New Laboratory Reinforces National Standards for Weights and Measures
NCWM headquarters and Type Evaluation Laboratory. Image: Courtesy of the National Council on Weights and Measures
The new National Council on Weights and Measures (NCWM) Headquarters and National Type Evaluation Program Laboratory in Lincoln, NE, represents a significant investment in the future of fair and accurate commerce. This newly constructed 6,000-sf facility consolidates NCWM’s administrative functions with a state-of-the-art testing laboratory designed to support the rigorous demands of NTEP evaluations. Outfitted with specialized equipment, the lab enables NCWM to certify weighing instruments for compliance with national standards, a critical step for manufacturers seeking to enter the US marketplace.
The purpose-built space not only enhances operational efficiency but also reinforces NCWM’s mission of ensuring equity and uniform standards across commercial transactions. By streamlining the evaluation process and expanding its technical capabilities, the facility strengthens NCWM’s role as a trusted authority in weights and measures and supports its collaborative work with regulators, industry, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Internal experts from NCMW developed the original business plan, layout, and equipment for the new lab, and collaborated with Krueger Development on the architecture and construction of the facility.
Lab Design News spoke to Don Onwiler, CAE, executive director of the National Council on Weights and Measures, about the design goals, regulatory significance, and technical considerations behind the organization’s new headquarters and NTEP testing laboratory.
Q: What were the primary design goals for the new laboratory, and how were they aligned with the organization's mission of ensuring equity and uniform standards?
A: NCWM develops the national standards for weighing and measuring devices used in commerce. The states voluntarily adopt and enforce those standards as published by NIST in Handbook 44. NCWM administers the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) as a means of ensuring that manufacturers are capable of meeting those standards before their devices are sold in the US. The states reference NTEP certification as a requirement for weighing and measuring devices placed into service in their respective jurisdictions.
NCWM has always authorized various state and federal agencies to conduct those NTEP evaluations. Recently, only one of the four authorized state labs was operating for the evaluation of weighing devices. This put our manufacturing industry at risk of delays getting product to market. To ensure quality service to that industry, NCWM has built its own NTEP laboratory in conjunction with our new headquarters location.
The manufacturers of weighing and measuring devices supported the creation of NTEP over 40 years ago, and depend on the program to maintain a level playing field within their industry. In this way, NTEP in general, and the assurance that we have two operational weighing laboratories, contribute greatly toward our mission.
Q: Can you walk us through the approval and review process for designing and constructing a facility with national regulatory importance—what agencies or stakeholders were involved, and what kind of oversight or compliance was required?
A: We are fortunate to have highly qualified expertise within our staff who understand the needs in terms of design, equipment, furnishings, and training to operate an NTEP laboratory. A local construction company built the new headquarters and laboratory to our specifications. We maintain traceability of our test standards by submitting them to state metrology laboratories for annual calibration.
Q: What were some unique considerations or challenges in constructing a laboratory that will be used for certifying weighing devices used in commerce, particularly with respect to accuracy, vibration control, or environmental factors?
A: We needed one section to serve as a “clean lab” to limit exposure to the outside elements. The clean lab is used for evaluating smaller, more sensitive devices, it includes balance tables to limit vibrations when testing Class I and II scales. The other section, or “dirty lab,” has a loading dock and material handling equipment. It is also used for evaluating less sensitive devices such as floor scales. There are three separate HVAC systems for individual control of the offices, clean lab, and dirty lab.
Our staff expertise was critical in designing the layouts for efficiency and acquiring specialized equipment. Our office furniture is from our previous office location. The laboratory furniture and equipment includes:
walk-in temperature chamber that is accessible from both laboratory sections (purchased from and installed by ESPEC)
portable temperature chamber in the clean lab (purchased from and installed by ESPEC)
balance tables for the more sensitive Class I and II precision scales (purchased used)
three “permanence testers” of various sizes that are used to apply 100,000 weighments to devices under evaluation to verify permanence of calibration over time and use (donated by the Maryland Department of Agriculture)
load cell simulators
RFI test equipment
Variac Variable Transformer
DC voltage supply
wired workstations (LABTech Supply Company)
cubicles (used)
Forklift (Rion Equipment)
pallet jack (Rion)
pallet racks (Zander Enterprise)
assortment of hand tools and storage cabinets
test weights calibrated to be traceable to international standards. (Weigh-Rite Scale Co.)
The test weights include the following:
For Class III and IIIL platform scales up to 2,000 lb capacity:
2000lb in 80 25lb cast iron Class ASTM 6 weights
3500lb in 6 large cast iron Class ASTM 6 weights
1000kg in 100 10kg cast iron Class ASTM 6 weights
850kg in three large cast iron Class ASTM 6 weights
For Class III scales up to 30 lb capacity:
two 30lb stainless steel ASTM class 5 weight kits
two 5kg stainless steel ASTM class 5 weight kits
For Class I and Class II precision scales:
1mg (.001g)- 10kg (10,000g) stainless steel Class OIML F1 weights
Q: How was input from end users—such as NTEP evaluators, manufacturers, or regulatory partners—incorporated into the lab design to ensure the space meets real-world operational needs?
A: Our plan to build this facility met with high approval from the scale manufacturing industry that relies on efficient certifications to get their products to market in a timely manner. We hired and trained new staff to perform the evaluations and depended on our internal expertise on the lab design and equipment.
Q: What kind of collaboration occurred between NCWM staff, laboratory technicians, and the design-build team to shape workflows, equipment layout, or future functionality within the lab?
A: We worked closely with Krueger Development in Lincoln, NE throughout the construction process to ensure we were meeting our needs in terms of layout, HVAC, electrical, etc. We were not dependent on outside collaboration to complete the project.
Q: How is the facility designed to accommodate future changes in weighing technology, lab protocols, or program expansion? Were modular design elements or infrastructure for future equipment upgrades part of the planning?
A: We designed the lab to be spacious to accommodate growth in staffing and equipment as needed. This will enable us to accommodate growth in demand and emerging technologies.
Q: Given NCWM’s global role in enabling access to US markets, how did long-term adaptability and technological scalability influence your design and construction decisions?
A: Our primary concern was the ability to provide service to the weighing industry without delays. By maintaining two strong labs, the state-authorized weighing lab and our new NCWM lab, we are confident that customer service will remain at a high level for our foreign and domestic manufacturers, the end users of their products, and their customers who need confidence that there is equity in the marketplace. Last but not least, the state and local weights and measures officials across the country who require NTEP certification as an assurance that their regulated businesses are able to purchase devices with confidence that they will perform accurately and over the long haul.
NCWM develops the US standards for weights and measure in commerce through collaboration with industry and regulatory interests. This puts us on the cutting edge of new technologies, enabling our staff to maintain a high level of expertise in a changing marketplace.
