PMEL guarantees precision Air Force

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Anthony Ross
  • 60th Maintenance Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The importance of accurate and precise measurements is evident in all aspects of life.

John Quincy Adams said, "Weights and measures may be ranked among the necessities of life to every individual of human society. They enter the economical arrangements and daily concerns of every family. They are necessary to every occupation of human industry; to the distribution and security of every species of property; to every transaction of trade and commerce; to the labors of the husbandman; to the ingenuity of the artificer; to the navigation of the mariner; and the marches of the Soldier; to all the exchanges of peace, and all the operations of war." 

Members of the Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory at Travis are the purveyors of that accuracy and precision. PMEL members test measurement and diagnostic equipment for 208 work centers on base, across the state and for several bases across the country. 

Bases in Washington, Nevada, California and Delaware, along with various Department of Defense agencies such as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency rely on the Travis PMEL to ensure the accuracy of their test equipment. The Patient Simulator and Safety Analyzer from David Grant USAF Medical Center are certified by PMEL technicians. They monitor heart rate, blood pressure and internal body temperature. 

Travis PMEL consists of three sections within the laboratory: Physical/Dimensional, Electrical Standards and Waveform Analysis. The Physical/Dimensional section supports 54 percent of the laboratory's workload. Some of the measurements performed by this section include torque, force, pressure, temperature, humidity, mass and weight, linear and optical. 

"About 45 percent of our workload comes from the Navy, Air National Guard and the Coast Guard. Our measurements provide traceability across five flight lines in three states and support eight unique weapons systems," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Soliday, PMEL assistant section supervisor. 

Section supervisor Tech. Sgt. Kevin Ostertag outlines the impact of the Electrical Standards section. 

"In addition to our own voltage, current and resistance standards, we calibrate a number of weapons test sets used to support F-16 Falcons at Fresno Air National Guard Base. Our diverse capabilities help support a wide range of equipment; from fuel quantity test sets to biomedical to search and rescue equipment." 

The Waveform Analysis section executes measurements in signal generating and analyzing equipment that produce frequency, power, noise, vibration, distortion and amplitude and frequency modulation. 

"We support multiple DoD weapons systems. Our Tactical Air Navigation section ensures the Identify Friend or Foe systems on aircraft are able to recognize allies and prevent fratricide," explains section supervisor Master Sgt. Darwin Phillips. "Strict adherence and attention to detail, coupled with highly trained technicians, allow us to meet the needs of our ever-changing military." 

PMELs across the Air Force house their own Quality Assurance team. These highly-trained members are selected from within the lab, and are responsible for ensuring the items certified by PMEL technicians are safe, accurate, reliable and traceable. The PMEL QA team also monitors the laboratory environment to include lighting, cleanliness, positive airflow, temperature and humidity. 

"Measurements made within the laboratory are extremely sensitive. The purpose of maintaining a controlled environment is to remove any variables that can affect accuracy," said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Clyde, a member of the QA team. 

The Air Force Metrology and Calibration Program mandate all measurements performed by any PMEL must be traceable to the Air Force Primary Standards Laboratory or the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Traceability, an established written record of standards, helps ensure quality measurements, and in turn, reliable instruments. 

The AFMETCAL evaluation is performed by experienced auditors every two years. The Travis PMEL evaluation was completed on Jan. 20. The AFMETCAL audit consisted of 20 Measurement Capability Assessments, which are similar to over-the-shoulder evaluations performed during flight line inspections. Other key inspections included a Management and Quality Assurance review. After successfully completing all evaluations, the Travis PMEL renewed its two-year certification, enabling the continuation of safe, accurate, reliable and traceable measurements for the region.