GlossaryMaintenance

What is calibration?

Also known as: instrument calibration, calibration management, calibration due date.

Definition

Calibration compares an instrument’s readings with a known reference standard and adjusts or documents it so its measurements can be trusted.

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Calibration checks a measuring device — a torque wrench, pressure gauge, scale, thermometer, multimeter, medical device — against a reference standard of known accuracy. The result is recorded on a calibration certificate showing the readings, any adjustment and whether the device is within tolerance. Traceable calibration links that reference back to national or international standards.

Why it matters

An out-of-calibration instrument produces bad measurements, which can mean defective products, unsafe work or failed audits. Quality and regulatory regimes (for example ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 environments, and healthcare equipment programs) expect instruments to be calibrated at defined intervals, with records.

What to track

  • Instrument ID and location
  • Calibration interval and next due date
  • Result (pass / adjusted / fail) and certificate
  • Who performed it (in-house or external lab)
  • What to do if found out of tolerance — review work done since the last good calibration
Example
Torque wrench TW-07: 12-month interval, calibrated 2026-02-14 (pass) → due 2027-02-14. If it fails next time, jobs since February are reviewed.

In Asetavo

Calibration is logged by completing a work order on the asset, with due tracking so instruments do not slip past their date, and the record stays in the asset's history. Tags make it quick to find the instrument when it is due.

From definition to done

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