The Manufacturing Process Metrology (MPM) Group is one of the four groups within the Manufacturing Metrology Division (MMD) of the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL). The MPM group provides research, development, and services in two areas:
- Measurement methods that improve scientific understanding and control of precision manufacturing processes, enabling cost-effective manufacture of complex products with demanding specifications. The group specializes in the measurement of phenomena during machining that affect part quality and manufacturing efficiency. Examples of phenomena of interest are part geometry, surface quality, vibrations, cutting forces, temperatures, material flow, material transformations, tool wear, and chip morphology. The group has unique facilities for measuring material flow and temperature distribution during orthogonal cutting processes and for measuring the properties of materials under manufacturing conditions. Results are used by industry and academia to improve planning, tooling, and control of challenging manufacturing processes.
- Measurement methods for optical figure and wavefront that enable innovations in the application and manufacture of advanced optical elements and ultra-precision surfaces. The primary goal of the research is the development and characterization of interferometric measurement methods. The group provides calibration services (NIST special tests) for flatness, sphericity, and radius of curvature of optical (reference) surfaces. The group develops and analyzes generic methods to address the challenge of measuring the shape of aspheric optical surfaces. Another area of research is the development of methods to measure the performance of nanostructured (diffractive) optical components and their application to challenging measurement problems of conventional (optical) surfaces. The group also provides measurement methods and reference artifacts that address future requirements of the semiconductor industry in the areas of silicon wafer flatness and extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) optics.
The group supports development of national and international standards in the areas of machine tools (ASME B5 and ISO TC39) and optical testing (ANSI/OEOSC TAG to ISO/TC172).
