Regarding Calibration services, what type do you need?
We receive requests for NIST calibration on a daily basis. In the USA there are currently two national standards for calibration laboratories, the Z540-1 and the ISO/IEC 17025.
A NIST traceable certificate means that the test equipment tested was not compared to the NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM). It means it was tested against another piece of equipment that has previously been compared to the NIST SRM. The second item tested would be traceable to the NIST SRM if the proper paperwork is maintained by the calibration lab issuing the NIST Certificate of Compliance.
The notion of traceability requires an unbroken chain of comparisons to the stated references and it is the provider of the NIST traceable services responsibility to support the actual claim of traceability.
A NIST traceable certificate generally adds to the cost of the product but the benefit is that the product is guaranteed to have been specifically tested to ensure its accuracy.
The Z540-was established in 1994 in the USA. Some repair labs meet the requirements of Z540-1 and not 17025.
ISO/IEC 17025 calibration is a standard used by testing and calibration laboratories worldwide. This standard was issued by the International Organization for Standardization 1999 and subsequently updated since then.
The interval of time between calibration is usually suggested by the manufacturer however some companies may set their own time frames based on their internal quality or their client’s guidelines. Usually the recommended calibration cycle for general purpose test equipment is 12 months.
Many countries such as China have their own quality standards as well as their own respective accreditation entities. We are able to address local calibration needs for our customers by working with service providers geographically convenient and situated close to the end user. For example, CEPREI in China is a trusted partner of ours that is government certified to provide third party certification and test both in China and other countries world wide.
If you have questions about a calibration service provider, their calibration certificate will detail proof of the type provided and that the calibration itself was preformed to respective specified standards.
Please note a standard Calibration Certificate differs from a Calibration with Data Certificate. A Calibration with Data generally costs a bit more than a standard Calibration Certificate because it includes measurement specifics for the measurement modes and ranges supported by the product under test.
Latest posts by Mike Novello (see all)
- Used Bio-Rad Gel Doc XR For Sale - March 9, 2022
- CONSULTIX WTX-35-A4 CW Test Kit For Sale - November 9, 2021
- Biologic SP-150 Single Channel Potentiostat and VMP3B-80 Booster For Sale - September 7, 2021
