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No.27
November 2003
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Report from the Chaireperson
of APMP
 The 10th meeting of the JCRB was
held at NMIJ/AIST, Tsukuba Japan on 3-4 March, 2003. This will
be recorded as the first official meeting held in Japan under
the Metre Convention. In this connection, some meetings of APMP
such as DEC (Developing EconomiesÕ Committee) and TC chairs were
held. Member laboratories and the Secretariat of the APMP had
rather busy time this spring to participate in these important
events. These events include commemorate symposium and ceremony
celebrating the centenary of the foundation of NMI in Japan. Details
of some events mentioned above are reported in this newsletter
by separate articles.
As a part of APMP activities, the chairperson and
the executive secretary attended some international conferences
such as IMEKO World Congress and NCSLI to present papers and to
join technical programs. Another new approach of APMP is to hold
a joint workshop concerning quality system management of NMIs
between APMP and other RMOs such as SIM under the APEC TILF funding.
In these few years we are concentrating on the activities
to establish global CIPM/MRA and have got some suitable experience
through exchange of information and meetings. In this stage, we
have to remind the basic concept of ours to fulfill the requirements
of CIPM/MRA to show the equivalence of national measurement standards
with technical competence and quality system management through
harmonized inter-regional reviews of CMCs. Here, the chairperson
is reporting the results of some meetings and events.
10th JCRB meeting at NMIJ/AIST,
Tsukuba, Japan
Recently, we have meetings of JCRB twice a year,
and its 10th meeting was held on 3-4 March at Tsukuba by the invitation
from NMIJ/AIST and APMP in Asia Pacific region. As we are now
in the final stage towards the end of transition period for the
CMC submission to enter into the BIPM Key Comparison Database(KCDB),
condensed or review discussion was held at the 10th mee The terms
of reference for the JCRB can be summarized once again as the
documentation and review of requirements to show the technical
competence together with the quality system management. At the
10th JCRB meeting, the chairman of the JCRB submitted a paper
on the role of supplementary comparisons organized by RMOs.
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Symposium
and celebration ceremony for the centenary of NMI in Japan
In Japan, former National Research Laboratory of
Metrology (now, amalgamated into National Metrology Institute
of Japan in AIST) was established in 1903. Through the year of
2003, NMIJ is celebrating this centenary by organizing some international
symposium/seminar and meetings. On the fifth March, international
seminar on the global MRA was taken place by inviting the director
of the BIPM, Dr. T. Quinn as a guest speaker. The chairperson
and the former executive secretary of the APMP made presentations
on the activity of the APMP and the role of APEC economies to
the global MRA, respectively. There were more than 300 participants
from member laboratories of APMP and domestic laboratories &
industries.
DEC meeting
By the call of the chairman, Mr. Van of VMI, DEC
meeting was held on 6th March at NMIJ/AIST. About 30 participants
from member economies attended this meeting, and discussed on
the urgent requirements of the committee. As the result of the
meeting, they are preparing some programs of regional key comparisons
and training of technical experts. The chairperson and executive
secretary of APMP visited several member economies in these few
years to learn their background and to collect their requirements.
This action is surely helpful to support DEC members including
to get consensus with their governmental administrative staff.
TC Chairs meeting
TC chairs meeting was also taken place on 24-25 March
at NMIJ by the participation of all 11 TC chairs. Usually, at
the occasion of General Assembly of APMP, TC chairs meeting is
held together with EC meeting. This time, all 11 TC chairs gathered
and two day meeting was held at NMIJ/AIST Tsukuba on 24-25 March
2003. They discussed the concept and review process to submit
CMC into KCDB. The technical issues on intra-regional and inter-regional
review process for CMCs were also discussed.
Centenary Ceremony of the Foundation
of NMI in Japan
On the occasion of World Metrology Day, 20th May,
NMIJ celebrated its centenary in Tokyo by inviting many leading
persons in the world metrology both from overseas and nationwide.
At the memorial symposium, a Novel Prize Owner in 2002 in the
field of Chemistry, Dr. Koichi Tanaka of Shimadzu Corporation
made a lecture on the fundamentals of chemical analysis using
laser mass spectroscopy. In this connection, meeting of National
Metrology Board of Japan was also held at the same place.
IMEKO 17th World Congress, at Cavtat/Dubrovnik,
Croatia
The 17th IMEKO(International Measurement Confederation)
world congress was held at Cavtat/Dubrovnik, Croatia on 23-27
June 2003. During the Congress, there were two kinds of opportunities
to introduce the recent activity of APMP. As the round table discussion,
ŌThe Emerging Global Metrology SystemĶ was organized by TC11(Metrological
Infrastructures) and TC1(Education and Training), following four
presentations were made:
*Global challenges to metrology: E. Seiler, Chairman of IMEKO
TC 11, PTB
*From the SI to a global system: T. Quinn, Director of the BIPM
*Regional Metrology cooperation in metrology: H. Imai, Chairperson
of APMP, AIST
*The role of accreditation in metrology: J. Drnovsk, Vice-Chairman
of IMEKO TC11,
@In this round table discussion, the basic role of SI for disseminating
metrological standards was raised. Another technical meeting on
the role of regional metrology organizations(RMOs) was held by
the participation from EUROMET, APMP and others. Basic concept
of measurement science(metrology), traceability and the importance
of human resources were discussed. IMEKO covers many fields of
measurement standards such as length, time, mass, electricity,
temperature, force, pressure and so on together with advanced
technology related measurement science.
Workshop on QS as a Joint Workshop
between APMP and SIM organized in the APEC program
Under the APEC TILF program, a joint workshop on
quality system between APMP and SIM was planned and this first
trial was held in July and August 2003 at Ottawa, Canada to harmonize
the concept and procedure for preparing and reviewing CMCs to
submit them into BIPM KCDB. Lecturers on specific quantities such
as length, electricity and so on from both APMP and SIM presented
basic and specific requirements for CMCs and quality system of
NMIs.
NCSL, International 2003 Conference
and Exhibition at Tampa Florida, USA
At Tampa Florida USA, NCSL, International Conference
& Exhibition was held on 18-22 August. In this Conference,
APMP opened a booth to exchange and disseminate information of
APMPÕs activity. Other RMOs such as SIM and EUROMET attended together
with other NMIs, accreditation bodies and measuring instrument
suppliers. The chairperson of APMP presented a paper, in the session
of comparison, titled ŌThe role of proficiency testing for calibration,
testing laboratory accreditation and legal metrologyŌ in order
to clarify the concept and procedure of proficiency testing as
a tool of conformity assessment. In NCSLI, they are organizing
many technical sessions covered by the keywords of traceability,
calibration, comparison, measurement uncertainty, accreditation,
and so on.
Through the above mentioned several meetings and
occasions, I believe that we have got a lot of information and
experence for establishing the requirements to fulfill the equivalence
and transparency of submitting CMCs into KCDB of the BIPM.
As a new approach under the Metre Convention, APMP
should strengthen its contribution to some joint committees such
as JCGM, JCDCMAS and JCTLM by sending liaison experts.
Additional Information on the JCRB
activity:
Recently(September, 2003), the chairman of the JCRB,
Dr. T. Quinn director of the BIPM, published a report of a compilation
documents covering the first years of operation of the JCRB(Activities
of the Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations
and the BIPM: JCRB 1999-2003). It contains a summary report, meeting
reports of the first ten meetings of the JCRB, three annual reports
of the chairman and texts of various policy documents and interpretative
statements of the JCRB to the CIPM/MRA. This document covers important
decisions and policies made during the four years since the signing
of the CIPM MRA in October 1999. I herewith reproduce the following
as useful documents to understand the activity under the JCRB. |
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Appendix
E of the MRA: Terms of reference of the JCRB
1 The Joint Committee is charged with
a) coordinating the activities among the RMOs in establishing
confidence for the recognition of calibration and
measurement certificates, according to the terms of the Mutual
Recognition Arrangement (MRA);
b) making policy suggestions to the RMOs and to the CIPM on the
operation of the MRA;
c) analysing the application by each RMO of the criteria of the
MRA;
d) analysing and entering into Appendix C the proposals of each
RMO in respect of the calibration and measurement
capabilities of their member NMIs and reporting to the CIPM;
e) facilitating appropriate inter-regional supplementary comparisons;
f) writing an annual report on the activities of the Joint Committee
to the CIPM and to the signatories of the MRA.
2 Membership and meetings of the Joint Committee
a)each RMO informs the Director of the BIPM of the name of its
official representative on the Joint Committee;
b)at each meeting of the Joint Committee the representatives may
be accompanied by appropriate advisors;
c)the Joint Committee operates by consensus;
d)the Joint Committee should meet at least once a year.
Definition of terms used in the CIPM MRA (JCRB-8/Action 28)
Calibration and Measurement Capability(CMC)
Calibration and Measurement Capability
(CMC)l
The term Calibration and Measurement Capability (CMC)
as used in the CIPM MRA is defined as follows :
The CMC is the best measurement capability that
is ordinarily available to customers under normal conditions,2
for
example, as published in an NMI's service list and available,
in principle, at any time.
It should be:
1. performed according to a documented procedure
and an established uncertainty budget underthe quality system
of the NMI;
2. performed on a regular basis; and
3. available to all clients.
This is also stated in paragraph T.7 of the CIPM MRA's Technical
supplement:
"... The calibration and measurement capabilities referred
to in this paragraph are those that are ordinarily available to
the customers of an institute through its calibration and measurement
services;
they are sometime referred to as best measurement capabilities.
"
Uncertainty
Determinations for CMCs
INCLUDED ARE uncertainty contributions inherent
in the best ordinarily available customer device during its
calibration or measurement at the National Metrology Instituie.
The actual characteristics of the device must also
be considered for individual calibration certificates issued
by the NMI.
EXCLUDED ARE uncertainty contributions (including
transport ucertainties) associated with a customer's device
before or after its calibration or measurement at the National
Metrology Institute.
These contributions are not part of the calibration
or measurement performed by the NMI and are therefore outside
the NMI's control. It is the client's responsibility to take
these extra factors into consideration.
1 Based on gReport of JCRB
ad hoc Working Group on CMC Uncertaintiesh (Document JCRB-8/9)
and gAPMP Proposals on Uncertainty Calculations for CMCsh (Document
JCRB,8/9(3).
2 Note: This does not include the NMI's capability to measure
the very best instruments.
Appendix of a letter to NMI
directors of States not yet Members of the Metre Convention or
Associates of the CGPM
The objectives of the CIPM MRA are: to establish
the degree of equivalence of national measurement standards maintained
by NMIs; to provide for the mutual recognition of calibration
and measurement certificates issued by NMIs; and thereby to provide
governments and other parties with a secure technical foundation
for wider agreements related to international trade, commerce
and regulatory affairs.
Participants recognize each other's capabilities based on the
following criteria:
1. Credible participation in comparisons identified by the international
measurement comunity as of key significance for particular quantities
over specified ranges. Presently around 400 "key comparisons"
have been designated and are being carried out by NMIs, of which
about 130 have been completed.
2. Credible participation in other comparisons related to specific
calibration services or that have some trade and/or @economic
priority for individual countries or geographic regions: so-called
"supplementary comparisons". At this time, some fifty
supplementary comparisons are being undertaken.
3. Having in place for calibration services a quality system that
is recognized as being international best practice, in turn based
on agreed criteria.
The first of these elements provides the technical basis for recognition
under Part l of the MRA. Compliance with both criteria 2 and 3
enables recognition under Part 2 of the MRA. The BIPM key comparison
database (KCDB: www.bipm.org/kcdb) contains the results of key
and supplementary comparisons (Appendix B), together with lists
of peer,reviewed and approved calibration and measurement capabilities
(CMCs) of NMIs (Appendix C). At present, there are approximately
14,000 individual CMCs published in the KCDB, all of which have
undergone a process of peer evaluation by NMI experts within the
Regional Metrology organizations, coordinated internationally
by the "Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations
and the BIPM" (the JCRB).
List of signatories to the CIPM MRA as of
October, 2003 |
A. The Directors
of the NMIs of the following 43 Member States of the Metre Convention
have signed the CIPM MRA
B. International organizations that are signatories to the CIPM
MRA
C. The 13 Signatories to the CIPM MRA from Associates of the CGPM
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