How often do you need to calibrate?

What is calibration?

To calibrate; is to find out the deviation between “true temperature” (ITS-90) and the “temperature measured/displayed”.

Do you need to calibrate?

Most temperature monitoring equipment are manufactured according to norms or standards that have very tight tolerances, this allows for temperature measurements with good results – even without calibration. Today many operations experience increasing demands on traceability in terms of quality assurance, environmental demands, new regulations etc…. in order to fulfil these kinds of requirements and to obtain complete documentation on your systems, qualified calibration of your system is the only solution. Qualified calibration of your measurement equipment leads to less uncertainty in your measurements. Your measurement accuracy will be assured by calibration protocol and certificates for full traceability.

How often do you need to calibrate?

We at the ICU are often asked about how often our customers shall calibrate their sensors and logging systems. The simple answer is that the vast majority works with an annual calibration interval. One must remember, however, that all measuring instruments and sensors change with time, it applies regardless of the brand and the measurement method. It is also the case that because the sensors are staying in different environments, it is important to have continuous monitoring of each individual sensor.

It’s also a difference of temperature sensors counter-sensors for humidity and CO2. Temperature sensors often have a well-defined (and very very small) operation over time. Eg so talk about the Pt100 sensors have a stability of ± 00:05 ° C per year and a good Pt100 elements driving max 00:01 ° C. Moisture sensors on the other hand affected the chemicals, dust and other particles in the air. Gas sensors age also allowing them to be regularly calibrated, sensors that are moved around (hand instruments), ie, changing environmental conditions, should be calibrated more frequently than fixed installations … etc.

It determines how often or how accurate calibration should be done on their system is partly due to the activity, and partly on what requirements you have at it to check. Different industries have different guidelines on what is important in that particular industry, but ultimately it is up to their own quality procedures to define how often calibration of different sensors and systems need to be performed. Most common is that said “once a year”, but some calibrates each quarter or even more frequently than that, and other calibrates only every other year.

If you have questions about calibration, please do not hesitate to contact us at ICU Scandinavia, we will help you.

Our partner Pentronic is an accredited lab and very good at calibration. Pentronic also trains ICU Scandinavia’s staff continuously on calibration, so that we can provide calibration services to our customers. http://www.pentronic.se/start/temperaturgivare/teori-om-givare/kalibrering.aspx