UK to become world leader in metrology training

NPL said it established the programme following a number of calls from big businesses in the UK, Europe and America, such as Airbus and Boeing. Until now, this type of training has been largely developed in-house, with no independently recognised courses available. The courses will apply the training objectives of the existing framework to the equipment and methods used in large volume metrology. LVM presents significantly different challenges due to the scale of the equipment and the environmental issues created by having to measure outside the laboratory. Participants will learn to question, understand and plan the best way to measure, beyond simply being able to use the equipment. This will help employees build in systems to the manufacturing process, reducing errors and waste, and improving quality control and accuracy. This ultimately means businesses can increase productivity and respond to their customers more quickly. Airbus UK has committed funding to developing the programme and other companies, including Rolls-Royce and Boeing, along with leading academics have helped shape it. One of the developers of the training, University College, London's Stephen Kyle, said LVM was now an integral and indispensable tool in manufacturing construction and assembly. He went on: "Its proper understanding is critical to its successful application but until now only isolated pockets of knowledge such as text books and equipment manuals were available. NPL's new training course modules provide structured, guided learning across the field of LVM, for both beginners and advanced users, and help to fill a major gap in this technology." Dr Brian Bowsher (pictured), managing director of NPL, added: "Industry looks to NPL, as the UK's Measurement Institute, to offer the necessary support to ensure it benefits from the best possible measurement expertise. In launching this course we are meeting the needs of the manufacturing industry, and so supporting a vital part of the future economy in the UK and around the world." The courses will have significant impact in a range of industries throughout the world, notably aerospace, automotive and defence, but also energy and medical. NPL is currently in talks with accreditation body EAL, the UK's leading awarding body for engineering, technology and related sectors, regarding turning the course into a certified qualification. More detail from: www.npl.co.uk/training