CMS Launches Certification Program for Portable 3D Metrology

Candidates for the industry’s first Level-One certification for portable 3D metrology follow a practical performance assessment where they must use a metrology instrument to collect a series of measurements on an artifact, then analyze specific features of that artifact.

The Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS; Benbrook, TX), the eminent membership association for measurement professionals, recently announced the launch of the industry’s first Level-One Certification for Portable 3D Metrology.

The first examinations will be held at the 29th annual Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference (CMSC), July 22–26, 2013, at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina.

Applicants for the Level-One Certification must submit an application, meet eligibility requirements, sign the the company’s code of ethics, and pass a peer review. Qualifying candidates will be notified and scheduled for an examination seat at CMSC 2013.

The cost for a CMS member to take the Certification exam is $400, non-member pricing is also available. Certification program guidelines and application forms are available on the website.

The CMS Certification credential aids in quantifying an employee’s knowledge of metrology, which is essential to ISO certified manufacturers and companies with Quality Management Systems. The certification exam is currently comprised of two assessments.

The Level-One examination is a proctored, online assessment consisting of about 200 multiple choice questions covering foundational theory and practice common to most portable 3D Metrology devices. The Level-Two exam on a portable CMM (coordinate measuring machine) is being piloted at the 2013 CMSC.

This is a practical performance assessment. The candidate must use a metrology instrument to collect a series of measurements on an artifact, then analyze specific features of that artifact.

“Portable 3D Metrology is being integrated into manufacturing processes at a rapid rate,” states Randy Gruver, the chair of the CMS certification committee. “The Coordinate Metrology Society determined a clear need for a Certification program based on a graying workforce and the increasing need for metrology expertise. Data collection technologies that were once the domain of scientists, engineers and mathematicians, are now being used by technicians and shop-floor personnel for industrial applications and beyond.”

He adds, “The measurement equipment is calibrated and certified to performance standards, but the personnel operating this equipment are not accredited. There are many variables induced by an operator that can dramatically influence data collection. It is important for an employer to understand the knowledge level of an employee or a metrology service provider in this industry.”

www.cmsc.org