Putting calibration in the picture
November 1st 2007

With a wide variety of mechanical and electrical thermometers used to sense and control process temperatures, regular and accurate calibration is vital. Fluke Precision Measurement has developed its latest two products to be used in industrial premises, and not just specialist laboratories

Calibration, the process of determining the relation between the output of a measuring instrument and the value of the input quantity or attribute, is critical to ensuring product consistency in manufacturing, as well as providing regulatory compliance for some industries.

Fluke, a provider of electronic test tools, offers a broad range of instruments, accessories and software solutions for the calibration lab. The two latest additions are portable products, designed to be sited in industrial premises, not just specialist calibration laboratories.

"These new models are highly accurate and have been created specifically to support day-to-day equipment," says Jason Titmas, Industrial Temperature product manager. "That's what makes them different to Fluke Precision Measurement's usual products – they are for engineers in industrial premises, not our typical target market of specialist calibration laboratories.

"The instruments are aimed at a wide selection of industries including oil and gas, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, medical and petrochemical." Portability is key, the 9140 series Field Metrology Wells consist of units weighing 7.3 kg that function over the range of –25°C to +660°C.

"Fluke has an all-in-one ethos," continues Jason Titmas. "The units have a built-in power supply so there's no need for separate equipment. This makes it easier to use in-house and to get to difficult access areas."

Each process version has a built-in reference thermometer readout that will accept reference probes with smart 6-pin DIN connectors which store probe characterisation in the connector. The built-in reference readout has a second channel which will measure resistance, voltage, or 4-20mA current. The process version provides 24 loops power for calibration of temperature transmitters.

Similarly, the 4190 Series precision infrared calibrators places portability and high-quality results high on the agenda.

The carefully designed technology assists non-experts in productively performing IR thermometer calibrations on site.

Rapid advancement in thermal imaging technology has opened up the number of uses for it in the manufacturing process, including infrared calibration. What was once an expensive and complicated tool restricted to mainly military applications, is now an integral component in industrial premises.

"Thermography is a massive growth area for Fluke," says Jason. "The energy savings that can be made from thermal analysis are impressive." Preventive maintenance continues to be buzz word across many industries. Fluke believes its products can play an important role in ensuring safety as well as efficiency.

"These tools allow assessments of the whole area and enable engineers to plan.

One particular area where this has clear advantages is carrying out boiler checks.

"Correct analysis can lead to a reduction in losses." Another tick in the box for thermometer calibration is its suitability for non-contact applications. The 4180 Series Precision Infrared Calibrators enables fast, portable and easy-to-use calibration suitable for not-experts. Features such as target stability, target uniformity, 15cm target diameter, traceable radiometric calibration and compensation for the emissivity settings of the radiation thermometer being tested overcome some common limitations of the process.

Calibration of the thermometer standards used to calibrate industrial thermometers provides traceability. This ensures that measurements made in one country agree with measurements in another country, which is particularly important for companies using similar manufacturing processes at different locations around the world.

"In several applications it is vital that analysis is traceable," explains Jason.

"Thermometer calibration is useful for the pharmaceutical industries for example, it becomes an intrinsic part of the traceability trail." For further details about Fluke's products, call the number below.

More articles from Fluke UK Ltd: