Calibration Recall or Due Dates - Latitude

[Walleye]

Under iso17025
can you state the calibration of gages to be done with in +/-30 days of due date?
I think it sounds like ****, i can see 30 days before due date. But 30 days after due date. This is written in a procedure scares the heck out of me.
Any thoughts?

 

[Jim Wynne]

Re: Calibration recall or due dates

Welcome to the Cove.

When you say "under ISO 17025," do you mean that you are working in or dealing with an accredited lab? In general, the calibration due date is always going to arbitrary to some extent. What a lot of people do is specify the month of calibration and not the specific date. In other words, if a device is on an annual schedule and it's calibrated in March of 2013, the next calibration is due in March of 2014.

Nonetheless, and in general, the important thing about calibration intervals is having a rational basis, rather than something that's completely arbitrary.

 

[Charles Wathen]

I agree with Jim. In my place, we allow a 30 day extension provided that the device has a decent history to justify the extension. In the end, it's up to the process owner if they want to take the risk to use it beyond the expiration date if there is little cal history, or the reliability of the gauge is not that great.

 

[Walleye]

Re: Calibration recall or due dates

Welcome to the Cove.

When you say "under ISO 17025," do you mean that you are working in or dealing with an accredited lab? In general, the calibration due date is always going to arbitrary to some extent. What a lot of people do is specify the month of calibration and not the specific date. In other words, if a device is on an annual schedule and it's calibrated in March of 2013, the next calibration is due in March of 2014.

Nonetheless, and in general, the important thing about calibration intervals is having a rational basis, rather than something that's completely arbitrary.

I am in Manufacturing aerospace parts, we are currently a2la acredited and our custermers require IS17025 on our calibrations.
I calibrate 90 pecrenet of our gages in house. We have a new quality superviser changing the due dates from date yearly to within 30 days of calibration. (+/-30 days)
I have passed all auduts up till know and am concerned that when an auditer sees a date on a claibration sticker 2 days past due, he will get us for that. I am not sure how all of it works but i think its Ludicrest to leave something open for an auditer to attack.

 

[Ninja]

Re: Calibration recall or due dates

Our system is essentially "recalibrated on or before calibration due date", but has an additional note allowing a given time frame after the calibration due date to be acceptable. Can the auditor point to a sticker and have an issue? Sure...been there. Then the Calibration procedure is pulled out and the issue is addressed.

If you are following your plan, what is there to have remaining issue with?
To my normal rational mind, a due date is the date something is due by...but as Jim points out, as long as the extension is documented and intentional, it flys just fine...been there too (ISO9000, not 17025).

The next time an auditor pointed to a sticker, he asked "What is your allowable extension period again?".

 

[Walleye]

Re: Calibration recall or due dates

Our system is essentially "recalibrated on or before calibration due date", but has an additional note allowing a given time frame after the calibration due date to be acceptable. Can the auditor point to a sticker and have an issue? Sure...been there. Then the Calibration procedure is pulled out and the issue is addressed.

If you are following your plan, what is there to have remaining issue with?
To my normal rational mind, a due date is the date something is due by...but as Jim points out, as long as the extension is documented and intentional, it flys just fine...been there too (ISO9000, not 17025).

The next time an auditor pointed to a sticker, he asked "What is your allowable extension period again?".

I can understand that thanks.
My concern is some is we have some very fussy auditors from honeywell, and this is on a Cmm used daily, and afraid when we get smacked on it , this would fall on me.

 

[Ninja]

Re: Calibration recall or due dates

I can understand that thanks.
My concern is some is we have some very fussy auditors from honeywell, and this is on a Cmm used daily, and afraid when we get smacked on it , this would fall on me.

Good call. Know your system, know your requirements, know your auditors...and play the game accordingly. Good luck!

 

[Jim Wynne]

Re: Calibration recall or due dates

I am in Manufacturing aerospace parts, we are currently a2la acredited and our custermers require IS17025 on our calibrations.
I calibrate 90 pecrenet of our gages in house. We have a new quality superviser changing the due dates from date yearly to within 30 days of calibration. (+/-30 days)
I have passed all auduts up till know and am concerned that when an auditer sees a date on a claibration sticker 2 days past due, he will get us for that. I am not sure how all of it works but i think its Ludicrest to leave something open for an auditer to attack.

Don't put month/day/year on the stickers. Put the month and year on the stickers, and change the documentation if need be .

 

[dv8shane]

Under iso17025
can you state the calibration of gages to be done with in +/-30 days of due date?
I think it sounds like ****, i can see 30 days before due date. But 30 days after due date. This is written in a procedure scares the heck out of me.
Any thoughts?

There is nothing wrong with this as it follows your QMS, but you may consider developing a procedure for interval extension that includes usage, previous calibration data, a measurement made with the unit within your best capabilities etc. This could also be used to justify extending the interval to 18 months from 1 yr as an example.

 

[Charles Wathen]

Re: Calibration recall or due dates

Don't put month/day/year on the stickers. Put the month and year on the stickers, and change the documentation if need be .

That is what we do also - month and year. We also perform a annual review of calibration frequencies and adjust as needed. If the auditor has a concern about exact dates, I mention the frequency review and there are no more questions asked.