FAQ: Accredited Lab vs. Accredited Cal
Calibration Service Types
What is the Difference Between an Accredited Lab and an Accredited Calibration?
Customers frequently ask us to explain the difference between an accredited calibration and an accredited lab, especially in light of recent changes to ISO 17025:2017, ILAC P14, and ANSI Z540.3-2006 standards. Get answers to these questions below and visit our accreditation resource page for additional information.
Q: What is an accredited lab?
A. ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization. When a lab is ISO 17025-certified, its testing reports and certificates are more likely to be accepted with confidence both nationally and globally, because ISO standards were developed by lab experts from around the world.
- The ISO 17025 accreditation allows a lab to demonstrate not just its competency, but also the capabilities of its personnel and calibration procedures.
- By achieving and maintaining accreditation, a lab also demonstrates that it can deliver valid testing results.
- When conducting an ISO 17025-accredited calibration, a complete uncertainty analysis is required for each calibration. This provides assurance of the laboratory’s measurement accuracy.
- The accuracy of the lab instruments used for each calibration is normally at least four times the accuracy of the calibrated device. Traceability is also required to SI Standards.
- Test results are accepted between countries and across continents.
Q: Why would I want to use an accredited lab?
A: The benefit of using an accredited lab is that you are assured that the lab has been audited to an international standard based on demonstrating their competence in performing the calibrations and/or tests. Prior to laboratory accreditation, the only way to determine supplier quality was to perform your own audit of the lab. Accreditation provides assurance that the lab’s processes were independently verified by a third party
Q: What is an accredited calibration?
A: An accredited calibration is a calibration that is within an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab’s approved scope of accreditation which demonstrates the lab’s technical competence to perform those measurements.
Q: Why would I want to use an accredited lab?
A: The benefit of using an accredited lab is that you are assured that the lab has been audited to an international standard based on demonstrating their competence in performing the calibrations and/or tests. Prior to laboratory accreditation, the only way to determine supplier quality was to perform your own audit of the lab. Accreditation provides assurance that the lab’s processes were independently verified by a third party
Q: Is everything that an accredited lab calibrates considered an accredited calibration?
A: No. A lab must have the specific measurement parameter on their lab’s Scope of Accreditation to be able to state that the calibration is accredited. No single lab can calibrate every measurement device. It is cost prohibitive to be able to do so.
Q: Is everything that an accredited lab calibrates considered an accredited calibration?
A: No. A lab must have the specific measurement parameter on their lab’s Scope of Accreditation to be able to state that the calibration is accredited. No single lab can calibrate every measurement device. It is cost prohibitive to be able to do so.
Q: What is the difference between a Transcat accredited vs. a non-accredited calibration?
A: The processes, datasheets, standards, and personnel used during a calibration, whether accredited or non-accredited are the same for any Transcat calibration.
A non-accredited calibration, also referred to as a “commercial calibration” has the following attributes:
- A certificate of calibration will be issued. The certificate will not have an accreditation logo or a statement of traceability
- Basic information that identifies the instrument, calibration/due dates, a statement of conformance either being in or out of tolerance, lab and technician performing the calibration
- Laboratory assets used and the environmental conditions
- May or may not contain the actual data report depending if specified at the time of service
The main differences for an accredited calibration are:
- The parameter is on the lab’s Scope of Accreditation
- An accreditation logo will be present on the calibration documents
- The calibration will be traceable to SI units through NIST or other National Metrology Institutes (NMI)
- Most importantly, the data report includes the measurement data and measurement uncertainties
Q: How do I know whether I need an accredited calibration or just need to use an accredited lab?
A: The decision whether an accredited calibration is required is solely a customer’s decision to make a proper determination. This decision is based on several factors. One critical factor is whether your company must meet any regulatory requirements. A number of these requirements specify that accredited calibrations are required.
Another factor is your company’s quality policy. Many policies will specify the need for accredited or traceable calibrations. Some policies may simply state that an accredited lab must be used which may or may not require an accredited calibration.
Finally, you must consider the use of the instrument and the amount of risk you are willing to accept with regards to the measurements obtained with the instrument. If you are using this instrument to calibrate other instruments within your company or process, an accredited or traceable calibration may be required. In the end Inspection, Measurement, and Test Equipment (IMTE) that is used to determine acceptance of product or services is not traceable without an accredited calibration. The purpose of the accreditation process is to identify, quantify, and minimize risk throughout the measurement traceability chain, starting with each country’s National Metrology Institute and ending in the individual acceptance measurements made on products and services. While Transcat encourages our clients to understand this importance, it is ultimately each of our client’s decision to determine what amount of risk is acceptable to their product/service.
Contact Transcat for Your Calibration Needs
For more information about our decision rules or your calibration requirements, contact one of our calibration professionals today.
