NIST OWM Info Hour: A Primary Lab in Every State? How Groundbreaking Kibble Balance Technology Will Revolutionize the Mass Calibration Laboratory

Please join the OWM Laboratory Metrology Program in welcoming our special guest speaker, Leon Chao, NIST Scientific Engineer from the Fundamental Electrical Measurements Group within the Physical Measurement Laboratory.   

Leon will share how this new groundbreaking technology can directly realize mass traceable to the revised SI through electrical measurements, putting the power of a primary mass standard directly into the hands of state and calibrations labs. 

During this Info Hour, Leon will:

• Describe the fundamentals of a Kibble Balance and how state-of-the-art advancements will enable technological commercialization and modernization at the regulatory level (e.g., state laboratory metrology programs) for attaining SI traceability through a constant of nature (Planck’s constant).  
• Explain why traceability in measurements is critically important, and what the future holds for the traceability of mass calibrations.
• Discuss NIST’s efforts to miniaturize this technology for any lab’s implementation.  
• Share current and ongoing collaborations with commercial partners, the Department of Defense, the “NIST on a Chip” Program, and the timetables for deliverables.

 We will have ample time for Q&A and discussion on how states and laboratories can consider if this new technology is right for them and how best to prepare for any practical changes in calibration services. 

ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR *  There is no registration or fee required to attend the event, and no certificates will be issued.

(If you have problems adding the calendar link to your Outlook calendar, open the attached document for instructions on making Outlook your default calendar app.)

 If you are a Weights and Measures Official, a Laboratory or Field Metrologist, or anyone involved in using mass standards or mass calibrations, this is for you!"

About our Guest Speaker

Leon Chao (B.S., M.S. Mech. Engr, University of Maryland) began his career as a precision design engineer for the NIST-4 Kibble Balance in 2012 aimed at measuring a value of the Planck constant to 8-digit accuracy. This machine ultimately contributed to the global effort in redefining the SI unit of mass, the kilogram, in terms of a fixed value of the Planck constant, sparking the complete revision of the SI. During these efforts, Leon spearheaded an outreach project to build and publish scientific data generated by a fun, LEGO-based tabletop Kibble balance with 1% accuracy, ultimately evolving into a full-blown endeavor to develop multiple generations of laboratory-grade tabletop balances with parts in 10^6 accuracy alongside collaborations with the US Army, NIST-On-A-Chip (NOAC) program, and commercial partners.