Keeping your sensors safe between use is vital for limiting the frequency of calibrations required in the first place. It also helps prevent damage and unknown safety hazards.
Sensors should be kept in amenable environments while in storage or transport, with batteries stored separately in bags or trays to avoid short circuit. Notably, leaving batteries in bundles where they come into contact with each other is highly risky. Doing so may result in a short circuit and small-scale explosions or fire hazards.
Calibration sensors are made for a specific purpose and can easily be damaged by a lack of attention to their natural capabilities and tolerances. As a rule, you should not use your sensors for any application other than their intended use, and they should only be used in this manner by trained personnel.
Sensors have notable environmental tolerances that should not be exceeded, such as limitations on temperature and humidity depending on the type of sensor. Additionally, equipment (when applicable) must be plugged into appropriate electrical outlets that are in accordance with local codes and ordinances.
Remember to inspect your sensors for damage before each use, and do not use any equipment that appears damaged or operates abnormally.
If an instrument is not calibrated to a high standard, it is likely to result in inaccurate readings and subsequently harsh consequences such as wasted time, product, and damaged equipment. Knowledgeable technicians with professional training and access to specialized equipment is the only way to guarantee that calibrations are performed correctly. This will ultimately save you a great deal of time and energy.
As accredited calibration providers with a great deal of metrological knowledge and experience, Ellab field calibration services can provide off-site calibrations ideal for stationary devices or minimizing downtime. With Ellab, you have a competent partner for these comprehensive calibration tasks.
4. Make Use of Pre- and Post-Calibration Routines
The routine calibration of your equipment is a necessity for meaningful data acquisition and required for FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance primarily within the pharma and biotech industries.
While pre-calibration ensures that your equipment is properly calibrated and prepared before your process begins, post-calibration can be just as important. Performing post-calibrations ensures that nothing went wrong during the process itself, and accounts for any unexpected variations from initial pre-calibration results.
Sensors should be periodically checked against a verifiable reference standard in order to achieve the highest levels of accuracy. While sensors with a decreased risk of drift may lower the required frequency of calibrations, those predisposed to drift or used in a critical process might warrant an increased frequency.
Faulty sensors can result in costly production downtime, false measurements, safety issues and inferior product quality, but regular verifications can prevent these issues entirely.
