TS 16949 Audit Minor non conformance - Outside Calibration Laboratory

[iandb]

Thanks for posting a reply Martin.
The customers own specific requirements + adherance to the TS standard mean we have to request UKAS certs for calaibration. The main problem i have is some of the equipment has to be calibrated on our site as it would be detrimental to our business to send equipment away to laboratories for testing & on site calibration is not covered by UKAS certs

 

[vanputten]

Review 7.6.3.1 for internal lab requirements.

 

[prototyper]

No where in TS16949 does it state or even imply that a UKAS certificate is required.
It states that (paraphrased) measurement equipment shall be calibrated against measurement standards traceable to international or national standards by a laboratory with a defined scope who are eother acceptable to the customer or accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.

If a laboratory is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, any calibrations performed will be to the same rigid standards, regardless of whether you request a UKAS certificate.
Some customers may insist on a UKAS certificate, but if not, you are wasting a lot of money by insisting on an embossed logo in the corner of your calibration results.

 

[vanputten]

"If a laboratory is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, any calibrations performed will be to the same rigid standards"

Not necessarily.... any cailibration to which they are acrredited will be performed to a rigid standard (ISO 17025.)

 

[qualitymoron]

TS get out clause 7.6.3.2 for external labs "there shall be evidence that the external laboratory is ACCEPTABLE TO THE CUSTOMER.."
I used this for the lab we use to calibrate our measuring equipment, actually at the suggestion of an auditor. The automotive customer we supply sent me a lovely email saying they were more than happy for us to continue using that company.
Would this solve your problem?

 

[Martin T]

No where in TS16949 does it state or even imply that a UKAS certificate is required.
It states that (paraphrased) measurement equipment shall be calibrated against measurement standards traceable to international or national standards by a laboratory with a defined scope who are eother acceptable to the customer or accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.

If a laboratory is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, any calibrations performed will be to the same rigid standards, regardless of whether you request a UKAS certificate.
Some customers may insist on a UKAS certificate, but if not, you are wasting a lot of money by insisting on an embossed logo in the corner of your calibration results.

In the UK it is UKAS who gives labs accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025.
The scope of accreditation is a list of specific equipment calibration services that the lab are able to perform (either at or away from the permanent laboratory.......dependant on the lab scope). The lab can perform calibration of equipment outside of this accreditation.

However the laboratory can not display the UKAS accrediation mark on the calibration certificate. Thus, for the purpose of TS16949 the calibration would not have been performed by an accredited laboratory.