Burleson, Texas, USA –— The Dimensional Metrology Standards Consortium (DMSC) has formally approved four technical specifications that will standardize three critical digital information exchange interfaces for model-based manufacturing quality measurement.  These technical specifications have been submitted to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for standardization and will be known collectively as the Quality Information Framework (QIF) v1.0 . All dimensional metrology systems users and solution providers are now requested to review these specifications at www.qifstandards.org  before they become ANSI standards.

QIF defines an integrated set of information models which enable the effective exchange of metrology data throughout the entire manufacturing quality measurement process - from product design to inspection planning to execution and analysis.   QIF models include quality characteristics and measurement features as defined in the ASME Y14.5 specification and the Dimensional Measuring Interface Standard (DMIS). This new standard will cover a wide variety of use cases including dimensional metrology inspection, first article inspection (SAE AS9102), reverse engineering, and discrete quality measurement. QIF v1.0 provides a standardized solution for defining measurement scope such as bill of characteristics, inspection plans, and measurement results.

"Finally, a no-cost, open, digital exchange standard has been defined that meets the immediate need for a common quality measurement results format.  Furthermore, the QIF addresses the needs for quality measurement planning which contains the flexibility of communicating the measurement scope or bill of characteristic of what needs to be inspected as well as sharing a more detailed inspection plan of what and how to measure." said DMSC President Curtis Brown.