Proficiency Testing - Guide 25 and ISO 17025

[JerryStem]

Proficiency Testing

I am the QM for a calibration company that services/sells equipment and standards for coating/plating thickness measurement, mostly by XRay Fluorescence, Eddy Current, and Magnetic.

We just had our surveillance assessment (1yr) for Guide 25, and Gap Audit for 17025.

I have a defficiency for not having a method for profeciency testing. I've done some searching for a system we could participate in, but have not found anyone in this field.

Any suggestions on where else to look? (I'm almost ready to try to start my own sort of "Round Robin" testing method of measuring a plated part, compared to my customers.)

Any ideas would help.
Jerry

PS- Being the first Guide25 in area of work has given MANY other problems as well......

 

[Ryan Wilde]

There are a few avenues for proficiency testing you might want to look into.

The easy one would be NAPT. They're website is
https://www.proficiency.org

Next you might want to try NCSL-I at https://www.ncsli.org

A third option is A2LA (they are starting accreditation of proficiency organizations) at https://www.a2la.orghttps://www.a2la.org

Note that none of these will have the test you are looking for, but they are the people that would have the best chance of knowing who may have one.

I would document who/when I talked to someone to prove that you are attempting to participate in interlab and proficiency tests, and I know at least one accrediting organization in the U.S. that adds 'if available' in their documentation on this subject.

There is the option to run your own interlab, but be aware, Guide 43 is no party, and it is quite a task. If they still hold that it must be done, be prepared for quite an additional workload.

You could also do a proficiency test - i.e. get an artifact tested by an accredited source (does NIST do magnetism, etc?), then have your technicians test it, then bump the data.

That's all that I can think of, good luck!

Ryan