Traceability
Before you start any inspection you will have to make sure that all your equipment is traceable.
Traceability is usually assured by having equipment calibrated at a UKAS accredited laboratory, at a national laboratory or in-house against traceable standards.
Traceability is important to ensure that components made in different organisations assemble correctly.
A typical traceability chain may take the following form:
- Micrometer checked in–house against gauge blocks calibrated at a UKAS accredited laboratory.
- UKAS laboratory calibrates the customer’s gauge blocks by comparison against a set calibrated at NPL by interferometry.
- The gauge block laboratory at NPL has the lasers used in interferometery, thermometers, pressure measuring system, etc., calibrated against the appropriate primary standard.
Note: At the head of the traceability chain for length measurements is the definition of the metre.
Traceability chain for gauge blocks
6 of 9
Good practice online modules
- Dimensional
- Overview of basic design & interpretation of an engineering drawing
- An introduction to datum
- An introduction to geometric tolerancing
- An introduction to the designer's role in the design & interpretation of an engineering drawing
- An introduction to the manufacturer's role in the design & interpretation of an engineering drawing
- An introduction to the inspector's role in the design & interpretation of an engineering drawing