Prior to establishment of the lab, NIAR depended on companies like MTS Systems and Denton ATD to ensure the sensitive testing and research equipment used on a daily basis was consistently accurate. With the addition of the Calibration and Quality Lab, two full-time trained calibration engineers and additional calibration training classes for existing lab employees, all of NIAR’s laboratory equipment can now be calibrated in-house.
The Calibration and Quality Lab supports most of NIAR’s laboratories including:
Lab equipment includes a force calibration system to ensure ASTM*-E74 compliance; equipment to calibrate load frames in accordance with ASTM-E4; an extensometer calibration system to comply with ASTM-E83; an accelerometer calibrator; an optical comparator; a Fluke multi-product calibrator for calibrating equipment such as "o"-scopes, digital multimeters, volt meters and temperature devices; and a complete anthropomorphic test dummy calibration system.
In the past, the test dummies used in the Crash Dynamics Lab were sent away for re-calibration after most tests, resulting in down-time for the lab and high calibration costs. Upon installation of the test dummy calibration equipment, Crash Dynamics Lab director Joseph Mitchell and research engineer Andy Mackey were given extensive training using the calibration system and can now re-calibrate the test dummies in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Plans for the future of the Calibration and Quality Lab include continued training for lab technicians and possibly hiring additional staff.
For more information about the Calibration and Quality Lab at NIAR, contact Walter Lee, director of quality and performance at (316) 978-6139 or walter.lee@wichita.edu.
* (American Society for Testing and Materials)
