XN000022-1982-05-16 — Page 4

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SUNDAY, MAY 16, 1962

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+WE'LL BE THERE TO TECHNICALLY BACK-UP HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY, + MR TYLER ASSURES.

IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, FOR EXAMPLE, ALL OF THE MAJOR ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURERS HAVE THEIR OWN IN-HOUSE STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORIES WITH TRACEABILITY TO, SAY, THE NPL. BUT EACH IS ONLY DEALING WITH ITS OWN PRODUCTS.

+BY CONTRAST, WE WILL BE CATERING FOR THE NEEDS OF THE BROAD SPECTRUM OF ALL HONG KONG INDUSTRY.

SPARED THE NEED OF PROVIDING SUCH FACILITIES FOR THEMSELVES, INDUSTRIES LARGE AND SMALL WILL BENEFIT. THE LABORATORY'S EQUIPMENT, BEING EXPENSIVE, FRAGILE, AND GENERALLY UNSUITED TO THE FACTORY FLOOR, WILL BE HOUSED IN IDEAL CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY AND OPERATION. FURTHER, IT WILL BE PROVIDING TRACEABILITY TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND THE SEAL OF AN INDEPENDENT NATIONAL' AUTHORITY.

ALTHOUGH THE INITIAL PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE URGENTLY-NEEDED SUPPORT FOR THE ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES, THE LABORATORY WILL ALSO CONTAIN A TEMPERATURE CALIBRATION FACILITY, AND HOUSE THE LOCAL REFERENCE STANDARDS FOR MASS AND LENGTH TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES LEGISLATION CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW.

CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AND DEMAND HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN FOR INCLUDING OTHER FUNCTIONS, SUCH AS PRECISION MECHANICAL MEASUREMENTS OF LENGTH, ANGLE AND FORM- ILLUMINATION AND OPTICS ACOUSTICS- IONISING AND NON-IONISING RADIATIONS. AS A RESULT, ATTENTION WILL BE PAID TO THESE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LABORATORY.

WHILE HONG KONG HAS BEEN BY NO MEANS DEVOID OF TESTING LABORATORY FACILITIES UP TO NOW, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE LEVEL OF CALIBRATION THE NEW LAB AIMS TO ACHIEVE FROM THAT OF THE PRODUCTS TESTING LABORATORIES - OF WHICH THERE ARE ALREADY ABOUT 15 TO 20 OPERATING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

BY HAVING THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF MEASURING CAPABILITY, THE GSCL WILL PROVIDE THE MEANS OF TESTING THE PRIVATE LABORATORIES' TEST APPARATUS WITHIN HONG KONG, ALTHOUGH EVEN ITS OWN REFERENCE STANDARDS WILL NEED TO BE CHECKED PERIODICALLY AGAINST THE MORE PRECISE STANDARDS HELD AT INSTITUTIONS IN THE UK, USA AND AUSTRALIA.

IT IS TO THESE INSTITUTIONS THE LABORATORY WILL TURN FOR ACCREDITATION, ONCE IT IS FULLY ESTABLISHED.

BY CONFORMING TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES SET BY THESE AUGUST BODIES AND EARNING THE IR APPROVAL, HONG KONG WILL IN A RELATIVELY SHORT SPACE OF TIME GREATLY ENHANCE ITS REPUTATION AS A MANUFACTURING CENTRE FOR HIGH

QUALITY PRODUCTS AND FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE COMPETITIVENESS OF ITS INDUSTRIES IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE.

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