Flow meters are used to measure the flow of various liquids and gases and calibrating or re-calibrating these devices plays an important role in food and pharma manufacturing standards. It also helps companies with quality assurance as part of their adherence to pharmaceutical cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) and FDA regulations.
Practices to follow to ensure you meet quality standards.
- Laboratory Accreditation
Accreditation by a calibration laboratory or service provider establishes that traceability standards have been met, uncertainty recorded, and proper procedures have been used during flow meter calibration.
- Accuracy or Uncertainty
To correctly assess accuracy, the test device and standard should measure the same quantity of liquid or gas, under the same conditions. Uncertainty values must be determined and recorded.
- Show Traceability
The calibration of a flow meter is conducted by comparing its readings against a standard, under controlled test conditions. For successful flow meter calibration, the measurements from the standard device used for comparison much be traceable to national/international industry standards.
- Understanding Fluid Properties
Other than quantity, the properties of the fluid or gas being measured also have to be taken into consideration. These cause it to interact with the flow meter in some way, and changes in this interaction can affect the measurements given by the device.
- Installation Conditions
Other factors that may affect a flowmeter’s readings include vibrations, electronic interference and flow disturbances at the installation site. The installation of the standard device used for reference should also be as similar to the test device’s installation conditions as possible.
If you use a flow meter in your business, it will need to be re-calibrated regularly. You should set up a schedule for regular calibration services provided by qualified professionals,
As a leader in Scientific Equipment Repair and Medical Equipment Calibrations, Scientific Instrument Center works with many corporations, universities, and hospitals providing the highest level of laboratory services. Whether we are providing biosafety cabinet calibration or medical equipment calibration, we keep your equipment performing to industry codes and regulations. Feel free to contact us at (614) 771-4700
