Calibration Is the Essence of Quality Assurance No trade without standards Global trade and the necessity of unrestricted interchangeability and compatibility of similar products call for internationally uniform standards, particularly for units of measurement. Quality management systems per ISO 9000 have already found wide acceptance. Measuring and test equipment, therefore, must be calibrated traceable to international standards. Regular maintenance must also include recalibration. International coordination APLAC (Asian Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation), EA (European Acc.), IAAC (Inter American Acc. Coop.), NAAC (North American Acc. Coop.), PAC (Pacific Acc. Coop.) and SARAC (South African Regional Acc. Coop.) intend to merge into a global system of accredited calibration laboratories. The current ISO Guide 25 should become a full ISO Standard on calibration, soon. The goal: International mutual recognition of national calibration certificates. Measuring and test equipment All makers and users of products should measure by the same yardstick. Hence, the SI (Système International) units of measurement must be reproduced with sufficient accuracy by the measuring and test equipment used in production and application of products. Quality management systems such as ISO 9001 call for documenting and adhering to the following points: · select suitable test and measuring equipment: accurate as needed, not accurate as possible · define and implement regular maintenance ­ and keep records · recalibrate at regular intervals (usually recommended by the maker) · assure conformity through calibration traceable to international standards of all components of a measuring chain Traceability, Hierarchy and Measuring Uncertainty Only a few countries are listed here. Pleased inquire at Kistler for more information on the institutions in your country. Measuring Uncertainty National institute Cost of calibration OFMET Switzerland BNM France PTB Germany IMGC/IEN Italy ETL Japan NPL UK NIST USA National calibration service e. g. SCS laboratory 049 at Kistler Kistler inspection of production Kistler calibration service Calibration laboratory of customer Calibration document of national institute SCS calibration certificate Measuring and inspection equipment of customer Calibration certificate, inspection report National bureaux of standards Most countries have a national institute, constitutionally entrusted with realizing, keeping and making available the national standards for the SI units of measurement according to ISO 31 and 1000. These institutes assure traceability to primary standards by international comparative measurements and confirm the measuring uncertainties of the national standards. In the hierarchy, they are referred to as primary laboratories. Calibration service per EN 45000 Many countries already have a national calibration service attached to their bureau of standards. In Switzerland, this is SCS (Swiss Calibration Service). This service controls and periodically audits accredited calibration laboratories per EN 45000, authorized to issue SCS Calibration Certificates which are recognized by all member states of the EA and already a number of other countries. Calibration in industry Companies and institutes have their own calibration laboratories, using reference standards traceable to national standards. Several Kistler subsidiaries too, operate such laboratories for providing local service to reduce downtime for the customers. In addition, Kistler offers on site calibration services and special products for equipping laboratories at the customer's facilities. Please ask us for the calibration services available in your country. Measuring and testing Measuring and test equipment needs to be checked and calibrated periodically. The user must bear in mind that for each step down the hierarchy, the measuring uncertainty roughly quadruples while cost decreases substantially. Therefore, the user must carefully consider the level at which his equipment needs to be calibrated: it is cost versus acceptable measuring uncertainty. Our specialists will be pleased to assist you in finding the optimum solution.