Mechanical Metrology
Mechanical metrology has a huge impact on nearly all sectors of society. In every institute, company or other commercial organisation, concepts such as safety, security, efficiency, reliability and precision are of paramount importance in designing systems, which provide guarantees of product quality. Accurate mechanical measurement and testing are an essential part of this process.
With the emergence of a global economy, the demonstration of the equivalence of measurement standards between international trading partners, became increasingly important. South Africa needs a sound and effective national measurement system to be able to compete internationally. As the key provider of internationally traceable measurement standards and measurements, the NML plays a pivotal role in underpinning South Africa's industrial competitiveness by providing vital elements of the quality infrastructure.
The mechanical metrology facility provides the research and development infrastructure, anticipating the needs of the industry in the areas of acoustics, dimensional, force, pressure, flow, mass, volume, density and vibration measurements. In addition, the facility realises, maintains, and disseminates the basic SI (System of International Units) unit of length, the national prototype of mass and the quantities of acoustics, force, pressure and vibration to a broad customer base.
The mechanical metrology facility maintains active participation in the CIPM (Comité International des Poids et Mesures) consultative committees on mass and related quantities (CCM - Consultative Committee on Mass and Related Quantities), acoustics, ultrasound, and vibration (CCAUV - Consultative Committee on Acoustics, Ultrasound, and Vibration) and length (CCL - Consultative Committee on Length), participation in the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) and associated international key comparison.