Laboratory expansion adds to scope of ISO 17025 accredited pressure calibration facility

Over the past year, Cameron Instruments has invested in its ISO 17025 accredited pressure calibration facility by adding three key pieces of equipment. The purpose of these additions was to increase throughput, provide quicker turn-around times, improve uncertainties and add to their scope.

The laboratory provides high accuracy pressure and temperature calibrations, using Fluke Piston Gauges and AMETEK JOFRA dry block and liquid bath temperature calibrators. The lab’s current scope for pressure provides coverage from 5kPa (0.7 psia) to 200 MPa (30,000 psia) in either gauge or absolute mode. Temperature capabilities cover an effective temperature range from -100° to 660°C.

The first piece of equipment added during the expansion was a Fluke 8370A Modular High-Pressure controller to 10,000 psi.

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The unit is a sister controller to the lab’s existing Fluke 6270A, that covers gas pressure to 3000 psi. The Fluke 8370A provides a second workstation that goes to higher pressure and provides additional leak testing capabilities. Together, the two workstations integrate seamlessly with the Fluke Compass for Pressure Software, providing fully automated calibrations of multiple devices.

The second piece of equipment added was with the purpose of expanding the ability to provide low pressure draft calibrations. To do this, the company acquired a Ruska 2465 deadweight tester, a low-pressure piston and an additional mass.

JOFRA RTC159 ultra-cooler dry block
temperature standard.

The Cameron Instruments laboratory manager, Andreas Stachyra, has the responsibility of testing this new piston, developing procedures, and determining uncertainties. “Our hope is to have this piston included in our scope of accreditation by the end of 2021,” he says.

“There will be a lot of proficiency testing and work that will go into adding this piston to our scope.”

The Ruska unit also comes with other piston types which will eventually be added to their scope to increase capabilities further. Once completely commissioned, it will tighten up specifications and accuracies, thus providing additional low pressure calibration options for customers, according to Stachyra.

The third piece of equipment added to the lab was a JOFRA RTC159 ultra-cooler dry block temperature standard. The unit, along with an existing CTC660 dry block, increases temperature capabilities to cover the temperature range from -100° to 660°C.

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When asked what other areas his laboratory could expand into Stachyra mentioned “possibly adding temperature to our ISO 17025 accreditation.

“This would likely be something that happens further down the road into 2022.”

With a steady flow of calibrations through the laboratory, the company says it made sense to invest in standards and accreditations to meet these growing demands. Currently, Cameron Instruments is accredited through A2LA in accordance with ISO 17025 for technical competence in the field of pressure calibration.