QUALITY
At System Scale, “Quality You Can Measure” isn’t just a slogan, it’s a way of life. Because we strictly adhere to ISO 17025 standards, you get total peace of mind that your calibrations and paperwork are always done properly and are always compliant and safe.
But what does it mean to hold ISO 17025 accreditation, and why should that be important to you as you look for your trusted calibration service provider?
Having ISO accreditation is not an achievement that System Scale takes lightly. In fact, ISO 17025 is the standard for which most labs must hold certification in order to be deemed technically competent, and in many cases, suppliers and regulatory authorities will not accept test or calibration results from a lab that is not accredited to this standard.
ISO 17025 accreditation is the most important benchmark for calibration and testing and is used by laboratories around the world. Labs that are certified to ISO 17025 compliance ratings have gone through rigorous testing and have demonstrated that they are completely proficient and are able to produce high quality, consistent test results with the highest level of accuracy. ISO accreditation is voluntary and involves a third-party review process to ensure that the lab’s quality management system has been thoroughly examined by an outside party prior to being deemed compliant with ISO 17025 standards and protocol.
Laboratory accreditation bodies use the ISO 17025 standard to assess factors relevant to a laboratory’s ability to produce precise, accurate tests and calibrations. This can include:
- Assurance that calibrations meet national standards
- Competence of staff related to technical aspects
- Upkeep of test equipment
- QA of test and calibration data
- Validity of testing methods
- Appropriate handling of test items
- Quality of testing environment
The Importance of ISO 17025 Accreditation
What is the difference between NIST (standard calibration) and ISO 17025?
NIST stands for the “National Institute for Standards and Technology”. NIST is an organization responsible for maintaining the master for various measurements, including standards like “foot”, “second,” and “pound.” The organization also sets the standard for environmental measurements including temperature, humidity, and pressure. All of our instruments at System Scale are calibrated to NIST, which means our master standard can be traced directly to the standard issued by NIST, which guarantees precision. More information on NIST can be found on www.nist.gov.
ISO 17025 is an international standard that demonstrates a company is technically competent and able to produce accurate test and calibration results with complete precision. As mentioned above, being accredited to ISO 17025 is the most rigorous quality standard in the measurement industry. It is very difficult to attain, and a majority of calibration providers operating today have not achieved this accreditation.
System Scale offers 3 tiers of service, depending on requirements:
- Standard Scale Check With Calibration Summary: For scales where pinpoint accuracy isn’t necessary and extensive documentation isn’t required.
- ISO 17025 With Detailed Certification (Scale and Lab): For both precision lab equipment or industrial scales where ISO documentation is required
and the highest level of testing is necessary. This service ensures a complete level of accuracy. Includes mechanical, thermodynamic, electrical, and
various other devices. - Custom Calibration Services: For non “scale” testing including elevator capacity checks, rigging and strap testing, stage capacity testing, and more.
With System Scale, you never need to question the standard of service as you’ll always receive the highest quality approach.