NIST has delivered a portable tabletop Kibble balance to the U.S. Army, marking the first time this superaccurate mass measurement technology has been used outside of NIST in the United States. The Kibble balance represents a significant advance in accurate and stable mass measurement, transforming traditional balances that rely on physical weights into electrical systems using currents and voltages.
NIST developed the Kibble balance with the goal of making this cutting-edge technology more widely available. The original massive and expensive research project was inaccessible to many, so NIST created a smaller, more portable version that could be used in various industries and organizations. The U.S. Army plans to use this portable Kibble balance for its own mass calibrations and to study its ease of transport and setup in different lab environments.
Additionally, NIST has entered into a collaborative agreement with tool developer Snap-on Inc. to expand the scope of the tabletop Kibble balance into more real-world applications, particularly to create an accessible and user-friendly system for calibrating torque wrenches. This issue has been costly and troublesome for many mechanics and maintenance facilities.
By delivering the Kibble balance to the Army and partnering with industry leaders like Snap-on, NIST is working towards its vision of democratizing access to precision mass measurements, empowering industries and organizations to perform their own calibrations with unprecedented accuracy and simplicity.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/06/nist-brings-mass-measurement-masses
Keywords: Kibble balance, portable, mass measurement
