SEE exercise comparison of mass standards of 1 kg and submultiples of the kilogram

Project Description

In the framework of the South-eastern Europe cooperation in metrology program several national metrology institutes of the region, with little or no experience in participating in interlaboratory comparisons, will participate in a comparison exercise in the field of mass. Given the fact that the level of experience among NMI’s differed, it was proposed to augment the comparison with a relevant training seminar to be conducted by EIM (GR) and preparatory and result analysis workshops, to be conducted by BEV (AT).
The objectives of the comparison exercise can be summarized as follows:

•  to provide the opportunity to SEE laboratories to acquire experience in participating in comparisons
•  to check the measurement capabilities in the field of mass of the participating laboratories and provide input for improvement
•  to prepare the participating laboratories for future submission of technically valid calibration measurement capabilities (CMC)

It was agreed that the comparison should be carried out over a range representative of the participants’ measurement capabilities. The travelling standards to be used will thus be of nominal values 1kg, 200g, 10g, 1g and 100mg. EIM agreed to take the role of pilot laboratory and to provide the transfer standards. The analysis of the results will be performed by EIM in collaboration with BEV.

Funding was made available by ITC of PTB

Final Report 2009-03-31

Several national metrology institutes of the south-eastern European region, participated in a comparison exercise of mass standards of nominal values 1kg 200g, 10g, 1g and 100mg. Prior to the comparison a relevant mass training seminar was conducted by EIM (GR) and a comparison preparatory workshop was conducted by BEV (AT).
EIM assumed the role of the pilot laboratory also providing the transfer standards and analyzing the results. It was agreed that at least the conventional masses of each of the transfer standards was to be determined by each participant.
The participants measurements were carried out between May and July 2008. The participants supplied the results of their measurement of conventional mass (and in some cases of true mass also), as well as uncertainty estimates, by September 2008.
After the completion of the analysis of the results by the pilot, a workshop was conducted by BEV (AT) in order to discuss the results with the participants so that they could implement corrective actions, where appropriate.
A draft A of the report on the comparison exercise was produced and circulated among the participating laboratories.
This project was undertaken within the framework of the South-Eastern European Cooperation in Metrology and funded by ITC of the PTB.