Calibrators

What is Calibration?

The word “calibration” has different meanings depending on the industry or setting in which it is used. In the test and measurement industry, calibration has a specific meaning, which, at a basic level, is the act of comparing a device under test (DUT) of an unknown value with a reference standard of a known value. A person typically performs a calibration to determine the error or verify the accuracy of the DUT’s unknown value. As a basic example, you could perform a calibration by measuring the temperature of a DUT thermometer in water at the known boiling point (212 degrees Fahrenheit) to learn the error of the thermometer.  Because visually determining the exact moment that boiling point is achieved can be imprecise, you could achieve a more accurate result by placing a calibrated reference thermometer, of a precise known value, into the water to verify the DUT thermometer.

 

A logical next step that can occur in a calibration process may be to adjust, or true up, the instrument to reduce measurement error. Technically, adjustment is a separate step from calibration.