Everyone involved in measurement technology knows the somewhat flippant ? but very catchy ? statement: ?In the event that you measure a whole lot, you measure nothing!? What is meant by this is: You can measure a lot. But the values are only useful if you can validate them. In everyday life, for example, one may be surprised once the scales at home show a large deviation from those at the doctor? Twitching or the bicycle speedometer deviates many hundreds of metres from the GPS instrument. The word also often alludes to our tendency to generate a lot more data inside our modern world, without thinking about its evaluation. So that you can obtain valid data with which to keep working, it is worthwhile for industrial measuring instruments to be calibrated regularly.
For the individual, the highest accuracy may not be important. In industrial applications, however, it really is precisely this that can make the key difference between rejects and the best quality ? hence the calibration of the measuring instruments. It serves to match the measuring device with the national standard ? in a nutshell: to check whether the values are correct.
Traceability to the national standard
The keyword here is thus the traceability to the national standard. Understanding that the respective measuring instrument measures the right value can be of great importance for many applications. For example, ISO 9000 requires that the deviations of the test equipment used should be monitored. Having an up-to-date calibration, passing the audit is not any problem. This avoids the repetition of the audit, production downtime or even a recall ? and thus reduces stress, time and costs. The expenditure on the calibration has thus quickly paid for itself. Many people are happy.
Besides meeting the audit requirements, traceability can also be necessary for quality assurance, optimising resource utilisation and reducing energy consumption. Finally, probably the most convincing reason to possess one?s own measuring devices checked in accordance with the current standard is the feeling of security: The measuring instruments will continue steadily to provide the correct values!
Certification in accordance with the German accreditation body
The illustration shows how the four calibration sequences in accordance with DKD-R 3-3 differ.
The highest standard because of this is the calibration certificate of the German accreditation body (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle ? DAkkS). WIKA has offered certification for pressure, temperature and electrical measurands (DC current, DC voltage and DC resistance) for some time. Because the beginning of 2022, tecsis has been accredited relative to DIN EN ISO / IEC 17025 for the measurand force.
Just what a DAkkS-certified calibration of force measuring instruments means is shown by the example of high-end force transducers, which are employed in calibration machines. Within their case, the test sequence follows the EN ISO 376 standard. At least eight measuring stages are approached, with a total of five preloads, two upward series and two up-down series. In addition, the force transducers are each rotated by 120�, which results in three installation positions. With 65 measured values (eight stages), the effort is correspondingly high. The price for such a calibration goes together with this.
Regarding industrial devices, the question arises as to whether this type of procedure is worthwhile. Alternatively, the DKD-R 3-3 directive can be applied. It describes four test sequences that may be selected good requirements. WIKA and tecsis likewise have DAkkS certification for this.
An additional option for regular calibration may be the non-standardised 3.1 inspection certificate.
Practical examples
An illustrative exemplory case of the usefulness of regular calibration is the checking of hydraulic compression force transducers. These instruments gauge the clamping forces of industrial machines such as for example punches, pneumatic presses, sealing presses, spindle presses, tablet presses and toggle lever presses. Here, calibration provides a contribution to ensuring safe working conditions.
Another example may be the instrumentation for checking the contact forces of welding tongs. Ideally, they are monitored continuously by built-in tension/compression force transducers, but they can also be checked at set intervals using a test set for measuring electrode forces (model FSK01). This ensures the quality of the welding points and reduces wear on the electrodes.
For the tension/compression force transducers mentioned, calibration can be worthwhile, should they be utilized for monitoring very precise production steps. When pressing in cellular phone displays, for example, both the measuring instruments and their calibration can easily pay off: If one in such a process is not noticed immediately (for example, if only the travel is controlled), thousands of euros in material value could be destroyed within minutes.
Adjustment before calibration can be handy
According to the instrument, application and regulation, it might be worthwhile to have an adjustment carried out before calibration. In this manner, the user means that their measuring instrument achieves the corresponding accuracy during calibration. For Strategy , the user has the option of choosing the type and procedure, both for our own and for third-party products.
Note
On the WIKA website you will see further information on the average person calibration services as well as on WIKA force measuring instruments (offers may also be available in the web shop). For those who have any questions, your contact will gladly help you.
Also read our post
Calibration or adjustment ? Where?s the difference?