bmta.co.uk EDITOR'S NOTE the challenges and opportunities of digital technologies on the world of measurement and testing (AI, AR, VR etc). identify and share relevant topics; provide research on new technologies or techniques; let us know industry news; promote events and training sessions; inform us of publications you think may be of interest to your fellow BMTA members. Welcome readers… This is the second of our quarterly BMTA newsletters, aimed at providing a greater depth of information and richer insight into specific areas of interest. This issue features articles on data processing and storage, sampling methods for characterising volatile organic compounds emitted from medical devices and standards with an aid to child safety. The next theme for our Spring 2020 issue is: To help us provide our BMTA members with useful information we would like your help to: Equally, should your business produce any information, white papers or interviews that you would like to share, please submit this to enquiries@bmta.co.uk. To subscribe visit: www.bmta.co.uk. CONTENTS Editor's Note Meet our Newsletter Contributors News Leveraging the Edge in IIoT By Daniel Povey, Research Scientist at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Sampling Made Simple By Nikhil Sahotra PhD, Materials Emission Specialist, Markes International. Standards as an Aid to Child Safety By Stephen Wilkins, Managing Director at Davies Development and Testing Ltd. Training Courses and Events Member Notices BMTA - the Voice of Measurement and Testing BMTA was created in 1990 in response to the need for an independent ‘lobby’ for the private sector to speak with one voice to Government, UKAS, BSI and other official bodies on issues affecting the whole measurement and testing community. BMTA represents the interests of the measurement and testing industry in the UK and in Europe, through its representation on EUROLAB, the voice for laboratories in Europe. We encourage you to make your views known in the standards making process, through the Association and individual membership of relevant committees. We work to increase awareness of the measurement and testing industry, and provide training, through seminars and workshops, on topical subjects. Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 6 Page 9 Page 13 Page 15 Page 16Stephen Wilkins was educated at the University of Durham Business School where he obtained a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He is a Chartered Scientist, a Chartered Environmentalist and a Fellow of both the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining and the Royal Society of Arts. Stephen was appointed chief executive of the Child-Safe Packaging Group upon its formation in 1995 and has driven its activities since then. The Child-Safe Packaging Group has been responsible for the design and development of numerous new child resistant packaging designs, in both flexible and rigid packs. Stephen is a director of Davies Development and Testing Limited, a laboratory accredited by UKAS, to undertake testing of child resistant packaging under various European and International standards. Daniel is a Research Scientist at the National Physical Laboratory, working primarily on the measurement challenges associated with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Part of this involves collaborating with SMEs to evaluate the potential of IIoT solutions within applied manufacturing processes: determining the suitability of low- cost sensors and microcontrollers used to monitor operating parameters and ambient conditions - and using this data to inform decisions. As low-cost sensors are readily available off the shelf and with more and more businesses looking to invest in Industry 4.0 technologies, it is essential to understand whether these devices can be fit for purpose. Dr Nikhil Sahotra is the Materials Emission Specialist at Markes International. His role focuses on the sampling and analysis of airborne chemicals, specifically volatile organic compounds emitted by products and materials. He also aids the development of standard methodology for sampling and analysis of volatile chemicals and is a voting member of ASTM. Prior to joining Markes, Dr Sahotra attended the University of Birmingham where he received his Ph.D. in organic electroluminescent materials. This was following his completion of a master’s degree in medicinal chemistry at Newcastle University. bmta.co.uk MEET OUR NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS By Daniel Povey Research Scientist National Physical Laboratory (NPL) Nikhil Sahotra PhD Materials Emission Specialist Markes International Stephen Wilkins Managing Director Davies Development and Testing Ltd We encourage our readers to send in thought leadership articles and opinion pieces on a wide range of technical, operational and commercial issues impacting any aspect of the UK measurement and testing industry. To provide the best possible coverage for you within the newsletter we ask that alongside the article that you provide a 50-100 word synopsis which we can use to highlight the article before publication via news feeds and the BMTA website. Feature articles are usually between a half A4 page and two A4 pages of text in length. In addition to this we would ask that you provide supporting images, at print ready resolution, together with a photo and short biography of the author. If you would like to contribute, please email Laura Vallis at editor@abacus-comms.co.uk Contribute to our next newsletterNext >