Setting up Pressure Calibration In-House Lab

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crazedcalgal

I did electronic test equipment calibration in the navy and over the years I've picked up doing pressure gauges and other dimensional calibration. The company I work for wants to start and inhouse calibration lab for pressure gauges and the Fluke pressure modules we have. I've been tasked. I know that I have to come up with procedures and other traceability documentation. All the examples seems to for everything but pressure. Any ideas about what I'd need to set this up? :(
 
R

RickRay

Re: Setting up Pressure Calibration Inhouse Lab

Greetings to you and welcome!

Are you looking for a basic pressure gauge calibration procedure? If so I have attached one. Hope it helps.

:bigwave:
 

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  • SOP01103.doc
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C

crazedcalgal

Re: Setting up Pressure Calibration Inhouse Lab

so... I do need to write a SOP. <groan> and they think I can do this fast
 

BradM

Leader
Admin
Re: Setting up Pressure Calibration Inhouse Lab

Which Fluke pressure modules do you have? The PV350 and similar models aren't that difficult. The newer modules that go with the Fluke 741 are of a significantly better accuracy, and will be a little more challenging.

So.. what ranges and accuracies are you working with?
 

Hershal

Metrologist-Auditor
Trusted Information Resource
I did electronic test equipment calibration in the navy and over the years I've picked up doing pressure gauges and other dimensional calibration. The company I work for wants to start and inhouse calibration lab for pressure gauges and the Fluke pressure modules we have. I've been tasked. I know that I have to come up with procedures and other traceability documentation. All the examples seems to for everything but pressure. Any ideas about what I'd need to set this up? :(

First, join NCSLI, as they have recommended practices (RPs) including one that tells exactly how to set up a cal lab.

Next, get a copy of The Metrology Handbook, available from the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

www.ncsli.org
www.asq.org

If you have Government contracts then apply to join GIDEP, which will give you access to the NA 17-20 series procedures.

www.gidep.org

Navy taining is great, but you are now in a world with higher needs to do calibration, and for that you need some more training. Training in measurement uncertainty specifically. There are several sources for the training.

You should have a quality manual and more specific procedures for how you actually make the lab work day to day. You might get a copy of ANS/ISO/IEC 17025:2005 as it makes a great model, whether you seek accreditation or not.

Have your standards (Fluke modules, controllers, etc.) calibrated by a lab accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 by an ILAC signatory, which in the U.S. includes: IAS, NVLAP, A2LA, ACLASS, L-A-B, and PJLA; either of these six are acceptable.

Continue to ask questions here.

Hope this helps.
 
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DrM2u

Re: Setting up Pressure Calibration Inhouse Lab

so... I do need to write a SOP. <groan> and they think I can do this fast
First, why do you think you need a procedure? Is your lab ISO 17025 acredited? If not, what requirement are you trying to satisfy? I am not aware of any ISO 9001 requirements for documented calibration procedures or instructions. Is there a lack of knowledge to warrant the need for a work instruction? I cannot speak to ISO 17025 as I am not familiar with those requirements.

Second, do you want to document WHAT you do (calibrate pressure gages) or HOW TO do it? The first implies procedure, the second implies instruction. Would just a simple work instruction meet your needs?!? Step 1, step 2, step 3 ... if, then, else ... It does not have to be a lengthy instruction, could be a simple flow chart of the steps and any decision points. The use of 'SOP' is very misleading to me because to me it means Standar Operating Procedure.

Third question is do you want to calibrate or verify the pressure gages? There is a big diference between the two.
 

Hershal

Metrologist-Auditor
Trusted Information Resource
If you seek to satisfy only 9K, send it to the local high school shop.....

If you seek to do actual, real, calibration, see the previous posts.....
 

Hershal

Metrologist-Auditor
Trusted Information Resource
I apologize for any misunderstanding.

For 9K, there are no true documented requirements in the Standard.

However, any measurement science (Metrology) professional instantly rejects that as incomplete and dramatically absent of sufficient rigor to constitute calibration. Verification - perhaps, and that is dependent - but certainly NOT calibration.

As a Metrology professional, and also a holder of CCT (Certified Calibration Technician) certificate 10, I have a vested interest in assuring the integrity of calibration.

Metrology (calibration) is one of the three oldest recorded sciences on the planet.

Hope this helps.
 
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