Digitalization in Legal Metrology: CECIP webinar recording available

The European Association of Weighing Instruments Manufacturers (CECIP1) organized a webinar on ‘digitalization in legal metrology’ on June 25, 2020.  The recording is available online (registration required) and the presentations can be downloaded here (PDF).

The speakers were:

– Roman Schwartz, CIML President
– Florian Thiel, PTB & WELMEC WG7 convener
– Nick Parsons, Deputy CSO Minebea Intec & CECIP President
– Karlheinz Bahnolzer, Head Legal Metrology Sartorius & CECIP LMG President

You can also download the CECIP position paper on digitalization in legal metrology here (PDF) or sign up for a “digital transformation in legal metrology” workshop at the PTB (postponed to 2021).

1 Comité Européen des Constructeurs d’Instruments de Pesage

Despite Coronavirus: Rapid delivery of a verified scale to a hospital pharmacy

Thanks to the good cooperation between our company, the scale manufacturer Ohaus, UPS and DB Schenker, our customer received a verified class III scale with a 50 × 50 cm platform and  a capacity of 60 kg only 4 working days after placing the order.

Scales of this type are individually adjusted to the gravity at the place of use during initial verification. The customer can immediately use the scale for the purposes listed in directive 2014/31/EU (article 1).

200 years of legal metrology in Luxembourg

Did you know that Luxembourg’s law of August 21st 1816 made the metric system obligatory for all commercial transactions? I didn’t, until I was invited to the 200 year celebration “Bicentenaire de la Métrologie Légale”, which took place in Belval yesterday. The most prominent speaker, Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Étienne Schneider, took this opportunity to announce that Luxembourg has decided to acquire an atomic clock.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Étienne Schneider
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Étienne Schneider

Other speakers included ILNAS director Jean-Marie Reiff, BLM director Philippe Kadok, Professor Olivier Francis from the University of Luxembourg and Dr. Martin Milton, director of the BIPM. Mr. Kadok’s presentation contained a slide with interesting facts about the Service de Métrologie Légale: In 2015, this relatively small sub-organization of the BLM verified 2861 petrol pumps and more than 1450 weighing instruments of all types throughout the country.

BLM director Philippe Kadok
BLM director Philippe Kadok

Several organizations with ties to the field of metrology had set up stands in the conference hall. The Service de Métrologie Légale’s stand showcased balances, weights and other measurement instruments. Sadly, recently retired director John Kirchen was nowhere to be seen.

Service de Métrologie Légale
Service de Métrologie Légale
A&D EK-610i balance used for density determination
A&D EK-610i balance used for density determination

Visitors were also invited to take a tour of ILNAS’ recently inaugurated EMC lab (used only for market surveillance purposes, not for product certification).