Calibration Validation
Calibration Validation
Calibration/Validation Guidance
For Miller Welding Equipment
SECTION 1 − INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
SECTION 2 − INDUSTRY STANDARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2-1. Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
SECTION 3 − VALIDATION OR CALIBRATION? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3-1. When Is Validation Or Calibration Required? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3-2. What Are The Tolerances For Calibration and Validation Accuracy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3-3. How Is A Wire Feeder Verified? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3-4. When Should The Miller Load Bank Be Used? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3-5. Verification Of Induction Heating Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3-6. Who Should Perform Validation And Calibration? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SECTION 4 − SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
SECTION 5 − REFERENCE RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3
SECTION 1 − INTRODUCTION
Read and follow all labels and the Owner’s Manual carefully before installing, operating, or servicing
units. Only qualified persons should install, operate, maintain or repair units; or perform calibration, val-
idation, or certification activities.
The transition from analog meters to digital displays brought a new level of
accuracy to weld parameter control and indication in welding equipment
made by Miller Electric Mfg. LLC (Miller). This evolution in technology also
prompted changes in procedures for weld meter testing and calibration. In
February of 2002, Miller released a document entitled Welding Equipment
V A
VOLTAGE AMPERAGE Meter Calibration. This was a collection of articles from Miller’s Techline
newsletters that provided definitions, guidelines, and resources to help ser-
12.0 85.0 vice technicians support their customers’ calibration needs.
Much has changed since that time. Developments in technology, products and
regulatory standards have required the technical staff at Miller to revisit the topic of weld meter calibration. The result is
the document you are now reading. It replaces the 2002 document and its purpose is to provide information aligned
with current technology and industry standards. It defines the terminology of welding variables, test procedures and
requirements. It also discusses documentation related to equipment manufacturing and servicing. The intention is to
help machine owners and service technicians understand the requirements for periodic testing and documentation of
welding equipment, and to understand the options for compliance.
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Figure 2-1. The International Electrotechnical Commission Define Global Standards For
Equipment Performance And Safety
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Miller’s guidance for testing of electric welding equipment is based on information presented in IEC 60974-14. All of
the welding equipment manufacturers who are members of the IEC have authored and voted to approve this Stan-
dard. An Internet search will yield many other documents that pertain to testing and documentation of welding
equipment. The challenge is to determine which requirements apply to a given piece of equipment or a specific area of
industry within each geographical region. These interpretations must be made by an employer’s regulatory compli-
ance office or by the machine owner. For assistance, Miller recommends consultation with the agencies listed in
Section 5 of this document.
2-1. Definitions
A Standard is a document that defines technical or procedural requirements to be met by welding equipment or by the
owner of the welding equipment. Standards may originate from the United States, from countries other than the United
States, or be hybrids that incorporate standards from multiple sources. Applicable standards may vary from country to
country. Standards can be placed in one of two general categories: Manufacturing Standards or Operating Standards.
Manufacturing Standards define welding equipment requirements and operational parameters which must be met
by the equipment manufacturers. These standards define the tolerance for accuracy of variable settings (control
markings) versus actual output values, and tolerance of variable indicating and recording devices (data storage sys-
tems, meters and displays) vs actual output values.
Operating Standards define requirements that apply to welding equipment after entry into use. These standards
include requirements for maintaining the accuracy of weld control and indicating/recording devices.
Conformity Or Conformance
The condition of satisfying the design and performance requirements as specified in a manufacturing standard.
Certificate Of Conformity
Document ME−0860, Certificate of Conformity and Origin, is available from Miller Electric Mfg. LLC to declare and
establish the initial validation of welding equipment. ME−0860 is serial number−specific to identify the date and place
of manufacture and represent the condition of Miller products as delivered from the factory.
Certification
The process of performing calibration and/or validation tests per applicable Standards and formally documenting the
results. (These tests must be performed by a qualified agency as defined per ISO/IEC 17025. Miller does not provide
testing services.)
. The following definitions are summarized from IEC 60974−14 Calibration, Validation and Consistency Testing.
Displayed Value
The value of an output produced by a machine, as measured by permanent internal devices and displayed on the
machine. In welding equipment, this will typically refer to levels of voltage, current, arc length, or wire feed speed.
Set Value
A value chosen and set by the operator or by an automatic system.
Reference Value
The value indicated by measurement with a precision instrument (the test instrument) for comparison to a displayed
value or set value.
Expert
A person who is qualified through professional training, knowledge, and experience to safely perform and assess tests
required for verification and certification.
Verification
Operations, tests, or measurements performed to demonstrate that the welding equipment or system conforms to its
specified operating parameters. This includes procedures for calibration and validation.
Calibration
Operations, tests, or measurements performed under a specified set of conditions to define the relationship between a
Displayed Value and a Reference Value.
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In practice, calibration is the process of comparing indicated weld outputs (typically voltage and amperage) on a piece
of welding equipment to indications of a certified test instrument. The comparison is made to determine whether the
equipment indications are within the tolerances defined in the applicable standard. If so, the test yields a “Pass” result.
If not, a “Fail” result is recorded. Simply stated, the calibration test answers the question, “Does the meter acceptably
indicate the actual output?”
161-082
There is a common belief that the process of calibration involves adjustment of electrical components to bring indica-
tion accuracy within specified limits. Some Miller welding products are designed with an internal function to
electronically align the meter indications with voltage and current outputs. Miller Owner’s and Technical Manuals refer
to this process as “Calibration.” By itself, however, this process does not satisfy the requirements for welding equip-
ment verification.
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When the welding equipment does not pass the calibration or validation tests, further evaluation by a qualified techni-
cian will be needed to determine the source of the error. In most cases, one or more faulty components will be the
cause. Replacement of these components will be required to restore operation within acceptable limits.
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Table 2. Tolerances for Validation of Control Set Points
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Accuracy of the wire feed speed control settings must be validated. IEC 60974−14 defines three methods of measure-
ment and calculation. A basic validation can be performed with a stopwatch, an RPM counter, and a mathematical
formula across a range of speed settings. For validation, the measured RPM of the drive roll is multiplied by the nomi-
nal circumference of the drive roll. (An easy way to determine the circumference of a drive roll is to multiply the
diameter of the drive roll by 3.14.) The wire feed speed (measured RPM x drive roll circumference) will be the length of
wire that will be fed in sixty seconds at that given RPM. This value is then compared to the display value. On a properly
adjusted wire feeder where no slippage occurs, this value will accurately represent the actual length of wire that would
be fed at that speed. Note that the accuracy of the indication may vary as drive motor heat increases during operation.
3-4. When Should The Miller Load Bank Be Used?
The Miller load bank is primarily intended for diagnostic load testing and run-in of diesel engine-driven welding power
sources. The voltage and amperage meters are for reference only but a limited range of adjustment is possible if de-
sired. The Owner’s Manual for the Miller load bank provides meter adjustment instructions. Verification with certified
instruments is recommended by Miller when adjustments are made.
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It is important to understand that the Miller load bank might not provide the resistance needed by some Miller products
to follow the IEC load curves at higher amperage levels. In these cases, a disparity in readings will be observed under
high load conditions. Miller performs developmental measurements and testing of production units in certified test
cells that have a load capacity greater than the Miller load bank. This allows the full range of loads and setpoints to be
accurately tested per IEC requirements.
The meters on the Miller load bank are not intended for use in verification tests.
Figure 3-2. Digital Meter Adjustment Procedure From Miller Load Bank Owner’s Manual
3-5. Verification Of Induction Heating Equipment
Induction heating equipment, such as Miller’s ProHeat 35 system, as used for preheating and post-weld heat treat-
ment may require validation per Clause 15 of ISO 17662. The standard states that thermocouples themselves are
“reasonably stable and accurate” but the supporting “electrical instruments” and “the entire set−up shall be validated.”
Instructions for calibration of the temperature indication and recording components of the ProHeat 35 system are pro-
vided in the ProHeat 35 Owner’s Manual which can be downloaded from www.millerwelds.com. Submit the product
serial number to obtain the correct manual.
3-6. Who Should Perform Validation And Calibration?
Verification must only be performed by an Expert or Competent Person as defined per IEC 60974−14 and other Stan-
dards. Individuals with knowledge of industry standards and validation technology, and possessing the necessary
equipment, might have the ability to perform measurements with the intention of validating their welding equipment. It
is possible, however, that an inspector will not accept the validation as being legitimate.
161-083
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ISO/IEC Standard 17025 defines general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
Requirements for issuing certificates of the work performed are also called out. Miller recommends for equipment
owners to have validations performed by accredited service facilities or instrumentation laboratories that are in compli-
ance with these requirements.
SECTION 4 − SUMMARY
Read and follow all labels and the Owner’s Manual carefully before installing, operating, or servicing
units. Only qualified persons should install, operate, maintain, or repair units, or perform calibration,
validation, and certification activities.
For help in locating service support, please contact Miller Customer Support at 866−931−9733.
It is the responsibility of the equipment owner to determine which standard applies to a given work location or welding
process and to interpret the related requirements for welding equipment verification. Miller will only provide guidance
with regard to service and repair procedures for its products.
When needed, certification services must be provided by a qualified service facility or instrumentation laboratory to be
selected by the machine owner.
Certificates of Conformity for welding equipment manufactured by Miller are available on request. Certificates of Con-
formity are specific to machines by serial number. These certificates establish the initial validation for control settings
and weld variable indicating/recording devices installed by Miller at the time of production.
Information on testing, troubleshooting and repair is provided in the Technical Manuals for Miller products. The appro-
priate technical manual (check effective serial number) must be consulted for information on individual equipment
design and service procedures.
Calibration is the process of comparing meter indications on a piece of welding equipment under load to indications of
a certified instrument to determine if the meter indications are within tolerance. Physical adjustment of electrical com-
ponents is not required in order for the process to meet the definition of calibration. The calibration test answers the
question, “Does the meter acceptably indicate the actual output?”
Validation is the process of comparing the output of the welding equipment to measurements with a certified instru-
ment to determine whether the accuracy of control settings are within required tolerances. The validation test answers
the question, “Does the control setting give an output that corresponds to the set point marking of the control?”
Recertification is the process of performing calibration or validation of equipment after entry into service and providing
documentation of the work performed and results observed. This service must be provided by a third party other than
Miller Electric Mfg. LLC.
Electrical testing and repair of equipment built by Miller Electric Mfg. LLC should only be performed by a qualified
person who has received instruction in electrical theory and safe work practices. This person must be properly trained
and equipped in accordance with applicable standards.
Miller products meet the accuracy standards for control settings, and indication and recording functions as delivered
from the factory. A statement of Miller’s validation practices during the manufacturing process is available upon request.
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Miller Electric Mfg. LLC
An Illinois Tool Works Company
1635 West Spencer Street
Appleton, WI 54914 USA
International Headquarters−USA
USA Phone: 920-735-4505 Auto-Attended
USA & Canada FAX: 920-735-4134
International FAX: 920-735-4125
For International Locations Visit
www.MillerWelds.com
ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS − PRINTED IN USA © 2019 Miller Electric Mfg. LLC 2019−01