Ntep Transferred To Ncwm, Inc - National Type Evaluation Program; National Conference on Weights and Measures - Brief Article

Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Nov, 2000

On Oct. 1, 2000, NIST transferred the administration and management of the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) to NCWM, Inc., the organization that manages the National Conference on Weights and Measures. The transfer was smooth with minimal disruption to device manufacturers and the type evaluation process. The transfer of NTEP allows the NIST Weights and Measures Program to shift resources from the administration of NTEP to the conduct of more technical studies, to increase collaboration with industry to address new technologies and respond to changing market conditions, and to expand its technical assistance activities.

Through NTEP, uniform checklists and performance tests were established to determine compliance with the legal metrology requirements published in NIST Handbook 44. Device manufacturers and state and local weights and measures officials use these checklists and test procedures to evaluate if commercial measurement devices comply with the appropriate legal metrology requirements before the devices are used in the commercial measurement system. NTEP enables device manufacturers to obtain one type evaluation that satisfies virtually all the states. NTEP has significantly reduced type evaluation costs to manufacturers of commercial weighing and measuring devices. NTEP also provides assurance to weights and measures officials and businesses purchasing scales and metering devices that the devices comply with the applicable legal metrology requirements.