Calibration is essential in almost every facet of industrial processes. The calibration process verifies test instrument accuracy by comparison with recognized standards, and measurement validity hinges on one crucial concept: traceability.

Traceability adherence ensures a continuous link between your unit under test (UUT) and that standard. Here, we examine traceability and explore why it’s necessary for achieving accurate measurement results.

What is traceability?

Traceability is documented evidence that confirms measurement accuracy through an unbroken chain of calibration events. When calibrating an instrument, accurate measurement results rely on this definitive link between the UUT’s indication and those established standards. For most industrial customers, an accredited calibration laboratory typically maintains these reference standards, possibly linking all the way to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). An accredited lab uses its standards, which are traceable to a higher-echelon lab, to calibrate field-level instruments. This traceable path ensures that the calibrated instrument measurements are dependable.

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