What is metrology? It is the science of measurement.

Metrology is very important to all sectors of our economy and our daily lives. Consider that all measurements (such as mass, volume, and temperature) can be traced back to the International System of Units. You may also have heard of the term: SI units. SI units were formally established in 1960 and are officially recognized in almost every country around the world. You may also have heard of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST. NIST is the federal authority in the United States for measurements. It is NIST that certifies the Kansas Metrology Laboratory to perform calibration services. Further, Kansas law confers authority on the Kansas Metrology Laboratory to calibrate measuring devices for public and private entities that do business in Kansas.

There are only a few state metrology laboratories that can perform a range of mass and volume calibrations as broad as we can. When the Kansas Metrology Laboratory performs this service, it issues certificates of calibration to each customer.

We have the capability to calibrate weights as large as 1,000 kg. To do this efficiently and safely, our metrologists use an overhead crane to lift and place large weights like these on our scale. Then the weight can be calibrated. Our customers include railroads, grain elevators, pharmaceutical companies, food and feed manufacturing, among others.

The Metrology Lab also provides calibration services to the KDA Weights and Measures program to ensure accurate inspection of fuel pumps and scales.

Think about this: every time a gas tank gets filled up at a gas station in Kansas, that gas pump was verified by a KDA inspector who used a gas prover that was calibrated by the Kansas Metrology Lab. The lab issued a calibration certificate for this gas proving device, which is traceable to NIST, which then can be traced to the internationally recognized SI units we talked about earlier.

Do you remember the last time that you or a loved one was sick? Drug manufacturers rely on state metrology labs to calibrate the weights that are used in their factories. Having too little or too much medicine can have a serious effect on the patient. Accurate measurements are critically important for making sure that pharmaceuticals have right amount of medicine in each dose.