What are the current Calibration Standards for Calibration Laboratories

Douglas E. Purdy

Quite Involved in Discussions
#1
Trust me, I have been searching this forum as well as the internet for what the current standards are for the area of calibration systems and/or laboratories. You may think me or my question as weird, but I have not been following the standards for a couple of years (unemployment) and I am just now coming back into the field of Quality Management Systems.

An Example: I have a ANSI / NCSL Z540-1-1994 pdf, but when I look up in IHS Standards Store it shows an ANSI Z540.1 (94 Version) being reaffirmed in 00/00/02 but superceded by ANSI Z540.3. The titles are a little different, so am wondering what is real and what standard do I want.

Any help or guidance in this area would be greatly apprciated.

Thanks,
Doug
 
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A

amanbhai

#3
International standard
ISO/ IEC 17025:2005 - General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
 

Douglas E. Purdy

Quite Involved in Discussions
#4
Let me ask the question in a different way. Historically there were various quality standards for calibration systems. There was MIL-STD-45662: Military Standard for Calibration System Requirements. There was ANSI/NCSL Z540-1: Calibration Laboratories and Measuring and Test Equipment - General Requirements. There was ISO 10012-1: Quality Assurance Requirements for Measuring Equipment (metrological confirmation system for measuring equipment). There was also ISO Guide 25: General Requirements for the Competence of Calibration & Testing Laboratories.

As I understand it (per IHS Standards Store - Search), MIL-STD-45662 was superseded by ANSI Z540-1 and ISO 10012-1. ANSI Z540-1 was superseded by ANSI Z540.3, while ISO 10012-1 was superseded by ISO 10012. ISO Guide 25 was suoerseded by ISO/IEC 17025.

So that leaves ANSI Z540.3: Requirements for the Calibration of Measuring & Test Equipment (in which there is also a handbook); ISO 10012: Measurement Management Systems - Requirements for Measurement Processes and Measurement Equipment; and ISO 17025: General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and calibration Laboratories.

So, if neither ISO-9001 nor AS 9100 C require that calibrations performed by an external labortory be per any established standards other than that specified in 7.6, then what calibration system requirement(s) should I use as a basis for my control of monitoring and measuring equipment?

I currently do not have the latest revision of any of the three standards, so it is difficult to make an educated decision. That is why I am rasing the question here.

Now I may not have all the correct information on the various standards. I have been searching the internet and this forum the past couple of days for information, but am not getting many answers or recommendations. Hopefully this clarification will help!

Thanks,
Doug
 
#5
If you are asking what should I look for in a supplier of calibration services, to ensure that I can believe my calibration data, the answer is ISO/IEC 17025, whether ISO says so, or not, this is the defacto accreditation standard for calibration labs...

A search for calibration labs for the types of equipment you wish to have calibrated, will probably show up 17025 in most cases. If you've got 'add' equipment, then you can do an eval to the Z-540 standards, or 17025.

I've never seen anyone take ISO 10012 seriously...
 

Douglas E. Purdy

Quite Involved in Discussions
#6
AndyN,

As stated previously, I am trying to develop the basis (specifications / standards) for outsourcing calibration requirements for measuring and test equipment (per ISO-9000:2008 and AS 9100 C). In trying to distinguish an accredited calibration laboratory from one that is not (e.g., OEM) I went to try and understand how an accreditation body (NVLAP, A2LA, LAB, etc.) becomes qualified. I thought it had to do with an approval process (probably dealing with ISO/IEC 17011 - per reading websites) involving some national organizations like NIST, ANSI, ASME, etc. So I guess I do not understand that process clearly. Then I got into the links dealing with A2LA and NACLA, and saw something in the NACLA website about being accredited to ANSI Z540-3. Is that possible as oppose to ISO 17025?

I know there are multiple issues here, but and further clarification would be a help to me.

Thanks,
Doug
 

BradM

Staff member
Admin
#9
Hello Doug! :bigwave:

Ok... I'm a bit confused (which is not hard to do these days...:bonk:) :)

Are you performing calibrations yourself?

Or, are you looking for some type of criteria to hold external calibration vendors to?

(Sorry, not able to open your attachment at this time).

If you're talking about outside providers, Andy is correct. 17025 is a general standard requirement that most providers should comply with.

Then, you can have non-accredited providers, but have some level of evaluation/ scrutiny that you apply to them (traceability, documentation requirements, etc.).
 

Douglas E. Purdy

Quite Involved in Discussions
#10
Wow, Doug! It's been a long time since we've seen your posts. Welcome back!:bigwave::applause:
Wes,

Thanks! I was unemployed for 2 years and then under employed for 2 months before accepting a Quality Management position back here in the Chicagoland Area. I am trying to get my bearings as to what has been going on with the system standards for calibration. So any information would be helpful!

Doug
 
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