Are You Questioning Calibration?

Most companies have a quality department that ensures their measuring equipment is calibrated on a regular basis, but occasionally an item is questioned on whether or not it should be included in the calibration program. Calibration is also questioned when it comes to certain situations. Companies are sure to include their own equipment in the quality program to be calibrated on a regular basis, however, they often overlook employee-owned instruments which are occasionally used. If these instruments are being used to qualify product, they must also be calibrated. Companies that encourage or permit the use of employee-owned tools, must include these tools in their calibration program. The owner of these tools may not want the equipment to have a calibration sticker on it or be held accountable to a standard. This should be discussed on the front end. In fact, it may be better to prohibit the use of employee-owned tools to better track the equipment used in your process. Equipment often overlooked and called into question are hard gages. This includes gage blocks, plug gages, pin gages, ring gages, and thread plug gages. If an item is in question, think of what it’s used for. If it’s used to qualify something, it must be calibrated on a regular basis. Don’t attempt to cut costs by only calibrating tools that are used for the final inspection. Uncalibrated instruments can end up being used accidentally, and it is often hard to prove that every feature of the product is verified at final inspection. Attempting to cut costs could, instead, end up increasing costs. If final inspections reveal product is off, this could result in recalls or thousands of finished products ending up as scrap. One way to cut costs without jeopardizing the quality of your product is to analyze equipment calibration reports. Compare the results over time to see if there’s room to lengthen the calibration cycle for your equipment. If an item is costing more money in calibration compared to others, it may be time to replace the equipment. Our customers have access to their equipment calibration reports 24/7 through our online customer portal. They are able to view their previous calibrations and when calibration is due next for each piece of equipment. If you have any questions regarding calibration, equipment, or CERTLINK, don’t hesitate to reach out! SOURCES: Quality Magazine