Is calibration necessary?

Calibration always seems to be scheduled at the most critical time in a project, for instance, when the team is working around the clock to prepare for an annual industry trade show. As an example of how calibration can affect a project, let's assume that a piece of test equipment is on a six-month calibration cycle. At month five, the design engineer starts a test sequence that lasts two months. If the instrument is recalibrated in the middle of the test, the drift or errors that built up in the first five months can be significant enough to require that the tests be redone. Wouldn't it be better to calibrate instruments before starting on a big project requiring that equipment? And wouldn't it be nice if the calibration schedule was posted so there are no surprises? One should schedule calibration in the project planning software, just like any other event, as it may be on a critical path. If it is ignored, calibration can delay the project.

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Originally published by Maxim Integrated Products Inc.at www.maximintegrated.com as "Calibration—Needless or a Necessity?".