State laws and good industry practices demand that your measurement devices, e.g., scales, meters and other devices “be continuously maintained in proper operating condition throughout the period of such service.”
What does this requirement demand? How do you comply with it? The answers lies within the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Your device calibration and maintenance program can't be too robust, or you will spend unnecessary dollars without a return of value.
The program can’t be too lean, or you risk non-compliance, loss of reputation from customer complaints due to inaccurate measurements or loss of profit from “giving away” product.
Like Goldilocks, you want your calibration and measurement program to be "not too big," "not too small," "but just right" to ensure compliance, accuracy and reliability at the minimum cost to your company.
You can accomplish this by following these key points.
Understand the applicable measurement laws
Understand good industry practices and any contractual measurements requirements (contracts are often more specific than laws and include calibration frequency, methods, etc.)
Know your measurement device type and what it takes to maintain its performance
Track the history of the device performance.
While all four are important, number four, tracking device performance is often neglected and is essential to right sizing your calibration and maintenance program.
By tracking your calibration results you can determine and have confidence in the proper calibration frequency.
The type of meter and type of product influences meter reliability. Clean products like biofuels create less wear on meters whereas crude oil and other products can cause wear and clingage that affects performance demanding more frequent cleanings and calibrations.
The number of trucks or railcars weighed per day can affect the calibration frequency of a scale. The more the scale is used the more often it should be tested. Harsh environments will also impact the performance and life of the scale and its parts, thus necessitating more frequent testing.
Implementing an internal scale check program can extend the time between tests and give you confidence the scale is functioning properly.
Tracking the results and conditions of each test will create a history that can be used to best determine how often you must test and calibrate your measurement device.
In summary, know the laws and contractual requirements, understand your device type and its capabilities and limitations and track its performance so you can design a "Goldilocks" calibration and maintenance program that is just right for your company.
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