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In This Issue:
Builders Now Have BEES to Buzz About
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Building Research
Builders Now Have BEES to Buzz About
Environmentally sensitive and cash-conscious BEES are ready to help designers and architects plan better buildings. BEES, an acronym for "Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability," is a software package developed by NIST's Green Buildings Program to identify building products that improve environmental performance with little or no increase in cost. The first version, BEES 1.0, is now available. BEES 1.0 is based on consensus standards and designed to be practical, flexible, consistent and transparent. The Windows ™-based decision support software includes actual environmental and economic performance data for 24 building products.
BEES was developed with support from the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program. The EPP encourages federal agencies to reduce the environmental burdens associated with products and services that they buy, including building products. Refinement and expansion of the software will be done over the next three years under sponsorship of the NIST Green Buildings Program and the EPA EPP program.
BEES runs on a Windows 95™ personal computer with a 486 or higher microprocessor, 32 megabytes or more of RAM, at least 10 megabytes of available disk space and a 3.5-inch floppy diskette drive.
For technical information, contact Barbara C. Lippiatt, B226 Building Research Bldg., NIST, Gaithersburg, Md. 20899-0001, (301) 975-6133, e-mail: blippiatt@nist.gov. A fact sheet on BEES 1.0 can be found at http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/bees.html. To purchase BEES 1.0 for $49.99, contact the U.S. Green Building Council, Suite 1001, 90 New Montgomery St., San Francisco, Calif. 94105, (415) 543-3001, fax: (415) 957- 5890, e-mail: info@usgbc.org, or order directly from the Council's World Wide Web site at http://www.usgbc.org.
Media Contact:
Michael Newman (301) 975-3025
Measurements
New NIST Calibration Services Users Guide Available
As any manufacturer knows, accurate measurements are essential to producing a high-quality product. In order to help U.S. industry produce the best goods in the world, NIST provides a host of calibration services to assure that manufacturers have access to many of the best measurements in the world. NIST researchers perform a wide variety of calibrations ranging from dimensional measurements to time and frequency measurements. A newly updated Calibration Services Users Guide describes all NIST calibration services with additional information on policies and ordering procedures.
This revised NIST Special Publication 250 reflects significant changes since the last edition. The guide provides a detailed description of each measurement service and identifies a large number of NIST technical experts who can be contacted for information on services or measurement problems. A separate fee schedule, SP 250 Appendix, is available also.
To request a copy of the new Calibration Services Users Guide and fee schedule, phone (301) 975-2002, fax a request to (301) 869-3548 or send e-mail to calibrations@nist.gov. The guide also will be available soon on the World Wide Web at http://ts.nist.gov/calibrations.
Media Contact:
Linda Joy (301) 975-4403
International Compatibility
Toll-Free Way to Send Metrology-Related Trade Barriers Packing
As an initial step toward removing any measurement-related barriers to trade between the United States and the European Union--and eliminate "double testing" of each other's products--NIST has established a toll-free phone number, (888) 59-1TEST (591-8378). The new number provides a simple means of reporting concerns with existing policies that determine how the two blocs accept or reject each other's measurements. Especially encouraged to call are American companies who have been required to repeat a measurement in the EU or have it conducted solely by an EU member laboratory because U.S. measurements were unacceptable.
While the new phone number allows for measurement discrepancies in any area to be reported, NIST is particularly interested in hearing about problems in the following five: avionics, environmental protection, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, electromagnetic compatibility and interference, and occupational health and safety.
The information collected will be evaluated to determine if acceptance decisions were based on significant differences in measurement capabilities between U.S. and EU labs. When differences are reported, NIST and the EU will conduct the necessary measurement comparisons to eliminate them. To keep new compatibility problems from occurring as technology advances, the results of all comparisons will be incorporated into an international comparison database. This database will provide an online expert system for answering inquiries on traceability to standards laboratories, international equivalency of measurements and other compatibility issues.
The NIST-led international database project is expected to take three years to complete. Concurrently, the standards organization EUROMET is developing the database's European portion by identifying and defining measurement differences between the standards bodies of its members.
Along with the toll-free phone number, those wishing to report measurement differences to NIST can send their correspondence by electronic mail to oiaa@nist.gov.
Media Contact:
Michael Newman (301) 975-3025
Tutorials
Get Up to Speed on Integration of Manufacturing Applications
Providing managers, engineers, systems integrators, software developers and researchers with a coherent, up-to-date perspective on current and emerging approaches to integrating manufacturing software applications is the aim of a set of "tutorials" that NIST will offer on Sept. 9-10, 1998, at its Gaithersburg, Md., campus.
Featuring case studies and technology demonstrations, the two-day program, "Information Technology for Manufacturing & Engineering: Integration Tutorials," will cover such topics as distributed design, integration frameworks, virtual prototyping, manufacturing simulation, information modeling, product data exchange and collaboration technology. In the opening session, Peter R. Sferro, senior staff technical specialist at the Ford Motor Co., will describe his company's growing emphasis on information technology and its expectations for suppliers. A special session will survey emerging information technologies, such as intelligent agents. Another will describe relevant research opportunities available through the National Science Foundation, NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency as well as NIST's Small Business Innovation Research Program, Advanced Technology Program and Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
The tutorials are organized by NIST's Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications Program. The five-year-old SIMA Program coordinates NIST's manufacturing-related participation in the federal government's computing, information and communications initiatives.
Carried out with industry partners, SIMA projects develop prototype information-exchange and interface standards that enable integration of manufacturing software applications and interoperability within and across enterprises. For information on the technical content of the tutorials, contact James Fowler, (301) 975-3180, or Howard Moncarz, (301) 975-5070. Registration information is available from Lori Phillips, (301) 975-4513.
Media Contact:
Mark Bello (301) 975-3776
ATP
Comments Sought on Future Directions for Catalysis R&D
The NIST Advanced Technology Program is encouraging the chemical and biochemical industries and other interested parties to comment on the appropriate scope and goals for the ATP focused program in catalysis and biocatalysis technologies. Industry input will be a significant factor in deciding future directions for the catalysis program.
In budgeting for new competitions, the ATP reviews both existing and proposed focused program areas annually to determine the best opportunities for ATP investment. Rapidly changing technologies and markets, industry strategies and the results of previous ATP competitions all bear on whether the ATP should significantly change a focused program. Industry's continued interest in supporting such a program also is essential.
The current ATP program in catalysis and biocatalysis emphasizes such issues as improved yield or selectivity of catalysts to reduce waste and energy consumption; better understanding of the relationships between structure and function needed to design better catalysts; new catalytic systems for emissions abatement; and innovative reactor designs for improved catalytic performance. The program held one competition in 1995, which funded nine projects leveraging almost $57 million of industry funding with more than $50 million in ATP funding. A second competition is currently under way.
Those interested in contributing to the ATP's planning effort for the future of the program in catalysis and biocatalysis technologies should contact Robert Bloksberg-Fireovid, Program Manager, (301) 975-5457.
Additional information on the ATP can be found on the web at http://www.atp.nist.gov. A description of the current focused program on catalysis and biocatalysis technologies is at http://www.atp.nist.gov/atp/97wp-cat.htm.
Media Contact:
Michael Baum (301) 975-2763
Weights and Measures
Thompson to Become NCWM Chairman at 83rd Annual Meeting
Aves D. Thompson, chief of operations of the Alaska Division of Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, will be installed as chairman of the National Conference on Weights and Measures at the conference's 83rd Annual Meeting in Portland, Ore., July 12-16, 1998. NCWM is a standards-writing organization of more than 3,500 state, county and city weights and measures officials and representatives of industry, federal agencies, many foreign government agencies and consumer groups. The organization is partly self supporting and partly sponsored by the NIST Office of Weights and Measures.
Thompson is a member of the NCWM Executive Committee, the National Type Evaluation Program Board of Governors and the Budget Review Committee.
Previously, he was vice chairman of the annual conference. He also is a past president of the Western Weights and Measures Association. For information on the NCWM and the 83rd Annual Meeting, contact the National Conference on Weights and Measures, P.O. Box 4025, Gaithersburg, Md. 20885, (301) 975-4093, fax: (301) 926-0647, e-mail: owm@nist.gov, or visit the NCWM web site at http://www.nist.gov/ncwm.
Media Contact:
Linda Joy (301) 975-4403
Materials
Proceedings of Welding Conference Now Available
NIST long has been involved in promoting the use of computer technology in welding. In 1986, the agency and a partner, the American Welding Institute, co-sponsored the first U.S. workshop on the computerization of welding data. Over the years, the workshop has expanded so most aspects of welding technology are now covered.
In July 1997, the seventh conference was held in San Francisco. It was sponsored by NIST, AWI and the American Welding Society. Proceedings of that meeting are now available. Topics covered include overviews, case studies, controls and controllers, modeling, process automation, resistance welding, sensing and weld plan simulation.
To order Seventh International Conference on Computer Technology in Welding (NIST Special Publication 923), contact the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Va. 22161, (703) 487-4650. Order by PB 98-126964; the cost is $21.50.
Media Contact:
Fred McGehan (Boulder) (303) 497-3246
U.S. Department of Commerce
Technology Administration
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Editor: Michael Newman
HTML conversion: Crissy Wines
Last updated: May 14, 1998
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