Navigating Calibration and Maintenance (Part 3)

(Continued from Part 2)

The LabtronX Accuracy Assurance Calibration and Maintenance Program is an attempt to make course corrections before you end up drifting too far away from where you want to be.  Drift in accuracy and reliability can be caused by a number of things, including the following:

  • Temperature changes
  • Moisture
  • Corrosive gasses
  • Insects
  • Dust and dirt
  • Stained and scratched lenses and glassware
  • Mechanical parts being worn (fans and motors)
  • Consumable parts nearing the end of their lives (lamps, O-rings, electrodes, and tubing)
  • Contaminated or expired standards
  • Improper use or care
  • Frequent use
  • Vibration
  • Electrical problems
  • Component failures
  • Age of the instrument

LabtronX recommends that all critical and reporting equipment should undergo calibration and maintenance  twice a year.  We have learned from experience that a year is a long time, and equipment failures during the course of a year are common.  With semi-annual maintenance  and calibration, we can often detect problems before they become failures, and bring your instruments back on course.

Regulations or normal instrument drift may require quarterly calibrations or even more frequent verifications.  It is wise to get into the habit of performing frequent verifications on instruments that are used heavily or operate constantly, like process monitors.

Remember: The #1 habit of highly effective people is to “be proactive.”  Each day asks a lot of us, but we need to do more than just survive the day… we need to decide where we want to go and chart a course.  When it comes to your lab equipment, let us help.