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Happy Independence Day! In our July 2023 edition of Measurement Matters, OWM is very happy to showcase our new Strategic Plan and redesigned webpages to better serve our customers and the weights and measures community. Most importantly, we want to hear from you on what works (and what does not!)
Also in this issue, we describe our ongoing legal metrology projects related to global national metrology systems, instrument digitalization, weigh-in-motion systems, and activities related to training and supporting women in weights and measures. We are also pleased to announce our 5-year IACET reaccreditation and promote our newest and upcoming SP 2200 legal metrology publications. Last but not least, we also welcome our new Student Undergraduate Research Fellows associates to the office.
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The NIST OWM webpages are changing for the better! OWM is happy to launch a series of new landing pages to include About Us, FAQs, and OWM Products and Services. Our aim is to make general information more accessible and to provide our customers with easy to access weights and measures publications, learning resources, and other technical guidance and training content. |
Please take a look and provide us feedback here for improvements. Be sure to bookmark your favorite and most useful pages. And note that OWM will be adding more content (e.g., videos, webinar recordings) over the coming months.
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About Us provides more background on NIST OWM, its roles and responsibilities, and the OWM Strategic Plan.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) includes the most often asked questions together with several other FAQ pages on specific weights and measures topics.
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OWM Products and Services provides a top-level collection of our products and services, from the NIST Handbooks and publications to OWM’s training courses and online learning resources.
Our OWM Training and Events calendar will continue to be updated with a current list of webinars, inperson seminars, and upcoming weight and measures meeting schedules. We will also continue to maintain the External Resources for Weights and Measures collection which provides up-to-date directories of state contacts, and other links and newsfeeds for the weights and measures community.
What are we missing? What would you like to see more of? Provide your feedback here or send us your ideas to owm@nist.gov.
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OWM Training Program Reaccredited as IACET Provider for Continuing Education
The NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) is pleased to announce that the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) has awarded reaccreditation status to the OWM Training Program as an Authorized Provider through May 31, 2028.
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 Weigh-In-Motion Scale Systems: Protecting the Nation’s Aging Infrastructure
Adhering to the commercial vehicle maximum weight limits established by state and federal authorities is critically important to protect our aging road transportation infrastructure including roadway surfaces, bridges, overpasses, and tunnels. Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) scale systems have weight sensors that are installed within the main roadways and ramps to directly measure vehicle weight while in the flow of traffic. These are commonly used to screen commercial vehicles or vehicle combinations (e.g., trucks with trailers) near state weigh stations for commercial weight enforcement. To ensure marketplace equity, it is imperative that an owner and/or operator of a commercial vehicle is also not improperly fined for an overweight violation that doesn’t exist.
 The ICW Conference with some of the US representatives (right panel). From left to right (far right panel): Mahesh Albuquerque (NCWM), Jan Konijnenburg (NIST OWM), Don Onwiler (NCWM) and Tim Hamers (CECIP and ICW co-organizer).
Our Digital Future in Legal Metrology: Lessons Learned from the International Conference of Weighing
On April 24-26, 2023 the European Weighing Industry Association (CECIP) organized the first meeting of the International Conference of Weighing (ICW) in Hamburg, Germany. The theme of the inaugural meeting was Weighing in a Global Digital World! and the meeting focused on the ongoing technological changes in the weighing industry. More than 200 stakeholders from 25 countries including manufacturers, regulators, and scientist, attended the conference, including several individuals from NIST, including Jan Konijnenburg and Katrice Lippa from OWM.
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National Metrology Systems: A Framework for Global Trade
It’s an old phrase, but the world keeps getting smaller every day! This is especially true when it comes to the global marketplace and our reliance on one another for high-quality and reliable goods and services to keep our economies thriving. To maintain this confidence, it is essential that each country and economy involved in global trade contributes to and embodies the internationally recognized metrology standards that support an established and trusted system of trade and commerce.
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 Women in Weights and Measures
NIST OWM is pleased to be participating in the new Women in Weights and Measures panel session at the 108th NCWM Annual Meeting this month. This concept was spawned from recent discussions between Mahesh Albuquerque (NCWM Chair) and Katrice Lippa (NIST OWM Chief) to spotlight current women leaders and professionals in the weights and measures community and to create awareness for the need to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage all to attend the upcoming panel session at the NCWM Annual meeting and support our women coworkers and colleagues.
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OWM Announces New Legal Metrology Publications: NIST SP 2200 series
The NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) is currently developing a Legal Metrology Publication Series: SP 2200 to provide our stakeholders with current information on the status and development of U.S. and international legal metrology issues. We are also pleased to announce our most recently published NIST SP 2200 (SP 2200-02) that describes the 2022 NIST Summary of U.S. Legal Metrology Activities conducted over last year.
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 NIST E-Commerce Storefront Coming Soon to OWM
At the end of 2023, the OWM Contacts System is scheduled to be replaced by the NIST ECommerce storefront using Salesforce, a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform. This storefront is an online shopping experience where customers will be able to request OWM Training and Events.
Our customers will be able to visit the OWM storefront site to browse OWM Training and Events without having to first establishing an account. Customers would be requested to create an E-Commerce storefront account if they are interested in requesting training. Once registered, customers will receive an email with a link to establish their password. Customers will be able to manage their accounts and account information, including resetting passwords. Usernames are now defaulted to the customer’s email addresses. As with the OWM Contacts System, customers will be able to browse, search, select and request training, view their training history, request a scheduled class, or request to be on the waiting list for the next available class if the class is full.
If you already have an account in the OWM Contacts System and have taken training in the past, this information will be automatically transferred to the E-Commerce Storefront and merged with any new account information.
More information and specific instructions will be provided to all account holders in advance of E-Commerce roll out in the coming months.
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NIST OWM’s Informal Learning Resources
A few months ago, NIST OWM reached out to state weights and measures directors for their input on OWM’s “informal learning resources.” Through a series of surveys, interviews, and small focus group discussions with several directors, I was able to have specific discussions to determine what the states and regions need to support the technical training and professional development of their inspectors and staff.
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New York State Annual Weights and Measures Association Meeting and Training School
NIST OWM had the pleasure and opportunity to attend the New York State Annual Weights and Measures Association and Training School the week of June 12-16, held in Syracuse. The New York State weights and measures system is multifaceted in its operations with a state-level Department of Agriculture and Markets/Weights and Measures and 62 county weights and measures jurisdictions.
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 Welcome 2023 NIST Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows!
The Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) welcomes four 2023 NIST Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program research fellows to our Gaithersburg, Maryland campus: Dinelka Jagoda, Benjamin Tran, Bryan Rezende and TJ White, Jr. Their 11-week summer internship appointments are scheduled from May to August 2023, where they’ll gain experience in legal metrology, calibration laboratory operations, proficiency testing, the metric system (International System of Units, SI), and federal public service. OWM 2023 SURF research projects were announced in the December 2022 newsletter.
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