Monday, February 23, 2015

Calibration: What It Is & Why It's Important

By Carey Bourdier


Calibration isn't something that many people know much about, but we certainly depend on calibration to keep us safe and secure. Calibration is how we ensure that products are built correctly, down to the tiniest detail. In some cases, failing to calibrate machinery can result in system failures for many important products, such as airplanes, vehicles, weapons systems and even medical equipment.

While calibration as a word was not used until the Civil War, the actual process of calibration existed in the early days of the Industrial Revolution when machines were being invented and production was being sped up and improved. The word initially was used to describe the diameter of the barrel of a gun or firearm, and certainly we have heard the world caliber being used to describe weapons. However, calibration is used in all industries, not just in the production and design of weaponry.

There are many reasons why a company or government agency might be in need of calibrating services. For instance, whenever a new piece of equipment, machinery or a new instrument is put into use, it must first be calibrated to ensure that measurements and output are accurate. If you have to repair an instrument or machine or alter it in some way, calibration is needed then as well. In addition, after a machine has been in used a set number of hours or months, you will need to have it recalibrated.

When one of your clients needs an instrument adjusted to meet new specifications, you will need calibration after these changes have been named. Sometimes nature even intercedes, such as if there was serious seismic activity in your area that might have caused a shift. Surprisingly, even sudden changes in the weather conditions can cause calibration to alter.

The individuals charged with the tasks of calibration are known as calibration engineers. Not only does this job require a college degree, typically either a bachelor's or master's degree, you also have to earn certification. Your college course list will include classes such as trigonometry, metrology, algebra, engineering drawing, physics and perhaps even chemistry classes.

These calibration engineers must learn to use a variety of tools, and the tools they use depend entirely on the task at hand. Voltmeters, temperature gauges, calipers and pressure gauges are just a few items that often are needed. As well, these engineers learn how to use an oscilloscope and either develop or learn to use various types of calibration software.




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