METROLOGY IS THE, OFTEN INVISIBLE, INFRA-TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTING THE QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE
Keywords:
Keywords: Metrology, Measurement, Confidence, Global challenges, Economic recoveryAbstract
Annotation: Metrology remains a uniquely important endeavour. A sign of its success and robustness as an infra-technology is that it usually goes unnoticed. This means that it is in danger of being under-valued and under-appreciated. The sure-footing that metrology provides to the quality infrastructure will be especially important as the world grapples with the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic, rebuilding global economies and also re-focusing on addressing global grand challenges and exploiting emerging technologies. In this context it is important and timely to re-examine the concept of metrology and how it relates to the quality infrastructure that it serves, but differs to measurement in general. The concept of metrology as ‘measuring measurement’ is proposed, emphasising the characteristic meta-thought associated with the discipline that distinguishes it from routine measurement.
References
. BIPM, Worldwide metrology: What is metrology? https://www.bipm.org/en/worldwide-metrology/#metrology (assessed 07.20).
P. Howarth, F. Redgrave, Metrology in Short, 3rd Edn (Braunschweig, Germany: EURAMET), 2008.
Mohr P.J., Newell D.B., Taylor B.N. CODATA recommended values of the fundamental physical constants: 2014. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data. 2016;45(4):043102. doi: 10.1063/1.4954402. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
BIPM, Quality Infrastructure (QI): Definition, https://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/QI-definition.pdf (assessed 07.20).
R.J.C. Brown, The importance of the measurement infrastructure in economic recovery (Teddington UK: NPL), 2020, https://www.npl.co.uk/getattachment/about-us/Who-we-work-with/Government/NPL-evidence-and-analysis/Importance-of-the-measurement-infrastructure-Final.pdf (assessed 07.20).
Grochau H., ten Caten C.S., de Camargo Forte M.M. Motivations, benefits and challenges on ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation of higher education institution laboratories. Accred. Qual. Assur. 2018;23:183–188. [Google Scholar]
Kunzmann H., Pfeifer T., Schmitt R., Schwenke H., Weckenmann A. Productive metrology – adding value to manufacture. CIRP Ann. 2005;54:155–168. [Google Scholar]
