You are on page 1of 4

The most commonly and most frequently measurable variable in industry is temperature.

Temperature
greatly influences many physical features of matter, and its influence on e.g. quality, energy
consumption and environmental emission is significant. Temperature, being a state of equilibrium,
makes it different from other quantities. A temperature measurement consists of several time constants
and it is crucial to wait until thermal equilibrium is reached before measuring. Metrology contains
mathematic formulas for calculating uncertainty. The polynoms are specified in ITS 90 table
(International Temperature Scale of 1990). For each measurement, a model that includes all influencing
factors must be created. Every temperature measurement is different, which makes the temperature
calibration process slow and expensive. While standards determine accuracy to which manufacturers
must comply, they nevertheless do not determine the permanency of accuracy. Therefore, the user
must be sure to verify the permanency of accuracy. If temperature is a significant measurable variable
from the point of view of the process, it is necessary to calibrate the instrument and the temperature
sensor. It is important to keep in mind an old saying: all meters, including sensors, show incorrectly,
calibration will prove by how much.

A thermometer without a traceable calibration route to recognised National Standards is fairly useless.
Yet we all buy mass produced thermometers which are supplied without a calibration and use them. I
assume we all hope that the manufacturer has been conscientious and has at least carried out
calibration checks on batch samples and has claimed a level of accuracy to the batch. But has the
manufacturer used suitable standards for the calibration? The only way of being confident in a
thermometer is to have it calibrated, then we can be sure that the reading it gives is meaningful. You
would not rely on the time from your wrist watch being accurate unless you had checked it would you?
Yet we run industrial plants with un calibrated thermometers! Temperature is one of the most
commonly measured physical quantities but its basis is not widely understood. Unlike other quantities,
such as mass and time, temperature is defined on a theoretical set of conditions whereas other units are
based on real physically realisable defined conditions.

In our modern society, it is important that the devices we use to measure the
physical quantities around us are accurate. From the weather to the medical
field, from the automotive industry to agriculture, obtaining accurate
measurements is essential to making decisions and performing tasks.
These measurement devices need to be verified that they give correct data to
enable us to make good decisions. Calibration, the process of verifying the
readings of an instrument match that of a standard, does just that. If a device is
not within a specified tolerance, it is adjusted so that it is within the bounds of the
specification.
Laboratories in particular use calibration to verify that the measurements that
they perform are consistent
Calibration is the activity of checking, by comparison with a standard, the accuracy of a measuring
instrument of any type. It may also include adjustment of the instrument to bring it into alignment with
the standard.

he accuracy of all measuring devices degrade over time. This is typically caused by normal wear and tear.
However, changes in accuracy can also be caused by electric or mechanical shock or a hazardous
manufacturing environment (e.x., oils, metal chips etc.). Depending on the type of the instrument and the
environment in which it is being used, it may degrade very quickly or over a long period of time. The
bottom line is that, calibration improves the accuracy of the measuring device. Accurate measuring
devices improve product quality.

The mercury-in-glass or mercury thermometer was invented by physicist Daniel Gabriel


Fahrenheit in Amsterdam (1714). It consists of a bulb containing mercury attached to a glass tube of
narrow diameter; the volume of mercury in the tube is much less than the volume of the bulb. The
volume of mercury changes slightly with temperature; the small change in volume drives the narrow
mercury column a relatively long way up the tube. The space above the mercury may be filled
with nitrogen or it may be at less than atmospheric pressure, a partial vacuum.
In order to calibrate the thermometer, the bulb is made to reach thermal equilibrium with a
temperature standard such as an ice/water mixture, and then with another standard such as
water/vapour, and the tube is divided into regular intervals between the fixed points. In
principle, thermometers made of different material (e.g., coloured alcohol thermometers) might be
expected to give different intermediate readings due to different expansion properties; in practice the
substances used are chosen to have reasonably linear expansion characteristics as a function of
true thermodynamic temperature, and so give similar results.

A thermocouple is an electrical device consisting of two dissimilar conductors forming electrical


junctions at differing temperatures. A thermocouple produces a temperature-dependent voltage as a
result of the thermoelectric effect, and this voltage can be interpreted to measure temperature.
Thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor.[1]
Commercial thermocouples are inexpensive,[2] interchangeable, are supplied with standard
connectors, and can measure a wide range of temperatures. In contrast to most other methods of
temperature measurement, thermocouples are self powered and require no external form of
excitation. The main limitation with thermocouples is accuracy; system errors of less than one
degree Celsius (°C) can be difficult to achieve.[3]

Calibration is defined as an association between measurements – one of a scale or


accuracy made or set with one piece of equipment and another measurement made in
as similar a way as possible with a second piece of equipment. The piece of equipment
or device with the known or assigned accuracy is called the standard.Standards vary
from country to country depending upon the type of industry whilst manufacturers
designate their measurement criterion and recommend the frequency and level of
calibration, depending upon industry requirements, how often the device is used and the
specific application.Some companies will offer a pre-calibration test where they test
equipment first, to determine whether it is suitable for calibration, whilst others will
submit all equipment for calibration whether or not it is working properly.In general use,
calibration is often regarded as including the process of adjusting the output or
indication on a measurement instrument to agree with value of the applied standard,
within a specified accuracy however this is actually two processes: calibration and
adjustment. It is important therefore to understand exactly what service you require.It is
also important to understand what is being calibrated and how the calibration is being
performed. As an example, consider a digital thermometer that uses an external
temperature probe. Many companies are surprised to learn that their calibration is
performed using a simulated temperature value that is applied to the thermometer only.
Here, a test instrument is attached to the digital thermometer and a voltage equivalent
to a specific temperature is applied to the digital thermometer. The result is then
recorded and the thermometer considered to be calibrated.

Many users require, and probably expect, a more rigorous calibration to be performed
that reflects real world usage. Here, the preferred method is to test both the digital
thermometer and the temperature probe together (In other words a system test) and to
use a real heat source. The value displayed by the system being tested is then
compared against the standard (The system with a known or assigned accuracy from
the first paragraph!).

Why is Calibration So Important?


Calibration defines the accuracy and quality of measurements recorded using a piece of
equipment. Over time there is a tendency for results and accuracy to ‘drift’ particularly
when using particular technologies or measuring particular parameters such as
temperature and humidity. To be confident in the results being measured there is an
ongoing need to service and maintain the calibration of equipment throughout its lifetime
for reliable, accurate and repeatable measurements.
The goal of calibration is to minimise any measurement uncertainty by ensuring the
accuracy of test equipment. Calibration quantifies and controls errors or uncertainties
within measurement processes to an acceptable level.

Why Calibration of Your Measuring Instruments is Important


What is calibration?
Calibration is a comparison between a known measurement (the standard) and the measurement
using your instrument. Typically, the accuracy of the standard should be ten times the accuracy
of the measuring device being tested. However, accuracy ratio of 3:1 is acceptable by most
standards organizations.
Calibration of your measuring instruments has two objectives. It checks the accuracy of the
instrument and it determines the traceability of the measurement. In practice, calibration also
includes repair of the device if it is out of calibration. A report is provided by the calibration
expert, which shows the error in measurements with the measuring device before and after the
calibration.

Why calibration is important?


The accuracy of all measuring devices degrade over time. This is typically caused by normal
wear and tear. However, changes in accuracy can also be caused by electric or mechanical shock
or a hazardous manufacturing environment (e.x., oils, metal chips etc.). Depending on the type of
the instrument and the environment in which it is being used, it may degrade very quickly or
over a long period of time. The bottom line is that, calibration improves the accuracy of the
measuring device. Accurate measuring devices improve product quality.

You might also like