FAQs

Calibration is the checking of a piece of measuring equipment against another of known accuracy which, in turn, is calibrated. Each calibration should be a minimum of 4 times more accurate than the calibration before. 10 times more accurate is the gold standard but is rarely achievable.

For a calibration to be valid the equipment or standards used in the calibration should be traceable to the SI units of measurement; this is done by maintaining an unbroken chain of calibrations back to National, then International Standards and finally to the SI unit of measurement. Each step of the calibration must be recorded in detail on the calibration certificate. So, if you followed it backwards you would eventually get back to the SI unit of measurement for that particular measurement.

No measurement is absolute. There will always be an error, even if relatively small. No piece of equipment is completely stable. You can get physical wear and tear, or electronic components can degrade over time. Even a humble rule should be calibrated. All Quality Management Systems have a requirement for test equipment, used in both manufacturing and quality control, to be calibrated.

From a practical perspective, you want to know the measurements you’re making are accurate and reproducible. For instance, if you order a cupboard to fit in an alcove if there wasn’t calibration and measurement traceability the tape measure you’re using would measure differently to the one the person making the cupboard and it wouldn’t fit in the alcove.

It depends on what your Quality Manual says. Most quality systems such as ISO 9001 say the frequency should be appropriate for the equipment, its use and risk to the business. Some equipment such as weight scales and balances need more regular calibration than a weight. A digital calliper needs more frequent calibration than a gauge block. We have some customers calibrate certain items every 3 months and others have their equipment calibrated every 2 years, the vast majority opt for annual calibration.

Yes, the vast majority of our calibrations can be carried out on-site. AML specialises in on-site calibration and 90% of the calibrations we complete every year are done at customers premises. We can also repair and service equipment on-site.

The engineer will make adjustments wherever possible. In some instances, a repair is required or in rare cases, the instrument might require replacement.

AML has a dedicated repair engineer who can repair a wide range of test equipment down to component level.

Calibration costs vary something like a Vernier Caliper or DTI will cost £15 each.

Contact us by phone, email, live chat or enquiry form. Quotes are prepared within 2 or 3 working hours often much quicker.

Our standard turnaround time is 5 working days. By arrangement, this can be reduced to 24 or 48 hours.

Typically, one week from receipt of the equipment.

Yes as a minimum of 12 months but often 24 or 36 months. It depends on which equipment it is.

We have spent many years building relationships with the leading manufacturer of test equipment and instrumentation. This ensures we recommend the correct equipment for your exact needs. Not being tied to one manufacturer means we can look at many alternative versions of test equipment to find what you need and at a price to match your budget.

We’re here to help

Let us help you