National Conference on Weights and Measures

The National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to developing and regulating the United States technical standards for weights and measures. The organization's official mission is to advance a healthy business and consumer climate through the development and implementation of uniform and equitable weights and measures standards using a consensus building process.^[1][2]

History

The first Weights and Measures Law was signed on March 2, 1799 by John Adams. NCWM found its beginnings in 1905 in an effort to bring stakeholders together to set national standards for voluntary adoption and implementation by the states. The various model standards adopted by NCWM are published annually by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)^[3] in NIST Handbook 44: Specifications and Tolerances and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices, NIST Handbook 130: Uniform Laws and Regulations and NIST Handbook 133: Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods.

Organization

NCWM is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. NCWM is governed by bylaws as adopted by its membership and policies as set by its board of directors. NCWM administers the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP). This program provides certification that a manufacturer of a particular model or family of weighing or measuring devices is capable of meeting the United States standards as adopted by NCWM. NTEP certification is now a requirement for new equipment placed in service in most states.^{[citation needed]}

Membership

NCWM membership is open to any person. The membership year is October 1 to September 30.

Committees

There are three standing committees.

• Specifications and Tolerances Committee
• Laws and Regulations Committee
• Professional Development Committee

Subcommittees and Task Groups

• Fuels and Lubricants Subcommittee (FALS)
• Task Groups on Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges
• Task Group on Retail Motor Fuel Dispenser Price Posting and Computer Capability^[4]

National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP)

The development of the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) provides manufacturers the ability to be evaluated and certified one time with acceptance throughout the United States. NTEP is a means of ensuring national requirements are met before any equipment is allowed in the marketplace.

The NTEP Committee is responsible for oversight of NTEP. The Committee provides final review and approval of recommendations to amend NCWM Publication 14 Technical Policy, Checklists and Test Procedures and makes recommendations to the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) Board of Directors for amendments to NCWM Publication 14 Administrative Policy. The NTEP Committee also addresses NCWM’s involvement in international standards development and agreements related to type evaluation and certification.

NTEP Certificate of Conformance

NTEP certification is issued by NCWM upon successful completion of the evaluation process. This NTEP Certificate of Conformance indicates that the device manufacturer has demonstrated the ability to meet applicable requirements for commercial weighing and measuring equipment in the United States as specified in NIST Handbook 44: Specifications and Tolerances and Other Technical Requirements. NTEP certification is required in most states in the United States.

NTEP Authorized Laboratories

There are ten NTEP authorized laboratories:

• California
• Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyard Administration (GIPSA)
• Kansas
• Maryland
• NIST Force Group
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Measurement Canada^[5]

National Type Evaluation Technical Committees (NTETC)

NTEP serves as a means of assurance that a device will be manufactured in accordance with United States standards for commercial weighing and measuring devices. These standards are adopted by the NCWM and published in NIST Handbook 44: Specifications and Tolerances and Other Technical Requirements. NCWM utilizes special committees called National Type Evaluation Technical Committees (NTETC) to develop the technical policies, checklists and test procedures that are used for the evaluation and certification process. These criteria are published annually in NCWM Publication 14.

Sector members include authorized laboratories, manufacturers, technical advisors and the NTEP Administrator. The sectors provide a forum for consensus building among the evaluators and the technical experts who design and market the equipment. There are five NTETC Sectors, each specializing in a particular area of commercial weighing and measurement.

• Belt-Conveyor Scale Sector
• Grain Analyzer Sector
• Measuring Sector
• Software Sector
• Weighing Sector

Meetings

NCWM offers many meetings throughout the year to allow every person a voice in the issues facing the weights and measures community today. The meetings have direct impact on the national standards. The two largest conferences are the annual meeting and the interim meeting. The Interim Meeting is held in January as a forum to develop agenda items to amend the United States weights and measures standards contained in NIST Handbooks 44, 130, and 133 and determine each proposals status for the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting is held in July and focused on additional development of the items and to vote on proposed amendments to the national standards. The 2010 Annual Meeting was in St. Paul, Minnesota from July 11–15.^{[citation needed]}

2011 Meetings

• Interim Meeting: January 23–27, 2011 / Dallas, Texas^[6]
• Annual Meeting: July 17–21, 2011 / Missoula, Montana^[7]

NCWM also holds numerous NTETC Sector meetings throughout the year. Each sector specializes in a particular area of commercial weighing and measurement.

National Outreach

NCWM works in partnership with four regional associations to facilitate a grassroots approach to standards development. They are the Central,^[8] Northeastern,^[9] Southern^[10] and Western Weights and Measures Associations.^[11] These associations are stand-alone organizations composed of volunteer leadership from the public and private sectors of the weights and measures community. The leadership and committee structure of these associations is traditionally very similar to that of NCWM.

Regional associations serve as the gateway for new proposals to amend the national standards. Any person or organization may submit a proposal to one or all of the regions by completing NCWM Form 15. The regional committees will conduct open hearings, deliberate and determine whether these new items will be forwarded to the national committees for further consideration. Regional associations also serve as a means to continue development of items on the agendas of the national committees. Finally, these associations provide an opportunity for state and local officials and private companies to conduct training events, build relationships and work together toward common goals of quality standards that are interpreted and applied uniformly.^{[citation needed]}

Publications

The public can have a direct role in developing the laws and regulations for weights and measures by participating in the standards development process. The standards are subject to amendment on an annual basis. They are adopted by NCWM and contained in the following NIST Handbooks and NCWM Publications.^[12]

• NIST Handbook 44 Specifications, Tolerances and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices
• NIST Handbook 130 Uniform Laws and Regulations in the Areas of Legal Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality
• NIST Handbook 133 Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods^[13]
• NCWM Publication 14 Administrative Policy
• NCWM Publication 14 Grain Moisture Meters & Near Infrared Grain Analyzers
• NCWM Publication 14 Measuring Devices
• NCWM Publication 14 Weighing Devices
• NCWM Publication 14 CD

References

1. ^ "National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM)". http://ncwm.net/. 
2. ^ "California Department of Food and Agriculture)". http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=11-006. 
3. ^ "National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)". http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/index.cfm. 
4. ^ "TMCnet.com". http://technews.tmcnet.com/news/2011/03/16/5380236.htm/. 
5. ^ "Measurement Canada". Measurement Canada. http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/mc-mc.nsf/eng/h_lm00013.html. Retrieved October 21, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "2011 NCWM Interim Meeting". The National Conference on Weights and Measures. http://ncwm.net/content/2011-ncwm-interim-meeting. Retrieved September 22, 2010. 
7. ^ "2011 NCWM Annual Meeting". The National Conference on Weights and Measures. http://ncwm.net/content/2011-ncwm-annual-meeting. Retrieved September 22, 2010. 
8. ^ "Central Weights and Measures Association". Central Weights and Measures Association. http://www.cwma.net/. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
9. ^ "Northeastern Weights and Measures Association". Northeastern Weights and Measures Association. http://newma.us/. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
10. ^ "Southern Weights and Measures Association". Southern Weights and Measures Association. http://www.swma.org/. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
11. ^ "Western Weights and Measures Association". Western Weights and Measures Association. http://www.westernwma.org/. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
12. ^ "NIST". The National Institute of Standards and Technology. http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/pubs.cfm. 
13. ^ "abc News". abc News. http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/fishy-pricing-tactics-10245797. 

External links

• National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• Measurement Canada
• International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML)
• Central Weights and Measures Association (CWMA)
• Northeastern Weights and Measures Association (WWMA)
• Southern Weights and Measures Association (SWMA)
• Western Weights and Measures Association (WWMA)
• abc News
• Reader's Digest
• TMCnet.com
• Seafood Webinar - Good Quality Control Practices
• Convenience Store Decisions
• California Department of Food and Agriculture
• Kansas Department of Agriculture
• Morning Star
• Yahoo! Finance