated to the level of interest and to the extent allowable within the

schedule.

Summaries for the individual courses arc given in the following:

81
SUMMARY

INDUCTANCE AND CAPACITANCE

The measurement of precision capacitors and inductors and calibration of capacitance

and inductance bridges are performed in a temperature controlled and EMI shielded

laboratory. This is to minimize the effects of changes of value of standards due to temperature and extraneous electromagnetic and electrostatic fields.

The work performed in the laboratory supports the company's electronic research

and product acceptance testing on all programs, since capacitance and inductance arc two of the three basic passive electrical elements used in all circuitry.

The standards used are fixed values of capacitance and inductance, each having as much as 20 years of performance history. These values are periodically re-established

by direct measurement of the standard by the National Bureau of Standards (NBS)

and/or by an NBS supervised Measurement Assurance Program.

The accuracies attainable are as follows:

Capacitance (2 and 3 terminal)

0. 001 pF to 1 pF, 50 Hz to 20 kHz

1 pF to 10 mF, 0>400 Hz & 1 kHz

Inductance

50 pH to 50 mH, 100 Hz to 20 kHz

100 mH to 5 H, 100 Hz to 3 kHz

1 H to 10 H, 65 Hz to 1 kHz

Demonstrations:

Owen Precision Inductance Measuring System

Ratio Transformer Precision Capacitance Measuring System

Autonetics High Capacitance Measuring System

Calibration of Standard Capacitors and Inductors

2 ppm to 5% of measured value

0. 1% to 1% of measured value

0. 022% to 2% of measured value

0. 022% to 0. 2% measured value

0. 022% to 0. 2% of measured value

Presented by: T. A. Samp

82
SUMMARY

MAGNETICS

Magnetic field measurement and calibration is performed in a shielded laboratory

and provides traceability for the company's production test requirements on

various inertial guidance systems, engineering research and development and

transportation/shipping specifications.

Electronic guidance equipment is tested for susceptibility to magnetic fields. The

earth's flux density is approximately 500 mG which makes these measurements

difficult without special precautions and techniques.

Probe position is very critical in magnetic fields and special adapters and fixtures,

made of non-magnetic materials, are used to obtain reliable measurements.

The standards and equipment calibrated are; magnetic flux density sources

(Helmholtz coils, solenoids, standard reference magnets), flux density measuring

devices (gaussmeters and magnetometers), flux generators and ballistic galvanometers.

t The accuracies obtainable are:

Flux Density ±i% to 3% from 100 gamma to 2 Tesla

Flux ±1% up to 100 000 maxwells

Demonstrations

1. Standard magnet comparison

2. Magnetometer/gaussmeter calibration

3. Flux measurement

Presented by: J. L. Arther

83
SUMMARY

MASS

Mass calibrations are performed in laboratories in which the environment is carefully

controlled. The actual temperature is not critical; however, it is necessary to provide stable temperature and humidity control and to minimize air velocity.

Mass standards are not based upon a natural phenomena. The international standard

of mass is a well defined kilogram maintained in France near Paris. The United

States and other countries have copies of this standard for their reference. Subsequent copies called prototypes are used to calibrate weights on a routine basis.

At Rockwell Metrology there are two prototype kilograms that have been compared

to second level prototypes at the National Bureau of Standards. By various

comparison techniques these are used as the starting standards for all of our mass

calibrations which are part of a Measurement Assurance Program (MAP) with the

MBS.

Calibration accuracies depend upon the quality of the weights but between 0. 1 mg and

10 kg =1 ppm is attainable.

At Rockwell, the measurement of mass is needed for establishing weights of products

down to the milligram level, for center of gravity measurements and in the analysis

of component performance and characteristics by chemical analysis.

Demonstration.

Calibration of 1 kg weight with work sheets.

Presented by: L. H. Baker
SUMMARY

LENGTH

Length measuring standard calibrations and measurement services are performed in

laboratories with rigid environmental controls to maintain temperature as close to 20“ C as possible (±0. 25* C). Generally the length measurements made in this laboratory are stated in terms of the International inch. However, conversion to metric is occurring as dictated by new business.

A large variety of length measurements are performed. These range from profile measurement of submicron film thickness to length measurement of parts and standards up

to 40 inches in length. A variety of geometric subcategories of simple length measure- ment exist including flatness, surface texture, roundness and angle.

In addition to traditional standards measurement. Metrology efforts include the design

and development of special gaging and techniques for use in critical measurements which

must be made in the production shop environment. Measurement services are performed

to support problem solution work for engineering, quality assurance, production and

receiving areas. Standard artifacts with directly transferrable dimensions calibrated by the National

Bureau are not necessarily used as references for each measurement. Examples include

the calibration of gage blocks using interferometric subdivisim and derivation of small

angles using a laser angle generator and length standards. Some other items such as angle gage blocks and line standards are submitted to the National Bureau of Standards as the most practical means of achieving the required accuracy.

Calibrations of gage blocks are performed at reference, transfer and worldng standard

levels. Different methods are used for each level. A measurement Assurance Program

(MAP) is used to control the quality of measurements. Laser interferometry is being

adapted to the calibration of gage blocks. The laser interferometer is useful in a variety of applications due to its long range (700 ft. ) and high accuracy (up to 1 pin.

)

Length standards come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The gage block is the most

common and widely accepted. At the other extreme are specially designed artifacts of

complex geometry which are used as masters in the comparison with production parts.

All length measurements are sensitive to environment and test conditions. Among the

factors which must be considered are temperature, instrument and operator errors as well as a variety of error sources which are unique to specific measurements. Reference

level measurements of dimensions of 0.4 inch or greater in this laboratory are made at a temperature wliich is controlled and/or known to ±0. 25° C or better.

The accuracies attainable are as follows;

Gage Blocks 0 to 20 in

Line Standards 0 to 40 in. Ring Gages 0 to 4 in. Balls (Diameter) 0-2 in. Spherical Cavities

(Diameter) 0-2 in.

1 pin/inch

20 pinch

5 pinch

3 pinch

5 pinch

Flatness 0-6 inches 1 pinch

6-20 inches 2 pinch

Surface Texture 0-120 AA 2 pinch

Roundness 0-5 in. 1 pinch

Angle 0-10 min. 0. 1 s'^ even degrees 0. 1 s'efe Demonstration Subjects

Gage Block Measurement

Line Standards

Laser Interferometer

Ring Gage Measurement

Spherical Rotor (Ball) Measurement

Spherical Cavity Measurement

Optical Flatness Measurement

Mechanical Profile Measurement

Surface Texture Measurement

Roundness Measurement

Angle Measurement

Presented by; K. J. Lund

85
SUMMARY

PRESSURE

Pressure calibrations are performed in laboratories with the temperature and

humidity controlled to reduce errors caused by environmental variations. The

work performed in this laboratory supports testing for most of the programs in this company. The range of pressures for which calibration is required spans

several different standards from 12,000 psi (82 x 10® N/m^) to lO"”^ Torr (1.3

X 10^ N/m^),a span of 11 decades.

The principal standards are

• Dead weight Piston Gauges -

• liquid

• gas

• Manometers

• liquid column

• compression - McLeod Gage

• Natural Physical Phenomena

All of the above are used in this laboratory plus the following*

• Servo type fused quartz gauges

• Capacitance Manometers

• Incline Manometers

j Pressure measurements at Rockwell are used in the testing and control of processes.

Vacuum measurements support the production of noicrocircuit elements and in

support of gyro manufacturing. ,

i Demonstration: j Calibrate Pressure Gage i

I

I

f

j

Presented by: L. H. Baker !j

86
SUMMARY

OPTICS AND PHOTOMETRY

Optical and Photometric measuring standards and testing equipment are calibrated in

laboratory areas painted with black 3M-Nextel totally absorbing paint. The illumination levels of these laboratories can be controlled to totally darken the work areas; a necessary condition for photometric work.

The photometric/radiometric work done in these laboratories supports the company's

various sensor/ seeker system product performance and quality testing, procurement

quality testing and engineering research and development for establishing ne\V

product specifications.

The standards and equipment calibrated are: (1) Sources ranging from sophisticated

pulsed Nd-YAG laser systems to light emitting ^odes and tungsten filament bulbs,

(2) detector systems ranging from complex spectroradiometer systems to simple solidstate photo sensitive materials and light meters. Optical elements and systems calibrated also include narrow bandpass filters, various types of reflective/transmissive

windows and lenses, aspherical and spherical mirror testers and light collimators.

Calibrations are accomplished using a four by twelve foot table with a triangular steel

optical bench mounted on it. The various elements of calibration system and the test object are mounted on the bench carriages and located as required for each calibration

setup. The principles of the inverse- square-law are employed for setting energy levels

Wavelength areas are established using monochromators. Krypton Ion laser radiation

lines, spectral lamp lines, narrow bandpass filters and absorbing elements.

The accuracies attainable are as follows:

Demonstrations

1. Pyroelectric Calibration system for Sources and Detectors

2. Pulsed laser calibration system Nd-YAG

3. Light meter calibration system

4. Calibration System for Spectrophotometers

5. Various measurements related to calibration of optical elements - Filters, lenses

and reflectors.

Presented by: J. A. Hall

Luminous intensi^, luminance

Spectral irradiance

Spectral optical power

Wavelength resolution

Optical Density

2 to 5%

3 to 5%

0. 7 to 5%

1 nanometer

0.05 O.D.

87
NBS-114A iRtv. 9-7ci

U.S. DEPT. OF COMM.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

SHEET

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

1. PUBLICATION OR REPOK T NO. NBSIR 80-2022

NBS/AID COURSE ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES SERVICES W3T

H. Steffen Pelser, Charles C. Raley

Editors: Albert D. Tholen, Penelope M. Oder

5. Publication Date April 1980

fOfrjliipf Organization Cede

8. Performing Organ. Report No.

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, DC 20234

11. Contract/Graiit No.

PASA TA (CE) 6-71

12. SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS fStreat, City, stmtf,, ZIP)

Agency for International Development

Department of State

Washington, D.C. 20523

13. Type of Report & Period Covered

Final

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

I I Document describes a computer program; SF*185, FIPS Software Summary, is attached.

IS. ABSTRACT (A 300-word or loot laetuat auatmary of moat aignitlcant iniomation. If doeument Inetudea a aignflicant bibliography or

literature survey, mention it here.) During the period July 15-27, 1979, a course on weights and measures services was held

by the National Bureau of Standards under the sponsorship of AID In Los Angeles,

California; Seattle, Washington; and Portland, Oregon. The object of the course

was to give weights and measures officials of industrializing nations insight

into the weights and measures systems of the United States and the role of the

National Bureau of Standards, so that these officials might consider what parts

of the U.S. system might usefully be adapted to conditions in their home countries.

An exchange of experience in each of the participant’s countries was presented

by delivered papers which are reproduced here. Countries represented included

Egypt, Honduras, India, Liberia, Mexico, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand,

and Tunisia.

17. KEY WORDS (aix to twelve entries; alphabetical order; capitalize only the first letter of the first key word unless a proper name;

separated by semicolons)

AID; assistance; developing economies; foreign relations; industrializing nations;

international relations; measures; weights; weights and measures.

18. AVAILABILITY [^Unlimited

[31 For Official Distribution. Do Hot Release to NTIS

QJ Order From Sup. of Doc., U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC

20402, SD Stock No. SN003-003-

rXl Order From National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Springfield, VA. 22161

19. SECURITY CLASS

(THIS REPORT)

UNCLASSIFIED

20. SECURITY CLASS

(THIS PAGE)

UNCLASSIFIED

21. NO. OF

PRINTED PAGES

91

22. Price

$ 8.00

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