The Concise Calibration & Test Equipment Management Guide: The Concise Collection, #1

2.  Why Create This Guide?

Who hasn’t had issues with calibration and calibration management at some point?

I created this book through a passion to help individuals and organisations improve what they do, using best practices learned through years of experience.

So here it is, the best practice guide to setting up and running a closed loop calibration & test equipment management (TEM) process within any size of organisation. After being involved in and around test equipment all my engineering life, as well as being involved in asset control for the last 7 years, I noticed that some members of the organisations even the organisation itself, have issues understanding, creating, then subsequently sustaining a robust workflow to protect a valuable part of the quality process.

Using experience from within a diverse range of companies, from the Royal Air Force, through to Transport for London and then the BMW Group to create this simple step by step guide.

This book lays down a tight process that should be applied across all aspects of calibration & test equipment management (TEM), no matter what business your organisation is in.

•  how to decide whether an asset is in fact classed as test equipment

•  controlling the asset whilst it is in the process,

•  through to the correct removal and disposal of the asset after your organisation has no longer any use for it.

So, with that, I will leave you to turn the page to access the methods you can apply to carry your organisation safely forward.

3.  Test Equipment Definition.

If an asset is used for measuring, checking, testing, or recording:

•  Environmental regulations/standards,

•  Health & safety regulations/standards,

•  Requirements within a product’s process,

•  Influences an inspector or product in any way,

•  Takes data or readings for evaluation within a process.

The asset is test equipment.

4.  What Is Test Equipment Management (TEM)?

I believe there are common attributes emplaced in successful all TEM processes. The following statements are to define and identify those common attributes.

Standard Definition: Test Equipment Management (TEM) is the combination of control, engineering, testing, inspection and necessary practices applied to assets by providing a required level of functionality.

The hallmark of good TEM will include the whole life cycle of assets used for testing, checking points within a process that is legal, regulatory, or required within a work instruction. Including but not limited to acquisition, commissioning, calibrating, certifying, ownership, tracking, operating, as well as the adjusting, maintaining, repairing, modifying, replacing, decommissioning, along with final disposal.

One of the primary goals of a TEM process is to provide and support traceable measurements, uncertainties, and measurement data collection as described in the organisation’s quality assurances control policies and Procedures.

Many organisations will use a Risk-Based Asset Management model to assist in achieving the overall organisational goals. These process models generally fall into two areas that blend to encompass the organisation’s mission:

•  Engineering Responsiveness - Centred around measurement technology and quality management.

•  Regulatory/Contractual Cases - Centred around obligations and standards

Note: Budgetary considerations are only to be considered once the initial conditions and requirements for effective TEM are in place.

Proper TEM processes use varying physical and technology-based oversight methods for the management of assets classed as Test Equipment (TE). These will include laying down a required infrastructure.

5.  What is Calibration, do you need to carry it out?

Calibration is the process of checking an asset with quantitative or qualitative qualities against a known and proven standard with traceable properties. The standard used in the calibration process, in turn, must be calibrated with equipment that has passed calibration to the agreed international standards.

Often, if calibration fails, adjustment will be required to bring the assets measurement back into predetermined tolerances.

5.1.  Why Calibrate?

Calibration is essential to ensure the accuracy and precision of the measurements you are checking. You need to know that the asset you are using to check, or test, is reliable in what it is used for, as well as being able to prove it.

5.2.  Is Calibration A Requirement of ISO 9001?

Yes. If you test or check within your manufacturing processes, then the equipment used for this must be calibrated, and these calibrations must show traceability back to international standards (ISO 17025 as standard).

Detailed records must be held recording the performance of the assets that have been calibrated. These are in the form of calibration certificates, in some cases reports, they must be reviewed and retained in accordance with the requirements of the quality procedures.

6.  How Often Should You Calibrate Assets?

All assets must be evaluated on their merit. The main questions to ask how likely the asset will drift out of specification between calibrations? For most assets, a 12-month interval is the standard length of time.

To determine the correct interval for critical equipment, along with assets which are used all shift, every shift, start with a six-month interval, then after two calibrations or so without any adjustment, increase this to 12 months. Sometimes it’s possible to rise to 24 months, although this is not advised for the majority of assets.

Stable standards like weights may only require calibration every three years, depending on how used, what the environment is like they are