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Re: Test equipment calibration cycle

Hi, I have worked for two start-up electronics companies and two large multinationals as an electronic design engineer. In all cases it is best to follow the manufacturers guidelines with respect to calibration intervals. Although you may think they are using a short calibration interval as a money making exercise, you should stick to it. Their technicians are usually very helpful with questions like yours. When your customers come to 'visit' (audit) your facility before letting you supply them or design for them, they will want to ensure you are a quality company. Any auditor worth his salt will check your calibration schedule is in tune with the manufacturers recommendations, and if they find you making short-cuts here, they will go looking for short-cuts elsewhere, and if they find any, kiss bye-bye to that contract. It's a simple as that. In a start-up it's good to try new things, but not in this respect. I agree ISO is just 'do what you say you are doing'. In summary, start-ups shouldn't give customers any excuse not to do business with them.

Hope this helps!

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electronic-eng.com
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Well, I wish you googlegroupies would learn how to quote context. It's trivially easy - instead of clicking on the "Reply" link, click the "Show Options" link, which opens up an options window - click _THAT_ "Reply" link, and google will quote context for you.

So, back to the topic, I'd add the recommendations of whatever company does your cal's for you, but if that's dramatically different from the manufacturer's recommendations, I'd investigate the discrepancy, and of course, leave a paper trail.

Good Luck! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

IMHO contextual replies take up too much space regurgitating text that you just have to scroll through (and yes I see the irony behind this comment itself being text you have to scroll through), if you are familiar with the thread you should know what people are talking about. It's a matter of style I guess, each to their own.

Reply to
electronic-eng.com

IMHO contextual replies take up too much space regurgitating text that you just have to scroll through (and yes I see the irony behind this comment itself being text you have to scroll through), if you are familiar with the thread you should know what people are talking about. It's a matter of style I guess, each to their own.

Alan

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Reply to
electronic-eng.com

OK.

Then I guess we'll just quit bothering to reply to your googlegroupie replies since they "take up too much space"

Good-by.

Reply to
Rich Grise 

--
-- 
John Fields
Professional Circuit Designer
Reply to
John Fields

--- No, it isn't a matter of style, it's a matter of courtesy.

Assuming that everyone who is familiar with the thread doesn't need context leaves out those who are only just coming into the thread, without a clue, and don't want to wade through the previous 40 posts and follow all of the meanderings of the thread before it got to the place that they thought looked interesting enough to explore.

Just like bottom posting is generally preferred here, so the thread flows more like a chronologically ordered narrative.

LOL, I see you decry contextual replies, yet _had_ to make one in this instance in order for your post to be more readily understood.

Ironic, Indeed! :-)

-- John Fields Professional Circuit Designer

Reply to
John Fields

ROFL, I think you missed the point of my 'learning' to use your preferred method in my last post. If someone has a different preference to you, then so be it. ;)

Alan

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Reply to
electronic-eng.com

Alan, OP is not trying to evaluate the calibration cycle of test equipment that they bought and use. OP is trying to determine omtimum calibration cycle for some test equipment that they manufacture.

--
JosephKK
Gegen dummheit kampfen Die Gotter Selbst, vergebens.  
--Shiller
Reply to
Joseph2k

When new, calibrate every day for a week. If calibration doesn't shift then calibrate weekly. If calibration doesn't shift outside limits then calibrate monthly. When complete confidence is obtained calibrate every 6 months. Much depends on usage. Maintain records with a signature.

Send measurement standards to a standards laboratory for certification every 12 months.

--
Reg.
Reply to
Reg Edwards

"Reg Edwards" wrote

shift

calibrate

certification

=======================================

Transport to and from the standards laboratory in vehicles with ambulance-type suspension.

--
Reg.
Reply to
Reg Edwards

The original posters language in stating their question is not 100% clear, perhaps I have missunderstood the real question. Can he give us more detail?

Alan

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Reply to
electronic-eng.com

And make sure that the calibration is traceable to the national standard of your country. After all, who calibrates the calibrators ;-)

Al

Reply to
Al

Sure. Our company manufactures test equipment that is tested and calibrated by third party benchtop test equipment. For example, in the production of our OEM test equipment, we use things like signal generators, spectrum and network analyzers, power meters etc.. they all have to be calibrated. So we are trying to determine (not the optimum but) the minimum requirement for a calibration cycle that we can get away with. We currently do it every year, but who is to say that we can't extend that out to 2 or 3 years or more.

Thomas

Reply to
Thomas Magma

Well, you _do_ have a test piece, don't you? If it's still in cal after one year, let it endure its test process for another year, and check it again. And so on.

But I don't see what's wrong with a 1-year cal interval, if it's really test equipment that needs certs.

Good Luck! Rich

Reply to
Rich Grise

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