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What Customers Should Know About ISO Accredited Calibration

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ISO accredited calibration is a process for ensuring that laboratory setups, facilities, and other equipment-intensive operations are using exacting standards. Organizations and individuals using precision instruments often can operate their setups outside of very tight tolerances. Whether they're buying new systems, fixing old ones, doing modifications, or testing existing models, people often need to calibrate their equipment. The calibration process involves a lot of steps, and customers should understand the overall process well.

Testing Options

Foremost, there's the question of who'll do the testing and calibration of the instruments. Many organizations elect to do the work internally. However, the job requires an ISO accredited calibration system. Notably, you might then need third parties to calibrate those tools to ensure the testing equipment is operating within specifications. Also, you'll likely want to employ accredited individuals for the job.

Plenty of organizations elect to send their equipment to third-party service providers. For example, you might have business contracts that stipulate that all equipment has to undergo independent testing and calibration.

Traceable calibration is sometimes an option. A traceable process is one that involves a widely respected supplier that uses the correct standards. Be aware, though, that you'll likely still need to order later testing as the equipment ages.

Calibration and Reporting

After testing the system, you'll also need a report. This is documentation that states what the calibrated settings are. It may also include information about the previous settings. If you've ever read a report from a wheel alignment shop about a car, then you have a rough idea of what the calibration report will look like. It will outline what the instrument is, how the company tested it, if they made adjustments, and what the adjustments were.

Reporting is especially important in industries where there are litigation risks. A report showing the proper calibration of the equipment can provide a good-faith defense against claims and lawsuits.

Savings

Ultimately, the goal of ISO accredited calibration is to save time and money. Even if a system can operate somewhat out of spec, it might run inefficiently. Also, poor tolerances tend to wear components out faster.

Not only does poor calibration cost you in terms of parts, but it also can trigger expensive downtime if you'll have difficulty replacing the components. Using an ISO accredited calibration system will ensure that your instruments are operating within tolerances and safely. This can reduce liability and even lower insurance premiums in some cases. 

For more info about ISO accredited calibration, contact a local company. 


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