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1 author:
C. Ferrero
INRIM Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrolo
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Traceability to supportMeas
CIPMurement
MRA and
other international
arrangements
(Torino 6-7 November 2008)
uncertainty
in extensometer
calibration
Abstract
In the field of calibration, Italy participates to the European framework with
SIT(Servizio di Taratura in Italia), which grants accreditation through the verification of
the correctness of the calibration of the measurement instruments with reference to the
National Standards maintained by the Metrological Institutes INRIM and ENEA.
One of the most important activities at European (EA) and National level of the National Accreditation Body (NAB) is the organization of a series of interlaboratory comparisons (ILC), to verify the measurements capability of the accredited Laboratories. In
2007-2008 one ILCs, for the calibration of extensometer, was organized in Italy by SIT.
In the paper the main focus is given to verify the measurement uncertainty at each chain
link and for this reason a new model for the uncertainty evaluation for the extensometer
calibration is presented.
A numerical example, relates specifically to the calibration of extensometers in accordance with UNI EN ISO 9513 Calibration of Extensometers used in Uniaxial testing
is given. In the example, the calibrating device is a micrometer head and the uncertainty
is estimated at a confidence level of 95 % using ISO GUM methodology, in accordance
with SIT requirements.
1) General evaluation
With the adoption of the European Standard EN-10002/4, beginning 1994, and of the
following ISO EN 9513 the various National Accreditation Bodies (NAB) of different
countries have conformed their procedures of calibration and classification of the strain
gages to the ISO standards.
The various standards establish only the values of tolerance for the most important
components of the measurement error such as repeatability and resolution of the extensometer under test, and displacement errors of the calibrating and a classification of the
different transducers submitted to calibration. (see Table I).
However, the uncertainties associated with measured errors of indication need to be
evaluated by the calibrating laboratories in order that this information is readily available to the customer when required.
The calibration of an extensometer involves a comparison of the readings given by the
extensometer with known variations in length provided by a calibration apparatus
UNI-EN ISO 9513 requires that "the error of the calibrating device shall not exceed
0,2
0,5
1
2
Resolutiona
Absolute
error
Relative
value
Absolute
value
Bias errora
qLe
r /l i
Absolute
value
r
li - lt
m
0,2
0,5
1
2
0,1
0,25
0,5
1
0,2
0,5
1
2
0,2
0,5
1
2
0,6
1,5
3
6
0,05
0,12
0,25
0,5
0,1
0,25
0,5
1
0,06
0,15
0,3
0,6
0,2
0,5
1
2
Percentage of
readings
Relative
error
q
Resolutiona
Relative
error
Absolute
value
The transducer is classified on the base of the differences that are determined among
the results of calibration and the reference values.
The higher the grade of the extensometer, and the shorter the extension, and the shorter
the gauge length, then the lower the permissible errors.
vice are within the limits of +/- 0,5 m. This means that the maximum error between
any two graduation values on the thimble is 1 m We have no further specific information relating to the error pattern so a rectangular distribution is assigned. The standard
uncertainty is ca1culated by dividing the semi-range by 3 giving a value of 0,577 m
3.3) Repeatability of the calibration device
The repeatability of the micrometer head is a component of the repeatability of the calibrating device which is in turn a component of the repeatability of the measuring process considered below.
3.4) Resolution of the calibration device
The micrometer head is graduated at intervals of 2 m and readings are estimated to the
nearest quarter of a division or 0,5 m. A rectangular distribution is assigned to the uncertainty component. The standard uncertainty is calculated by dividing the semi-range
by 3 , giving a value of 0,144 m
3.5) Abbe error
The laboratory equipment allows extensometers to be aligned within 1 part in 50 over
the gauge length, or parallel to the measurement axis of the calibrator within +/- 1 mm
over a 50 mm gauge length. This leads to a possible cosine error of +/- 0,2 m /mm of
the extension. A rectangular distribution is assigned to the uncertainty component with a
semi-range of 0,2 m /mm or 0,8 m /4mm. The standard uncertainty is calculated by
dividing the semi-range by 3 , giving a value of 0,46 m at the 4mm extension.
3.6) Thermal effect on the calibration device
The effect of temperature on the calibrator is difficult to evaluate because of the complexity of the device. However, if an approximately uniform temperature of the calibration device is assumed, then an estimate of thermal effects based on a nominal coefficient of thermal expansion of 11,5 ppm/C can be given (this could be obtained by
maintaining the calibrator more than two hours in the laboratories). It is estimated that
the calibrator temperature during the extensometer calibration was 21C with possible
variations within +/- l C which, when combined with its thermal expansion coefficient,
gives a possible error in the measured deformation of +/-0,046 m /mm.
A rectangular distribution is assigned to the component of uncertainty with a semi-range
of 0,184 m at the 4mm extension. The standard uncertainty is calculated by dividing
the semi-range by 3 , giving a value of 0,106 m. The confidence in the assigned semirange limit is estimated at 90%, so the number of degrees of freedom is calculated as 50.
Thermal effects on the extensometer itself are considered below.
Periodic error of
micrometer head
Uncertainty of
micrometer head
errors
Value
Distribution
Type
Rectangular
Normal
Divisor
3
2
Std u
(ui)
D.O.F.
(Vi)
0,577
200
0,5
60
0,144
50
0,46
50
Resolution of
micrometer scale
0,25
Rectangular
Misalignment
0,8
Rectangular
3
3
Thermal effects
on calibrator
0,184
i
Rectangular
0,106
0,904
1,97
1,78
1,78
50
Veff
265,6
m
m
The Coverage Factor (k) is determined from the Students' t -distribution tables according to the effective number of degrees of freedom (rounded down) and for a 95 % confidence level.
The Expanded Uncertainty U95 is ca1culated by multiplying the Combined Standard
Uncertainty by the Coverage Factor.
Table 2: Uncertainties of the measurement system of the laboratory at various deformation
Deformation
(mm)
Uncertainty
(m)
0,5
1,54
1,55
1,60
1,68
1,78
The laboratory system uncertainty will approximately be then equal to (1,5 + 0,07L) m
where L is the extension in mm
Displacement
0,4
0,8
1,2
1,6
2,0
2,4
2,8
3,2
3,6
4,0
TEST1
TEST2
TEST3
ESDM
0,3988
0,8008
1,1996
1,598
1,9984
2,4008
2,802
3,2024
3,6012
4,002
0,3998
0,801
1,2003
1,598
1,9992
2,402
2,8035
3,2036
3,6004
4,0024
0,3993
0,7999
1,1991
1,5991
1,9995
2,4012
2,8032
3,2023
3,6037
4,0054
0,00029
0,00034
0,00035
0,00037
0,00033
0,00035
0,00046
0,00042
0,00100
0,00107
It should be noted that the above method will produce overestimated values for standard
uncertainty where small numbers of observations are made
4.2) Resolution of the extensometer
The extensometer has a digital indicator with a resolution of 0,1 m resulting in a possible rounding error of 0,05 m. A rectangular distribution is assigned to the component
of uncertainty with a semi-range of 0,05 m . The standard uncertainty is calculated by
dividing the semi-range by 3 , giving a value of 0.029 m.
Experimental
Value
Probability
Distribution
Type
Divisor
Std u
(ui)
DOF
Vi
0,904
Normal
0,904
265
1,07
Normal
1,07
0,05
Rectangular
0,029
1,00E+10
0,24
Rectangular
0,139
50
Veff
1,42
2,45
3,48
6,5
m
Displacement (mm)
0,4
0,8
1,2
1,6
2
2,4
2,8
3,2
3,6
4
Extensometer
Uncertainty
Components
Combined
Uncertainty
k value
Expanded
Uncertainty
Calibration System
0,779
0,783
0,79
0,8
0,811
0,825
0,842
0,861
0,881
0,904
Repeatability
0,29
0,34
0,35
0,37
0,33
0,35
0,46
0,42
1,00
1,07
Temperature
0,014
0,028
0,042
0,055
0,069
0,083
0,097
0,111
0,125
0,139
uc
0,82
0,845
0,856
0,862
0,886
0,901
0,957
1,045
1,321
1,42
k value
1,97
1,99
1,99
1,98
2
1,99
2,02
2,11
2,31
2,45
U95
1,62
1,68
1,70
1,71
1,77
1,79
1,93
2,20
3,05
3,48
The uncertainty over the calibrated range then approximates to (1,45 + 0,45 L) m
where L is the deformation in mm.
Conclusion
The traceability of measurement results is mainly characterized by means of several key
factors: a) A continuous comparisons chain, b) The measurement uncertainty at each
chain link, c) The necessary reference to the SI units d) The frequency of comparisons
(calibrations, verifications, etc.).
In the paper a numerical example, relates specifically to the calibration of extensometers
in accordance with UNI EN ISO 9513 Calibration of Extensometers used in Uniaxial
testing is given. In the example, the calibrating device is a micrometer head and the
experimental results were obtained during a Laboratory Intercomparison (ILC) organized by the Italian NAB (SIT-INRIM). The uncertainty was estimated at a confidence
level of 95 % using ISO GUM methodology, in accordance with SIT requirements. The
uncertainty, over the calibrated range for the extensometer circulating between the accredited laboratories, can be approximates to (1,45 + 0,45 L) m where L is the deformation in mm
Acknowledgement
The author like to thank Dr. Alan Squirrel for the personal information in the field of
Extensometer calibration. given in the EA framework cooperation.
References
[1] UNI EN ISO 9513: Calibration of Extensometers used in Uniaxial testing
[2] EA-2/03 (EAL P7), EAL Interlaboratory comparison, edition 1 March 1996
[3] EA 10/04, Uncertainty of Calibration Results in force Measurements, (1998).
[4] International Vocabulary of Basic and General Terms in Metrology, second edition, 1993, International Organisation for Standardisation (Geneva, Switzerland).
[5] Sample uncertainty of measurement analysis: extensometer calibration, NATA
doc., first draft, March 2000
[6] EA-4/02: Expression of the Uncertainty of Measurement in Calibration, 1997
[7] ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, 1995, International
Organisation for Standardisation (Geneva, Switzerland).
[8] C. Ferrero, The EA Mechanical Measurement Activities: Accreditation of Calibration Laboratories and the Force and Torque Dissemination in Italy, International Symposium Metrology, Cuba, 2002, pp. 130-160