Receiving a new Gage Block Set with an old Certificate

[Felix the cat]

We purchased a new in the box gage block set for our small measuring tool calibration. The certificate in the box (Traceable to NIST) is dated 2010, although it is wrapped, sealed and purchased as new etc. I am setting up our calibration & gage control record/procedures, and have a couple questions.
1. If I set a Gage Block calibration frequency of say 5 years, can I use this set till 2015 before I have to re-certify??
2. Do individual gage blocks need serial #s for traceability requirements, even if this is our only set in the shop and only used in QC for calibrating/verification?

I am Quality manager for company new to ISO compliance, and any help would be appreciated.

I Thank this outstanding forum in advance

 

[silentrunning]

Re: New gage block set with old cert

This is opinion only -

I would not use a set of gage blocks without first having them verified by an independant lab. It is cheap insurance.

What do your procedures say about the calibration process?

 

[andygr]

Re: New gage block set with old cert

You should have received a current certification for the set ordered. You have no way to know or assure yourself of how the organization you purchased these from controlled them from the time that they were calibrated and so have no valid basis to extend the calibration due date to 5 years from date of your receipt and not the actual date they were calibrated as indicated on the certification.

Each block should be serialized and listed as part of the set. Technically it is each block that is calibrated and not the set as such. The set is just a listing of the grouping of individual blocks that it contains.

 

[dv8shane]

Re: New gage block set with old cert

We purchased a new in the box gage block set for our small measuring tool calibration. The certificate in the box (Traceable to NIST) is dated 2010, although it is wrapped, sealed and purchased as new etc. I am setting up our calibration & gage control record/procedures, and have a couple questions.
1. If I set a Gage Block calibration frequency of say 5 years, can I use this set till 2015 before I have to re-certify??
2. Do individual gage blocks need serial #s for traceability requirements, even if this is our only set in the shop and only used in QC for calibrating/verification?

I am Quality manager for company new to ISO compliance, and any help would be appreciated.

I Thank this outstanding forum in advance

This is not an uncommon practice to have a certificate that is not current with new units. I have seen other companies simply change the date on the certificate for example an Agilent dmm that was manufactured and calibrated with cert 1 year prior to sale, my customer revised the date on the certificate with a note why and in their system to be the date received and put into service. If it is an 17025 compliant certificate it should not have a due date.