Intereseting, I think the ISO and in particular the lab guides indicate simply that if equipment doesn't need calibration it is marked as such. The other stuff obviously must have a cal sticker on it. There are all kinds of lab supplies lying around just to power products during test etc that don't require a calibrations so it seems unlikely that it would be prohibited. Just changed companies so I don't have access to my old documents just yet - so shooting from memory so double check.
Gary >From: "Price, Ed" <ed.pr...@cubic.com> >Reply-To: "Price, Ed" <ed.pr...@cubic.com> >To: "'emc-p...@ieee.org'" <emc-p...@ieee.org> >Subject: Equipment Calibration >Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003 13:58:35 -0800 > >In some ways, I have the luxury of having a Metrology Department that >maintains the periodic calibration on all of my test equipment. OTOH, as a >"customer" of this Metrology Department's "product", I would like to have >some control over my overhead costs. And my latest bright idea has me >getting stomped by the gurus of the status quo. I need to get smarter about >how a calibration system works, and how flexible it can be. > >My lab has about 500 pieces of capital equipment, and the way I see it, all >my equipment falls into one of two categories. The first category consists >of those instruments which are used to measure the parameters of our >company's products, and determine if the performance of those products >falls >within a range of acceptable tolerance. Data from these measurements is >often contractually reported to our customers. Every equipment within this >category needs to be maintained on a program of periodic, traceable >calibration. > >But then there's the second category; which consists of support and >stimulus >equipment. Items here are old analog signal generators, function >generators, >amplifiers, pulse generators, sweepers and power supplies. To me, none of >this equipment needs ANY periodic calibration. I base this on practical >usage. Who can accurately read a power supply mechanical 80-amp ammeter >that >has a 1.5" long scale? Who can set a function generator frequency control >that covers 2 decades, logarithmically, in 270 degrees of rotation? If I >need to apply a 100 kHz signal in bursts of 2 milliseconds at a 1 Hz rate, >I'll use a calibrated, traceable oscilloscope to set the uncalibrated >generator to exactly what I need. The same for that power supply; if I need >to know the current to 2% or better, I'll use a calibrated resistor and a >calibrated DMM. And I couldn't care less about the gain of an RF power >amplifier, as long as it pumps out enough power to create the field I need. > >Now, I'm not trying to justify the use of distorted, unstable or junky >equipment. I'm just trying to spend my calibration dollars the most >efficient way. And the way I see it, about 1/4 of my equipment fits my >definition of not needing periodic calibration because I can monitor the >results with calibrated equipment. > >So I proposed that these items be tagged with some kind of "uncalibrated" >or >"user verified" or "no calibration required" label. The gurus of Metrology >say this can't be done, our ISO9000 Quality System will not allow this. I >can't understand how a customer-oriented quality system can't be crafted to >meet the needs of all of the customers of that system. And I suppose I'm >felling a bit squeezed, what with my customers expecting me to use COTS >equipment to function in military environments. I have to get more out of >what I have, and the old military concept of everything in sight is on >periodic calibration has to yield to current reality. > >So, am I getting shoveled upon regarding the impossibility of having a >category of officially non-calibrated equipment alongside my calibrated >equipment? How have you dealt with calibration program costs? > >Regards, > >Ed > >Ed Price >ed.pr...@cubic.com WB6WSN >NARTE Certified EMC Engineer & Technician >Electromagnetic Compatibility Lab >Cubic Defense Applications >San Diego, CA USA >858-505-2780 (Voice) >858-505-1583 (Fax) >Military & Avionics EMC Is Our Specialty > _________________________________________________________________ Concerned that messages may bounce because your Hotmail account is over limit? Get Hotmail Extra Storage! http://join.msn.com/?PAGE=features/es This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: majord...@ieee.org with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: emc-p...@hypercom.com Dave Heald: emc_p...@symbol.com For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: ri...@ieee.org Jim Bacher: j.bac...@ieee.org Archive is being moved, we will announce when it is back on-line. All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc
