An affordable solution
Today’s automated calibrators and state-of-the art piston gauges have a high cost of entry, but a simple and cost-effective solution to cover a wide range of pressure calibrations is the deadweight tester. For many years, deadweight testers have been trusted as accurate and reliable standards for calibrating pressure gauges, transducers, transmitters and portable calibrators. Due to their fundamental method of pressure measurement using calibrated piston cylinders and masses, they offer unmatched measurement stability and reliability. Due to excellent deadweight tester stability, owners often extend recalibration intervals beyond one year, reducing the cost of ownership.
Why deadweight testers?
A key advantage of deadweight testers is that all of the hardware required to generate pressure and precisely control and measure it can be contained within the instrument. On-board hand pumps are offered on Fluke Calibration deadweight testers to generate vacuum or air pressure, or to prime higher pressure hydraulic systems. Precise control of higher pressures is accomplished using a built-in fine control screw press. No external readouts or power supply are needed for deadweight tester operation. Deadweight testers also inherently regulate a stable test pressure once the piston is floated, solving a problem that operators of some manual pressure calibrators encounter.
Deadweight testers also measure accurately over a wide range of pressure. The uncertainty of deadweight tester measurements is a percent of the measured value (% of reading). By including multiple piston cylinders, a single deadweight tester can calibrate units under test with full scale ranges that vary by a ratio of 100:1 or more. For example, a P3025 pneumatic deadweight tester can measure from vacuum to 3500 kPa. A P3125 hydraulic model measures from 100 kPa to 110 MPa.
The business case for calibrating in-house
A deadweight tester can be purchased at a very reasonable upfront cost, often less than a third of a sensor-based calibrator with comparable specifications. Purchase of a deadweight tester can offer a favourable payback by calibrating as few as 25 pressure devices per year. Some additional economic factors to consider are:
• Calibrating in-house reduces the downtime when sending devices out.
• Shipping charges can be avoided by calibrating in-house.
• Owning a pressure standard makes calibrating devices multiple times per year practical when the application calls for it.
• Commercial labs can offer more comprehensive services to their customers with fast turnaround by acquiring pressure capability.
Fluke calibration quality
While seeking an affordable solution, calibration professionals must still ensure they are using a reliable instrument that will be convenient to use and offer years of reliable service. Fluke Calibration deadweight testers come with accredited calibration and offer features and refinements that offer practical benefits over lower performing industrial solutions:
• Dual piston models allow coverage of a very wide pressure range without changing pistons.
• A high quality fine control screw press makes it easy to control pressure precisely in both increasing and decreasing direction.
• Hand-tightened O-ring-based connection allows connection of units under test without tools or thread tape.
• Visible fluid reservoir on hydraulic models allows users to monitor the level and condition of test media.
Fluke Calibration deadweight testers include pressure generation and test connection hardware to allow operators to get started quickly. With little or no training, operators are able to perform calibrations efficiently. But as always, Fluke Calibration application experts are there to support with installation and operation assistance to make the most of an investment.
For more information contact Comtest, +27 (0)10 595 1821, [email protected], www.comtest.co.za
| Tel: | +27 10 595 1824 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.comtest.co.za |
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