Equipment Calibration is the Vaccine for Bad Data.
Throughout the pandemic, a large volume of equipment fell out of calibration as companies experienced financial distress and employees working remotely lost regular access to their labs and equipment. As business operations recover and staff return to their facilities, the equipment they use on a regular basis may be out of calibration. While the equipment may operate properly in the short-term, the risks and costs begin to grow as time goes on. Equipment must receive preventative maintenance and be calibrated to provide trustworthy data.
During the pandemic, a customer noticed that two identical environmental sensors calibrated in 2019 showed a difference in humidity reading by the end of 2020. By mid-2021, the sensors were more than two degrees different. Over time, these two sensors were far enough apart that they begin to cause a severe operational difference.
In other cases, companies have calibration gaps lasting for decades due to deficient calibration programs or attempts to minimize costs. Despite the obvious gaps, they are often perplexed as to why the “ESD safe” products they manufacture are causing problems or failing to protect their customers’ products. In one instance, a customer had not maintained their equipment since 1983 and could not understand why it failed to operate as intended when they needed it most.
Deficient product design or manufacturing quality issues resulting from inaccurate data is a risk that most companies cannot afford. Scrap, warranty, recall, loss of business, and liability issues due to out-of-calibration equipment can be enormous. The solution is to help “vaccinate” your equipment from these issues by ensuring equipment is kept calibrated.
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