Why It’s Important To Facilitate Gage Calibration Regularly

regular gage calibration

When it comes to metrology, nothing matters more than accuracy. That’s why it is important to invest in high-quality calibration equipment if you are in the metrology industry. But even then, regular calibration is vital because even with the most advanced equipment, you risk inaccuracy anytime you ignore regular calibration. What then follows are losses, botched expenses and costly expenses. To fully appreciate the importance of regular gage calibration, one needs to first understand what calibration is and how the whole process works.

What It Is

Calibration refers to the process of ascertaining the accuracy of a measurement instrument or tool by comparing it to reference standards. If the readings are off, the measurement instrument must be tuned. The process does not just check on the precision of a tool. It also tests the traceability of the measurement instrument. At the end of the process, a technician produces a calibration report which identifies all measuring errors before and after calibration. To achieve the best outcome, experts recommend pressure gage calibration.

Why Is It Important?

Labs, warehouses, factories and even hospitals are just but some of the areas where pressure gage calibration comes in handy. All measurement instruments used in the said areas require accuracy or at the very least, minimal errors. Anything else other than that means safety will at some point become compromised. This can mean loss of revenue in commercial industries or worse still, loss of lives where human lives are concerned.  Production downtimes, process quality issues and damaged products are other examples of setbacks one can suffer as a result of poor gage calibration.

How Often Should Gage Calibration Be Done?

Pressure gage manufacturers usually specify the required calibration intervals. The intervals should always be followed to ensure accuracy. Be sure to also keep your calibration records for future references. Then while at it, remember that new pressure gages should be calibrated as often as possible so as to establish their metrological stability. In most cases though, new pressure gages must be calibrated before their first use.  Another reason for an unscheduled equipment calibration is unexpected adverse working conditions. This can happen when a pressure gage is subject to excessive vibration or shock.

Which Calibration Equipment Should One Use?

The accuracy of a calibration procedure depends on the quality of the calibration equipment used. However, this is not enough. The process must be done by a professional.  That way, it will be easy for you to keep track of factors such as zero error and parallelism of measuring surfaces, where the device calibrated should be used on a flat surface. The professional must then keep records of the calibration results as aforementioned. This will make it easy for the next equipment user to better understand the instrument’s condition.

Remember that in practice, calibration also includes repair and maintenance of the tool or device that is out of calibration. So in the end, it is not just about calibration. It is also about device repair and maintenance. This is especially important for sensitive devices such as the external micrometer.

by George Chitos

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