Belinda Jones
Published: Tuesday, April 23, 2019 - 21:06 Shepherding the implementation of any new program takes strong leadership. Building a strong, legally defensible certification program calls for a herculean kind of dedication. Randy Gruver was just the guy for the job. More than 10 years ago, a group of interested measurement professionals and industry supporters gathered to discuss the need to verify a user’s knowledge and hands-on skills level for a variety of metrology devices. The Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) formed a Certification Subcommittee with Gruver as its chair, and his team never looked back. In 2019, CMS Certification is at its height with a comprehensive, two-tiered Certification program for metrologists to reach their professional development goals. The CMS owes a debt of gratitude to Gruver, an employee development specialist at Boeing, who has served in a volunteer capacity for more than a decade to see the program through to its full realization. It is an honor to thank him for his unwavering support on behalf of the many people who had the pleasure of working with him, as well as the metrologists who will benefit from the program he helped bring to fruition. Additional appreciation goes out to the CMS Certification Committee with members from a variety of leading OEMs, manufacturing, and scientific facilities, including Boeing, Boeing BR&T, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Brookhaven National Laboratory, API Metrology, FARO Technologies, East Coast Technology, Planet Tool and Inspection, NIST, National Research Council Canada, and NPL. After years of due diligence, measurement studies, and pilot examinations, the Level-One Certification for 3D portable measurement professionals was introduced in 2013. This was the industry’s first proctored, online assessment covering foundational theory and CMM common practices. The Certification Committee has worked to roll out Level-Two Certifications that are hands-on assessments for a variety of commonly used metrology devices from articulating arms to laser trackers. Today, the user communities of both portable CMMs and traditional CMMs have the opportunity to gain credentials for their specialized expertise in measurement and inspection. All candidates must complete an application process. Level-One Certification applicants must meet eligibility requirements, sign the CMS code of ethics, and pass a peer review. CMS Level-Two Certification applicants must have a Level-One Certification and a specified amount of practical work, such as two years of experience (minimum 400 hours) on an articulating arm or laser tracker. The applicant must also submit an application with two references who can attest to their hands-on expertise. Certification examinations will be conducted at the 2019 Coordinate Metrology Society Conference, July 22–26, in Orlando, FL. The CMS Certification Handbook with guidelines and application forms are available online at the CMS website at https://www.cmsc.org/ Belinda Jones is the founder and owner of HiTech Marketing LLC located in Westbrook, Connecticut. For more than a decade, Jones has written articles and commentaries about manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, CAD/CAM/CAE applications, and other high-tech topics. She has extensive experience in marketing communications, technical sales, and applications engineering. Before joining the computer industry, she was a broadcast copywriter for four years. Jones holds degrees in fine arts and mechanical engineering, and studied cultural arts in Europe.
CMSC Hats Off to the Brawn Behind the CMS Certification Program
A special thank you
About The Author
Belinda Jones
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