How Often Should You Calibrate Your Test Equipment

Instrument calibration is an important step when managing quality control. Calibration will ensure a consistent degree of accuracy when in the field. The following are the risks associated with not calibrating your test equipment.

• Compliance and safety issues

• Wastage of resources and raw materials

• Low quality of products

• Increased down-times

• Litigation issues

How often should you calibrate your test equipment? Here are three guidelines you can follow to send your instruments for calibration at regular intervals.

• Manufacturer recommended interval

Most test equipment manufacturers recommend that their products be calibrated annually.  Some gas and leak detectors should be done every six months when used in a dangerous environment.

• Right before a critical project

When you have a critical project or turn around coming soon, select the instruments that are to be used for that project and send them for calibration. 

• After an accident

If your equipment gets hit by a sharp object or got dropped, it is important that you send it for calibration.

If you let the calibration expire, the equipment is more likely to be less accurate. It is smart to calibrate regularly as required, rather than giving the instrument a chance to fail. This is especially essential for businesses like pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, pipeline, plant, and food and beverage industry.
Industrial Instrument Works has been involved in the repair, calibration, and distribution of test equipment since 1948. Over the years our mission has been to allocate the necessary resources to ensure that the work being performed in our calibration lab is of the highest quality. In 1993 that missionlead us in the direction of becoming NIST traceable. So, get in touch with us for all your calibration needs.