NIST/ISO

Lixer Tools NIST Traceability vs. Independent ISO Certification

The difference between NIST traceable and ISO certifications is that NIST traceable refers to the standards used to do the certification. These standards are traceable to NIST.  ISO certifications go one step beyond NIST traceable in that ISO 17025 is a statement as to the competency of the calibration laboratory.  

All Lixer Tools products come with a Certificate of Traceability.  Unless indicated as Independent ISO or Accredited ISO, they will come with NIST Traceable Certification. Copies of both Independent ISO and NIST traceable sample certificates are shown below for your comparison.  Independent ISO certification is performed by an Independent ISO certified lab.  It is the labs default certification and does not contain the accreditation logo.

For additional information regarding NIST vs ISO certification please visit https://www.srpcontrol.com/what-is-the-difference-between-traceable-and-iso-17025-accredited-calibrations/

If you require certification with the Accreditation Logo please contact us at info@lixertools.com.  This certification costs extra and will require 7-10 days turn around time at the ISO lab.

Default vs Accredited Calibrations for Lixer Tools, LLC

 

Default Calibrations: Instrumentation is calibrated to manufacturer or customer specifications with NIST traceable standards in full compliance to ANSI Z540-1 and ISO 17025. All collected measurements and their associated measurement uncertainties are reported.

 

 A2LA Accredited Calibrations: In addition to the requirements of the default calibration; instrumentation is calibrated within our approved scope of accreditation and calibration certificate include the A2LA Accredited symbol.

1. What is laboratory accreditation?

               

                Accreditation is formal third-party recognition by an authoritative body of a laboratory’s competence, both to work to specified standards and to carry out specific tasks that are defined in the scope of the accreditation. The laboratory’s management and quality system are assessed during the accreditation process, as is the laboratory’s technical competence to carry out the specific tasks.

 

    2.  What is the difference between our default calibration service and our A2LA Accredited calibration service?

                In most cases our default calibration service is essentially the same as our A2LA Accredited calibration service.  However, there are two primary differences:    

 

                a)     Default calibration services rely on self-reporting of compliance (or compliance established by a customer audit or survey. A2LA Accredited calibrations have been evaluated for compliance and technical competency  by a third party.

 

                b)    The measurement uncertainty reported as a result of our default calibration service only includes the long- term stability of the standards and the resolution of the measurement. While the measurement uncertainty reported on our A2LA accredited calibrations is more detailed and includes all of the uncertainty components  required by A2LA R105 and ILAC P14.

 

     3. Do I need accredited calibrations?

                Accredited calibration is typically required when formal third-party recognition is expected, for example when instruments are used as reference standards, or to meet various demand from different authorities.  Accreditation provides the customer with an assurance of high-quality service, as the laboratory has been assessed to be technically competent to conduct their tasks by an external assessor.

 

Recertification time frames of Lixer Tools may vary depending on your inspectors requirements.  We list our default or recommended recall times on our recertification page.  If you need a different recall period, be sure to follow instructions to add a note to your order.  For recertification costs see our recertification page.   Recerfication does require sending the tool back to Lixer Tools. 

Some of our tools are only available with NIST traceable certification.  Typically these tools will have lasered calibration lines.  Tape Measures we sell have NIST traceable certification. 

Most of our tools that have milled calibration slots are initially available with NIST traceability, however, recertification of these tools are only available with ISO certification due to the lab we use.

For ISO purposes it must be understood that Accuracy is the degree of conformity of a measured or calculated quantity to its true value. Precision or repeatability is the degree to which a number of measurements or calculations show the same or similar results. The results of a measurement can be accurate but not precise, precise but not accurate; neither; or both. The measurement is valid if it is both accurate and precise. Therefore, having NIST or ISO traceability on your Lixer will assure that any product acceptance or rejection is justified.

For your ISO 9001:2015 7.1.5.2 Measurement Traceability program, we recommend that your procedure for checking tape measures include the following:

• *Tape measures should be checked for accuracy with a Lixer at the time of purchase
• *Tape measures should be checked for accuracy using a Lixer prior to any critical measuring
• *Tape measure accuracy should be verified any time the tape measure has been dropped or subjected to abuse
• *Thermal expansion rates be applied in hot or cold environments
• *Calibrated tape measures should be replaced if they are damaged or worn beyond the stated acceptable range of accuracy
• *Tape measures should be replaced on a regular interval. Tape measures are subject to stretching of the blade from opening and closing cycles. They also lose accuracy from any bends or twists in the blade.
• *Records should be maintained.

For more detailed information on how to use Lixer Tape Measure Calibration tools visit our Calibration Procedure page.

It has been common for tape measures to be checked using a steel rule for lack of a better method. The Lixer checks both the push and the pull measurements over the entire surface of the end hook. A steel rule fails to identify the full loss of accuracy from a bent end hook.

Sample Independent ISO Certificate for Gage Block

Sample NIST Traceable Certificate for Gage Block

Sample Independent ISO Certificate for Lixer A-Class or Lixer Master  Note: Lixer A-Class will have a 12 month recall, Lixer Master will have a 24 month recall

Sample NIST Traceable Certificate for Lixer A-Class or Lixer Master

Sample Independent ISO Certificate for Bench Lixer Square

Sample NIST Traceable Certificate for Tape Measures

Information included on tape measure certificates will vary depending on tape measure model and length

 

Contact Us:

Thank you for your interest in Lixer Tools. If you have further questions or need additional information please email us at info@lixertools.com