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National Conference of Standards Labo ra torie s

NCSL NEWSLETTER 65-1 March 15, 1965

LOOKING BACK AND SEEING AHEAD

The growing interest and cooperation in the affairs of the National Conference of Standards Laboratories by several technical societies and standards association, is unquestionably the highest praise which can be extended NCSL. The rapid rise in importance of NCSL, and a growing feeling of accomplishment within the organization, are the b est sort of accolade which could be tendered the hard­working people responsible f or the accomplishments of NCSL.

Committee work for the most part now takes on the appearance of professionalism, and some outputs have assumed their deserved place in the reference files of many of the country's laboratories. We note the spread of news of our activities beyond the borders of the United States, and this is good. This will prevent the growth of provincialism, the curse of so many activities which are in­herently international in work, philosophy, and significance. As we are exposed more and more to the workers and workings of the larger technical organizations, and as we reflect on the problems of laboratories beyond our borders, we will grow to maturity. Just remember--it is less than 5 years ago that Harvey Lance arose in the NBS-Boulder auditorium and, with his opening remarks, started it all. We owe him thanks~

C.E.W.

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NCSL COMMITTEE REPORTS ,

LLOYD WILSON reports for the committee on NCSL Liaison With Other Organizations as follows: NCSL has started to establish formal liaison with a number of other organizations having related interests. The mechanism for this has been the issuance by NCSL of formal invitations

for these organizations to appoint Liaison Delegates to NCSL-­one from each organization. A recent change by the NCSL Gen­eral Committee in the NCSL Bylaws permits the appointment of such delegates by invitation of the NCSL General Committee and on a no-fee basis.

Organization Liaison Delegate Appointed by the Organization

Electronic Industries Mr. Virgil M. Graham, Associate Association Di r e c t o r of the EIA Engineering

e p a r t me n t

Institute of Electrical and Mr. Charles E. White, Chairman of Electronics Engineers the IEEE Group on Instrumentation

and Measurements

American Society of Testing b~ . Paul J. Smith, Senior Assistant and Materials Technical Secretary on the ASTM Staff

Scientific Apparatus Makers Dr. William G. Arney, Research Association Di v i s i o n Manager, Leeds & Northrup

Company

American Standards Association Mr. S. David Hoffman, ASA Director of Contract Administration and Certification

American Ordnance Association Mr. Arnold W. Young, Chairman of the A.O.A. Dimensional Standards Section

Negotiations for the appointment of Liaison Delegates are still in progress with several other organizations.

NCSL wants to cooperate with other organizations and to avoid duplicating work by such organizations in the fields of interest for NCSL. The appointment of Liaison Delegates by these organiza­tions will help to facilitate t h is by establishing formal chan­nels for discussion of mutual problems and for general informa­tion flow between NCSL and these organizations.

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WESLEY H. MC PHEE, reporting for the NCSL Commi t t e e for Standards Laboratory Organization and Operation--R&D and Universities states:

The committee met during the recent NCSL meetings in October.

A questionnaire has been developed to be sent to all known -v- Standards Laboratories in Educational Institutions and

Research and Development Laboratories.

The purpose of this questionnaire will be to determine capabilities that exist, additional capabilities required and to explore the possibility of cooperative use of facil­ities and personnel on a reciprocal basis. This, it is hoped will give greater support to such laboratories, many of which require high accuracy calibrations but have low volume. This will aSsure better accuracies for all. Our function in this case would be as coordinators.

It is felt that a lack of interest and appreciation for the importance of reliable accurate measurements exists in many educational institutions and laboratories. It is hoped that instruction concerning instruments and measurements be started at the lowest practical level and request any support that can be given to carry out our objectives.

Present members of the committee are:

Wesley H. McPhee M.I.T. Instrumentation Lab., Chairman

Nelson Grisamore - George Washington University

Harold Hayward - University of Illinois

Lewis Wears - John Hopkins University

William Bostwick - Lawrence Radiation Lab.

David J. LaMonthe - School of Engineering, Purdue University

Chairman R. F. ESTOPPEY reports the NCSL Committee on Performance Criteria for Measurements Standards and Instruments-Electrical is quite interested in the operations of the ASA Sectional Commit­tee C-lOO. Several members will participate actively in its

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working. He also notes activity by several technical societies in the fields closely related to that of his committee and feels such work should be encouraged by NCSL.

BILL WILDHP~CK, Chairman of the NCSL Organization Committee re­ports preparation of a Certificate of Incorporation for NCSL, relying on the advice of NBS legal staff members. The prepared document will be an item of business for the meeting of the General Committee in New York on March 21. Also to be considered at that time will be certain changes to the Bylaws.

DARIO ANTONUCCI , Chairman of the NCSL Committee on Performance Criteria for Me a s u r e me n t s Standards and Instruments-Electronic indicates much preliminary work has been accomplished. The objectives have been reaffirmed as 1) to establish definitions, classifications, ratings, methods of test, performance require­ments, constructional details, etc., for electronic standards, 2) to review standards or specifications which have been published, 3) to make a list of these standards available for distribution, 4) to provide a common standard or specification with which Standards Laboratories can measure performance of equipment.

A news item concerned with a proposed military specification caught our eyes last December. The proposed specification was for control of the format of calibration procedures for test and measurement instrumentation. Work on the specification had been performed by Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine representa­tives. The article stated that it was expected the specification would be put into general operation by mid-1965. However, we noted that the spec i.fication would probably be placed in new military contracts immediately inasmuch as STAN CRANDON, commit­tee chairman, stated committee members, who represented all the military services, had agreed to this step.

A short note from Stan in response to our inquiries, confirmed existence of the proposed specification and reminded us of the paper he had presented on the subject at the October 1964 session of NCSL. Of greater interest was a copy of the proposal which he sent for reading. Workers familiar with Navy's calibration procedures will note the influence of this style as reflected in the proposed format for procedures arrangement.

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THE CHIEF SAY8, llTHIS ENVI RONMENT ISN'T CONDUCIVE TO MAKiNG- RELfABLE MEASUREMENTS·'

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All this is, of course, of deep interest to NCSL's Calibration Procedures, Specifications and Techniques Committee, headed by DON DE LAUER. A communication received in mid-December advised us of Committee meetings, and progress in establishing the central library for procedures maintained at Vandenberg AFB, The library service is still open and available to Standards Laboratories which are members of NCSL and which have agreed to abide by the Participants Operating Instructions. The Committee unquestionably has done a great deal of work and accomplished much. A copy of a letter sent by Don to CHARLIE JOHNSON at Boeing/Seattle makes note of the excellent task performance by PETE BAILEY of Boeing and the large contribution by Boeing to the procedures library, Don and Pete in turn tip their hats to the rest of their Commit­tee for the excellent results of much labor. Readers desiring more informatiOn on the work of the Committee should contact D. DE LAUER, 2802d Inertial Guidance Calibration Group, Det #2 (~ILV) p. O. Box 1525 Vandenberg AFB, Calif. 93437.

Further details of the October meeting of the ASA C-100 Committee were made available to the editor via one of his staff members who acts as liaison member f o r ASA Committee B-89. It was noted that attendees represented f ive ASA Se c t i o n a l Committees, six technical and trade associations, three government departments, ten electrical instrument f rms, several individuals, and an ASA staff member. Of thirty organizations invited to participate in C-100, fourteen had accepted, eight had deferred pending firm definition of scopes and objectives, eight had not replied, By recommendation of Scientific Apparatus Mak e r s Association, sponsors of C-1 0 0 , W. H . SHIRK of L&N was appointed Chairman of C-100. The business of the meeting included revision of the scope to read ­"Definitions, classification , r a t i n g s , method of test, p e r for ma n c e reqUirements, and constructional details where necessary, for various types of elect rical reference instruments and devices coyering dc and the frequency range up to lMHz as used in electrical standards laboratories ." Four sub-committees were formed to work on definitions, ac ratio devices, dc ratio devices, and ac/dc transfer devices. Committee activities initially will be confined to upper-echelon levels of accuracy.

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SOME CURRENT LITERATURE OF INTEREST

1. "Conversion to the Metric System - Where Do We Stand"?, American Engineer, October 1964.

2. "What It Takes To Be a Supervisor" / G. J. Lumsden, Electronic Design, January 18, 1965.

3. "Why Engineers Change Companies: A Problem of Need Satisfac­tion", A. R. Kennefick, Electronic Design, November 23, 1964.

4. "Improving the Stability Measurement of Precision Oscillators" / M. Fleischman, Electronic Design, November 23/ 1964.

5. Articles on Reliability for the Non-Expert, Electronic Design, November 9, 1964.

6. MIL-HDBK-52, 7 July 1964 obtainable from Imperial Reproductions, 105 Berlin Rd., Cherry Hill, N. J. 08034. This handbook is aimed at government inspectors and is a guide to evaluation of a contractor's calibration system. The approach is via analysis of MIL-C-45662. Good reference.

7. "Noise Test Chamber ", Bruel & Kj aer Technical Review, No.2, 1964. Valuable background information for those who calibrate microphones.

8. "Smith Charts - Their Development and Use", P. H. Smith, Kay Electric Co. Bulletin No.6, March 1964.

9. "Microelectronics Data Chart", Electronic Design, September 28, 1964. Useful design information for the advanced laboratory.

10. "Forum on Transducers", Electronic Products, October 1964. Useful general reference material in this field.

11. "Man I s First Encounters With Metallurgy", T. A. Wertime, Science, December 4, 1964. For people engaged in mechanical calibrations, a very interesting story of metal-working from pre-historic times to the dawn of written history.

12. "Our Measurement System and Its Future", R. D. Huntoon, Research/Development January, 1965.

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13. "Solid State Principles", A. H. Seidman, Electro-Technology, December 1964 continues this magazine's fine series of tutorial and state-of-the-art articles.

14. "Saturn Flight Instrumentation", J. T . Powell, Jr. ISA Journal, November 1964 should hel p to establish (as if it should be necessary) t he complexity of and need for accuracy in measurements required in present-day space programs.

15. "Transducers For Measurement", L. E. Bollinger, ISA Journal July-December, 1964. A series of articles worth preserv­ing for reference , particularly for those metrologists not acquainted with the fields outside electrical.

16. "Response of Highly Precise Balances to Thermal Gradients". L. B. Macurdy, NBS Journal of Research Vol. 68C No. 3, July-Sept 1964.

17. "A Direct-Reading Two-Knife 50-Pound Balance of High Precision- - -", H. E. Almer, et aI, NBS Journal of Research, Vol. 68C No . 3 , July-Sept 1964.

18. "Wavefront Shearing Prism Interferometer", J. B. Saunders, NBS Journal of Research, Vol. 68C No.3, July-Sept 1964.

19. "Interferometer for Testing Extended Surfaces---", J. B. Saunders and J. V. McDermott, NBS Journal of Research, Vol. 68C No.2, April-June 1964.

20. "A Variable Impedance Power Meter, and Adjustable Reflection Coefficient Standard", G. F. Engen, NBS Journal of Research, Vol. 68C No.1, Jan-March 1964.

21. "Reference Tables for Thermocouples of Iridium-Rhodium Alloys versus Iridium", G. F. Blackburn and F. R. Caldwell, NBS J ournal of Research Vol. 68C No. I, Jan-March 1964.

22. "The Heater Lead Problem in Calorimetry", D. C . Ginnings and E. D. West, Review of Scientific Instruments, August 1964.

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23. "High-Pressure Polymorphism Studied by X-Ray Diffraction", NBS Technical News Bulletin, August 1964.

24 , "Digitized Phasemeter", W, S, Epstein, NBS Journal of Research, Vol. 6BC No, 4, Oct-Dec 1964,

25. "Active and Passive Direct-Reading Ratio Sets for the Comparison of Audio-Frequency Admittances", R. D. Cutkosky, NBS Journal of Research, Vol. 68C No.4, Oct-Dec 1964.

26. "Standards for the Calibration of Q-Meters 50 kHz to 45 MHz", R. N. Jones, NBS Journal of Research, Vol. 68C No.4, Oct-Dec 1964.

27. "Ferromagnetic Resonance Measurements Using IF Substitution Techniques", W. E. Case, et al, NBS Journal of Research, Vol. 68C No.4, Oct-Dec 1964.

28, "Reference Tables for the P latinel II Thermocouple", L. O. Olsen and p. D. Freeze, NBS Journal of Research, Vol. 68C No.4, Oct-Dec 1964.

29. "Standard Cells-Their Construction, Maintenance, and Characteristics", W. J. Hamer, NBS Monograph 84, Jan. 15, 1965.

7"'l MEASUREMENT STANDARDS

APPLICATIONSRESEARCH

Auto marionPROGRESS rndvdttOI Pl-Qduch

All FI.ld. No tional Oefen· .

Rneal'ch & De lopm.nl Sccce EJCploration

Impro'f'ed TH ' niq4ll e

More Sev_ ,. EMlk"orun.",.. f", '."~ ed At cvra .;;

After all the "digging" industry goes through to find better measurement techniques, greater accuracies and the like, and all the measurement research which painstakingly and laboriously pro­duces a new measurement standard, have you ever noticed how quickly that new standard finds itself in production--and the cycle starts allover again:

Wid..r Aang•• Yret.nl., S.un&a al

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HONORS

The comment "Well Deserved" is appropriate for recent recognition actions at NBS . ,I RVI N H . FULLMER and ARCHIBALD T. MC PHERSON were recipients of the first Edward B. Rosa awards, presented to NBS staff members for outstanding achievements in the develop­ment of standards of practice. As many of you know, Mr. Fullmer is Chief of the Engineering Metrology Laboratory of the NBS Institute for Basic Standards and Dr. McPherson is Special Assistant for International Standards of the NBS Institute for Applied Technology. Dr. McPherson is more familiar to us as the former Associate Director for NBS in charge of Engineering Services.

Too late to make the last edition of the Newsletter waS an announcement in Electronic News, December 7 stating that BILL AMEY of L&N had been elevated to Chairman of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council Panel on Electricity Advisory to the National Bureau of Standards. Since then, we have learned that IVAN EASTON of General Radio also is a member of the- -same panel. Busy, busy people ~

On January 18, Dr. F. Seitz, President of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, announced the appointment of C. E. WHITE as Chairman of the newly-constituted National Research Council Committee on Calibration and Measurement Services Advisory to the National Bureau of Standards. Other members of the Committee are W, G. AMEY, M. FRIEDLAND, S. C, RICHARDSON, B. O. WEINSCF~L, and A, J, WOODINGTON.

An announcement from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers was go o d news to several good friends in or working with NCSL. The highest honorary award o f the Insti tute, that of Fellow, was bestowed on F. L. HERMACH, C. G, LITTLE, J, M. RICHARDSON, and E. K. SMITH of NBS, and N. L. KUSTERS of National Research Council at Ottawa, Congratulations~

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BROADENING YOUR BACKGROUND BY READING

In "International Science and Technology" November, 1954 several articles were noteworthy. Read:

"System Engineering" by H. A. Affel Jr, to learn what makes the Systems Engineer tick and why. Perhaps you too, could branch out into this field inasmuch as one prerequisite, according to the author, is to be a specialist with a desire to broaden your engineering experience.

"Batteries", by R. C. Osthoff, to get the low-down on batteries in general, rechargeable batteries specifically.

"Quantum Fluids" by I. M. Khalatnikov and discover the unique properties developed by helium when subjected to cryogenic temperatures. A most interesting description of gravity-defying phenomena, and an ultra disregard for electronic and temperature rules.

The following Russian articles were found to be of interest. The references are to the translated versions in the technical publica­tion Izmeritelnaya Tekhnika (Measurement Techniques). Original publication date December 1963, translation June 1964.

"Evaluating the Condition of the Measuring Equipment in Use", V. V. Petropavlovski.

'Basic Metrological Problems in Temperature Measurements", I. I. Kirenkov.

"Basic Metrological Problems in Physicochemical Measurements", D. K. Kollerov.

"Bionics and Measurements", K. B. Karandeev and B. I. Puchkin.

From the NBS Journal of Research, the following articles were noted:

"The Theory of a Stable High-Speed Externally Pressurized Gas­Lubricated Bearing", H. Sixsmith and W. A. Wilson, Vol. 68C No.2, April-June 1964.

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"Designs for Temperature and Temperature Gradient Compensated Capacitors Smaller Than Ten Picofarads", R. D. Cutkosky, Vol. ,68 No.4, Oct-Dec 1964.

For workers in the high-pressure field, the Research Committee on Pressure Technology of ASME has i s s u e d an "Annotated Biblio­graphy on High-Pressure Technology " . It is available from ASME headquarters in New York for $14.50

NBS announces availability of publication LP 38, Electrical Units, Instruments, and Measurements, free of charge from the Publications Section, Room 500 South Building, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D , C. 20234. This list refers to publications which describe methods and equipment used in the standards that have been developed at NBS for the calibration of measuring apparatus.

NEWS OF OTHER STANDARDS ACTIVITIES

The Idaho Falls Chapter of the Instrument Society of America is sponsoring a symposium on "Laboratory and Measurement Standards." It is slated for May 1965, to be held at the NRTS Central Facilities Cafeteria in Idaho Falls, Idaho . Interested in participation? If so, contact T. R. SPALDING, Program Chairman, at Argonne National Laboratory-Idaho Facilities, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83041. Topics selected for discussion are 1) Reliability of Standards, 2) Electrical Measurement Standards, 3) Flow and Pressure In­strumentation Standards, 4) Temperature Measurements Standards, 5) Ca l i b r a t i on Practices including Special Standards and Techniques, 6) Basic Standards for the Well-equipped Instrument Shop, 7) Maintenance and Calibration of Standards, 8) Role of the Bureau of Standards with Comments on Status of International Standards, 9) Physio-Chemical Standards including pH, Redox, Conductivity, Spectrometric, Chromatographic, and Moisture Measurements, 10) Radiometric Standards - Quantative Analyses References, 11) Time Standards.

We continue to receive word of a c tivities of the Michigan Society of Standards Laboratories. Their mo s t recently-reported meeting was at Sperry-Vickers in Troy, Michigan on January 14, 1965.

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GENERAL NEWS

Since preparation of the last Newsletter, Secretary/Treasurer HARVEY LANCE has issued the first NCSL Membership Directory list­ing those laboratories or organizations qualified by payment of membership fees. Chairman ANDY WOODINGTON is working hard to get the second edition of the Directory of Standards Laboratories into press and in the mail. A number of us were embarrassed to find ourselves left out o f the first edition because of procrastination in getting data back to Andy.

Chairman Woodington announces appointment of C. E. WHITE as Chairman of the 1965 NCSL Nominating Committee. In turn, White announced that JERRY HAYES and BILL AMEY have accepted invitations to serve. The Committee will be looking for recommendations for nOminees for positions as members of the NCSL General Committee and NCSL Officers. Please forward your recommendations to any Nominating Committee member.

Letters have arrived from far-off places, indicating mounting in­terest in NCSL. From Japan, AL SCHMIDT asked to be carried on the active mailing lists. He's in charge of the AMA laboratory at Tachikawa A.F.B. and we almost get together in September 1963. Trouble was, he was en route from the Phillipines, and we had a lecture to give at Tohok~ University in Sendai. Also heard from were representatives of the National Association of Testing Authorities in Australia, and two organizations in Canada. It may very well be of importance shortly, to consider dropping the word "National" from our organizational title and substituting "International", Have you ever noticed the mast-head for the Newsletters? We have always carried the global sphere as the dominant feature (if you i gnore the man:)

The next meeting of the NCSL General Committee will be in New York on March 21. Those expected to attend will receive regular notice fr om the Chairman.

The Newsletter will attempt to go to a regular quarterly schedule with this issue. Assuming that all interested parties keep to dead-line scheduling, issues should be in your hands approximately March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15. News close-out time is 30 days prior to each edition.

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We noted extensive coverage in the Federal Register, issued on December 18, 1964 given to the increases in prices of calibra­tion services at NBS. Very shortly, a complete revision of the Test Fee Schedule should be available from NBS, to all interested laboratories. Watch for the announcement, in order to be able to adjust your operating budgets for the coming fiscal year~

Some very kind remarks came in as a result of our last issue. We say "thanks" to W. L. WILSON, C . F. LUCKS, DICK STOLLE, S. C. RICHARDSON. In addition, J. JUSTIN questioned whether NCSL was, or would be interested in standards used in chemistry laboratories. Our direct repl y was to indicate that no interest in the past was indicated by workers in the field, probably because they felt sub­merged by the preponderance of electronics workers. This does not mean lack of interest in the future--all that is required is the determination by chemical workers to be heard, and to work: Any more chemists interested? If so drop a line to the editor and weill see if we can get another pot to boil.

As an aside, E. A. BUROWICK, Supervisor-Development Laboratory, Dept. 596-132, Rock~tdyne, 6633 Canogo Ave., Canoga Park, Calif. was good enough to note that his activity has done further work on calibration of accelerometers, originally described in ref­erence gg in Newsletter 64-1. Perhaps he is willing to give further details to those interested.

NCSL Vi c e - Ch a i r ma n ORVILLE LINEBRINK is trying hard to beat his own dead-lines in organizing a three-day workshop for April or May, probably at Batelle Memorial Institute in Cleveland. He anticipates meetings centered around the activities of the four committees concerned with Performance Criteria for Measurements Standards and Instruments, the committee on Evaluation, Selection, and Training of Standards Laboratory Personnel, and the committee engaged in work to establish a Measurements Standards Information Center, More later,

The National Bureau of Standards has announced availability of the annual report of its technical activities for fiscal ' year 1964. It may be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 for $1.00. Order by title "1964 Technical Highlights of the National Bureau of Standards." This particular issue is of great importance since it describes the first year of operation under the new institutional division of activities.

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NBS CALIBRATION SERVICES

Several new calibration s e r v i c e s are now obtainable from NBS:

1. Verification of the accuracy of the peak ac-dc ratio of peak ac-dc comparators. Tests are conducted at 50, 400, 1000, 2400, and 4800 Hz, at voltages from 10 to 20 volts, and fees twice those scheduled under 201.303 in the Test Fee Schedule. Overall accuracy is estimated at 0.01%, and the service is obtained in Washington only.

2. Boulder Radio Standards Laboratory announces accuracy limit of calibration o f rf voltage measurement instruments has been decreased to 0.05% in the voltage range 0.2 to 50 volts and at 30, 100, 300 kHz, 1, and 3 MHz. The calibration range also has been extended over the interval 1 microvolt to 0.1 volt, and frequency range of 30 kHz to 900 MHz,

3. Boulder announces extension of calibration services for three-terminal capacitances to frequencies of 100, 465 kHz, and 1 MHz, for capacitance values of 10-2, 10-1, laO, 101, 10 2, and 103 picofarads.

4 . NBS announces discontinuance of calibration services above 100 kHz for instruments utilizing the old un­shielded type o f connectors on s tandard capacitances,

5. NBS-Washington now will calibrate inductive voltage dividers in the frequency range to 10 kHz, an improve­ment over the previous limit of 1 kHz. NBS-Boulder still limits calibrations to frequencies of 400 and 1000 Hz. Calibrations can be made f or single pulses wi th the expanded service.

6. Calibration of vacuum gages of the diaphragm or quartz Bourdon tube types has been extended to include the range from 1 to 100 millitorr.

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WHERE IS SPRING?

NCSL NEWSLETTER - C . E. WHITE, Editor

ve o research and advanced development division C O R I'O R " T I O N

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