What is laboratory equipment calibration?

Calibration is defined as an association between measurements – one of a scale or accuracy made or set with one piece of equipment and another measurement made in as similar a way as possible with a second piece of equipment. The piece of equipment or device with the known or assigned accuracy is called the standard.

Standards vary from country to country depending upon the type of industry whilst manufacturers designate their measurement criterion and recommend the frequency and level of calibration, depending on how often the device is used and the specific application.

Many users require, and probably expect, a more rigorous calibration to be performed. In these instances, a UKAS calibration may be required.

Why is calibration so important?

Calibration defines the accuracy and quality of measurements recorded using a piece of equipment. Over time there is a tendency for results and accuracy to ‘drift’ particularly when using particular technologies or measuring particular parameters such as temperature or speed. To be confident in the results being measured there is an ongoing need to service and maintain the calibration of equipment throughout its lifetime for reliable, accurate and repeatable measurements.
The goal of calibration is to minimise any measurement uncertainty by ensuring the accuracy of test equipment. Calibration quantifies and controls errors or uncertainties within measurement processes to an acceptable level.
So if you know that a particular sample needs to be kept below 10°C and the instrument system you are using displays a figure of 10.4°C then provided the system is calibrated to be accurate within 0.5°C at 10°C you can be confident the sample is safe. However, if the system has an accuracy of 1°C, then you cannot be certain that the sample temperature has been correctly controlled.
In summary, calibration is vitally important wherever measurements are important, it enables users to have confidence in the results that they monitor record and subsequently control.

Calibration of laboratory equipment by Henderson Biomedical

Henderson Biomedical can calibrate a range of laboratory equipment, some to UKAS (ISO 17025) standard. Below is summary of the calibration services we provide:

 Standard  UKAS
Speed Time Temperature Pressure Weight CO2 Speed Time Temperature Pressure
Centrifuges  ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Rotary heat sealers  ✓  ✓ ✓  ✓  ✘ ✘  ✓  ✓
Impulse heat sealers  ✓  ✘
Autoclaves  ✓  ✓  ✓ ✓  ✓
Incubators  ✓ ✓ ✘  ✓
CO2 incubators ✓  ✓ ✓ ✘ ✓
Fridges  ✓ ✓
Freezers ✓ ✓
Ovens ✓ ✓ ✘ ✓
Balances  ✓
Water baths  ✓ ✓ ✘ ✓

Safety Cabinets, Isolators and Other Clean Air Instruments

Clean air products such as safety cabinets and isolators need to be periodically tested to guarantee safe operation and compliance to the latest European standards. Henderson Biomedical is able to comprehensively test the performance of any safety cabinet and isolator against these European standards. Below is a list of the type of tests we are able to carry out:

  • Airflow profiling and Filter Integrity Testing (D.O.P) to BS EN 12469:2000
  • KI Discus containment to BS 5726:1992
  • Particle monitoring
  • Air change rates
  • Lighting and noise levels