One reason a temperature calibration bath is so stable is the bath fluid prevents the temperature from changing rapidly. This has unwanted side effect of slowing the rate baths change to the next temperature test point. One way to boost productivity is to use more than one bath so that you always are ready for the next cardinal temperature.

Protect your investment with a Triple Point of Water Cell

If you have invested in an SPRT or a secondary reference thermometer for better accuracy, the last thing you want is to lose all of that accuracy because of an accident that you don’t even know about. Accidents can happen when you least expect them to and they can often happen in shipping before you ever take possession of your thermometer. The best way to be sure that your investment is protected is by checking it regularly in a triple point of water cell and comparing the result to your calibration report. The best practice is to keep a chart on the thermometer in a spreadsheet like Excel and watch for any sudden jumps in the reading at the triple point of water (0.010 °C).

Minimize the number of tools you take onsite

If you perform onsite calibrations, time and space are a premium and the last thing you need is to spend most of your time hauling equipment around. Try to use the fewest instruments necessary for the job. For example, the process version of the Field Metrology Well is a dry-block calibrator that has all of the electronics you need built right in for measuring RTDs, thermocouples, and thermal switches. It is also a documenting 4-20 ma loop calibrator. You won’t need a computer to automate and document the calibration either. It’s built right in!

Infrared temperature calibration needs infrared temperature standards

Infrared temperature readings are influenced greatly by the type material and surface finish of the objects they are pointed at, because infrared temperature readings depend on surface emissivity. Infrared calibrators are sometimes called blackbody calibrators even though a flat painted surface is not really a blackbody. Real blackbodies are cavities with a well known emissivity value (i.e. 1.000 ± 0.001) The emissivity of a painted surface is only known if it is measured. Therefore, to calibrate an infrared thermometer you will need to use an infrared temperature standard like a radiometer or you will need a radiometrically calibrated calibrator.