Calibration Cycle

Calibration Cycle is the period of time between calibrations. 

One of the questions we get asked most frequently is how often a customer should calibrate his instruments. Unfortunately there is no straight answer to this, at least not one that would always be correct. Instead there is a list of variables that should be taken into account when deciding the calibration period for any measurement device.

Many manufacturers provide a recommendation for the measurement device’s calibration period. Or they may have stability specifications given for different calibration periods. Following the equipment manufacturer’s recommendation is an easy and good starting point.

The criticality of a measurement location is one important factor related to the calibration period. The more critical locations should naturally be calibrated more often than the  less critical location.

The stability history of a device is also an important aspect. If you have a long history of a device and it is found to be very stable, it can be calibrated less often. And on the contrary, if history shows that the instrument drifts and often fails in recalibration, it should logically be calibrated more often.

In some applications the costs of a failed recalibration are so high that it becomes cheaper to calibrate more often than to let the instrument fail. This is specially the case in pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and other regulated industries, or in any critical location.