At the last Technology Evening, Lloyd Townsend, market segment specialist for food and pharmaceuticals at WIKA, presented on “Calibration, a necessary evil, or quality driver?”
Mike Banda (right) thanks Lloyd Townsend after the presentation.
Every measuring instrument is subject to ageing as a result of mechanical, chemical or thermal stress, and thus delivers measured values that change over time. This cannot be prevented, but it can be detected in good time by means of calibration. Calibration is often viewed as a secondary task in plant operation. In contrast to verification, which will lose its validity after a period of time set by law, the validity period of a calibration is subject to practical specifications such as manufacturer’s instructions, requirements of a quality assurance
standard or in-house and customer specific regulations. Faulty calibration can compromise safety and the environment, and lead to a significant negative impact on a company’s profitability.
Other Topics covered by Lloyd included:
• Traceability.
• Calibration hierarchy.
• Proof of traceability.
• Uncertainty of measurement versus accuracy statement.
The branch thanks Lloyd for the informative material which was well received.
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