An Assessment of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Measurement and Standards Laboratories Fiscal Year 2000 (2000) / Chapter Skim
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Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory
Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory
Pages 49-70
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Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory 49
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1U.S. Department of Commerce, Technology Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Summaries of the Programs of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory 2000, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., 2000.
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discrete-parts manufacturers in mechanical and dimensional metrology and in advanced manufacturing technology by conducting research and development, providing services, and participating in standards activities. In the panel's view, the programs being pursued by the MEL are supportive of both the laboratory and the NIST missions.
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From page 52... ...
2The four research divisions Precision Engineering, Automated Production Technology, Intelligent Systems, and Manufacturing Systems Integration are assessed in separate sections of this chapter. The fifth division Fabrication Technolo~y contains the shops that provide support for researchers throughout the N.IST Measurement and Standards Laboratories.
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SIMnet is up and running and links the countries in the Organization of American States, MEASUREnet is designed to formally connect the state weights and measures laboratories, and WORLDnet, which is in the early planning stages, would link national measurement institutes from around the world. 4Research Triangle Institute for the Program Office Strategic Planning and Economic Analysis Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Planning Report 99-1: Interoperability Cost Analysis of the U.S.
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There were also 30 nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers. The skill set of the staff is appropriately configured to fulfill the MEL mission, and the laboratory uses guest researchers very effectively to infuse new technical expertise and insights into the divisions.
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If NIST is then forced to outsource the tasks formerly associated with this division, the absence of the essential relationships between the researchers and the NIST shops technicians will hurt the quality of the work. DIVISIONAL REVIEWS Precision Engineering Division Division Mission According to division documentation, the mission of the Precision Engineering Division is to provide the foundation of dimensional measurement that meets the needs of the U.S.
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The panel believes that realizing the major elements laid out in the Precision Engineering Division's strategic plan is critical to fulfilling the NIST mission and, therefore, that the division's strategic plan should be given a higher priority within the MEL program planning process. Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work The panel is very impressed with the quality of the work and the array of capabilities represented within the Precision Engineering Division.
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A new Web-based order tracking system, begun in the NIST Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory and adopted by the Precision Engineering Division, has been installed in MEL to facilitate improved communications between measurement services customers and NIST staff, as well as to assist in efficient management of these services. Division staff participate in approximately 60 international and national standards committees, and several members received a commendation from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers B89 Standards Committee for their contributions to the development of voluntary industry standards in the area of dimensional metrology.
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As of January 2000, staffing for the Precision Engineering Division included 41 full-time permanent positions, of which 35 were for technical professionals. There were also seven nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
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The division's specialization in research and development for manufacturing processes and techniques continues to be well connected to its mission and to the core competences of the staff, and the participation and leadership in national and international standards activity is important because of its support of national goals for U.S. industry.
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The recent consolidation of programs helps to better align the specific objectives of the Automated Production Technology Division with the overall needs of industry and also facilitates increased collaboration with other divisions. In the National, Regional, and International Standards and Comparisons Program, the division takes a strategic approach.
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Division Resources Funding sources for the Automated Production Technology Division are shown in Table 3.3. As of January 2000, staffing for the Automated Production Technology Division included 46 full-time permanent positions, of which 42 were for technical professionals.
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. The equipment and expertise available in the shops have been very valuable to the Automated Production Technology Division over the years, and the panel is worried that budget issues will affect this positive relationship.
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5U.S. Department of Commerce, Technology Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory FY 2000 Strategic Plan, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., January 2000.
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The rough estimates of the potential benefits are impressive: $1 billion potential savings in robotics due to work on plug-and-play standards and on virtual reality prototyping and programming;6 $30 billion potential savings in machine tools by reducing setup times and avoiding prove-out parts and through Standards for the Exchange of 6Robotics: (1) Assumptions: Integration costs are $2 billion to $4 billion per year (D.
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will generate substantial savings, but a good estimate of programming cost is not available at the present time. Resulting potential savings conservatively estimated at $250 million.
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As of January 2000, staffing for the Intelligent Systems Division included 38 full-time permanent positions, of which 34 were for technical professionals. There were also four nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
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Technical Merit and Appropriateness of Work The Manufacturing Svstems Integration Division manages five programs: Product Engineering, Predictive Process Engineering, Manufacturing Enterprise Engineering, Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization, and Metrology for Manufacturing Information Technology. The panel found that the division is doing an effective job with these programs.
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From page 68... ...
As of January 2000, staffing for the Manufacturing Systems Integration Division included 35 full-time permanent positions, of which 28 were for technical professionals. There were also nine nonpermanent and supplemental personnel, such as postdoctoral research associates and part-time workers.
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Loss of permanent staff can destroy the valuable institutional memory built up at NIST over many years, and a dearth of funds to purchase new equipment may limit MEL's ability to take full advantage of the new Advanced Measurement Laboratory. · The effects of the planned reduction of NIST overhead support for the Fabrication Technology Division must be watched carefully.
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