Determining Measurement (Measuring) Device Calibration Frequency

[Hamed]

How Can I determine the calibration frequency for the measuring devices?

We have digital calipers, Micrometers, Temperature gauges, weighing scale, Block gauges.

Can I make calibration every one year, two years, less or more?

And are there any standard for this.

Many thanks in advance.

Hamed Radwan

[Jmcdonald870]

It all depends on how much risk you want to take.

[Helmut Jilling]

Originally Posted by Hamed

How Can I determine the calibration frequency for the measuring devices?

We have digital calipers, Micrometers, Temperature gauges, weighing scale, Block gauges.

Can I make calibration every one year, two years, less or more?

And are there any standard for this.

Many thanks in advance.

Hamed Radwan

If you only check it once a year, and it is wrong, then you have been using a bad gage for up to a year or two. Are you sure you want to take that risk, just to save 5 minutes of calibration?

[SteelMaiden]

What kind of environment? What is the risk (to the equipment, as well as product) How many devices do you have?

Do you have any data on some sort of daily verification done to make sure that the devices are stable from day to day? week to week?

Start out at a frequency that is pretty short, collect your data, then double it. example. start out calibrations every week. then go to every two weeks. etc., until you find a frequency that doesn't allow things to go out of calibration, but also doesn't overwhelm your resources. I'm sure there is some "official" guide for setting up frequencies, but I am just a grunt in the field, not the general giving orders when it comes to cals.

[Jeff Frost]

In Alan S. Morris book “Measurement & Calibration for Quality Assurance” his method or what he calls is philosophy is to perform the following frequency of checks for instrument characteristics that might be appropriate for an instrument in use 24 hours a day:

Day 1: Once per hour for first 4 hours, then every 4 hours
Days 2-3: Every 12 hours
Days 4-7: Once per day
Weeks 2-3: Twice per week
Weeks 3-4: Once per week
Week 6: Once
Week 8: Once
Months 3-6: Once per month
Month 9: Once
Month 12: Once
Month 18: Once
Month 24: Once
Then once per year thereafter

Or a much simpler method to set the initial frequency is to simply ask the manufacture for their guidelines and then then set the frequency from the information they supply.

[Marc]

Also see: Determining Measurement Device Calibration Frequency

[Helmut Jilling]

Originally Posted by Jeff Frost

In Alan S. Morris book “Measurement & Calibration for Quality Assurance” his method or what he calls is philosophy is to perform the following frequency of checks for instrument characteristics that might be appropriate for an instrument in use 24 hours a day:

Day 1: Once per hour for first 4 hours, then every 4 hours
Days 2-3: Every 12 hours
Days 4-7: Once per day
Weeks 2-3: Twice per week
Weeks 3-4: Once per week
Week 6: Once
Week 8: Once
Months 3-6: Once per month
Month 9: Once
Month 12: Once
Month 18: Once
Month 24: Once
Then once per year thereafter

Or a much simpler method to set the initial frequency is to simply ask the manufacture for their guidelines and then then set the frequency from the information they supply.

I liked everything but the last line. Jumping for 1x per month to 1x per year is a big jump. Gages that can go wrong probably should be done more frequently.

[AndyN]

In my experience measuring equipment manufacturers recommendations cannot always be relied on. Bizarrely, some even have no clue about true calibration!

Their ideas are just that, ideas, since they have no data about the use of the equipment. You could have a device which gets hammered for three sifts gauging threads in stainless steel, and it wouldn't last a week. Some things could go years before they need to be rechecked.

I'd recommend a study, by family of equipment and then by useage, especially if you have some high frequency use items in an application which is wear inducing.