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metrology. However, such European countries as Britain, France,
Germany, Italy, Spain, etc. are the leaders. It has been said above that
it is important to have reference standards in one’s firm and to have
them calibrated in accredited calibration centers or laboratories.
However, a choice must be made between having the metrology
integrated in the firm and having it subcontracted. As some providers
of calibration services propose to calibrate the measuring instruments
with standards of their own, you need to be careful.
You must absolutely make sure that:
– their standards are periodically calibrated in a competent laboratory
(whose organization complies with the ISO 17025) accredited by a
national organization (COFRAC, DKD, UKAS, etc.);
– the provider of the service can guarantee the quality of the
measurements provided. An audit of the provider’s system of
management of the quality will probably be necessary. You have to be
able to demonstrate full traceability of the measurement that has been
made, the relationship between the measurement and the instrument
used, and also the traceability of the firm’s instrument, in order to
show that the chain of calibration has not been broken. In addition, do
not forget to verify that at every stage the uncertainties of
measurement are not too large.
Bringing in a provider of services who has their own accredited
laboratory is not a must. However, if the provider has one, it is further
evidence of his seriousness and commitment to his job. There is every
reason to think, that a provider with an accredited laboratory knows
better what the word “metrology” means than a competitor who does
not have any accredited laboratory. The provider with the accredited
laboratory can grasp the primary technical needs of the client:
quantities, scope of measurement and uncertainties. Furthermore, the
investment required for launching an accredited laboratory excludes
the “transitory” type of company that starts up in “commercial niches”
and then vanishes as quickly as it has appeared.
Stability is a key word in metrology. It is important not to change
your provider too regularly when you decide to subcontract the
calibrations; for example, do not consider only the price and have a
yearly competition. Nevertheless, let us point out that what has been
said so far applies to movable measurement, control, test or analysis
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