Calibrated Pressure gage (Digital)

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Kaly
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Hello,
Can someone tell me what is NIST calibration ?
I inquired about a digital pressure gage, the supplier says it is calibrated to catalogue pages but not NIST calibrated. NIST calibration will need longer ETA and higher cost. I am not sure if I really need that since my application doesn't need huge precision. + or _ .5 psi tolerance is fine..
 
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NIST Calibration is typically only required if you are an ISO 9001 Certified manufacturer. It depends on your usage if you need the NIST Calibration or not, but I would guess that if you are uncertain what the NIST is, you most likely do not need it.
 
Calibration for instrumentation is done to ensure the accuracy of a measurement, and is independent of the gauge's precision (see disambiguation: accuracy vs precision). The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) is a measurement standards laboratory which helps develop and maintain fundamental measurement standards; calibration of instrumentation for many industries depend on standards maintained by this government organization.

Traceability example: Thermometers and NIST Traceable Calibration
SureControls.com said:
With NIST traceable calibration, any measurements taken with a certified thermometer will have:
  1. An unbroken chain of measurements that leads back to NIST maintained standards.
  2. Known and documented uncertainties for each step in the chain.
  3. A quality assurance system in place to maintain that measurement uncertainty.

In the case of a pressure gauge, requirements for accuracy and consequences of an incorrect measurement will help you decide if you need a traceable calibration. Some points to keep in mind:
  • How important is it to get an accurate measurement? Is the application safety or process-critical? Are you measuring the pressure of a system which might be damaged by an incorrect pressure?
  • Are there local regulations in place for your application which require traceable calibration of measurement equipment?
  • What are the consequences of an incorrect measurement?
It might be you don't need traceable calibration, but keep these things in mind before totally disregarding it. Good luck in your search.
 
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Thank you, that was helpful