ISO/IEC 17025 calibration

5 reasons why ISO/IEC 17025 calibration is a good idea – “Better safe than sorry”

We would like to provide you some understanding of why it is generally of benefit to have an accredited calibration. And why Minerva should be your choice to meet those needs.

Question – I want to establish a calibration program, should I have an accredited calibration as opposed to a non-accredited or traceable calibration?

Response – Your business needs and company profile will determine the level of calibration reporting that your organisation requires (for its equipment).

As a baseline – an accredited calibration ensures that the company performing the measurements follows an implemented quality system and has practices and procedures in place to ensure the effectiveness and validity of their measurements along with their uncertainties. It is better safe than sorry.

Differences between non-accredited and accredited calibration

Traceable or non-accredited calibration follows guidelines but they are not as stringent as in the case of an accredited calibration. Non accredited calibration are not necessarily wrong calibrations. You are not getting a lesser calibration in relation to the measurements performed or the methodology followed. However, accredited calibration normally ensures that certain requirements are met with respect to the company performing the measurements and their approach to conducting them and reporting results and in the way they generally operate.

Minerva has a complete management system based on ISO/IEC 17025 that ensures the validity of their accredited calibration results with full traceability and uncertainty calculations.  Furthermore, Minerva is accredited by the Dutch Council for Accreditation.

The automotive industry generally follows ITAF16949 that states third party calibrations shall be performed by an accredited company. A company following ISO9001 might not mandate the accredited calibration house. Minerva being a high end, sophisticated calibration house must ensure our own calibrated items are accredited.

Reason 1 – ISO/IEC 17025 Compliance 

You have to balance cost, calibration requirements and the company needs and the individual needs for your calibrated equipment. Check your standard operating procedure or global standard procedure to a see if it states a requirement or not.

Some examples when ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration is the good choice for you:

• If you need to know your equipment is accurate and is performing within its stated operating parameters
• If you need to know or understand the level of ‘in spec’ or the uncertainty of the measurements performed and taken
• If you do not need to undertake drift studies then a traceable calibration to ensure the equipment is operating or maintained within its limits may suffice for your business needs.
• If you wish to understand the calibration results for statistical purposes
• If you need a pre-recognised level of competence
• If your customers or governing body require that you use equipment that has ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration.

ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration provides a level of trust and competence in the results that does not then require someone to scrutinise and assess the validity of the calibration when their equipment returns to them.

Minerva offers ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration as standard. Many calibration houses offer differing prices for the different levels of calibration. At Minerva you get your calibration or measurement result trust already covered in a normal fee without having to pay extra for the accredited service. If you are unsure of your calibration need our accredited calibration will ensure that you will satisfy most requirements. Again, it is better safe than sorry.

Ensure you’re meeting industry requirements effortlessly with Minerva!

Reason 2 – Full traceability

Minerva has an established ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory and process controls to ensure consistency and repeatability in our measurements, We can ensure full traceability to an SI unit and NMI’s whilst also adhering to our in-depth quality system. Although we calibrate many types of equipment we tend to perform ‘high end’ calibrations (calibrate the calibrator) where the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is a mandatory requirement and as such we do not find the need to offer alternative levels.  If you have equipment, please enquire, see what we can do for you.

Reason 3 – Expertise You Can Trust

Minerva is an established ISO/IEC 17025 calibration house, we have highly experienced and knowledgable professionals in their respective fields. We are a great team who can offer advice and best practices, we can offer suggestions and solutions, we can offer training and instruction. We are an authorised European service centre and we offer calibrations to many high-end calibration laboratories and National Measurement Institutes (NMI’s) as well as individual users or business. We have great relations with other service centres, institutes and providers that give us total cover and support for most any eventuality.

Reason 4 – Dedication to calibration

Because we are dedicated and enthusiastic, we are dedicated to calibration and calibration is our dedication. As stated, we follow a complete quality system that covers all aspects of calibrations from handling our equipment, handling customers equipment, logistics, inspection, customer service, sales and of course laboratory control. We have ISO/IEC 17025 guidelines on how we must operate and behave.

Reason 5 – Carefree traceability

Fifth and last reason why you should consider Minerva is that we live by our ethos of ‘Ensuring carefree traceability’. For you this means: following initial introductions, you can arrange your ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration with us.

From the moment you have a PO, you don’t have to worry about anything. You get continuous updates on where your instruments are and what the status is. Even the shipping document is delivered to you.

After calibration we provide an RMA, your equipment comes and is then returned to you with results and confidence in the work undertaken. In the rare event that something is not right then we also have full quality system control to handle, record and resolve complaints. You can be assured that any adjustments or optimisation of equipment is done according to correct methods. You can easily get the corresponding certificate from the Minerva portal. Minerva’s own transport ensures that the calibration is within ISO/IEC 17025. This eliminates the need for extra checks that are required when sending instruments by post.

We do everything in our power to ensure you carefree traceability as a customer!

Contact us

If you conclude you need an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration or should have any questions, please get in touch and be welcome at Minerva!