Measuring instruments for pressure and temperature are used in almost all areas of industrial manufacturing. Due to continuous mechanical, chemical and thermal loading, these instruments age and will therefore not guarantee the correctness of the measured values over the course of time. Through timely calibration, however, the alteration of the measured value can be determined.
In the process of calibration, the displayed value of the measuring instrument is compared with the measuring consequence of another measuring device that is known to function correctly and accurately and which itself has been designed to coincide directly or indirectly with a national (or international) reference instrument. In a nutshell, to compare measuring results, they need to be ?traceable? to a national or international standard via a chain of comparative measurements. The calibration hierarchy shown in the picture (using the exemplory case of Germany) depicts the traceability of an inspection equipment in a company up to national standard at the PTB (German national metrology institute).
To be able to ensure traceability in practice, the following points should be observed, amongst others:
The chain of comparison should not be interrupted.
The measurement uncertainty must be known in each stage of the calibration chain in order that the total measurement uncertainty could be calculated. As a rule, a superordinate measuring instrument should have a measurement accuracy three to four times higher.
Each step in the calibration chain must be documented, like the measurement results.
All bodies carrying out a stage in the chain must prove their competence by means of accreditation.
Jaw-dropping should be repeated at appropriate intervals. The periods be determined by the demanded measurement accuracy and the technical requirements
Note
The WIKA calibration laboratory is accredited by the German Accreditation Body (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle ? DAkkS) relative to DIN EN ISO / IEC 17025 for the measurands temperature, pressure, DC current, DC voltage and DC resistance. More info on our calibration laboratory or an on-site calibration with the WIKA calibration van are available on the WIKA website. In case you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us via e-mail.
Find out more about the differences between factory calibration and traceable calibration in the following video: