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Calibration Training - The Real Purpose of Metrology Calibration
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Calibration Training - The Real Purpose of Metrology Calibration

Calibration in Metrology: Understanding Its Purpose

Introduction to Calibration

  • Jim Salsbury from Mitutoyo America Corporation introduces the topic of calibration, emphasizing its importance for maintaining quality and accuracy in measuring equipment.
  • The discussion will focus on the purpose of calibration using outside micrometers and a high-accuracy height gauge.

Everyday Use of Measuring Equipment

  • Calibration is essential for ensuring that measurement processes meet organizational and industry standards, which may include gauge repeatability (R&R) and measurement uncertainty.
  • Factors affecting measurement quality include operator skill, environmental conditions, surface plate quality, and the measuring instrument itself.

Importance of As Found Condition

  • The initial step in calibration involves checking the "as found" condition to assess whether the equipment is functioning properly before any maintenance or adjustments are made.
  • If measurements are out of tolerance, it’s crucial to evaluate how this affects product quality and determine if calibration intervals need adjustment based on historical performance.

Addressing Out of Tolerance Conditions

  • Common solutions for bringing instruments back within tolerance may include cleaning or performing preventive maintenance; however, some cases may require repairs.
  • After maintenance, "as left" accuracy data is collected to confirm that the equipment meets specifications before returning it to service.

Understanding Calibration Services

  • Caution is advised when contracting calibration services; it's important to specify needs clearly as not all services provide comprehensive calibration.
  • The extent of necessary tests during calibration can vary; understanding user calibrations—routine checks performed by operators—is also critical but typically not part of official calibrations.

User Calibrations Explained

  • Examples include setting zero points on micrometers or calibrating probe diameters on height gauges. These routine tasks are vital for accurate measurements but fall under proper usage rather than formal calibration.
Video description

In the second video of our Metrology Training Lab series, we continue our calibration training and address the following questions. 1. What does calibration mean? 2. What is the real purpose of calibration? 3. What makes a bunch of measurements an official calibration? Different organizations and different industries have various quality standards and rules on how to calibrate and how to analyze a measurement process. First you need to determine if that out of tolerance condition has been impacting your product quality. What does this gage being out of tolerance today mean for the measurements you were just making yesterday, or a week ago, or a month ago. Second, if the gage is out of tolerance, maybe your calibration interval needs to be adjusted to prevent that from happening again. Calibration intervals should be based on the historical performance of the measuring instrument – and the as-found calibration results are the key data used to lengthen or shorten calibration intervals. Third, if the gage is out of tolerance, what can be done to fix that? For some equipment, like this micrometer, a good cleaning is often enough to bring it back within tolerance. After the as-found data is collected, it is typical in calibration to then clean and perform any recommended preventative maintenance. After that is done, in some digital equipment, like this linear height, there is a maintenance mode that authorized technicians can access that provide for corrections or adjustments to be made to the accuracy of the instrument. And in some cases, cleaning, maintenance, and adjustments are not enough and then repair is required. If you found this Mitutoyo America video helpful, please hit the like button and share with a friend. Subscribe For More - https://www.youtube.com/user/MitutoyoAmerica?sub_confirmation=1 #Mitutoyo #Metrology #Calibration