Whether you have accredited calibrations or traceable calibrations performed on your equipment, you will always receive a calibration certificate when you get your instruments back. The calibration certificate contains crucial evidence of the integrity or test equipment and the validity of a calibration.
As instruments age and undergoes changes in temperature, mechanical stress, or used frequently, critical performance gradually degrades. We commonly know this as drift, and when that happens, test results obtained becomes unreliable. Drift happens naturally. However, it can be detected, and by calibration, it can bring the equipment back to its standards for reliable measurement data.
They specifically define calibration as a performance comparison against a standard of known accuracy. It may just involve the determination of the deviation from nominal or include correction to minimize the errors.
When calibration performance takes place, the certificate or report is the end product. It represents the only tangible evidence of the service that the purchaser can link to the expenditure. Not only does it show the results obtained across the scope of testing. But it’s also a key means of judging the quality of the calibration provider’s service with the data provided.
Most calibration laboratories offer several forms of the certificate, but the apparent similarity in their names can be confusing. Certificate of Calibration, Certificates of Verification, or Conformance. Calibration laboratories offer several forms of certificates depending on what your specific needs are. Calibration confirms that it is accurate. Whereas verification ensures that your equipment is doing what the design intends it to do correctly.
While the form and content of calibration certificates vary, a properly accredited certificate must contain the specific minimum information that assures compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 requirements.