Johannes A. Soons (Fed)

Johannes “Hans” Soons is a mechanical engineer at the Surface and Interface Metrology Group of the Physical Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Since 1994, he has worked at NIST as researcher, group leader, and project leader; conducting research on surface texture metrology, toolmark forensics, precision machining, and interferometric form measurement of precision surfaces. He has contributed to many documentary standards in the areas of machine tool metrology, surface texture, and forensics.

Hans Soons leads the project on surface texture metrology and forensic topography. Here he contributes to methods, standards, and calibration services for characterizing surface texture in manufacturing, science, and forensics. For firearm and toolmark forensics, the project develops objective measurement and comparison methods to evaluate whether two cartridge cases or bullets were fired by the same firearm.