ISO/IEC 17025 · ANAB Accredited

What ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation Actually Means

Uncertainty, traceability, and scope decide whether a calibration certificate holds up in an audit. Here is what each one means, and how to verify System Scale’s.

View Our Scope of Accreditation

Uncertainty, Traceability, and Accreditation

Three things determine whether a calibration certificate holds up in an audit. Uncertainty is the stated doubt around a measurement result, reported as a specific number. Traceability is the unbroken chain of comparisons connecting a measurement back to a national standard, maintained in the U.S. by NIST. Accreditation is third-party proof that a lab is competent to do the work it claims, audited directly against the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.

Accreditation alone does not tell you what a lab can calibrate. The scope of accreditation does.

System Scale’s Accreditation

System Scale is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), recognized under the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement.

Every System Scale location carries ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for scale and balance calibration, with certificates that are NIST-traceable, referencing NIST Handbook 44, ASTM E617, and related national standards.

Our multiple dedicated calibration labs carry a broader scope of accreditation that extends well past scales, covering dimensional metrology (gage blocks, calipers, micrometers, thread gages, coordinate measuring machines), electrical measurement (DC and AC voltage and current, resistance, capacitance, RTD and thermocouple simulation), force and torque, hardness testing, pressure and vacuum, and thermodynamic parameters. View our current Scope & Certificate of Accreditation.

How to Read a Scope of Accreditation Before You Hire a Lab

A certificate tells you a lab is accredited. It does not tell you what the lab is accredited to calibrate. Before you hire a calibration provider, ask for their scope and check three things:

  1. Does it list your specific equipment types? Accreditation for scales does not cover pressure gauges, torque wrenches, or dimensional equipment unless the scope specifically says so.
  2. Does it cover your required ranges? A lab can be accredited for a parameter and still fall short of the range or uncertainty your equipment needs.
  3. Is it current? Scope documents are versioned and expire. Check the issue date and expiration against the certificate.

Questions Buyers Ask

If you’re in a regulated industry, hold ISO 9001 or a similar quality certification, or face third-party audits, accredited calibration is typically required or expected. Even outside regulated environments, accredited calibration gives you a documented, defensible basis for your measurement results.

The ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ANSI/NCSL Z540-1.

Yes. All calibration certificates trace back to NIST through documented reference standards and methods.

Every System Scale location is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for scale and balance calibration. The dedicated labs carry a broader accreditation scope covering additional equipment types like gauges, pressure instruments, and precision hand tools.

Ask for their current scope of accreditation, confirm it covers your specific equipment and ranges, and confirm their certificates are NIST-traceable.

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