FEATURE CALIBRATION
ACCREDITATION FOR GAS MASS FLOW RATE CALIBRATIONS
Horiba STEC, a subsidiary of Horiba, has obtained accreditation based on ISO/IEC 17025 for calibration of the gas mass flow rate at the Kyoto Fukuchiyama Technology Centre. The accreditation was from the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Programme of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The results of accredited calibrations performed using the
“Gravimetric System” have been set as the top-level gas mass flow rate standards in the company, further improving the accuracy of mass flow controller gas flow control devices. This ISO/IEC 17025-accredited calibrated flow rate standard
instrument will be supplied to each Horiba STEC factory and further incorporated with scheduled shipments for 2018. Following the miniaturisation and higher integration of
semiconductor devices in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, recent years have seen a growing demand for higher precision of gas and liquid supply amounts and for improvements in reliability. As a market leader in mass flow controllers, to increase the accuracy of supply amounts, it is important for Horiba STEC not only to improve performance and reproducibility but also to maintain highly accurate data for use in adjustments. With this in mind, the company developed the “Gravimetric System” as a top-level gas mass flow rate standard, thereby obtaining ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. Going forward, Horiba STEC will incorporate advancements in liquid measurement technology in its products.
MULTIPLE-POINT CALIBRATION
Beko Technologies explains why multiple-point calibration is an effective approach to protecting compressed air systems operators from costly claims
W
hy is the calibration of instruments so important? The main reasons for
this are to ensure the reliability of the instrument, to determine the accuracy of the instrument and to ensure the readings are consistent with other measurements. Considering the costs arising from
legal action for damages that might be filed against you, the expenses for proper calibration and adjustment are minor in comparison. Companies who take their responsibility seriously and wish to establish long-term business relationships therefore need to calibrate their equipment regularly. It could also void your warranty if your instrument is not calibrated.
Regarding flow rate standards for adjustments of mass flow
controllers prior to ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, Horiba STEC utilised flow-calibration services from companies offering traceability to NIST in the US or the National Metrology Institute of Japan. With ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, Horiba STEC has put the Gravimetric System in place by installing an electronic balance on a floor within the facility that is not prone to the effects of vibrations. This balance measures changes in weight per unit of time and converts the results to a mass flow rate. The Gravimetric System will be incorporated as the top- level flow rate standard within the company. Horiba STEC’s ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation applies to
calibration using the Gravimetric System as well as chain- reaction and progressive calibration using standard instruments calibrated using the Gravimetric System for nitrogen, argon, oxygen, carbon tetrafluoride, sulfur hexafluoride, dry air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other inert gases in the range of 0.012498 g/min to 62.49 g/min (10 mL/min to 50 L/min for nitrogen gas at 0°C and 1 atm).
Horiba 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 | INSTRUMENTATION
www.horiba.com
NO QUANTITATIVE DATA – NO QUALITY ASSURANCE Accurate measuring is probably the most effective way of averting costly repairs or even claims for damages. This applies in particular in the context of international standards for quality management systems (e.g. ISO 9000 ff., HACCP), and also with regard to claims based on product liability legislation.
CALIBRATION AND ADJUSTMENT A measurement error is the difference between a measured value of quantity and its true value. Such errors tend to become more frequent the longer a device is in operation. At some time, the deviations might be so great that they are no longer within the specifications, which means that quality is no longer assured. By calibrating the device, the
measurement error can be determined and documented. If the measurements are outside the permissible range, the device needs to be adjusted. In this process, the measuring instrument is reconfigured so that measurement errors are minimised
and deviations from the setpoint value are within the device specifications.
ONE-POINT OR MULTIPLE-POINT CALIBRATION? One-point calibration is sufficient for quality assurance under static operating conditions. However, compressed air systems are generally run under constantly changing, dynamic ambient and operating conditions, which cause the quality of the compressed air to fluctuate within the measuring range and between the system-defined limits (such as those of the compressed air quality classes according to ISO 8573.1). To accurately capture the values across the entire operating range, multiple-point calibration is therefore simply a must, although it is a much more time- consuming and costly task.
FIVE-POINT CALIBRATION Beko Technologies takes its slogan “Better through Responsibility” seriously and therefore has adopted five-point calibration as the standard method for its measuring devices and sensors. While five-point calibration is more time- consuming and expensive, it has proven the most effective approach to protect compressed air system operators against costly claims for damages. All calibration procedures are
performed on a standardised test bench and customers obtain a detailed report of the five-point factory calibration results. The company can also execute more calibration points. Furthermore, specific customer calibration such as calibration within the operating range of the instruments can be done.
Beko Technologies
www.beko-technologies.co.uk
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