STANDARDS CORNER...Calibrate for measurement accuracy and traceability

STANDARDS CORNER…Calibrate for measurement accuracy and traceability

Feb 11, 2018 Features / Columnists, Standards in Focus

There is a significant increase in the demand for calibration services by industry. Companies and laboratories are submitting their measuring instruments to the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) for regular comparisons with traceable standards, which are in the custody of the GNBS.
Calibration is a complex scientific process that allows for traceability in measurements. Simply put, it is comparing the accuracy of an instrument or a piece of equipment with a known and proven standard.
As the National Metrology Institute (NMI), the GNBS under its Laboratories Services Department has over the years built capacity to offer reliable calibration services. Today, the Bureau is at the forefront of calibration, significantly expanding its range of services annually with support from Government. As a result, clients can now access calibration locally in the areas of Mass, Dimension, Volume, Pressure and Temperature.
When compared with 2016, the number of instruments calibrated in 2017 almost doubled. Approximately, one thousand weighing and measuring instruments were calibrated in 2017 by the GNBS. These instruments included balances, measuring cylinders, liquid in glass thermometers, gauge blocks, pressure gauges and measuring tapes.
To industry, calibration is important. Knowing the accuracy of instruments they are working with, gives companies the confidence that they are putting the right amounts of ingredients into products they are manufacturing, which maintains consistency of product quality. The use of calibrated devices also ensures that key parameters such as temperature conditions are maintained to preserve raw materials and prevent spoilage of perishable finished products.
Meanwhile, the use of inaccurate pressure gauges can result in major incidents such as explosions, which can be dangerous to life and limbs and can cause major spillage of products and damages to equipment.
Companies that are certified to international standards such as the ISO 9001 Quality Management System Standard are required to have their measuring instruments calibrated. As the GNBS promotes its calibration services, more and more of these companies are submitting their instruments to the Laboratory Services Department for calibration; at a fraction of the cost paid overseas.
As industry demands calibration in higher ranges and new areas, the GNBS will continue to develop the competence of its Laboratory Technicians through training and acquire the necessary equipment to ensure measurement and calibration needs are met.
For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS Website: www.gnbsgy.org

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