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JUNE 2007 INDUSTRY NEWS

 

NCSL International Announces its 2007 Workshop and Symposium in St. Paul Minnesota

NCSL International (National Conference of Standard Laboratories), a professional association for metrology and calibration professionals who work in the field of measurement science, announces the 2007 International Workshop and Symposium will be held in St. Paul, MN July 29 - August 2, 2007.

This year's conference theme is "Metrology's Impact on Products and Services." Metrology laboratories calibrate equipment used to create compatible component parts used in commercial and consumer products. From the fit and finish of our vehicles to weights and volumes of products purchased in the grocery, a sound and cohesive metrology system impacts the quality of life for everyone.

This year's conference keynote address will be given by Dr. William Jeffrey, Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) followed by six parallel tracks of papers covering metrological disciplines and management. There will also be three days of tutorials.

More than 120 leading edge technologies are displayed and demonstrated in the associated exhibits. This conference will provide a forum to discuss the advances in metrology, as well as other related issues. Please join us as we reflect on how far and fast metrology has progressed over the past quarter of a century, and discuss its future needs and directions.

Highlights:

  • Keynote speaker Dr. William Jeffrey Director, NIST
  • 26 Technical Tutorials on a wide variety of Measurement solutions
  • 6 Parallel Tracks of papers, presentations and panels packed with technical training
  • More than 120 leading industry Exhibitors and Demonstrations

NCSL International promotes cooperative efforts for solving the common problems faced by measurement laboratories; NCSL International is a non-profit organization whose membership is open to any organization or individual with an interest in the science of measurement and its application in research, development, education, or commerce.

For more information about the conference, visit http://www.ncsli.org/conference, or
call (303) 440-3339.

 

Test Equipment Connection Corporation Announces New Repair and Calibration Program

Test Equipment Connection Corporation announces new Repair and Calibration Program, promotes Tony Colatruglio to Director of Services.

Test Equipment Connection Corporation today announced the company is now offering expert test equipment calibration and repair services for most types of general-purpose test & measurement instrumentation. Tony Colatruglio will now be responsible for all aspects of the Company’s repair and calibration business, insuring competitive pricing and professional responses to customer needs.

Colatruglio stated, “Test Equipment Connection’s extensive metrology experience will be applied to every repair and calibration we perform, with strict adherence to the quality standards we are known for in the industry. Repair and calibration is strategic to our business and we’re delighted to proactively address our customers’ requests for these services.”

About Test Equipment Connection Corporation:
Test Equipment Connection houses one of the nation's premier test equipment repair facilities. We are experts in the repair of Agilent, Fluke, Tektronix and dozens of other brands of electronic test equipment.

Test Equipment Connection Corporation is the largest vendor of New and Refurbished electronic test and measurement (“T&M”) equipment and is located in sunny Lake Mary, FL. Test Equipment Connection sells, rents, leases, buys, repairs and calibrates a wide variety of T&M manufacturer products. Test Equipment Connection is a single source supplier with an in-house calibration laboratory assuring that customers receive only the highest quality T&M equipment and support. The Company has over 200,000 customers, a 45,000 square foot warehouse and repair facility, and over 14 years of profitability and financial strength. The Company’s web site is located at www.testequipmentconnection.com. For More Information Contact: sales@testequipmentconnection.com.

 

Burns Engineering Announces Expanded NVLAP Accredited Temperature Calibration Services

Burns Engineering announces that it is now a NVLAP accredited metrology laboratory (lab code 200706-0) performing NIST traceable calibrations that conform to ISO/IEC 17025. Currently available are five and three point calibrations between temperatures of -196°C and 500°C. Secondary standard PRT and industrial PRT calibrations are performed by comparison to a precision SPRT. NVLAP accredits public and private laboratories based on evaluation of their technical qualifications and competence to carry out specific calibrations or tests. Burns offers fast turn-around and competitive pricing for calibration services, building on a 46 year history as The Temperature Measurement Expert.

For more information on Burns Engineering or to request a Temperature Calibration Services Brochure, please visit our web site www.burnsengineering.com. Burns Engineering is a manufacturer and global supplier of high performance temperature measurement solutions for industrial, sanitary, and metrology applications.

 

Tektronix Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year of Fiscal 2007

Tektronix, Inc. reported net sales of $298.5 million and net earnings from continuing operations of $28.0 million or $0.35 per share for the fourth quarter ended May 26, 2007. This compares with net sales of $289.3 million and net earnings from continuing operations of $31.9 million or $0.37 per share for the same period last year.

"Sales were up 3% over last year and were our highest in six years. Gross margins were strong and drove our best earnings per share this year," said Rick Wills, Tektronix Chairman and CEO. "Orders were down 7% impacted by a very difficult comparison to last year's fourth quarter."

Instruments business orders were up 3% and sales were up 10% from last year. Orders were strong in all geographies except Japan which declined in the quarter. "Orders were especially good in our two newer product categories – signal sources, where we successfully launched our new AWG5000 and in spectrum analyzers where demand continues to be exceptionally strong," continued Wills.

"This was another great quarter for new products in the Instruments business with the introduction of the MSO4000, a new family of mixed signal oscilloscopes which represents an expansion of our leading oscilloscope offering and sets a new performance benchmark for this class of product. In addition, we introduced the AWG5000 – an extension of our recently introduced arbitrary waveform generator platform that uniquely addresses digital RF technologies," said Wills. "In the Communications business, we expanded our VoIP monitoring solution to offer active test capability and the ability for service providers and cable companies to extend VoIP management services to their enterprise customers. In addition, we continued to execute our strategy with the addition of several new customers.”

For the fiscal year ended May 26, 2007, Tektronix reported net sales of $1.105 billion and net earnings from continuing operations of $87.3 million or $1.07 per share. This compares with net sales of $1.040 billion and net earnings from continuing operations of $90.9 million or $1.08 per share for the prior fiscal year.

"This was a strong year for Tektronix in many ways. Our orders and sales were the highest in six years. Excluding share-based compensation, we saw very good earnings per share growth in fiscal 2007," said Wills. "Orders in our Instruments business were especially strong driven by our general purpose test products which grew over 15% year-over-year, and we introduced an unprecedented number of major products. In our Communications business, we grew sales 4% in a difficult market environment and continued to deliver market-leading solutions. Overall, we continued to take market share in virtually all of our product categories according to preliminary external market data."

"Looking forward, we believe we have the strongest portfolio of products in our history and a pipeline of future products that will continue to build our product leadership position. In spite of continuing challenges in the communications market we are also encouraged by the continued success we are having with communications customers and the market-leading solutions we offer to support the technology transition to next-generation, converged networks. And, we have a balanced focus on growth and on delivering value to our shareholders as we continue to execute on our proven business strategy," concluded Wills.

Visit www.tektronix.com for more company information.

 

Tektronix and Sypris Test & Measurement Partner to Provide Multi-Vendor Calibration Service

Tektronix, Inc., a leading, worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, announced the company has formed a partnership with Sypris Test & Measurement, Inc., a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions, Inc., to provide onsite calibration services for products from multiple vendors. The combined offerings of the two firms provide onsite calibration support for more than 90% of the equipment that customers typically use for test & measurement functions. This is the broadest calibration offering available from any service provider.

Many engineering departments use a variety of test & measurement equipment from multiple vendors. This is especially true for those firms that have locations in multiple geographies. These instruments require periodic calibration to ensure precision and to meet certification standards such as ISO9000 and ISO17025. These firms would prefer to find a single source to provide calibration services as opposed to working with each individual manufacturer. Not only does a single source provide convenience and simplify operations, but it also improves overall productivity and is cost-effective.

"Our customers have been telling us that they would like us to offer a single-source, onsite calibration service that would cover all of their facilities anywhere in the country," said Steve Aleshire, vice president, Tektronix. "Our partnership with Sypris combines the technical skills and geographic reach of both companies to meet virtually all of the calibration needs that customers demand."

Tektronix and Sypris service account managers will collaborate to provide customized calibration service proposals for Tektronix and non-Tektronix equipment based upon the unique needs of each customer. The combined offering can address the calibration of nearly 80,000 model numbers across many different manufacturers. Customers will have a single point of contact who will manage all of the calibration services delivered regardless of location, providing single source customized service.

For more details visit www.tektronix.com.

 

CATLab™ Receives A2LA Accreditation at its New Virginia Laboratory

CATLab’s New Virginia laboratory, has just received Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 through the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). This accreditation provides assured evidence of the laboratory’s technical competence and clearly distinguishes it from non-accredited companies offering similar services.

CATLab™ is the calibration lab division of Control Automation Technologies (CATC). Its North Carolina and Virginia Laboratories provide accredited calibration and repair services of most test equipment used by instrument, electrical and quality control technicians. CATC opened its new lab in August of 2006, just east of Richmond, VA in the Roxbury Industrial Park and continues to expand geographically and in scope.

“We added this lab to increase convenience for our customers in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Having earned A2LA Accreditation, our Virginia lab now joins the Carolina Lab in meeting the most stringent qualifications in the industry”, said Michael Watson, CATC founder and President.

In 1989, CATC first provided field technician services including instrument installation, calibration and maintenance throughout North America and portions of Asia and Africa; then started its laboratory division in 1999. Earlier this year, CATC merged its field service division with ISI, a Charlotte, NC corporation, and set focus on its laboratory business. Today, CATLab provides fast and reliable calibration of precision test equipment for nearly 200 manufacturers and industrial service companies throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S.

For more information on CATC and CATLab™, visit www.plantservice.com, contact Mike Watson via email at mwatson@catlab.net or call (804) 966-7585 x112.

 

Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC) 2007

The CMSC Society, the eminent membership association for measurement professionals, has announced an expanded lineup of advanced workshops planned for the annual Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC) 2007. The workshop schedule includes: 1) GD&T techniques using Data from Modern Metrology Devices presented by Multi Metrics, Inc., 2) Product Acceptance Testing of Metrology Hardware and Software presented by the Boeing Company, 3) Best Practices in Portable Measurement presented by industry service companies, and 4) Full Consensus Standards for 3D Imaging Systems presented by ASTM International.

CMSC 2007 will be held from July 16-20, 2007 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. The conference is the only North American event dedicated to portable measurement and inspection of manufactured and assembled components on the factory floor.

Each year, CMSC attracts technology users, service providers, and OEM manufacturers of close-tolerance, portable industrial coordinate measurement systems, software, and peripherals. CMSC members and visitors travel from all corners of the globe to participate and enjoy the conference alongside their industry peers. Conference attendees hail from prominent science/research laboratories, and diverse industries such as aerospace, space hardware, antenna, automotive, shipbuilding, power generation, reverse engineering, and general engineering.

The Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference is the world's premier event for Measurement Technology Professionals. This annual event is sponsored by the CMSC Society. Established in 1984, the five-day conference is held each year at a different location, and attracts visitors from around the globe. CMSC is renowned for its comprehensive program of top-shelf white papers and applications presentations given by industry experts from science/research laboratories and manufacturing industries such as aerospace, space hardware, antenna, automotive, shipbuilding, power generation, reverse engineering, and general engineering. No other trade show rivals the high level of authoritative information provided by CMSC members and master users of portable metrology instruments, software, and peripheral equipment for quality control, quality production, and precision assembly.

For more information on the conference program, visit http://www.cmsc.org.

 

New NAPT ILC/PTs Near Completion

Typically NAPT (National Association for Proficiency Testing) doesn’t begin the development process of a new ILC/PT until they have commitments from at least 6 participants, but they felt the following 5 ILC/PTs would definitely meet the needs of many. There are committed participants in each one of these PTs, though they would like to hear from a few more interested parties as they move to the final development phase. Please consider your ILC/PT needs in the following and notify NAPT of your interest level.
NAPT-FREQUENCYsHP5342 - High Stability Frequency Meter
NAPT-SQUARENESS/ANGLE-106 - Angle Blocks
NAPT-MASTERCHECK-401 - 12 Inch Height Master
NAPT-VSWR-107 - SWR
NAPT-SIM-107 - RTD Simulator

The following ILC/PTs are recent additions to the ILC/PTs that are currently in circulation. If you have an interest in any of the following, please contact Karen (Karen@proficiency.org), she will be happy to provide you with further information or scheduling.

NAPT-DMM-206 - Clamp-on DMM
NAPT-DMM-306 - Handheld DMM
NAPT-DDTIND-307/317 - Digital Torque Transducers w/Indicator
NAPT-TACH/STOPWATCH-107 - Tachometer – Stopwatch
NAPT-TESTBLOCK-106 - Rockwell Test Blocks
NAPT-TORQ-407 - Torque Wrench Set
NAPT-VIBRATION-106/206/306 - Accelerometers

A full list of NAPT’s ILC/PTs can be found at www.proficiency.org. Please plan ahead with your PT needs as availability of some of our ILC/PTs is out 3 to 4 months at this time.

 

New Construction at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is undergoing two major construction projects this summer, said Cmdr. David Kelly at a Kittery, NH Town Council meeting.

The yard is constructing a new, state-of-the-art facility to test sonar equipment and has hired a team of contractors to remove ash and coal from the yard.

Kelly also presented a schematic for a new, $8 million acoustic test and calibration facility. Under the plan, contractors will demolish the current "outdated, undersized, and failing... acoustic test and calibration tank" and replace it with one that will keep the shipyard "at the forefront of transducer testing technology," Kelly said.

The current facility is in failing condition, including a leaking foundation and rotting wood, according to an information sheet given out by Kelly.

"The facility we have now is not optimal, and we can do better," he said.

According to the plan, the new project will allow the navy to consolidate repairs, testing, and calibration at one facility while modernizing, increasing production and reducing maintenance costs.

 

NVLAP Assessor/Laboratory Training Seminar - EMC 2007

Join NVLAP for the one-day NVLAP Assessor/Laboratory Training Seminar on Saturday, July 7, 2007 in Honolulu, HI.

This free NVLAP training seminar is open to all current and potential NVLAP assessors, NVLAP-accredited laboratories, and laboratories considering accreditation. The proposed seminar agenda can be viewed at: http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/upload/
Assessor_Training_Agenda_IEEE_Symposium_2007_07.pdf.

Presentations will be conducted by the NVLAP staff on the various elements of laboratory accreditation. This is a great opportunity to better understand the NVLAP business practice, accreditation process, and what to expect during the on-site assessment activity.

Please complete the Registration Form found at http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/upload/EMC2007_Training_Registration_Form. Registration forms are due no later then June 15, 2007. Please email your registration form to Brad Moore (brad.moore@nist.gov) or fax it to (301) 926-2884.

If you can’t make it to the seminar, be sure to stop by the NVLAP booth during the IEEE EMC Symposium held July 8-13, 2007 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (http://www.emc2007.org/)

 

Sypris Test & Measurement Relocates Chicago Calibration Lab

Sypris Test & Measurement, Inc., a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions, Inc., recently relocated its Chicago A2LA-accredited Calibrations Laboratory to a new suite within the same building. The newly renovated space is twice the size of the previous suite which allows the Lab to expand its offerings and to more easily accommodate the growing customer demand.

“After experiencing a record breaking year in 2006, the Lab is looking forward to breaking that record again in 2007 with the new space and facility,” said Leonard Gaffney, District Manager. The Chicago Lab will continue to offer calibration services throughout Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota in addition to continuing to support many of the Company’s domestic and international customers.

The Lab’s new address is 2055 Army Trail Road, Suite 114 – 116, Addison, IL 60101. The Lab phone (630-620-5800) and fax (630-620-0584) numbers will remain the same.

 

2007 Ultrasonic Meter Seminar and Flow Measurement Courses from Colorado Engineering Experiment Station Inc. (CEESI)

Colorado Engineering Experiment Station Inc. (CEESI) offers a variety of training courses for individuals and groups. Trainings have been conducted for groups ranging from field technicians to research statisticians, and can be tailored to address industry-specific concerns. All courses taught at CEESI are developed from a general core that has evolved from delivering numerous flow measurement courses since 1993. Prior to each course, areas of interest and level of experience are compiled from information received from students through questionnaires that are mailed out in a confirmation packet upon enrollment. Material from the general core is then tailored to suit the needs and educational level of the particular group of students in attendance.

Currently, CEESI primarily offers three flow measurement courses including: Fundamental Flow Measurement, Advanced Flow Measurement, and Measurement Uncertainty, Fundamentals of Natural Gas Measurement, and Advanced Natural Gas Measurement.

2007 Ultrasonic Meter Seminar will be in Estes Park, Colorado in July 18-20, 2007. This seventh annual event should once again bring together a wealth of information as well as new ideas and new questions regarding flow measurement using ultrasonic meters.

The week before the 2007 Ultrasonic Meter Seminar, there will be training courses on Fundamentals of Ultrasonic Measurement and Advanced Ultrasonic Measurement covering topics concerning: fundamental flow concepts, volume corrections, gas properties, basic uncertainty, installation effects, AGA TMC report 9, calibration & traceability, long term meter performance, calibrated meter uncertainty, field monitoring, statistical process control, etc.

 

Sartorius Service Receives ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation For Field Calibration

Sartorius Corporation has been awarded ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for field calibration. This international accreditation, jointly created by the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission, measures the technical competency of calibration and testing laboratories against a set of rigorous standards.

ISO/IEC 17025 covers every aspect of laboratory management, ranging from sample preparation to analytical testing proficiency to record keeping and reports. The standard focuses on several elements including, but not limited to the laboratories quality system, document control, corrective and preventive action, accommodation and environmental conditions, equipment, measurement uncertainty, evidence of traceability, sampling, and much more.

In addition to field calibration, Sartorius offers traditional service support for all kinds of weighing and mass metrology requirements. Service capabilities also include their line of Sartocheck filter integrity testers and arium® laboratory water systems.

To learn more visit http://www.sartorius-usa.com.

 

Three ISO Accreditations

For almost a decade, Inorganic Ventures has been accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 17025, ISO/IEC Guide 34, and ISO Guide 9001:2000. Recently, their laboratory was audited by both A2LA and QMI and scopes and certifications were reissued.

Inorganic Ventures' credentials are an important part of their Quality Assurance program. Visit Inorganic Ventures at http://www.inorganicventures.com/credentials/ and review the six credentials that accredit the company to every nationally and internationally recognized Quality Management System.
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