2007年12月18日星期二

Precise Calibration of Measurement Devices

Measurement is a huge encompassing tool that is used throughout society. Measurement of liquids, weight, height, length and width are all common daily activities. Our life as we know it today could not be lived if we did not understand the terminology related to measurement. At the deli counter, the gas pump, the doctors office and the lumberyard you will find that your business transaction will inevitably not be complete without an assessment of dimension.

Considering this fact, it is quite mind-boggling the number of industries today that would not function if measurement was not defined in precise terms. The administrator of the measurement equipment must then understand these terms or the equipment would be of no value.

Calibration is one such term of measurement and is defined in Wikipedia as: the process of determining the relation between the output (or response) of a measuring instrument and the value of the input quantity or attribute, a measurement standard. In non-specialized use, calibration is often regarded as including the process of adjusting the output or indication on a measurement instrument to agree with value of the applied standard, within a specified accuracy. For example, a thermometer could be calibrated so the error of indication or the correction is determined, and adjusted (e.g. via calibration constants) so that it shows the true temperature in Celsius at specific points on the scale.

If these terms are familiar to you: loop calibrator, power transducer, signal conditioner, temperature calibrator - then your appreciation of calibration is perhaps common everyday practice.

You may be interested in an item known as a multifunction calibrator. This calibrator is a highly accurate, portable hand-held device providing functions and accuracy associated with fixed installation, laboratory instruments, and has everything needed for virtually any calibration task. Additionally, if you are a buyer for an industrial site, power distributor or regulating authority you are probably always researching what is new in the manufacturers world of power analyzer and logger sets. Could it be possible that there is a new product on the market that is capable of setting new standards with over 500 logging channels, is waterproof and has maximum operator safety, is light and portable, can be self powered, log eight inputs, has the capabilities to measure in detail for weeks such activities as motor start surges, transients, sag negative sequence voltage just to name a few.

Businesses that require instruments that perform measurements such as test measurement, measurement control, calibration and recording instruments most definitely will benefit from developing an information resource bank of equipment made by manufacturers that produce calibration instruments.