Calibration Management Articles

In-depth guides on calibration management best practices, interval optimization, measurement uncertainty, and choosing the right software for your lab.

Gage R&R Study: Step-by-Step MSA Procedure & Acceptance Criteria (AIAG)

A Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (Gage R&R) study is a Measurement System Analysis (MSA) that quantifies how much of the observed variation co...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

ISO/IEC 17025 Calibration Certificate Requirements (Clause 7.8): What Must Be Included

ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Clause 7.8 (Reporting of results) governs what a calibration certificate must contain. Beyond the common report elements in 7.8.2, ...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

FDA 21 CFR Part 11 for Calibration Records: Electronic Records & Signatures

FDA 21 CFR Part 11 governs electronic records and electronic signatures in FDA-regulated environments — pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and biologic...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

IATF 16949 Calibration & MSA Requirements for Automotive Suppliers

IATF 16949:2016 builds on ISO 9001:2015 with automotive-specific requirements for measurement. Clause 7.1.5.1.1 (Measurement systems analysis) require...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

Test Uncertainty Ratio (TUR): What 4:1 Means and How to Calculate It

The test uncertainty ratio (TUR) compares the tolerance being verified to the measurement uncertainty of the measurement used to verify it. For a two-...

7 sections · 5 FAQs

ISO/IEC 17025 Clause 6.4 Equipment Requirements: Calibration, Records & Intermediate Checks

ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Clause 6.4 (Equipment) requires a laboratory to have access to the equipment needed to perform its activities correctly, and to cal...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

Measurement Traceability to NIST: Building an Unbroken Calibration Chain

Metrological traceability is the property of a measurement result by which it can be related to a stated reference through a documented unbroken chain...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

Guard Banding & Decision Rules: ILAC G8 Conformity Decisions Explained

A decision rule describes how measurement uncertainty is accounted for when stating conformity to a specification. ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Clause 7.1.3 req...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

GUM Uncertainty Budget: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough (ISO/IEC Guide 98-3)

A measurement uncertainty budget is a structured list of every significant source of uncertainty in a measurement, with each source converted to a sta...

7 sections · 5 FAQs

AS9102 First Article Inspection: Measurement Equipment & Calibration Requirements

AS9102 (the Aerospace First Article Inspection Requirement) requires that every design characteristic be verified and that the measurement and test eq...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

AS9100 Clause 7.1.5 Calibration Requirements: Checklist, Records & Audit Prep

AS9100 Rev D Clause 7.1.5 (Monitoring and Measuring Resources) requires that any equipment used to verify product conformity be calibrated or verified...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

Out-of-Tolerance (OOT) Investigation Procedure: Step-by-Step Workflow & Records

An out-of-tolerance (OOT) investigation is the structured process you follow when a measuring instrument is found, at calibration, to be outside its a...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

Calibration Interval Optimization: ILAC G24 Methods, Reliability Targets & Worked Example

Calibration interval optimization is the data-driven adjustment of how often an instrument is calibrated so that its reliability target — the probabil...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

What Is Calibration Management Software?

Calibration management software is a specialized application that helps organizations track, schedule, document, and report on the calibration of meas...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

What Is Calibration? Complete Guide

Calibration is the process of comparing the measurements produced by an instrument to the known values of a reference standard, and documenting the re...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

Calibration vs Verification: What's the Difference?

Calibration, as defined by the International Vocabulary of Metrology (VIM), is an operation that under specified conditions first establishes a relati...

6 sections · 5 FAQs

How to Set Calibration Intervals

Calibration intervals determine how frequently your instruments are removed from service, tested against reference standards, and returned to use. Set...

7 sections · 5 FAQs

Calibration Management Best Practices

Effective calibration management begins with knowing exactly what you have. Every measuring instrument and piece of test equipment that affects produc...

7 sections · 5 FAQs

Free Calibration Management Software: What to Look For in 2026

Most calibration labs start small — a dozen gages, one technician, and a spreadsheet. At this stage, paying hundreds of dollars per month for calibrat...

4 sections · 4 FAQs

AS9100 vs ISO 17025: Which Standard Applies to Your Calibration Lab?

AS9100 and ISO/IEC 17025 address different aspects of quality and measurement, and understanding their scope is essential for calibration professional...

4 sections · 4 FAQs

How to Calculate Calibration Intervals Using Drift Analysis

Calibration intervals determine how frequently your measuring instruments are calibrated. Set them too short and you waste money on unnecessary calibr...

5 sections · 3 FAQs

5 Signs You've Outgrown Spreadsheet-Based Calibration Tracking

The first and most obvious sign that your spreadsheet has become a liability is a missed calibration due date. Spreadsheets do not send notifications....

5 sections · 3 FAQs

State of Calibration 2026: Benchmarks, Audit Findings, and Cost Data

This report compiles public benchmarking data from NCSL International member surveys, A2LA annual assessment summaries, SIMCO's published calibration ...

7 sections · 6 FAQs

AS9100 vs EN 9100 vs JISQ 9100: The 9100-Series Decision Guide

AS9100, EN 9100, and JISQ 9100 are identical technical standards. All three are regional publications of the IAQG (International Aerospace Quality Gro...

9 sections · 5 FAQs