K.D. Hill, A.G. Steele
THE TRIPLE POINT OF XENON: A CANDIDATE FIXED-POINT REFERENCE TEMPERATURE

The triple point of xenon has recently been shown to be a suitable fixed point for incorporation into the next revision of the International Temperature Scale as a means to reduce the non-uniqueness in the important 84 K to 273 K range. We summarize the results, which illustrate that the xenon triple point itself is highly reproducible, with a standard deviation of 48 µK for the eight melts of this study, and a total realization uncertainty of just 76 µK.

Salvador Echeverría-Villagómez, Carmen Marina Trejo-Morales
ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURE AND INFRASTRUCTURES OF METROLOGY, ACCREDITATION AND STANDARDIZATION FOR THE WATER SECTOR IN THE 21^stCENTURY - A MEXICAN PERSPECTIVE

The paper presents an analysis of the structure and infrastructures of Metrology, Standardization and Accreditation (MSA) for the Water Sector in the 21st Century, from a Mexican perspective.
Water is passing from being ‘just’ a vital element to become a key element of interest for societies in every field, from economics to politics and technology. The quality structures and infrastructures of every country in terms of Metrology, Standardization and Accreditation have to respond to the new challenges and demands.
The paper analyses the relevant aspects of this sector in the Mexican scene. Within this reference frame it goes to classify the main macro-processes which take place with water, from recollection and extraction, to processing in different ways (desalinization, potabilization, recycling, etc.), to distribution and charging for its consumption.
In every process, there are different social actors involved, from government to private industries and social organizations to the final user. Aspects of standardization, conformity assessment and metrology are typified for the most common of these processes.
In every stage of every process there are critical variables to be measured. This measurements are classified in quantity (volume, flow, mass, etc.), quality (contents, purity, inorganic analysis, organic analysis) and process variables (temperature, pressure, chemical substances, materials, etc).
Finally, some general ideas about the MSA structures and infrastructures are put forward, as well as specific proposals for common work on metrology.

Estela Maria de Oliveira, José U. Delgado, Carlos José da Silva, Maria Antonieta R. R. Di Prinzio, Maura Julia Camara da Silva Bragança, Maria Elizabeth Dias Acar
MANAGEMENT QUALITY SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION IN THE LNMRI RADIONUCLIDE GROUP BASED ON ISO/IEC 17025 REQUIREMENTS

In recent times, the Ionizing Radiation Metrology Laboratory implemented the ISO/IEC 17025 requirements for the radioactive source production and calibration services. To this a peer-review process was done in the main measurement systems of the laboratory. This work describes with details the structure of quality system adopted as well as the action plan and non-conformities.

Salvador Echeverría-Villagómez, Steve R. Stahley, Malcolm Smith
EXPERIENCES ON METROLOGY, STANDARDIZATION AND ACCREDITATION FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

The paper reports on a series of workshops on Metrology, Accreditation and Standardization for the Automotive Industry (MASAI) that has been carried out in México in 2004 and 2005. The workshops analyze those aspects common to the quality triangle (MAS) that are relevant for the automotive industry in its very specific standards and practices (ISO/TS 16949, MSA, PPAP, APQP, etc.), and then focus on the metrology needs derived from them to propose possible solutions and best practices.
In 2004 the workshop addressed the basics of this field and was carried out in 2 main Mexican locations, where automotive industry is most important. In 2005-2006 the workshop will have a focus on the requirements common to the supply chain in this industrial sector and the challenges to achieve intercomparability at low cost.
The workshop has been sponsored by CENAM, NCSLI and CUMMINS, and it is expected that more organizations in more countries participate in the future.

Willians Portella, Maurício N. Frota
FREQUENCY OF CALIBRATION: A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR QUALITY CONTROL IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

A methodology which defines the frequency of calibration of measuring instruments that control key processes in the pharmaceutical industry is described. In accordance with international standards and best laboratory practices (ISO/IEC 17025), the methodology incorporates the experience of renowned laboratories of the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry. These laboratories accepted to participate in a survey to analyze the current practices and procedures regarding the choice of the periodicity of calibration. Given the uncertainty associated with the master standard as stated in the calibration certificate of the instrument to be used in the manufacturing process, the concept of maximum error assessment was introduced. In this sense, the acceptable error in the manufacturing process and the impact of non-compliance in calibration led to a general criterion for establishing the frequency of calibration.