6 Important Questions to Ask When Choosing the Right Calibration Service

For processes that require precision, calibration of your testing equipment and process sensors is absolutely necessary. Performing regular calibration of testing equipment and process sensors will also enable you to detect inaccuracies before they become bigger problems. If these inaccuracies are not corrected while they are still in an early stage, the problem will grow larger over time and soon affect the quality of the product produced, as well as the safety of your workers.

It is important that you have confidence in the equipment you are using to test and measure your materials. This way you can ensure that your equipment and machinery is performing its function accurately. The testing equipment and process sensors provided by a professional calibration service will help you in ensuring that performance and quality of both product and process are in top-notch condition, and would translate into customer trust and satisfaction. In any industry, customers’ trust and satisfaction is the ultimate goal. That is the reason why choosing a reliable and professional calibration service is important.

How Do I Choose?

Finding a precision calibration service that will best meet your calibration needs is as important as finding the right piece of machinery.

We compiled 6 key questions that you should ask when choosing the right calibration laboratory to 

calibrate your equipment.

1.                   Are they properly accredited?

The accreditation itself speaks of the competence and quality the calibration laboratory is providing. Look for calibration laboratories that are ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 9001 certified. When a calibration laboratory is either or both ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 9001 certified, it means that its meets the stringent standards set by ISO. The ISO 9001 certification is the ultimate global benchmark for quality management. The ISO/IEC 17025 is the ISO standard intended for calibration and testing laboratories. In most countries, including the US, the ISO/IEC 17025 is the benchmark of technical competence in terms of calibration and testing. Make sure that the calibration service you end up choosing is properly accredited.

2.                   What traceability of standards are they using?

Make sure that standards used by the calibration lab are traceable to a national metrology institute such as NIST.  It is important that the required measurement capability used by the lab is within the intended specification as set by national metrology institute. These standards are a part of an unbroken chain of references to national and international standards.

3.                   Is the calibration laboratory capable of calibrating most of my equipment?

For your business to continue to run, there's no doubt that you have dozens of pieces of equipment that need regular calibration. Logistically, it would be a smart move to choose a calibration laboratory that is capable of calibrating most, if not all, of your equipment. By choosing a company who can test a diverse range of equipment, you will save yourself both time and money.

4.                   Is the calibration laboratory capable of covering all the parameters, ranges, and options as according to your specifications?

There are many calibration service providers in Houston, but not all calibration services Houston TX are capable of covering all the parameters, ranges and options according to your specifications. All testing equipment and tools are designed for a specific purpose. To accomplish these purposes, each individual piece of equipment must be calibrated to different and varying specifications and accuracies.

5.                   Are they capable of adjusting or repairing equipment that fails in any of the performance tests?

It is a common occurrence when equipment is being calibrated that it is not up to standard, meaning it fails to perform within the specific accuracy and limit. When this happens, your calibration service provider should be capable of adjusting or repairing the equipment so that it will perform up to recommended standards.

6.                   What is the turnaround time?

The turnaround time should be agreeable to your schedule because every minute of downtime will cost you money. Asks for their turnaround time when calibrating instruments. Don’t forget to factor in potential additional time for repairs as well as the time needed for shipping.