The activities in nowadays society involve decisions based on quantity-related criteria. Measurements provide the needed information.
ABOUT METROLOGY
The activities in nowadays society involve decisions based on quantity-related criteria. Measurements provide the needed information.
Metrology is the science of measurements. It embraces both theoretical and practical knowledge about measurements, irrespective of the measured quantity, its approach and purpose, field and accuracy level.
Thus, metrology relates to: quantities and measurement units, measurements and measurement results, measurement methods and measuring instruments, standards and calibration, measurement errors and uncertainty, accuracy and traceability, measurement conditions, characteristics of measuring instruments, regulations concerning measurements consistency, the placing on the market of measuring instruments etc.
Metrology has three main objectives:
» define internationally recognized units of measurement for fundamental and related quantities;
» realize measurement units through scientific methods;
» establish traceability chains as basis for measurement accuracy.
Metrology covers various fields of activity which fall into three categories:
» scientific metrology dealing with standards’ realization, development and maintenance;
» industrial metrology ensuring the proper functioning of measuring instruments used in industry, in production and quality control fields;
» legal metrology ensuring the accuracy and uniformity of measurements performed in fields of public interest.
Scientific metrology along with those areas in legal and industrial metrology which involve scientific expertise, make up the fundamental metrology which deals with high accuracy measurements in a specific field.
Fundamental metrology refers to quantities grouped in 11 fields:
1) mass
2) electricity
3) length
4) time and frequency
5) thermometry
6) ionizing radiation and radioactivity
7) photometry and radiometry
8) flow
9) acoustics
10) amount of substance
11) interdisciplinary metrology
Fundamental metrology operates with 3 main concepts in characterizing measurements:
» measurement uncertainty which is a quantitative indication of the quality of a measurement result;
» accuracy of measurement methods and results which is characterized by the reliability and accuracy of measurements;
» traceability which characterizes the capacity of a measurement result or a standard value to relate to the established references (national and international standards).
Milestones in the History of Romanian Metrology
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15th September 1864 – Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza promulgated the Law on the adoption of the Metric System of Weights and Measures. Romania became the 16 th country to adopt the International System of Units established in France, in 1799.
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1883 – Romania joined the Metre Convention and became the 19 th Member State of this international treaty, adopting the Metric System to be used in the signatory countries. The bodies of the Metre Convention (BIPM, CIPM and CGPM) have been established in order to regulate the relations among signatory countries.
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1889 – Establishment of the Central Service of Weights and Measures, the first legal metrology body in Romania.
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1951 – Establishment of the Institute of Metrology, which in 1974 changed into the National Metrology Institute (INM), a scientific research body in the metrology field.
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1952 – Establishment of the General Division of Metrology (DGM), subordinating the Institute of Metrology and the Department of Metrological Verifications (DVM).
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1956 – Romania became a founding member of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), established in 1955.
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30th August 1961 – Romania declared the International System of Units (SI), adopted during the 11 th CGPM meeting (1960), as ‘the unique legal and mandatory system of units’. Romania was the 7 th country to have adopted SI.
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3rd November 1978 – Adoption of the Law on Metrology.
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1st of February 1990 – Creation of the National Commission for Standards, Metrology and Quality, including the Romanian Institute for Standardization, the National Institute of Metrology and the Quality State Office.
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1991 – Romania became a COOMET (Euro-Asian Cooperation of National Metrological Institutions) member.
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1992 – Establishment of the Romanian Bureau of Legal Metrology as the specialized body of the central public administration.
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17th March 1994 – The Romanian Parliament adopted through Law 11 Government Ordinance 20/ 21 st August 1992 concerning metrological activities, which maintained the International System of Units and established the legal units of measurement in Romania.
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1996 – Romania became an associate member of WELMEC (European Cooperation in Legal Metrology).
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2001 – INM became a corresponding applicant of EUROMET (European Collaboration in Measurement Standards).
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6th September 2001 – The Romanian Government adopted Decision 879 setting the second Sunday of September as the "Metrology Day".
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2003 - The legislation in the field of metrology is amended in order to be in line with EU regulations. The new legislation provides, for the first time, that the maintenance and development of the national standards be financed from the state budget.
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2004 - INM is accepted as full EUROMET member for having fulfilled all criteria (including showing evidence of the traceability route to SI units).
Legend:
INM – The National Institute of Metrology
DEOA – Bodies’ Evaluation and Authorizations Department
DT - Tehnical Department
DISP - Inspection and Market Surveillance Department
DRML1 – Regional Legal Metrology Office, Bacau
DRML2 - Regional Legal Metrology Office, Constanta
DRML3 - Regional Legal Metrology Office, Ploiesti
DRML4 - Regional Legal Metrology Office, Craiova
DRML5 - Regional Legal Metrology Office, Timisoara
DRML6 - Regional Legal Metrology Office, Cluj-Napoca
DRML7 - Regional Legal Metrology Office, Brasov
DRML8 - Regional Legal Metrology Office, Bucuresti
