EN ISO 14978:2018 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 14978:2018 - Geometrical product specifications (GPS) - General concepts and requirements for GPS measuring equipment (ISO 14978:2018) is the CEN-adopted European version of ISO 14978:2018. It defines the general requirements, terms, calibration principles and characteristic types for GPS measuring equipment such as micrometers, calipers, gauge blocks and rotary axis form measuring instruments. The standard provides a common framework to improve communication between manufacturer/supplier and customer/user and to guide companies and standards developers when defining and selecting measurement equipment characteristics.

Key topics

• Scope and terms: Unified vocabulary and definitions used for GPS measuring equipment to ensure consistent interpretation across manufacturers, users and standards bodies.
• Design characteristics: Guidance on what design features should be specified for different classes of measuring instruments.
• Metrological characteristics: Identification, definition and selection of measurement-related attributes (e.g., resolution, temperature-related behaviour, geometry of contact elements).
• Specification & presentation: Rules for expressing metrological characteristics, including MPE (maximum permissible error) functions - constant, proportional and combined forms.
• Calibration and verification: Requirements and recommended approaches for calibration, verification methods and handling of measurement uncertainty when reporting instrument performance.
• Marking and documentation: Minimum marking and data-sheet content (Annex B) to support traceability and procurement.
• Annexes and supportive material: Practical annexes (A–E) covering minimum requirements for device-specific GPS standards, common design characteristics and test uncertainty.

Applications

EN ISO 14978:2018 is practical for:

• Manufacturers and suppliers specifying product declarations, data sheets and acceptance criteria for GPS measuring equipment.
• Purchasing and quality personnel who need to prepare clear, comparable specifications for procurement.
• Calibration laboratories and metrology professionals responsible for verifying and certifying measuring instruments and reporting uncertainty.
• Standards writers developing device-specific GPS standards (this document provides the basis and template guidance).

Typical use cases:

• Defining acceptance criteria for new micrometers or calipers.
• Preparing equipment data sheets for tendering and supplier evaluation.
• Structuring calibration programs and traceable verification of gauge blocks and coordinate devices.

Related standards

• ISO/TC 213 (Dimensional and geometrical product specifications and verification) - technical committee responsible for GPS standards.
• Normative references included in the standard (examples from the document): ISO/IEC Guide 99, ISO/IEC Guide 98-4, ISO 14253-5 - referenced for measurement concepts and uncertainty guidance.

Keywords: EN ISO 14978:2018, GPS measuring equipment, geometrical product specifications, calibration, metrological characteristics, design characteristics, micrometers, calipers, gauge blocks, measurement uncertainty.