NEW NIST PRACTICE GUIDE ON ROCKWELL HARDNESS TESTING AVAILABLE The NIST Recommended Practice Guide: Rockwell Hardness Measurement of Metallic Materials

WANTED: MEASUREMENTS WITH GOOD REFERENCES In nearly all types of activities-be they related to manufacturing, finance, health, regulatory affairs or even sports-people and organizations are becoming sticklers for measurement uncertainty. NIST, the nation’s measurement authority, has responded to this growing customer need for demonstrable uncertainty. It has created an on-line resource— www.nist.gov/traceability—devoted to matters pertaining to the integrally related topic of measurement traceability—whether the result of a specific measurement can be related to accepted international or national standards through an unbroken chain of comparisons. Factors driving the growth of traceability requirements include increasing world trade, growing reliance on laboratory accreditation as a means of assuring confidence in calibration and test reports, the continuing spread of quality standards and, in some technology areas, a proliferation of regulations. At the new web site, visitors can read the NIST policy on traceability. They also can review, among other resources, a glossary of terms, answers to an extensive set of frequently asked questions on traceability, examples of relevant NIST measurement programs, and a traceability checklist for users of calibration services. To learn more, visit the NIST traceability web site at www.nist.gov/traceability. For technical information, contact Mary Saunders, NIST Global Standards Program, (301) 975-2396, [email protected]. Media Contact: Mark Bello, (301) 975-3776; mark. [email protected]. News Briefs