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Standardization News

Business Case
Standards and the Craft Beer Industry
For more than 30 years, New Belgium Brewing has been committed to values that prioritize people, communities, and the impact our work has on the environment. New Belgium was founded in 1991 in Fort Collins, Colorado, by Kim Jordan, a social worker… more
Industry sectors:
Consumer Products

Data Points
The Meaning of Statistical Confidence
Q. How confident can I be that (fill in the blank)? A. With enough research, a good design, and a controlled process, I can be pretty confident. But this is not a statistics question. The term statistical confidence typically appears with the… more
Industry sectors:
Quality

Features
PFAS Remediation in Soil and Biosolids
In recent decades, global awareness of synthetic chemicals like PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and their impact on humans and animals has grown considerably. Found in everything from personal-care products, food packaging, and nonstick… more
Industry sectors:
Environment

Business Case
Standards and the Ceramic Tile Industry
To the ceramic tile industry, standards are everything. They are the basis for categorization and definition. They set expectations for physical performance, visual aesthetics, and the overall quality of products and installations. They address… more
Industry sectors:
Construction

Features
What is Sensory Evaluation? The Art and Science of Tasting Food and Beer
Agatha Christie’s famed detective Hercule Poirot was noted for his sharp powers of observation, something that also contributed to his discriminating sense of taste. A passionate aesthete, Poirot scoffed at poorly crafted meals, searched out… more
Industry sectors:
Quality

Features
Stone Cold: Dimension Stone Standards
For as long as humans have erected homes and other structures, stone has served as a principal building material. Ancient builders quickly realized that sturdy, weather-resistant, easily stacked stones were essential not only to creating but also… more
Industry sectors:
Construction

Features
Gloss and Grout: Standards for Ceramic Tile
The evolution of ASTM as a standards-development organization tracks closely with the stunning advances in science and technology that have occurred since the organization’s founding in 1898. In that time, ASTM has played an important role in… more
Industry sectors:
Construction, Consumer Products

Data Points
What are Certified Reference Materials?
The use of reference materials in the laboratory is widespread. These materials are most often used as control samples for control charting, drift correction, second-source verification of calibration, method validation, evaluation of method bias… more
Industry sectors:
Quality