Concepts of Metrology

Krishna Murari
Senior Faculty , HMA
HMA SLIDE NO 1
 KEY WORDS

 CALIBRATION – Comparison
 METROLOGY – Science of Measurement
 TRACEABILITY – Unbroken Chain of Comparisons
 UNCERTAINTITY – Error in Measurement
 ACCREDITATION – Third Party Ascertain
 CALIBRATION INTERVAL – Equipment Remains
Reliable

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page No
SLIDE NO 2
 WHAT IS METROLOGY

SCIENCE OF MEASUREMENTS & STUDY OF MEASUREMENT

Experiment CAN BE SEEN

EVERYWHERE
or test
Everything has
to do with
measurement
Designing
Allowing people
Conducting to plan their lives
and make
Analyzing Results commercial
exchange with
confidence
within the Metrology realm
3
AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page No
SLIDE NO 3
 What is a “good” measurement?
• A “good” measurement is one that can be trusted when
making decisions.
• Decisions are made daily on whether measurements are
good enough, but they are made subconsciously and often
by different people.
• Decisions need to be conscious and consistent.

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page No
SLIDE NO 4
 Metrology and Aspects of Metrology
Dimensional metrology is that branch of Metrology which deals with
measurement of “dimensions“ of a part or work-piece (lengths,
angles, etc.)
Dimensional measurements at the required level of accuracy are the
essential link between the designers’ intent and a delivered product.

Aspects of Metrology are :

• Reference standard metrology
• Engineering Metrology

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page No
SLIDE NO 5
 CATEGORIES OF METROLOGY
 Scientific Metrology – Development of measurement
standards
 Industrial Metrology – To ensure the adequate functioning
of measurement instruments used in
industry, production & testing
laboratories
 Legal Metrology or Weights & Measures
Accuracy of measurement where these have influence on
the transparency of economic transactions, health & safety.

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page No
SLIDE NO 6
 Accuracy vs Precision
• Accuracy is how close an individual value is to the true or
accepted value
• Precision is the consistency of a series of measurements
Measurement Can be
• Accurate and precise (best)
• Accurate and imprecise (user error)
• Inaccurate but precise (instrument error)
• Inaccurate and imprecise

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page No
SLIDE NO 7
 Calibration
“Calibration is the comparing of an unknown measurement device against
equal or better known standard under specified conditions”
“Operation that, under specified conditions, in a first step, establishes a
relation between the quantity values with measurement uncertainties
provided by measurement standards and corresponding indications with
associated measurement uncertainties, and in a second step, uses this
information to establish a relation for obtaining a measurement result from
an indication ” International Vocabulary of Metrology

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page No
SLIDE NO 8
 Units of Measurement
SI Units published by BIPM(Bureau of Weights and Measures)
Base Units…

Quantity Unit Symbol

Length metre m
Mass kilogram kg
Time second s
Temperature kelvin K
Electric current ampere A
Luminous intensity candela cd
Amount of substance mole mol
AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page No
SLIDE NO 9
 Uncertainty
An estimate of the possible error in a measurement

Type A evaluation
A series of repeated observations is obtained to determine
the standard deviation of the measurement result.

Type B evaluation
The evaluation is carried out using available information
found in calibration reports, certificates, specifications etc.

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 10
 How Do We Get Traceability ?

Common point of reference

My laboratory Your laboratory Their laboratory

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 11
 The Link Organisation to the International
Arena

International standards

National Metrology Institute

National community that is using

measurements

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 12
 HIERACHY OF MEASUREMENT STANDARDS
HIERARCHY OF MEASUREMENTS

Primary Standards
Traceable to BIPM

Secondary
Standards

Working
Standards

Instruments
Used in Lab/
Industry

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 13
 CALBRATION INTERVALS
Period of time of use to ensure the equipment remains reliable

ISO 17025 Requirements:

Capable of achieving required accuracy

Comply with specifications relevant to test/calibration method
Use under established calibration programme

Therefore need to :

Define required accuracy

Identify the equipment that can affect it
Manage all equipment under a calibration programme

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 14
 RECOMMENDED CALBRATION INTERVALS

No single correct answer Calibration represents an

instantaneous snapshot of actual
condition

Depend upon

Level of stress - subjected

Stability of past calibration
Allowable tolerance range
Required accuracy
Quality Assurance Requirements

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 15
 Importance of Calibration
 Assurance of accurate of measurements
 Ability to trace measurements to International
standards
 International acceptance of test/calibration reports
 Correct diagnosis of problem/illness (medical
reports)
 Consumer protection (legal metrology)
 Meeting the requirements of ISO 9000 and 17025
AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 16
 Error
• Error is responsible for the difference between a measured value and
the “true” value
• Three types of error:
– Gross (blunders)
– Random
– Systematic

• Random errors are errors that cannot be eliminated. They are variability and
no one knows why. Maybe humidity, pressure, etc. This is why we take
several measurements and average them to get best estimate of true value.
Random error leads to loss of precision
• Systematic errors are defined as measurements that are consistently too high
or too low and bias. These have many causes, contaminated solutions,
malfunctioning instruments, temperature fluctuations, etc. Technician controls
sources of systematic error and should try to eliminate them, if possible and
should not repeat them as these impact the accuracy .

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 17
 Uncertainty

• Uncertainty is an estimate of the inaccuracy of a

measurement that includes both the random and systematic
components. Errors lead to uncertainty in measurements.
• In following fig., which one is more uncertain ?

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 18
 Basic Measurement Devices

• Surface Plates
• Test Stands
• Dial Gages
• Micrometers and Verniers
• Gage Blocks

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 19
 Dimensional Metrology Needs

• Linear measurements
• Angular measurements
• Geometric form measurements
– Roundness
– Straightness
– Cylindricity
– Flatness, etc

AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 20
 AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 21
 AUTHOR
DIVISION
HMA Page SLIDE
No NO 22