Sec. SUBCHAPTER A-TEST FEE SCHEDULES PART 200-GENERAL 200.112 Location of laboratories. AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 200 issued under sec. 9, 31 Stat. 1450, as amended; sec. 7, 70 Stat. 959; 15 U.S.C. 275a, 277. SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 200 appear at 30 F.R. 10094, Aug. 13, 1965, unless otherwise noted. § 200.100 Statutory functions. (a) The National Bureau of Standards has been assigned the following functions (15 U.S.C. 271-282): (1) The custody, maintenance, and development of the national standards of measurements, together with the provision of calibration services related to these standards. (2) The determination of physical constants and properties of materials. (3) The development of methods for testing materials, mechanisms and structures, and the testing of materials, supplies, and equipment. (4) Cooperation in the establishment of standard practices, incorporated in codes and specifications. (5) Advisory services to Government agencies on scientific and technical problems. (6) Invention and development of devices to serve special needs of the Government. (b) The calibration and testing activities of the Bureau stem from the functions in paragraph (a) (1) and (3) of this section. By direction of the Secretary of Commerce, these activities are assigned primarily to the NBS Institute for Basic Standards. Its program provides the central basis within the United States for a complete and consistent system of physical measurement; coordinates that system and the measurement system of other nations; and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical measurements throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry, and commerce. (c) The provision of standard reference materials for sale to the public is assigned to the Office of Standard Reference Materials of the NBS Institute for Materials Research. It evaluates the requirements of science and industry for carefully characterized reference materials, stimulates the Bureau's efforts to develop methods for production of needed reference materials and directs their production and distribution. The items available under this program are listed in Subchapter B of this chapter. (d) The provision of technical services to promote the use of available technology and to facilitate technical innovation in industry and Government is assigned to the NBS Institute for Applied Technology. Its Office of Engineering Standards cooperates with other standardizing organizations and trade associations in the development of engineering and industrial standards, including commodity standards. Its Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information collects, organizes, and publicizes unclassified Government-generated technical reports, and provides reference, referral, and sales services for technical reports and translations received from domestic and foreign sources. (e) The assignment of the NBS Central Radio Propagation Laboratory1 is to act as a central agency of the Federal Government for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information on the propagation of electromagnetic waves, on the related electromagnetic properties of the atmosphere, on the nature of electromagnetic noise and interference, and the methods for the more efficient use of the electromagnetic spectrum for telecommunications purposes. sense, to include both calibrations and other tests. § 200.102 Policy statement. (a) The Bureau's principal emphasis is on those calibrations and other tests requiring such accuracy as can be obtained only by direct comparison with NBS standards. For standardization services of lesser accuracy, it is suggested that competent sources other than the Bureau be sought. The following categories define the work usually undertaken: (1) Services involving comparison of standards or instruments with NBS reference standards. (2) Tests of devices or materials to determine compliance with specifications or claims, when the device or material is critical in national scientific or technical operations, and when suitable facilities are not available elsewhere. (3) Referee tests, to which subparagraph (1) of this paragraph does not apply, when private laboratories are unable to agree on the method of measurement, the results of tests, or the interpretation of these results: Provided, That the importance of the case justifies the test and that all parties agree in advance in writing to accept and abide by the findings of the Bureau. (4) Cooperative tests with national or international standardizing organizations to develop standards or specifications of mutual interest. (b) Services of the following types are not provided for private organizations or individuals: (1) Calibrations and other tests generally available from commercial laboratories. (A Directory of Standards Laboratories in the United States, 1965 edition, prepared by the National Conference of Standards Laboratories, is available from the NBS Office of Technical Information and Publications. A Directory of Testing Laboratories, Commercial and Institutional, is available from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa., 19103. Similar listings appear in several technical journals and buyers' guides.) (2) Tests of secret processes, or of inadequately described materials, devices, or processes. (3) Tests whose objective is public relations, advertising, or sales promotion. (c) Requests for calibrations or other tests may be declined if in the Bureau's (a) Calibrations and other tests which are most frequently required by Bureau clients are described in subsequent sections of this subchapter. They may be requested by number, at fixed fees which become effective upon publication in the FEDERAL REGISTER. More extensive calibration or test items (designated by zsuffixes) are given in many of the subsequent sections. The listed items, however, do not represent the Bureau's total capability, and prospective clients should inquire about special arrangements for measurements involving unusual physical quantities, ranges, accuracies, parameters environments, or response speeds. Inquiries should describe as clearly as possible the measurement desired and the basis for the requirement to be satisfied. They should be addressed to the National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C., 20234 (or National Bureau of Standards, Boulder, Colo., 80301, for electrical standards at frequencies above 30 kHz). Shipment of material should be held until the Bureau and the client are fully agreed upon arrangements, and a provisional estimate of cost has been accepted. (b) A formal purchase order for the test should be sent prior to or at the time of shipment. This should provide clear identification of the instrument or other standard being submitted, and give instructions for billing. If a client wishes to minimize the time during which his equipment is out of service, he can usually arrange to delay shipment until the test is scheduled to start. Requests from Federal agencies, or from State agencies, for calibrations or tests on material to be used on private or Federal contract work, should be accompanied either by purchase order or by letter or document authorizing the cost of the test to be billed to the agency. (c) Acceptance of purchase orders does not imply acceptance of any provisions set forth in the order contrary to the policy, practice, or regulations of the National Bureau of Standards or the U.S. Government. (A statement to the effect that the National Bureau of Standards is an agency of the U.S. Government should satisfy other Government agencies with regard to compliance with Government regulations and executive orders.) (d) A test number will be assigned by the Bureau to each item (instrument or group of similar instruments or standards) when accepted for test. This test number should be referred to in all subsequent communications. If the apparatus submitted has been previously calibrated by the Bureau, reference should be made to this test number. § 200.104 Packing, shipping, and insur ance. (a) Equipment sent to the Bureau must be properly packed to minimize likelihood of damage in shipment and handling. Suggestions on packing and shipping are made in some sections of the present schedule. In every case, the client should consider the nature of the equipment, pack it accordingly, and clearly label shipments containing fragile instruments or materials, glass, etc. The use of "security express" should be considered in shipping delicate instruments. (b) Shipping charges both to and from the Bureau must be assumed by the client. It is generally impractical for the Bureau to pay shipping charges and add this cost to the billing invoice. Return shipments are made by the Bureau in accordance with its judgment of the best method of shipping unless specific instructions are received. Such instructions should be clearly shown on the purchase order for the test. The Bureau cannot guarantee that instructions printed obscurely on the order will be followed. Parcel post shipments generally will be returned prepaid by the Bureau; but will not be insured. (c) When a test number has been assigned prior to shipment to the Bureau, this number should be clearly marked on the shipping container. When a test number has not been assigned, an invoice, copy of the purchase order, or letter should be enclosed in the shipment to insure proper identification. The original purchase order should be forwarded to the Bureau. (d) The risk of loss or damage, either in shipment or in testing, must be assumed by the client. Any arrangements for insurance covering such risk must be made by the client, except that the Bureau will, in other than parcel post shipments, request the carrier to provide insurance coverage for a stated amount for return shipment if this is specified on the face of the purchase order. If transit insurance is carried by the client, this should be stated on the face of the purchase order, and in any case the purchase order should show the value of the equipment. (a) Since the data provided by the Bureau's report is specific to the individual item or piece of apparatus tested, it is essential that this piece be identified uniquely by an appropriate number or symbol. In most cases, the manufacturer's name and serial numbers are used. When such a number is lacking, an alternative identifying mark should be provided. If none is found, the Bureau may apply an appropriate one, usually the Bureau's Test Number, for which an additional charge may be made. (b) All apparatus submitted for test must be in good operating condition. Repairs and adjustments should be attended to by the client prior to shipment. Apparatus not in good condition cannot be tested, nor can the Bureau undertake the repair or adjustment of any equipment, except by special arrangement. If it is evident that equipment has been abused or has not received proper care, a test ordinarily will not be conducted. If defects are found at the Bureau after a test has begun, this fact will be reported, the test may be terminated, and a report issued summarizing such information as has been found, and a fee charged in accordance with the amount of work done. § 200.106 Priority and time of comple tion. (a) Except for emergency Government work, calibrations and other tests are in general undertaken in the order in which requests are received. (b) The date at which a test will be completed depends on a number of factors, such as the condition of submitted equipment, setup time, duration of test run, limitations on available personnel, occasional large backlogs of work, and grouping of tests of similar devices to lessen costs. Sometimes repetitive runs are needed to determine reliability of results, or peculiar behavior is noted, requiring unusually careful investigation. The Bureau will cooperate with a client to minimize the out-of-use time for his equipment, and will upon request inform him of a probable starting date and give notice of unexpected delays in completion of the work. Estimates of completion dates are therefore provisional. § 200.107 Witnessing of operations. The Bureau welcomes scientists and engineers who may wish to visit its laboratories and discuss its methods. However, visitors ordinarily will not be permitted to witness the actual carrying out of highly precise measurements because their presence introduces distraction that may lead to errors or delays. This policy may be waived in those cases where the visitor can be of service in setting up apparatus of a new or unusual nature, in the case of referee tests, or in other cases in which the legal validity of the result may require the presence of duly authorized witnesses. Results of calibrations and other tests are issued as reports entitled, "National Bureau of Standards Report of Calibration", "National Bureau of Standards Report of Test", or "National Bureau of Standards Report of Analysis", as appropriate. The report form used carries no special significance. Whenever formal certification is required by law, or to meet special conditions adjudged by the National Bureau of Standards to warrant it, a letter will be provided certifying that the particular item was received and calibrated or tested, and identifying the report containing the results. § 200.109 Use of results. (a) The NBS report of calibration or test contains data which pertain only to the particular device or specimen calibrated or tested. There is no implication that other items of the same lot or type will show comparable results. However, on the basis of tests on a sample of instruments or objects drawn from a lot of nominally identical items, in ac cordance with an approved sampling procedure, the Bureau may declare that the entire lot does or does not meet stated requirements for acceptance. (b) The results given in the NBS report are limited to the condition of the equipment at the time of calibration or test. Clients should not assume that comparable performance will be sustained unless suitable precautions are taken in handling and use. (c) The National Bureau of Standards does not "approve," "recommend," or "endorse" any proprietary product or material, either as a single item or as a class or group. Results reported by the Bureau shall not be used in advertising or sales promotion, or to indicate explicit or implicit endorsement of the product or material by the Bureau. § 200.110 Fees. (a) In accordance with 15 U.S.C. 271282, fees are charged for all tests and calibrations made by the National Bureau of Standards. (b) This fee schedule is published subject to the above-mentioned basic act which authorizes the Secretary of Commerce, from time to time, to make regulations regarding the payment of fees, the limits of tolerance on standards submitted for verification, and related matters. § 200.111 Billing charges. The minimum billing charge for any test request accepted by the Bureau is $10, unless otherwise indicated in a particular fee schedule. If apparatus is returned without testing a minimum charge of $10 may be made to cover handling. Fees for tests include the cost of preparation of an original report. Additional copies ordinarily are not issued to other than the recipient of the original, and are not issued unless the client has shown a technical need for them. Copies of reports requested subsequent to the date of tests will be supplied at cost, with a minimum charge of $5. All checks should be made payable to NBS, Department of Commerce. § 200.112 Location of laboratories. (a) The calibrations listed in Parts 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, and 210 of this subchapter and the low frequency electrical calibrations of §§ 201.101 through 201.500 of this subchapter will after July 1, 1966 be performed in the Gaithersburg, Md., Laboratories of the National Bureau of Standards whose address is Washington, D.C., 20234. Calibrations of signal sources (§ 201.701 of this subchapter) and all electrical standards in the radio frequency region (§§ 201.810 through 201.950 of this subchapter) are performed by the Radio Standards Laboratory of the National Bureau of Standards at Boulder, Colo., 80301. (b) After November 18, 1965, low frequency calibration services will be available only through the Electricity Division in Washington, D.C. All requests for such services, and inquiries (giving full details of ranges, frequencies, and electrical burdens) concerning schedules and shipping instructions, should be directed to: Electricity Division, Institute for Basic Standards, (c) If the apparatus is to be calibrated at both high and low frequencies, arrangements may be initiated with either the Boulder or Washington laboratories. The cost of shipping the apparatus between laboratories will be billed to the client. [30 F.R. 14411, Nov. 18, 1965] PART 201-ELECTRICITY NOTE: The calibration service covered by this part includes the determinations of the corrections for standard electrical and electronic measuring apparatus and their rangeextending auxiliaries used at power and audio frequencies (up to 30 kHz (kc/s), high frequencies 30 kHz (kc/s) to 1000 MHZ (Mc/s) and higher), and microwave frequencies (above 1000 MHz (Mc/s). The Bureau does not test, except occasionally for other agencies of the Federal Government, electrical devices or supplies not directly related to the field of measurement. Tests of power transformers, motors, generators, relays, wiring, appliances, etc., should not be requested. RESISTANCE MEASUREMENTS HIGH-FREQUENCY REGION General. Rf, rf-dc voltmeters, and thermal 201.820 Rf calorimeters, 30 kHz (kc/s) to 500 MHz (Mc/s). 201.821 Continuous wave low-level power measurements of coaxial bolometer units and bolometer-coupler units. |