Calibration FAQ’s
Welcome to our FAQ where we will answer some common questions that our customers asked about our services and calibration in general. If you don’t find what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to contact us!
Welcome to our FAQ where we will answer some common questions that our customers asked about our 1. How do I get a quotation for calibration services?
Please contact us at one of our facilities and speak to a customer service representative. You can simply send us a list to quote or schedule an appointment with our Technical Sales Representative who will be happy to visit your site and help assess your service requirements. Each quotation will come with Pylon’s terms and conditions.
2. What items require calibration?
This question is not as easy to answer as you may think. The simple answer might be any device that takes a quantitative measurement and is used in the process of making judgements about the status of an instrument or system. This basically would include all your instruments, and in some cases, this may be the easiest way to manage the integrity of your assets.
If you take a closer look at your assets, it becomes a matter of the kind of control you have over the use of these assets and how many are actually used in making critical process measurements. If you can identify usage, you can be more selective about which tools need to be calibrated and build this process of identification and classification into your quality system. The ultimate goal is to have confidence in your product or service in the most cost effective manner. Please contact us should you require more support with this decision.
3. What is included in a calibration price at Pylon?
Pylon’s calibration price reflects the effort required to compare your instrument to our standards and record the data as defined in the calibration procedure. Minor repairs and minor adjustments that require less than 15 minutes or 10 % of the normal calibration time (whichever is greater), is also included. If major alignment or repair is required, the customer will be contacted with a request for authorization to approve investigation or repair charges.
4. How often should I calibrate my equipment?
There are many ways, including very complex algorithms, to manage the calibration cycles of test equipment. Instrument calibration history, repair history, number of times used, type of usage, OEM recommendations, and budget cycles are all examples of factors that may influence decisions about cal frequencies. In a majority of cases, customers typically use an annual or semi-annual cycle for instruments because it usually makes a reasonable balance of risk analysis, budgets, and normal business rhythms. It is important to note that the customer is ultimately responsible for deciding calibration cycle times.
6. Is Urgent Service available?
Urgent service is available with lab time of 2 to 3 working days. An urgent fee of 25% of the calibration charge (minimum charge $25.00) is applied. You need to contact the CSR (Customer Service Representative) at your “local” lab to make prior arrangements.
1. Are your standards traceable?
All Pylon labs are certified to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and comply with all the requirements of this standard. Traceability to the International System of Units (SI) is obtained through National labs such as NRC and NIST as well as other accredited labs.
2. What is meant by traceability?
A good definition for traceability can be found at the NRC website: nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/solutions/advisory/calibration/policies
3. Does Pylon provide NIST numbers?
No. Pylon does not provide NIST numbers because they are not required. The National Conference of Standards Laboratories International (NCSLI) has concisely answered this question: “Test report numbers issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the United States Department of Commerce are intended to be used solely for administrative purposes. Although they are often used to uniquely identify documents which bear evidence of traceability, test report numbers should not be used nor required as proof of the adequacy or traceability of a test or measurement.”
4. Do you provide the certificates to prove the traceability of your standards?
It is not Pylon’s policy to provide customers with copies of certificates for Pylon standards used to calibrate the customers’ instruments with traceability back to a national lab. This request could involve a huge effort and defeats the purpose of having Quality system registrations with external auditing bodies. Pylon is, however, open to having customers come to our facility and audit our processes and files at a mutually convenient time.
1. What is the normal TAT (Turn Around Time) of your calibration process?
Our primary goal is to have a TAT of 5 lab days. This period excludes the shipping time, and delays caused by a repair, lack of required documentation, missing accessories, instruments contracted or found not to meet specification during the course of the calibration process.
2. Where do your trucks deliver?
Pylon has a fleet of vehicles that service regions in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. Free pickup and delivery service are available along our routes and in the major centres of each region. Please contact the office nearest you for details.
1. Does it cost more for certificates or Test Data Sheets (TDS)?
Unless specifically stated otherwise, all prices quoted for calibrations processed by Pylon include Certificates and Test Data Sheets. These documents are also available on-line for customers who have signed up for this service.
1. What calibration procedures do you use?
Pylon’s Metrologists use documented procedures from recognised sources to perform all calibrations. Pylon currently holds in excess of 25,000 manuals – both electronic and paper. These include OEM procedures, service manuals, military approved procedures and Pylon written procedures.
In an effort to minimise delays, Pylon would ask that when possible, customers supply any unique calibration procedures required for special or proprietary equipment or systems sent to us for calibration. If tasked, Pylon can also write or adapt procedures to meet the customer’s requirements. In situations where we have no documentation for your instrument, Pylon has an on-going investment commitment per annum for library upgrades and maintenance.
2. Will I be notified if my instrument fails calibration?
Customers are informed in the event that an instrument fails calibration. This procedure will be managed in a method that best suits the customer’s requirements.
If Sub Contract support is required, the customer will be notified and approval will be requested. Suppliers and their services are scrutinized by our QA team. Customers can select the option to have Pylon address all Repair and Sub Contract requirements without “per unit” authorisation. The process would become more automated which would improve TAT and reduce drain on customer’s resources.
3. What documentation do I get with each calibration?
Pylon offers complete documentation. Each unit calibrated comes with a Certificate of Calibration and Test Data Sheets and the appropriate labelling.
Certificates All instruments successfully calibrated at Pylon Electronics Inc. are issued a Certificate of Calibration. These documents are in both hard copy and electronic format. Accredited calibrations will have certificates that comply with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025.
TDS’s (Test Data Sheets) All instruments processed in our labs receive a completed TDS. Each TDS template has been approved by authorised personnel and references an approved procedure.
Labelling Calibration labels are affixed to the front of instruments, when possible, to ensure good visibility for routine inspections. These labels reference the Calibration Date, the recommended Calibration due date, work order reference number and instrument asset number.
1. What kind of Security procedures does Pylon have in place?
Pylon works with the Department of National Defence, a variety of other government agencies, and many companies that need to comply with a range of security requirements. Pylon is registered with the Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and all employees are assessed through this program. In addition to that, all three facilities have CGP security plans that have been audited and approved by CG representatives.
Pylon is also registered with the Industrial Security Program and all facilities have been approved. Most of our employees are cleared as Level II Secret and some at Top Secret which allows them easier access to secure customer locations.
Pylon is very familiar with industry and Government security requirements and has the workforce to meet this demand.
1. Can Pylon provide a complete asset management service?
Pylon offers our customers an Asset or Test Equipment Management System to provide monthly recall of instruments due for calibration.
Our asset management program includes:
- Test equipment asset Inventory
- Automatic recall notification and calibration
- Certificates of traceability and compliance
- Complete documentation
- Custom reports based on Client requirements
Pylon is currently running a program known as POMS operating system. Among many other features, this program allows us to maintain detailed histories for each instrument, and provide recall notices.
1. Can I access information about my instruments on line?
Pylon has a Customer Portal to allow customers to login to review current instrument status, review calibration history records, produce recall reports, view Test Data, print “Web” certificates, and make specific queries to our customer service representatives. Other Customer end users and administrators can obtain passwords and begin using the system at any time. New data is updated on a daily basis while existing data is refreshed hourly. Please Contact us and activate for Web Portal account today.
1. Does Pylon do calibration at the customer’s location?
In order to meet many customer’s requirements, Pylon offers On-Site Calibration services for a wide variety of test equipment. Advanced scheduling will be required to ensure all your technical needs can be met. Please Contact us for details. Some minor repairs can be attempted in the field but most repairs will need to be returned to our labs.
1. Does Pylon offer other Technical Support Services?
Yes. Pylon offers other support services to complement our calibration and repair services.
Technical Writing
Pylon can provide the expertise to write technical procedures you may require for the testing or calibration of unique test stations. We have the depth of experience to provide professional and detailed assistance with a wide range of test situations. Pricing will be based on the project size.
Engineering Support
Pylon can assist with measurement expertise to devise methods to obtain accurate, useful data from your test equipment and the related applications. Pricing will be based on time and materials. Pylon can also make recommendations for equipment purchases to fit your measurement requirements and assist with procurement if required.
1. What kind of Workmanship and Warranty policies does Pylon have?
All repairs are verified by subsequent calibration of the instrument.
Pylon offers a 3-month warranty on all parts and workmanship used in the repair of customer’s equipment. Warranty on Calibration will be limited to any deficiency caused by poor workmanship or faulty standards. This would indeed be a rare event as our instruments receive 100% outgoing inspection. Calibration is a “snapshot” of instrument performance at the time of calibration and therefore Pylon cannot warrant instruments to remain within calibration specifications in a variety of environments over the recommended interval.