Measuring Device Monitoring
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Measuring device Monitoring
General information
Quality management systems such as ISO 9001 [1] or ISO 17025 [2] require regular monitoring of the quality-relevant test and measuring equipment used in the production process or in laboratory operations.
Measuring equipment
Measuring equipment refers to measuring instruments or measuring devices, standards and reference materials or other aids (instructions, documents, software) that are required to perform measurement tasks in analogue or incremental (digital) metrology [3, 4]. Measuring instruments used for calibration, adjustment, verification and testing are also measuring equipment in this sense, the quality of which must be ensured by regular monitoring of measuring equipment [5].
Test equipment
If measuring equipment is used for testing purposes, it is referred to as test equipment, which is also subject to regular monitoring. In metrology, test equipment is therefore a technical means of testing products. They are used in the production process or in laboratory operations to ensure product or test quality and can be categorised as measuring instruments, gauges and aids. The necessary monitoring, which the German Society for Quality (DGQ) defines as the entirety of the activities of calibration, adjustment, verification and maintenance of test equipment and test aids [6], can be realised through external monitoring or internal monitoring.
Monitoring a calliper gauge
This monitoring is carried out using the example of a calliper gauge (Fig. 1a), e.g. by comparison with a set of gauge blocks (Fig. 1b) or by determining a measured value with a measuring device of higher accuracy. For this purpose, the calibrated gauge blocks are measured with the calliper gauge and the values determined are tabulated in comparison with the gauge block data. Determined deviations are documented on the corresponding calibration certificates (for external calibration) or in quality control charts (for internal calibration), e.g. by specifying the measurement uncertainty or the accuracy class of the calibrated device. The decision criteria for the respective calibration tolerance and the test interval to be observed depend on the location of the test equipment and its frequency of use, whereby the risk that can arise from a faulty test with this test equipment must always be considered.
| Fig. 1: | Digital caliper 500-161-20 a) and set of gauge blocks b) from Mitutoyo |
Measurement or test equipment management
Consequently, the organisation must introduce suitable processes (measuring or test equipment management) so that monitoring and measurements can be carried out in an appropriate manner. This means that the measuring equipment used is subject to the following regulations in accordance with the rules of the management system, i.e. the measuring equipment is:
- calibrated and verified at fixed intervals (user or calibration certificate required),
- trace the calibration back to international standards (calibration chain),
- records must be kept of the general conditions (measuring instruments, temperature, etc.) of the calibration,
- adjust in an appropriate manner if necessary,
- labelled with the respective calibration status according to the release criteria (calibrated or not calibrated),
- secure against adjustment that would invalidate the calibration,
- protected from damage and deterioration during handling, maintenance and storage.
In the case of external calibration on behalf of measuring equipment monitoring, the institutions carrying out the calibration must be able to provide proof of accreditation for the device classes concerned by the DAkkS (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH, Berlin). In the case of possible self-calibration, e.g. a test laboratory, certified test equipment, which in turn has been calibrated with nationally recognised norms or standards, must be available in order to guarantee the traceability of the calibration.
See also
References
| [1] | DIN EN ISO 9001 (2025-09): Quality Management Systems − Requirements |
| [2] | DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 (2019-11): General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboraties |
| [3] | DIN 1319-1 (1995-01): Fundamentals of Metrology – Part 1: Basic Terminology |
| [4] | DIN 1319-2 (2005-10): Fundamentals of Metrology – Part 2: Terminology Related to Measuring Equipment |
| [5] | DIN 32937 (2018-04): Control of Inspection, Measuring and Test Equipment – Planning, Management and Use of Inspection, Measuring and Test Equipment |
| [6] | DGQ-Schrift 11-04, S. 136, Nr. 2.5.9 |