Professional Documents
Culture Documents
3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
Congratulations
Chris Grachanen &
Keith Bennett;
Winners of the Best Paper in
the Quality and Management
category at the NCSLI Work-
shop & Symposium, 2006 in
Nashville!
Happy 15th
Anniversary
MQD!
The Standard TABLE OF CONTENTS
Vol 20, No. 3, September 2006 Chair’s Column...............................................................................3
MQD Annual Report for 2005 ~ 2006............................................4
Managing Editor and Publisher
Jay L. Bucher
Chair-Elect’s Column .....................................................................5
6700 Royal View Dr. MQD at NCSL International 2006, Nashville, TN .........................7
De Forest, WI 53532-2775 CCT Update ....................................................................................8
Voice: 608-277-2522 Metrology Job Description Initiative Update .................................9
Fax: 608-846-4269 Unwritten Calibration Technique .................................................10
Email: yokota-69@charter.net
or jay.bucher@promega.com
From the Desk of the Editor/Publisher .........................................11
The Learning Curve ......................................................................12
Advertising Joe D. Simmons Memorial Scholarship........................................14
Submit your draft copy to Jay Bucher, with a We Have Lost A Giant: Dr. Eugene Watson 1940 ~ 2006 ...........15
request for a quotation. Indicate size desired. Program Committee Report ..........................................................17
Since The Standard is published ‘in-house’ MQD at NCSL International Photos.............................................18
the requester must submit a photo or graphic
of their logo, if applicable. The following
MQD Meeting Minutes.................................................................19
rates apply: CCT Presentation at Worldwide PMEL Workshop......................21
Business card size ............................ $100 MQD Officers and Committee Chairs ..........................................24
1/8 page .......................................... $150 MQD Regional Councilors …………………………………… ..25
1/4 page ........................................... $200 Premier Edition of The Standard ..................................................27
1/3 page ........................................... $250
½ page ............................................. $300
NCSL International Workshop & Symposium 2007 info.............36
Full page ......................................... $550 MQD / ID Joint Conference Information / Application................37
Advertisements will be accepted on a ‘per
issue’ basis only; no long-term contracts will
be available at present. Advertising must be MQD’s booth at the
clearly distinguished as an ad. Ads must be National Conference
related to measurement quality, quality of of Standards Labora-
measurement, or a related quality field. Ads tories (NCSL) Inter-
must not imply endorsement by the Measure- national Workshop
ment Quality Division or ASQ. & Symposium, held
at Nashville, TN last
Letters to the Editor month. Where’s the
The Standard welcomes letters from mem- BBQ pit and beer
bers and subscribers. Letters should clearly keg? (a little humor
state whether the author is expressing opin- from an absent
ion or presenting facts with supporting infor- MQD officer)
mation. Commendation, encouragement,
constructive critique, suggestions, and alter-
native approaches are accepted. If the con-
tent is more than 200 words, we may delete
portions to hold that limit. We reserve the The Standard is published quarterly by the Measurement Quality Division of
right to edit letters and papers. ASQ; deadlines are February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15. Text infor-
mation intended for publication can be sent via electronic mail as an attachment in
Information for Authors MS Word format (Times New Roman, 11 pt). Use single spacing between sen-
The Standard publishes papers on the qual- tences. Graphics/illustrations must be sent as a separate attachment, in jpg format.
ity of measurements and the measurement of Photographs of MQD activities are always welcome. Publication of articles, prod-
quality at all levels ranging from relatively uct releases, advertisements or technical information does not imply endorsement
simple tutorial material to state-of-the-art. by MQD or ASQ. While The Standard makes every effort to ensure the accuracy
Papers published in The Standard are not
of articles, the publication disclaims responsibility for statements of fact or opinion
referred in the usual sense, except to ascer-
tain that facts are correctly stated and to as- made by the authors or other contributors. Material from The Standard may not be
sure that opinion and fact are clearly distin- reproduced without permission of ASQ. Copyrights in the United States and all
guished one from another. The Editor re- other countries are reserved. Website information: MQD’s homepage can be found
serves the right to edit any paper. at http://www.asq.org/measure. © 2005 ASQ, MQD. All rights reserved.
MQD Page 3
CHAIR’S COLUMN
By Graeme C. Payne
The 2005-2006 year is now over, and we are well into the 2006-2007 year – the
Division's 15th year, and yet another year of changes. An annual report appears
elsewhere in these pages.
I want to take this time to recognize and remember all the past Chairs of the
Measurement Quality Division. These people, plus all of the other officers, com-
mittee chairs and members, and many other valued volunteer members, are the
ones who founded the Division and helped it grow up to this point. In chrono-
logical order, the current and past Chairs of MQD are:
Many other dedicated and valued volunteers have been and continue to be vital to the success of the Di-
vision. Here is a list of the other people I currently know about who are or have been active volunteer
member leaders during the Division's first 15 years.
If this was a meeting in a convention center I would ask for a huge round of applause for all of these
people! Many of them have been active volunteers for all or most of the Division's history, and most
have been in more than one position either simultaneously or at different times. THANK YOU every-
one!
Keep in mind that we always need new names to add to this list! If you are a member who wants to do
more, please contact any member of the Division leadership team!
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 4
The major project accomplished during the 2006-2006 year is completion of the Metrology Job Descrip-
tion study initiative. This project was undertaken in cooperation with NCSL International to develop a
set of concise metrology-related job descriptions for inclusion in the Department of Labor's Occupa-
tional Handbook. At the present time there are no such descriptions. This is important for job classifica-
tion studies by the Department of Labor. It is also very important for developing interest in measurement
science and related professions, because the information eventually winds up in the Occupational Out-
look Handbook, a publication that is widely used to match potential careers with the interests of high
school students and other job seekers. MQD and NCSL have submitted descriptions for Calibration
Technician, Calibration Engineer and Metrology Engineer based on input from the metrology commu-
nity. Final action by the Department of Labor is expected by late 2007. The major expense for this pro-
ject was use of a third-party company to collect and analyze survey results.
The recognition coins for Certified Calibration Technicians were nearly ready for distribution at the end
of the fiscal year.
MQD participated in several meetings and conferences during the year. The Division was an exhibitor at
the NCSL International Symposium and Workshops in August 2005, and the Measurement Science
Conference in February 2006. We co-sponsor these events by providing one-time use of the division
mailing list, and receive complimentary exhibit space. The Division conference was held jointly with
Inspection Division in September 2005, and we were an exhibitor at the ASQ World Congress on Qual-
ity and Improvement in May 2006.
Changes in the number of members have to be looked at carefully this year. When only the seven type of
individual membership are considered, the division membership actually increased by 136. The major
negative change was the sharp decrease in the old Sustaining memberships, which was only partially
offset by the new Organizational memberships.
Finally, the Division adopted a governance change from the old system of separate Bylaws to use of the
new Division Management Agreement. This gives the Division somewhat more freedom of action while
still conforming to ASQ corporate requirements. Because of this a major task for the 2006-2007 year
will be creation of a comprehensive Division Management Manual using the ISO 9000 system as a
model.
Graeme C. Payne
Chairperson
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 5
Chair-Elect’s Column
By Rick Roberson
Is the lowest bidder process the best way to award contracts?
Government contracts (for PMELs and other contracts) are awarded to whatever company submits the
lowest acceptable bid to perform the work the government requested in the RFP (Request for Proposal).
Is this the best way?
By awarding the contract to the lowest cost bid, the government hopes to save money. This is good,
since it is our tax money they are using to pay the contractor. This also enables them to choose based
upon the contractors own bid, eliminating any chance of the bid being influenced (for the most part).
Let’s look at the pros and cons of using this process.
The good part: By bidding low, the contractor must operate more efficiently, and as much as possible
use innovative ideas to minimize cost. New ideas are developed to drive down costs. Old plans will be
available to every bidder, so they must come up with something new and better. As each contract is re-
bid, they must be more efficient, or lose the contract to someone that is.
The bad part: some contractors will sacrifice quality and performance for profit. By cutting manning,
they can increase profits, at the expense of actually performing the work properly. To get the contract
awarded to them, they may bid very low, and try to make a profit later. This can result in poor support
for the mission, and lower quality items, costing the government more in the long run then they saved
by contracting in the first place. (continued on page 6)
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 6
So is it a good process? What are the alternatives? Too much corruption would be the result of having
someone choose who should get the contract. I think that the lowest bidder process can work, but there
needs to be much more substantial penalties for failure to perform within the rules of the contract. If it
will be a severe financial burden to not meet contractual requirements, the work will be done, and the
bids will be put together more carefully.
I don’t have the answer-but I would like to get some of your thoughts on the issue. Send them to me
and I’ll post some of them in a future issue. richardroberson@sbcglobal.net
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 7
The Measurement Quality Division was an exhibitor at the annual NCSL International Workshops and
Symposium, held August 6 – 10 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Division was represented by Graeme
Payne and Dilip Shah. The MQD technical session on Tuesday afternoon was very well attended –
standing room only! Dilip was the moderator of the session, managing the presentation of three papers.
Chris Grachanen's paper on the Metrology Job Description project for the US Department of Labor was
presented by Keith Bennett. Miguel Decos gave a very good paper on implementation of a calibration
interval analysis system in an SQL database system. Graeme gave a paper focusing on the need to edu-
cate calibration customers about six commonly asked questions, and covering some late-breaking news
that emphasizes the impact of calibration on society – which also happened to be the conference theme.
Two division members received awards from NCSL International. Jay Bucher received an award recog-
nizing his excellent work as a Coordinator in the NCSL Central US Region. Chris Grachanen's paper
on the Metrology Job Description Project was voted the Best Paper in the Quality and Management cate-
gory.
Other Division members were also seen at the convention either representing their companies or giving
papers. Some include Jun Bautista, Howard Castrup, David Deaver, James Jenkins, Mark Ruefenacht,
Harry Spinks Bill Hendrik, Garey Dougan, Phil Smith, Robert Graham and Buddy Stricker.
The Division meeting was held on Monday, August 7, 2006. In addition to those personally attending,
several members attended the meeting via teleconference call.
The 2007 NCSLI conference will be in St. Paul, Minnesota, July 29 through August 2, 2007. The theme
for 2007 will be Metrology's Impact on Products and Services. Information on the call for papers will be
available soon on the NCSLI web site, www.ncsli.org
Graeme manning
our MQD booth
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 8
CCT UPDATE
By Chris Grachanen
MQD Certification Chair
CCT alumni continue to grow with each offering of the CCT exam. Con-
gratulations go out to our new Jun06 alumni!
Date of Exam Country Sat for Exam Date of Exam Country Sat for Exam
Jun-06 Bahrain 1 Dec-03 Malaysia 1
Jun-04 Canada 1 Dec-05 Malaysia 1
Jun-03 Canada 2 Dec-05 Netherlands 1
Dec-03 Canada 5 Jun-03 Puerto Rico 1
Dec-05 Canada 6 Jun-06 Puerto Rico 1
Jun-06 Canada 6 Dec-03 Puerto Rico 3
Jun-05 Canada 7 Dec-05 Puerto Rico 6
Dec-04 Canada 21 Jun-04 Puerto Rico 8
Dec-05 Colombia 1 Dec-04 Puerto Rico 8
Jun-06 Colombia 13 Jun-05 Puerto Rico 16
Jun-05 Costa Rica 3 Jun-06 Qatar 1
Dec-05 Costa Rica 4 Dec-04 Singapore 1
Jun-06 Costa Rica 4 Jun-05 Singapore 1
Jun-05 Ireland 1 Trinidad &
Jun-06 Ireland 4 Dec-04 Tobago 1
Jun-04 Japan 1
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 9
-----Original Message-----
From: Grachanen, Chris [mailto:Chris.Grachanen@hp.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 11:48 AM
To: SOC
Subject: RE: New job descriptions for consideration for the SOC
By now the final date for submitting SOC job description proposals has passed and I was wondering
how can I monitor the progress of the working groups for the job descriptions I submitted. I would like
to be available for any questions or provide any additional information the working groups may have on
my submittal. Please let me know.
Best Regards,
Chris
Hi Chris-
There is actually no way to monitor the progress of the work groups, as they don't issue progress reports.
If there are questions about the proposal that you submitted you will be contacted. [The proposal that
you submitted according to our records is the inclusion of calibration technician, calibration engineer
and metrologist as new occupations. If there are no questions about what you submitted then it is just a
matter of waiting for the next Federal Register Notice (FRN). We expect the next FRN to be posted in
July of 2007, and it will include all the changed to the SOC that were approved by the work groups. I
would be happy to add your name to a list of individuals to be contacted when the next Federal Register
Notice is posted. I'm sorry that there is no other information that I can give you at this moment. I hope
that you are doing well and we appreciate your interest in the SOC.
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 10
UNWRITTEN
CALIBRATION TECHNIQUE
Christopher L. Grachanen
For this calibration technique to be viable the pressure calibrator must be able to vary its output in small
enough increments (granularity) so as to be able to align the pressure gauge needle to a nominal pressure
graticule. The pressure calibrator display should also have enough resolution to adequately determine
values for these small increments. This same technique may also be used to calibrate a digital meter with
less resolution than a digital calibrator i.e. a 3 ½ digit multimeter calibrated by an 8 ½ digit resolution
multifunction calibrator. In this scenario the digital calibrator allows for greater granularity determina-
tion of the applied calibration source which causes the UUT to display a nominal value. Another advan-
tage of this technique is that often the calibrator and not the UUT is automatable such that upon adjust-
ing the calibrator for a UUT nominal value the calibrator’s displayed value may be printed or saved to a
file. One can quickly grasp the advantages of this calibration technique.
Given the virtues of the aforementioned calibration technique, I figured I could just find some verbiage
about the technique from a Metrology related publication and provide this to my colleague as justifica-
tion for using it. After spending several hours researching the Internet and paging through numerous
Metrology books I quickly discovered a lack of any mention of this technique. In all the documents I
examined, the universal mantra was generally, “put in a known value and record the UUT indication”.
Nowhere was I able to find verbiage about sourcing a calibrator for a UUT nominal indication and then
recording the calibrator display as the UUT measured value. The only publication which vaguely ad-
dressed this technique came from an Instrumentation Society of America (ISA) publication entitled
‘Calibration: A Technician’s Guide’ written by Mike Cable. In appendix A-4 entitled ‘Calibration Pro-
(Continued on page 11)
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 11
Since my initial fact finding effort I have still been unable to find a good reference on this ‘unwritten’
calibration technique. If you are aware of a good reference identifying this calibration technique please
pass it along to Jay Bucher, editor in chief, to share with readers in the next issue of ‘The Standard’.
Also, congratulations to Chris Grachanen for writing, and Keith Bennett for pre-
senting the winning paper, "Metrology Job Description Initiative", at the NCSL
International Workshop and Symposium in Nashville for the Quality and Man-
agement category.
I’d be remiss for not thanking Chris for nominating me as Test & Measurement World’s Test Engineer
of the Year. I was selected as one of the six finalists, with on-line voting to commence in September,
2006. The winner gets to choose which engineering educational institution receives a portion or all of
the $30,000 honorarium. This is a wonderful opportunity to get badly needed funds to metrology institu-
tions as well as helping promote the Metrology profession. Chris was the inaugural winner in 2004 and
selected four Metrology institutions to benefit from his largesse.
Our readers can review my nomination, along with the five others when they come out in the September
issue on-line. They should be located somewhere within this link: http://www.reed-electronics.com/
tmworld/toc-archive/2006/20060901.html. Thank you for your time and consideration.
At the back of this edition is the Premier Edition of The Standard (or basically, the first edition ever
published). The first Editor, DeWayne Sharp, was referred to in the September edition of The Standard,
on page 22. The first thing DeWayne requested from the readership was suggestions for a name for this
illustrious rag (my words, not his) and he did not even like the name ‘The Standard’. Obviously, over
the years, my predecessors have had the same response as yours truly...nada, zilch, zero, negative!!
I don’t know what we have to do to make everyone understand that without our readers inputs, sugges-
tions and comments, this is basically a forum for the MQD officers to say and do as they please. Are
they a bunch of radicals? No. Are they liberal or conservative? Your guess is as good as mine. But they
would like to hear from our readers. So...send me your comments and suggestions. I promise to publish
(without prejudice but removing any offensive language) for all to read. I have already done so for
anonymous authors, I will gladly continue in that vain. Thanks for listening, and please enjoy the Pre-
mier Edition of The Standard.
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 12
THE LEARNING CURVE “hurrahs” from a few real experts who agreed with
my comments... This reminded me of another ap-
By Phil Painchaud ropos quotation that I had almost forgotten; one
from the noted English philosopher Sir Francis Ba-
This is the forty-sixth in an un-
con:—
interrupted series of essays
“True greatness is like a two sided
charted to be on the general sub-
coin— the reverse side is humility”
ject of Metrology Education.
Often they degenerate into po-
It was not so much the answers I received that
lemics and sometimes even into
struck me as was the format of some of those mes-
a screed when another view-
sages. It seems that it is now becoming chic popu-
point appears to be nonsensi-
lar to sign e-mail messages with a rather complete
cally opposed to that being ex-
litany (My dictionary defines that word as: a re-
pressed by this author. Other
petitive or incantatory recital.) delineating every
times, when there is a dearth of new information on
assignment, rank, position, citation; or honor that
the Charted Subject, the author goes afield to other
the individual has ever had; thought that they had
subjects as his whim. As customary this disquisi-
ever been awarded; or wanted to or wished that
tion will be in form of an open letter to our most
they have been awarded. As an example, one of
exalted Boss the Supreme Editor of this somewhat
these e-mail messages was less than a full line in
periodic journal.
length but the signature was fourteen lines of self
aggrandizement! Why can’t we all just go back to
Dear Boss:
a simple signature, maybe with an address if neces-
sary?
As I write this column (third week of July 2006)
we are in our third week of triple digit tempera-
Again I am reminded of a quotation from another
tures. Usually I do not need air conditioning as my
famous individual. Those of you who have been
home is well insulated and I have six sensor con-
with us for a length of time will remember that in
trolled power fans in my attic. Usually all I need to
an earlier column (Column 40) I quoted exten-
do is to open my patio doors at night and usually
sively from Alexis de Torqueville, the Nineteenth
the entire house cools and stays that way until the
Century French scholar and nobleman. Monsieur
next evening. But not now, our temperatures have
de Torqueville spent two years traveling this
been excessive around the clock. In fact I cannot
county studying what was then a new phenomena
recall New Guinea being this uncomfortable back
to Europeans—the typical American. He published
in 1944. But that’s my problem—what’s yours?
his findings in a two volume set that as yet today,
over 160 years later, is still considered a classic
The most momentous Metrology Education news
and is studied by many scholars. He made the fol-
item at this time is of course the passing of Dr.
lowing observation of the typical American: —
Gene Watson. Since it is covered in another item in
this issue, I will not take up space to comment on it
“They unceasingly harass you to extort
here—other than to say that it is not only a loss of
praise and if you resist their entreaties, they fall to
great magnitude to the Metrology Community as a
praising themselves."
whole, but also a deep loss to me personally.
And what are these lengthy signatures but self
In my previous column (Column 45) I was some-
praise?
what critical of those certain individuals who are
frequently expounding their ignorance. In doing so
While we are on the subject of quotations from
I quoted from the great German philosopher von
other sources, I came across one in a recent edito-
Goethe. In return, I receive some of what I ex-
rial in the Los Angeles Times. It was by Thomas
pected to receive—verbal and written admonish-
ments from some self styled “experts” who felt that (Continued on page 13)
they had been unfairly admonished and a few
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 13
(Continued from page 12) thing at once. Metrology is the ideal vehicle to use
Sowell, he hit upon an educational defect that Dr. for such a system as it is a horizontal discipline
Jim Teza had described to me in 1981, and was the encompassing all other physical sciences. His
principle reason for his establishing the new Me- method, while very untypical in academia, was ac-
trology program at Butler County Community Col- tually quite simple. Each lesson was designed to
lege, and why was basing it on Metrology. His suc- approximately follow a basic outline:
cessor, Dr. Don Drum also recognized it. Dr. Gene
Watson and I had many discusions on this same 1. Teach them just enough about each sub-
matter during the hundreds of hours we spent to- ject (Scientific Discipline) involved in that les-
gether on my patio developing the many dozens of son, such that they can recognize the existence
documents required for the establishment of his and the nature or the problems involved as they
Baccalaureate Program in Measurement Science. discovered them.
2. Teach them where and how to find the an-
Sowell said:---"One of the failings of our educa- swers to those problems.
tional system is that it sends out into the world 3. Assign to each student a problem as an objec-
people who cannot tell rhetoric from reality. They tive to research and solve.
have learned no systematic way to analyze ideas, 4. Require each student to design an experiment
derive their applications, and test these implica- that would empirically prove or disprove the
tions against hard facts.” hypothesis of that assignment.
5. Require each student to perform that experi-
How true this is. It applies, at least in part to nearly ment, modifying the design if and as required.
all institutions and at all levels and to nearly all 6. Require each student to run a complete Met-
programs as well—Metrology included. There are rological Mathematical Analysis of the experi-
probably several ways to solve this academic prob- mental results, including statements of Accu-
lem, Teza’s was to teach via ‘total immersion’. In racy, Probability, Precision, etc., as applicable.
other words in most institutions, when a student is 7. Require each student to write a detailed report
put through a prescribed routine for a specific de- on their specific assignment and their individual
gree, they are taught a variety of subjects, often results.
with no indication of how each relates to the oth-
ers. The student is instructed in numerous seem- Did it work? You had better believe it. Jim called
ingly unrelated subjects. They are taught several me on the fourth day of class in September 1981
different branches of Mathematics, as well as sev- wildly enthusiastic. He had given the class a prob-
eral different disciplines in Chemistry and in Phys- lem of determining the accuracy of measurement of
ics. Additionally they are usually required to mas- small volumes of fluids; normally considered a
ter usage of the Language, such as Grammar, Com- physical measurement. (This was a class assign-
position, Report Writing, maybe some Literature ment rather than a series of individual assign-
and possibly a Foreign Language or two. Hopefully ments.) Collectively they had worked out a solu-
they receive some Liberal Arts material to smooth tion involving Titrations in the Chemistry Labora-
off the rough edges. When they have satisfactorily tory! The solution was quite acceptable but was
completed those courses, they are awarded a di- one Jim had never anticipated. His students were
ploma attesting to that fact—they are then turned already thinking “Outside of the Box”.
loose into the world to learn how to integrate that
mass of information and interrelate it all at their The results after the first class graduated? Every
new employer’s expense. In other words the typical graduate was almost immediately placed or went to
new graduate is an expensive and mostly useless universities for higher educations. Nearly half of
burden for their employer during next interval of those placed went directly to NIST to work as As-
time. sistants in those august laboratories under scientists
whose names are legend in Metrology even today.
Jim Teza’s plan for correcting this deficiency was
what I call “Total Immersion”, i.e., teaching every- (Continued on page 14)
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 14
Well Boss I have taken up enough of your space for this issue, but I do have a question for our readers—
WHO WAS THOMAS BUGGE AND WHAT WAS HIS CONTRIBUTION TO METROLOGY?
If you know, or think you know, write me a letter, but I will warn you beforehand that the man’s contri-
bution was so important that it is going to take you 50-100 words minimum to properly explain it. If one
of you comes up with a good enough and complete enough answer, I might publish it. If not, look out, I
may just bore you with my own answer later.
The Scholarship is soliciting candidates for an award of $1500 to support the study of metrology and
quality during the 2006–2007 school year. The award—to be administered by the school of the
awardee— may cover tuition, fees, books and other incidental academic expenses for the winning
scholar.
The Scholarship is in memory of Dr. Joe D. Simmons, who was Chief of the NIST Calibration Program,
NIST liaison to the National Conference of Standards Laboratories, recipient of the Measurement Sci-
ence Conference’s Andrew J. Woodington Award and the National Conference of Standards Laborato-
ries’ Wildhack Award, cofounder and Chair of the Measurement Quality Division of the American So-
ciety for Quality Control (ASQ), and founding Chair of the Measurement Quality Conference. He de-
voted his later career to promoting institutional support for metrology as the cornerstone of quality. The
Scholarship fosters the furtherance of metrology through education by striving to:
through an annual award to a student exhibiting scholastic excellence in the study of measurement sci-
ence and quality. The Scholarship is supported by the ASQ Measurement Quality Division, the Meas-
urement Science Conference, NCSL International, and many individual friends and colleagues of Joe
Simmons. It is to be awarded annually, with the awardee’s name announced at the annual conferences
of the sponsoring organizations.
Educational institutions having curricula with substantial metrology content are urged to encourage
high-potential students to apply.
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 15
Gene will be best remembered by the Metrology Community as the Originating Coordinator of the pre-
mière Baccalaureate level Measurement Science Curriculum at the California State University—
Dominguez Hills. This he accomplished as an adjunct to the Baccalaureate level Quality Assurance Pro-
gram he had already established as a feeder to the Master’s in Quality he had created and had been
teaching very successfully for several years.
Gene was born in Illinois but received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Science from
Florida State University in 1963. The following year he received his Master of Science Degree in
Acoustical Physics from the same institution. He then taught there until 1967 when he moved to Penn-
sylvania State University. At Penn State he was employed as a researcher in their Applied Physics Labo-
ratory working on underwater acoustical problems for the U.S. Navy. His work there earned him his
Doctorate in Engineering Acoustics. His Doctorial Thesis was entitled Locating Sound Sources on
Complex Vibrators Using Acoustical Holography”. His PhD was granted in 1972 and he continued his
Naval research work.
A while thereafter, despite no previous offer of employment he moved with his young family to South-
ern California. (He told me he moved because, “I got tired of having my butt frozen off”). He was
quickly hired in 1979 by TRW to head their Physical Standards Laboratory in Redondo Beach, Califor-
nia. His competency in managing and reorganizing that facility soon became well known throughout the
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 16
(Continued from page 15) Master’s Candidates world wide. Another innova-
region. About that time he joined the Los Angeles tion was “on-site” (conducting regularly scheduled
Section of the Precision Measurements Association classes’ off-campus usually at the work facilities of
and had a meteoric rise through both the Sectional a substantial number of candidates.) I was an in-
and the National Chairs, eventually becoming As- vited Guest Lecturer for him a number of times at
sociation President. (All of this occurred during both his “on-site” and “on-campus” classes.
my tenure as Executive Director of the Associa-
tion, and as a result we got to know each other very I was present at one of his “on-site” classes when
well. We made many trips together to visit and he polled the class (about 35 students) as to their
speak before various local Sections of the Associa- functions within the employer’s organizations.
tion.) Nearly half were either working directly in the Me-
trology Organization or in a function closely re-
In 1987 came the inevitable aerospace cutbacks lated to it. He then asked them for a definition of
with the release of thousands of highly skilled per- Metrology and its importance relative to Quality.
sonnel. He spent the next couple of years in preci- Not a single individual could give a satisfactory
sion instrumentation sales, learning about another answer. That was his catalyst for developing a
side of the overall Metrology Community. Such Measurement Science option within the Bachelor’s
knowledge serving him well for what was about to in Quality Program he was already developing.
come. In 1990, the local Los Angeles Section of
the ASQC persuaded the California State Univer- To the field of Quality and Metrology Education,
sity System to move a faltering Master’s in Quality the passing of my compatriot, Dr. E. Eugene Wat-
Program from San Jose State to California State son, is a severe blow. Farewell old friend!
University—Dominguez Hills where is would be
closer to the large Southern California Aerospace PAP
Industry. With his unimpeachable track record in PHIL PAINCHAUD
Academia at Penn State, his enviable Metrological
record at TRW, and the PMA, and his availability;
Gene Watson was the logical choice to head this
new effort.
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 17
At the NCSLI 2006 conference in Nashville, Tennessee (August 6-10, 2006), the MQD sponsored a ses-
sion. Three papers were presented:
Metrology Job Description Initiative—Survey Results, Derived Descriptions and Formal Submittal
By Christopher Grachanen and presented by Keith Bennett
Calibration Interval Analysis System in SQL By Miguel Decos
Educating the Customer About Calibration By Graeme Payne
An average of 100 people attended the session in a room that could accommodate about 112.
The Paper, Metrology Job Description Initiative - Survey Results, Derived Descriptions and For-
mal Submittal by Christopher Grachanen and presented by Keith Bennett won the Best Paper in
the Quality and Management category award.
CONGRATULATIONS TO CHRIS AND KEITH FOR THEIR EFFORT!
MQD also exhibited during the NCSLI conference and we are grateful to the NCSLI for donating the
booth space.
We are now planning MQD sessions for the MSC 2007 (Long Beach, CA) and ASQ’s WCQI 2007
(Orlando, FL). The theme for MSC 2007 is “Apply Metrology, Rule the World”. Our MQD session is
titled “Applying Measurement Quality”. Please send your presentation proposals (abstracts of about 100
words) to me as soon as possible, so that I may choose the appropriate presentations for submittal.
The MQD/ Inspection Division Joint Conference is planned for September 27-28, 2006 in Dayton Ohio
at the Sinclair Community College. Please see registration and program information elsewhere in this
issue of The Standard. The conference format is all workshops. So, this will be a good time to update or
upgrade some of your skills at a very reasonable cost. Some workshops are repeated to allow flexibility
in choosing.
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 18
MQD presents at
NCSL International
Workshops & Symposium
Keith Bennett
Giving his
Presentation
Miguel Decos
Giving his
Presentation
Graeme Payne
Giving his
Presentation
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 19
Graeme:
· Welcome attendees
Chris:
· Update on Metrology Job Description Initiative – Job descriptions have been finalized and submitted
to U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics. Have received correspondence that working groups have
received the Metrology job descriptions and if there are any questions they will be contacting Chris.
Keith will be giving a presentation of the initiative at NCSLI conference.
· Update on CCT Program - Two individuals taking the exam at the NCSLI conference. June 2006
congratulation letters went out to 88 new CCT alumni. CCT alumni are now at 640.
· Jay Bucher has been accepted as one of the finalists for 2007 Test & Measurement World’s
(T&MW) Test Engineer of the Year. Jay will appear with other finalist in T&MW fall edition. The
winner may designate an engineering education program to receive a $30,000 grant.
Jennifer
· CCT Coins Update – Letter to accompany the coins is completed as is the distribution list. ASQ’s
distribution center will distribute the coins. Graeme requested quote for padded mailing bags recom-
mended for mailing the coins in. Mailing from ASQ’s distribution center will be U.S. 1st Class.
Jay
· Provide financial summary of MQD checking and money market accounts – MQD is in the black
and doing OK.
· Jay will champion the Sept. 2006 CCT exam workshop. Chris will check with Mary Martin (ASQ
Headquarters) to see if there is enough volunteers for the workshop.
Dan
· Update on M1 – Standard will be withdrawn (there is little interest in its present guise and would
need a re-write to update it).
· Dan and Bob will be attending the Standards Committee meeting in Washington D.C. the week of
Aug. 14th
(Continued on page 20)
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 20
Dilip
· 2006 MQD Conference Update – Working with ASQ Inspection Division (joint conference). The
joint conference will be held 28-29 Sept. 2006 at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH. There
will be 4-8 workshops at the conference. After the NCSLI conference Dilip will focus on getting the
MQD conference brochure completed and broadcast e-mail sent to all MQD & Inspection Division
constituents.
Graeme
· In a new position keeping him very busy
· Presented idea to purchase a conference cell phone adapter to avoid the high expense of renting a
conference phone for meetings (typically 150-250$ per hr). Dilip motion to procure one not to ex-
ceed $500. Motioned seconded, all approved.
· Presented nomination of Phil Painchaud for the 2007 Max Unis Award to be presented at the 2007
Measurement Science Conference. All agreed Phil was long overdue in MQD formally recognizing
his many contributions to MQD and the measurement community
Jay
· Open discussion about Division Management Agreement (DMA) that became effective Jun 2006
regarding term limitations and meeting frequency.
Respectfully Submitted,
Christopher L. Grachanen
MQD Secretary
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 21
CCT Gets Invited To The USAF ments, available references, and take any and all
questions from a large conference hall holding ap-
Worldwide PMEL Workshop proximately 300 attendees. At the vast majority of
By Jay L. Bucher presentations that I have given in the 10 plus years
since I retired from the Air Force, I usually ask if
June 6th, 2006 was a red-letter day for myself and there are any ex-PMEL personnel in attendance.
the CCT (Certified Calibration Technician) pro- This was the first time that I did not have to ask...the
gram. The U. S. Air Force Metrology Worldwide answer was very obvious. About 80% of the atten-
PMEL (Precision Measurement Equipment Labora- dees were in their BDUs (battle dress uniform). All
tories) Workshop requested that MQD, through of which were highly starched and sharply
Chris Grachanen make a presentation at this year’s creased… an impressive sight to be sure.
event. Here is their original communication, which
does a better job of explanation than I every could: With such a short time period to squeeze in all the
information that I could, while leaving time for
Chris, there has been a great deal of interest within questions and answers, it was indeed a challenge to
the Air Force PMEL Community about the Certi- make the right information available. I very briefly
fied Calibration Technician Program. The Plan- touched on the BoK since all of that information is
ning Committee for the 13th Air Force Metrology available on-line, along with the costs, testing dates,
Worldwide PMEL Workshop would be interested in etc. (active duty military actually get a break in
hearing your presentation on the CCT as part of costs, thanks to a concerted effort on the part of
our program during the Workshop, scheduled for 5 Chris to the certification board). In actuality, I was-
- 8 June 2006 at Denison University in Granville, n’t there to sell the CCT, but to provide information
OH. on why they should get it, what the benefits were,
and how a CCT certification would enhance their
By way of background, the Worldwide is a biennial opportunities once they separated from the military.
event that brings together lab managers, techni-
cians and quality personnel from all 77 Air Force With one active duty CCT person besides me in at-
PMEL labs, as well as Air Force Calibration and tendance, MSgt Craig (Woody) Niemann, and an-
Metrology Program (AFMETCAL) engineers and other that had just taken the exam and was awaiting
staff, Major Air Command Functional Area Man- results, SMSgt [sel] Michael Sumich, I had some of
agers and Headquarters Air Staff. The audience their own who were able to answer questions from
includes civilian contractors, government civilians an almost neutral stand point. My humble thanks go
and military PMEL personnel. This year, we will out to Woody and Mike for helping to promote the
also have in attendance technicians from several of CCT to their fellow PMEL attendees. By the way,
the foreign military labs we support. both Woody and Mike have also volunteered to help
out during the next CCT exam review workshop in
The CCT Program has been sanctioned by the Com- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, September 22~23.
munity College of the Air Force and Air Force mem-
bers can receive financial support to earn the certi- After the presentation, we fielded several excellent
fication. questions on what the test covered, the costs, and
where reference material could be obtained (The
Unfortunately, Chris was unable to attend and pro- Metrology Handbook is considered a single source
vided me with a once in a lifetime opportunity. Hav- reference for the CCT). My thanks to Alan Clune
ing served 24 years on active duty with the U. S. Air and Catherine Williams for their help and support.
Force in the PMEL career field, and never having And a big thank you to Chris for the chance to pro-
attended any previous Worldwide Workshops, this mote the CCT, while seeing old friends and col-
was indeed a thrill for yours truly. leagues.
I was given 30 minutes to make a presentation on The next two pages have pictures taken during my
the BoK (Body of Knowledge), testing require- presentation.
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 22
Talk about a big screen...this auditorium was very impressive, with excellent au-
dio and visual equipment. Denison University has first class facilities.
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 23
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 24
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Astronautics Corporation of America, a world leader in the design and manufacture of avi-
onic systems, has a challenging opportunity available in our Quality Assurance Department
for a Calibration Technician.
Responsibilities:
• Perform electrical and mechanical calibration activities
• Develop calibration procedures and reports
Qualifications:
• AAS degree in Electronics and/or calibration experience preferred
• Must have the ability to follow standard written procedures
• Must have basic math skills and be detail oriented
• Experience with electronics and electrical repair required
ASQ & MQD neither endorse or support employment opportunities listed in The Standard.
Any employment listings are for the benefit of our readers and are one time listings at the discretion of the editor.
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 25
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page 26
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
MQD Page
Metrology laboratories calibrate equipment used to determine whether component parts will be compatible
whether those parts are used in a consumer product or in a commercial airliner. Metrology programs ensure that we
receive the correct amount of gasoline when we visit the pump as well as ensuring the butcher’s scale is accurate.
A sound and cohesive metrology and quality system, from the National Metrology Institute to the end consumer
affects the quality of life for everyone.
Vol. 20, No. 3 The Newsletter of the Measurement Quality Division, American Society for Quality September 2006
All Tutorial Workshop
Format Conference to
MAXIMIZE your skills
http://www.asq.org/inspect
http://www.asq.org/measure
DAYTON AREA CONFERENCE HOTEL
Doubletree Dayton Downtown
11 South Ludlow Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402
Tel: 937-461-4700
Fax: 937-461-3440
DIRECTIONS
Airport Directions:
Take I-70 East to I-75 South. Take the First Street exit (53B) located on the left of the interstate. Merge with traffic and move to the
right side of the street. At the Fourth traffic light, turn Right onto Ludlow Street. Go through three traffic lights and the hotel will be
on your right. Turn right into the parking garage.
From the Northeast (Cleveland): Take I-71 South to I-70 West. Take I-70 West to I-75 South. Take the First Street exit (53B) located
on the left of the interstate. Merge with traffic and move to the right side of the street. At the Fourth traffic light, turn Right onto
Ludlow Street. Go through three traffic lights and the hotel will be on your right. Turn right into the parking garage.
From the East (Columbus): Take I-70 West to I-675 South. Take State Route 35 West, and exit at Jefferson Street. Turn left onto
Third Street at the Fourth light. At the Third Light turn Left onto Ludlow Street. The hotel is on the right. Turn right into the parking
garage.
From the South (Cincinnati): Take I-75 North to the Third Street exit. Merge with traffic and stay in the right lane. At the Fourth traf-
fic light, turn Right onto Ludlow Street. Turn right into the parking garage.
About Dayton
Welcome to the birthplace of aviation. A visit to this thriving metropolis introduces guests to
many informative facets of the lives of the famous Wright brothers. Various museums and
attractions, including the US Air Force Museum and the Carillon Historic Park, demonstrate
the trials and triumphs of these two dedicated men, thus tracing the development and evolu-
tion of the first legitimate flying machine, The Wright Flyer II. Though the history of flight is
fascinating, Dayton’s amiable environment, rich history, and eclectic culture compliment one
another to make this an even more attractive place to visit. Visitors to the Sun Watch Indian
Village will view indications of inhabitation that date as early as the pre-Columbian age. Ad-
ditional areas not to miss include Downtown and the Oregon Historic District. Together,
these two areas offer such appealing sights as the radiant Victorian Theatre, numerous din-
ing establishments, contemporary shopping venues, and energetic nightlife scenes.
Learn how many parts you need to measure for capability studies, gage R&R studies, SPC, incoming
inspection, and comparison studies. We will examine confidence levels, probability, and sensitivity im-
pact on sample size calculations. This class will address both attribute and variable data.
We will review the purpose of measurement system analysis (MSA) and the organizational uses of MSA.
The class will review and discuss measurement system errors: accuracy, and precision. Then we will
complete an MSA analysis of a variable and attribute measurement system. The variable analysis will be
done using the traditional AIAG method and the attribute system will be completed using Kappa Analy-
sis. Spreadsheets will be provided for both analysis types and we will use them for the practical exam-
ples.
Due to the changing regulatory requirements, both in this country and around the world, many common
devices now require calibration that have never before been calibrated; they have always been consid-
ered “good enough.” Two of these are stopwatches and timers. This tutorial will cover the basics of cali-
brating stopwatches and timers using NIST Special Publication 960-12, Stopwatch and Timer Calibra-
tions, as a reference (copies of which will be provided to the students). Topics to be covered include:
The session will include hands-on practice sessions in the different methods; and will demonstrate how
to determine uncertainty budgets, including the calculations needed for each method.
Dr. E.F. “Bud” Gookins is President and Managing Partner of Strategic Quality Consulting; a quality sys-
tems and management consulting company located in the greater Cleveland area. Dr. Gookins is a reg-
istered professional engineer, certified quality management systems lead auditor for the Registration
Accreditation Board (RAB) and for the International Register of Certified Auditors (IRCA) He is a contrib-
uting author to the Juran Quality Control Handbook, McGraw Hill, contributing author to The Product Li-
ability Handbook, Quality Press, and a member of the International TAG’s 69 & 176 for ISO Standards,
and a member of the American National Standard’s Z-1 Committee for The United States.
All Tutorial Workshop Format Conference to MAXIMIZE your skills
Some workshops are repeated to ensure flexibility in planning your schedule.
This tutorial will introduce the student to the basic concepts behind time and frequency measurements.
The course will cover such topics as: Time and frequency concepts and terminology; History of timekeep-
ing; Quartz crystal oscillators; Atomic frequency standards; GPS-based time and frequency; Time and fre-
quency measurement instrumentation; Measurement techniques; and Traceability and uncertainty analy-
sis.
Navin S. Dedhia is quality consultant, a past ASQ National Director, Fellow of ASQ, recipient of the ASQ
E. Jack Lancaster Award and past Chair/Trustee of the ASQ International Chapter. He has worked at Hi-
tachi Global Storage Technologies, Inc., at San Jose, California and at IBM E. Fishkill, New York and San
Jose, California facilities. He is a member of the International Academy for Quality (IAQ). He is a RAB/
QSA certified QMS Lead Auditor. He is ASQ certified in four quality discipline fields, which are Quality En-
gineer, Reliability Engineer, Quality Auditor and Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence.
Number of papers have been published and presented by him at many national and international confer-
ences.
WEST THIRD:
EAST THIRD:
Conference Admission includes continental breakfast and coffee breaks. Lunch is available for purchase in the Sinclair campus cafeteria.
Registration Fee: ASQ MEMBERS $ 250.00 (Before SEP 12, 2006) $ 300.00 After SEP. 12, ‘06
NON MEMBERS $ 300.00 (Before SEP 12, 2006) $ 350.00 After SEP. 12, ‘06
Method of Payment:
Check or money order # ___________________ We regret that we cannot accept Purchase Orders.
Make checks payable to: ASQ: MQD/ID Conference. Credit Cards will be processed by ASQ and reflected so on
your credit card statement. All cancellations after September 12, 2006 are subject to a $75 cancellation fee . How-
ever, no shows and cancellations received within 5 working days prior to the conference will be charged the full amount.
Substitutions/alternates are permitted without any extra cost. Audio/videotaping is not permitted.