Acknowledgements

Many people have helped me to put the first and second editions of this book together. The work has involved some rearrangements in my personal life and I thank my loving wife, Sharmin, for putting up with this (especially with me insisting on using the book writing as an excuse do not so other things around the house).

Above all I would like to express thanks to Dr Han Haitjema (Mitutoyo Research Centre Europe, The Netherlands) for his critical comments on most of the chapter drafts and for his never-ending good humour and a sound basis in reality!

Also, many external folk have contributed and for this they have my eternal gratitude and friendship. In alphabetical order of their affiliations, these include: Dr Franz Helmli and Mr Stefan Lehmann (Alicona, Austria), Dr Andreas Freise (University of Birmingham, UK), Prof. Paul Shore (Cranfield University, UK), Dr François Blateyron (Digital Surf, France), Mr John Hannaford (himself), Dr Leigh Fleming, Prof. Liam Blunt, Prof. Paul Scott and Prof. Xiangqian (Jane) Jiang (University of Huddersfield, UK), Prof. Geoff Hunt (St Mary’s University College, UK), Prof. Gert Jäger (Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany), Dr Roy Blunt (IQE, UK), Dr Don Martin and Dr Mark Kretschmar (Lion Precision, USA), Dr Tristan Colomb (LyncéeTec, Switzerland), Dr Jon Petzing (Loughborough University, UK), Dr Katsuhiro Miura and Mrs Atsuko Nose (Mitaka Kohki Co, Japan), Dr Georg Wiora (Nanofocus, Germany), Dr James Johnstone (NanoKTN, UK), Dr Ted Vorburger and Dr Ron Dixson (NIST, USA), Dr Jonathan Ellis (University of Rochester, USA), Dr Lars Lindstrand (Scantron, UK), Dr Mike Conroy, Mr Daniel Mansfield, Mr Darian Mauger (Taylor Hobson, UK), Dr Rob Bermans, Dr Marijn van Veghel (VSL, Netherlands), Prof. Derek Chetwynd (University of Warwick, UK), Prof. Christopher Brown (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA), Dr Ernst Treffers (Xpress Precision Engineering, Netherlands), Dr Chris King (Zeeko, UK) and Dr Roland Roth (Zeiss, Germany).

Many folk at NPL have supported me and contributed to the contents of the book. These include: Dr James Claverley, Dr Alex Cuenat, Dr Stuart Davidson, Mr David Flack, Prof. Mark Gee, Dr Claudiu Giusca, Dr Peter Harris, Mr Charlie Jarvis, Dr Christopher Jones, Dr Andy Knott, Dr Andrew Lewis, Dr Simon Reilly and Dr Andrew Yacoot. Especial thanks are due to Mr Julian Game for all his magical work with the superb figures.

This book is dedicated to the late Prof. Albert Franks, who was my first manager at NPL and gave me a great deal of inspiration for this field of research. Thank you Albert.

I wish to express thanks to my parents and sisters; they are, after all, the ones I wish to please most. Also I would like to mention my son Marcus and stepson Kian, whom I love dearly.