Weighing Instrument Calibration Laboratory - Difficulties in Implementing a QMS?

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FIRAS_N

i am looking for preparing a wighing instrument calibration lab (scales calibration), i established a quality manual and procedures manual, and i have external auditor for our lab accreditation, the auditor told me to start implemnt the procedures for the lab, but really i don't have enough experiance to implemnt the quality management system, so can anyone help me in case studies about laboratory accreditation, and what is the main difficulties in the implementation of quality management systems. what is the thing need more focus in this case?

thank you for any advices,

regards
Firas
 

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
Re: weighing instrument calibration laboratory

i am looking for preparing a wighing instrument calibration lab (scales calibration), i established a quality manual and procedures manual, and i have external auditor for our lab accreditation, the auditor told me to start implemnt the procedures for the lab, but really i don't have enough experiance to implemnt the quality management system, so can anyone help me in case studies about laboratory accreditation, and what is the main difficulties in the implementation of quality management systems. what is the thing need more focus in this case?

thank you for any advices,

regards
Firas
Hello,

Let's start with the basics. Who are your customers: medical, automotive, aerospace, others? Europe, U.S., others, everybody?

Calibration labs usually register to ISO 17025. Have you obtained this standard yet?

I did a search using the function in the tool bar above (yellow font) and came up with this set of threads. Why don't you look at them for awhile and then get back to us if you have more specific questions.
 

harry

Trusted Information Resource
Re: weighing instrument calibration laboratory

.....................I did a search using the function in the tool bar above (yellow font) and came up with this set of threads. Why don't you look at them for awhile and then get back to us if you have more specific questions.

I think Jennifer overlook the fact that 'search id' is temporary and hence the page does not show (thanks Jenny for your effort). I had done a search and there are just too many threads for me to list it and I suggest you have to do it yourself with my guidance.

Just key in the 'keywords' in the keywords box in this 'advanced search page'. In the search in forum(s) box, click on 'ISO 17025 - Calibration and test laboratories, ........ Then key in keywords 'calibration+weigh' to access 2 pages on this subject. Choose those thread titles relevant to you.

Key in 'implementation' for another 2 pages on issues and problems faced during implementation of ISO 17025.
 

BradM

Leader
Admin
i am looking for preparing a weighing instrument calibration lab (scales calibration), i established a quality manual and procedures manual, and i have external auditor for our lab accreditation, the auditor told me to start implement the procedures for the lab, but really i don't have enough experience to implement the quality management system, so can anyone help me in case studies about laboratory accreditation, and what is the main difficulties in the implementation of quality management systems. what is the thing need more focus in this case?

thank you for any advices,

regards
Firas

Hello, Firas! Thank you for visiting the Cove!

Along with Jennifer's excellent questions, I have a few also:

1. What is your role in this organization?
2. Is this a new facility, or existing?
3. Where did your procedures come from, and who wrote them? Asking this to see if these are tried and true procedures, brand new ones, or procedures that need to be ironed out.

As far as implementing the quality program, the system should implement itself, so to speak. The technicians should already be referring to the procedures, documenting work on the forms, have uncertainty budgets, etc. The procedures should make sense, and the technicians can follow them. If there are issues with the procedures, go ahead and revise them. I'm saying this: Before the auditor views the operation, it should be fairly obvious from a business perspective that you are running a good operation. NOTE: I am not suggesting the audit will be a breeze, and you may have some gaps and needed improvements noted. I'm just suggesting that one does not need a mechanic to determine there is no engine in a car!:lol:

Is everyone already trained? Have you started performing work?

What about your customers? Have they come in and made suggestions already?

I look forward to hearing your progress on this. I just hope that you have a team committed to quality. If that is the case, your workload should be a lot lighter.


As the others made mention, there are a lot of extremely valuable threads here on different subjects. You might want to spend some time in the ISO 17025 forum, looking at all the different topics. Then, when something comes to mind that interest you, it can be dealt with.

Again, look forward to hearing from you.
 
F

FIRAS_N

Re: weighing instrument calibration laboratory

Let's start with the basics. Who are your customers: medical, automotive, aerospace, others? Europe, U.S., others, everybody?

Calibration labs usually register to ISO 17025. Have you obtained this standard yet?

.

thank you jennifer for your reply, my customers are any placese need scales & balances calibration. any society(governmental or private sector), companies.
and i prepared quality manual and procedures based on iso/iec 17025:2005 standard.

but jennifer your search(the set of threads) isn't show, what is the problem.

regards FIRAS
 
F

FIRAS_N

Re: weighing instrument calibration laboratory

Just key in the 'keywords' in the keywords box in this advanced search page[/URL]'. In the search in forum(s) box, click on 'ISO 17025 - Calibration and test laboratories, ........ Then key in keywords 'calibration+weigh' to access 2 pages on this subject. Choose those thread titles relevant to you.

Key in 'implementation' for another 2 pages on issues and problems faced during implementation of ISO 17025.

thank you harry, i tried your advice, it was usefull i will spend more time for search.
 
F

FIRAS_N

Hello, Firas! Thank you for visiting the Cove!

Along with Jennifer's excellent questions, I have a few also:

1. What is your role in this organization?
2. Is this a new facility, or existing?
3. Where did your procedures come from, and who wrote them? Asking this to see if these are tried and true procedures, brand new ones, or procedures that need to be ironed out.



Is everyone already trained? Have you started performing work?

What about your customers? Have they come in and made suggestions already?

I look forward to hearing your progress on this. I just hope that you have a team committed to quality. If that is the case, your workload should be a lot lighter.


As the others made mention, there are a lot of extremely valuable threads here on different subjects. You might want to spend some time in the ISO 17025 forum, looking at all the different topics. Then, when something comes to mind that interest you, it can be dealt with.

Again, look forward to hearing from you.

thank you brad, and i am very happy to share you and all friends in this good discussion,

my position in the company is quality manager, my responsebilities are preparing a quality management systems for iso17025:2005 now and for iso 9001:2000 after, so i will be as quality manager and calibration engineer (competency of the laboratory as iso17025 standard)

and our company isn't new facilite, my company is old but the subject of scales calibration laboratory is new, my company is manfucturing facility(scales&balances (mechanical and electronical), metalic furniture) and the lab will be part of this company.

consulting helped me in the preperation of procedures.but he didn't complete with me untill the implementation.

really i asked calibration academe about training program in scales calibration methods and uncertainty calculation, may be i feel with some problems in the subject becuase i don't take the training course yet. and i have a training program for the technican staff also.

our laboratory doesn't take accreditation yet i wait to implement the quality management system.

regards FIRAS
 
D

Daniel Walker - 2011

NIST has two handbooks that cover most of the technical requirements for testing balances and scales. OEM manuals will have to be referenced for calibration procedures.

NIST Handbook 44:2008 "Specifications, Tolerances and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices" - This handbook describes how to test a scale or balance. It also covers tolerances for scales and balances based on the weighing device's classification. If you implement and reference this handbook as your testing procedure, you will have all bases covered. Some of the tests are overkill and will not be required by most of your customers. Even so, this is a great building block to reference and incorporate into your own in-house procedures.

NISTIR (Internal Report) 6919:2002 "Recommended Guide for Determining and Reporting Uncertainties for Balances and Scales" - This is THE guide for scale uncertainties. As with Handbook 44, If you implement and reference this guide when building your uncertainty budget, you will have no problem with 17025 unceratainty requirements. I do not recommend modifying any of the procedures taken from this guide. You need to be sure and represent your uncertainty accurately. This guide along with a simple uncertainty spreadsheet (see attached file) is all you need to complete your uncertainty budget.

Both of these documents can be found at http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/pubs.cfm

hope this helps. Training for yourself and your technicians is a MUST. Everyone on staff who is involved in testing and calibrations should be able to recite these two documents blindfolded.

View attachment 10,000 x 1 lb.xls
 
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FIRAS_N

HELLO MR.Daniel Walker

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS IS SET OF HANDBOOKS, FROM THE FIRST SIGHT I SAW THAT IT'S VERY USEFULL HANDBOOKS FOR SCALES AND BALANCES CALIBRATION. AND I WILL MAKE WITH YOUR ADVICE TO USE THE TWO HANBOOKS IN MY WORK.
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN :applause:
BUT I WANT TO ASK ONE QUESTION: CAN YOU DESCIPE ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE WEIGHT SETS NEEDED FOR CALIBRATION LABORATORY BECAUSE I WANT TO FURNISH OUR LAB WITH WEIGHT SET? WHAT IS THE GOOD BRAND FOR THEM?

REGARDS
FIRAS
 
D

Daniel Walker - 2011

Choosing weights will be one of the easier tasks that you have (along with one of the most costly!)

There are many suppliers for weights (my company being one of them.... but I am not going to advertise here). Before you contact a supplier you need to decide what denominations you need and what classification you need. Weights are manufactured based on different uses and tolerances. 90% of the scales that you encounter will require lower class weights. The most commonly used for industrial applications is NIST Class F. This class has a 1 in 10000 tolerance ratio. NIST Handbook 44 outlines how much weight you need to test different classes and capacities of scales and balances. (Minimum test weight required - Table 4)

You will need a higher classification weight (lower tolerance) when you do calibrations on balances that have a much smaller division size (resolution) than industrial scales. For most of these balances ASTM Class 2 will suffice. Occasionally you will encounter a balance that has such a small resolution that you will need ASTM Class 1 weights. You should not need any weights larger than 100 grams for ASTM Class 1 because balances with capacities over 100 grams typically don't have resolutions small enough to requre this class.

The rule of thumb is pretty simple:
Industrial/Commercial Scales (Class III per NIST Handbook 44) use NIST Class F weights.

Lab Balances (resolution of 0.01 g and larger) use ASTM Class 2 weights.

Lab Balances (resolution of 0.001 g and smaller) use ASTM Class 1 weights.

Basically, you need to be aware of the tolerance of the weight used vs. the tolerance of the device being calibrated. Your weight's tolerance should not exceed 1/10 th of the scale's tolerance (at each test point).

You can find tolerances for ASTM and OIML weights here: http://www.ricelake.com/docs/prodinfo/ReferencePDFs/ASTM_reference.pdf

You can find tolerances for NIST weights here: http://www.ricelake.com/docs/prodinfo/ReferencePDFs/NIST_Handbook44.pdf

Oh, and don't forget...... You have to get an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited certifcate along with any weights that you purchase. This links your calibration traceability all the way back to international standards!

I can provide you with a GREAT supplier along with pricing for weights if you email or private message me through my profile.
 
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