Every month, Control's editors take a specific product area, collect all the latest, significant tools we can find, and present them here to make your job easier. If you know of any tools and resources we didn't include, send them to [email protected], and we'll add them to the website.
ADVANCED CALIBRATION SECRETS
Beamex
800/888-9892
Beamex has released "Ultimate Calibration," calibration handbook covering various topics about advanced calibration. Published in February 2009, the book consists of 16 articles in 170 pages, and also has a section on calibration terminology from A to Z. For more information on calibration, visit the Beamex Calibration Academy at www.beamex.com/academy/index.html. For a free copy of Ultimate Calibratrion, register at www.beamex.com/campaign/beamex-book_v1.phtml
FEWER SENSOR ERRORS IN LOOPS
Fluke
800/443-5853
Calibrating a loop is more than just 4-20 mA, so Fluke has released its "Eliminating Sensor Errors in Loop Calibrations" white paper. It reports that, "significant performance improvement can realized by optimizing the loop calibration measurement system to better accommodate the unique characteristics of the temperature sensing element." For more, visit http://tinyurl.com/27n9lqe.
ESSENTIALS ON VIDEO
Endress+Hauser
888/ENDRESS
This short tutorial video covers the basic aspects of calibration technology. It also explains Endress+Hauser's calibration capabilities and services to help users reduce their operating costs and improve process efficiency. A short preview of the video and a link to sign up for a free DVD are located at http://tinyurl.com/23r6fju
CALIBRATION KNOW-HOW
Omega Engineering
888/826-6342
"Calibration Primer: An Omega Engineering White Paper" explains what calibration is, why it is important, and how it works. Also, NIST traceability is defined and discussed, and there is a step-by-step description of a basic calibration. This paper also discusses in-house vs. laboratory calibration, and it describes major types of calibration devices. To read it, visit www.omega.com/Temperature/pdf/CALPRIMER_REF.pdf
INSTRUMENT CALIBRATION GUIDE
Dickson
800/757-3747
Quality managers and others responsible for maintaining temperature and/or humidity chart recorders or data loggers can now download a comprehensive guide to all aspects of instrument calibration. Chapter topics in this online guide include why calibrations are required; review of calibration methods; guide to developing calibration schedules; "before" data considerations; best-fit applications for one-point, three-point and custom-point calibrations; glossary of calibration terms; and an optional Calibration Club registration. For more information, visit www.dicksondata.com/info/calibration_why.php
ALL THE CALIBRATION BASICS
PAControl.com
Chapter 13, "Instrument Calibration," in Tony Kuphardt's "Lessons in Industrial Instrumentation" PDF contains nine subsections on basic calibration topics and procedures, such ranging, span adjustments, damping, typical errors, NIST traceability, instrument turndown and even practice calibration standards. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/28jdnlg.
MODULAR INSTRUMENT CALIBRATION
National Instruments
800/531-5066
This paper, "Calibrating Modular Instruments," examines a modular instrumentation platform and when and how to calibrate modular instrumentation. The fundamental principles of metrology and calibration are the same regardless of whether the instrumentation platform is based on modular instruments or traditional instruments. However, the flexibility of the modular platform and the software-defined interface allow for a variety of options for calibrating these instruments. To view, visit http://tinyurl.com/2dkhzma.
