An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Programs Fiscal Year 1997 (1997) / Chapter Skim
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3 Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory
3 Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory
Pages 41-60
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Chapter 3 Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory
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From page 42... ...
Miller, this assessment of the fiscal year 1 997 activities of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory is based on a site visit by the panel on March 4-6, 1997, and on the annual report ofthe laboratory.
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Most importantly, significant progress has been made in the National Advanced Manufacturing Testbed (NAMT) , a distributed testbed built on a state-of-the-art, high-speed computing and communications infrastructure.
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For example, the MEL work in information technology has the technical merit necessary for significant industrial impact, yet the laboratory's efforts in this field are not broadly known or appreciated. The potential of this work and its relevance to productivity, globalization, and efficiency of development need to be communicated throughout the manufacturing industries.
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In general, the physical plant of the laboratory is adequate. Some metrology equipment in the Precision Engineering and Automated Production Technology Divisions as well as the shop capability in the Fabrication Technology Division do not currently meet world-class standards.
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unit of length by means of stabilized lasers and displacement interferometry. The Precision Engineering Division mission statement is in accord with those of NIST and the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory.
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Though the criteria are most easily applied by divisions heavily involved in providing services such as calibrations or standard reference materials, every division could look to the Precision Engineering Division for an example of how to apply quality principles to its operations. Industrial Impact The Precision Engineering Division can provide the means for industry to lower overhead rates and improve productivity.
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NIST-STRS 7.1 7.6 Other Agency (OA) 0.7 1.0 ITS 0.3 0.1 Calibration Services 0.4 0.4 Other 0.5 0.5 Total 9.0 9.6 The Precision Engineering Division currently employs 56 full-time equivalents, of whom 36 are technical professionals.
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Such an assessment could account for present and foreseeable methods of administering controls on the accuracy and precision of length measurements and build continuity by interrelating the methods presently practiced. Automated Procluction Technology Division Mission The Automated Production Technology Division stated that its mission is to foster the development of advanced manufacturing systems, processes and equipment, to improve the accuracy of manufactured parts, and to provide U.S.
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Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work The panel reviewed several areas ofthe Automated Production Technology Division's work in detail. The efforts in mass and force standards are quite advanced.
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The facilities available in this division include six dead weight machines, an anechoic chamber measuring 450 cubic meters, a mass comparator facility, a machine too} research facility, a vibration isolated high-precision machining facility (shared with the Precision Engineering Division) , and a high-speed machining center (shared with the Fabrication Technology Division)
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The division plans to assist American industry in setting machine controller architecture standards. Industry needs include development of real-time software standards.
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NIST-STRS 6.0 5.9 Other Agency (OA) 0.6 1.1 ITS 0.3 0.2 Other 0.0 0.1 Total 6.9 7.3 The Intelligent Systems Division currently employs 46 full-time equivalents, of whom 38 are technical professionals.
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In addition, the mission of the division properly fits into the mission of the laboratory, as both seek to provide the infrastructure needed to enable and sunnort nontraditional manufacturing enterprises. Technical Merit and Appropriateness of the Work 1 1 The panel was impressed with the breadth and depth of technical work conducted by the Manufacturing Systems integration Division.
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manufacturing companies. The panel believes that those companies actively participating in Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory projects do understand the division's products and services and are using them to their best advantage.
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The division also has 20 guest workers. The competence and skills level of the staff are impressive and consistent with the major technical thrusts of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory.
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28.2 S.0 Total3368.3 3754.0 The Fabrication Technology Division employs 43 full-time-equivaTents, 2 of whom are technical professionals. Technicians, administrative support, and crafts personnel are not included in the number of technical professionals.
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MAJOR OBSERVATIONS The overall quality ofthe Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory's technical programs is high, and the laboratory has made significant progress on its showcase program, the NAMT. All sectors of the manufacturing industries are insufficiently informed about NIST programs and the potential benefits of the MEL's work.
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The Precision Engineering Division is in particular need of capital upgrades. In the Fabrication Technology Division, both the hardware and the software need to be upgraded.
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