Calibration Lab and Accreditations

Instron's global calibration laboratory provides cutting-edge calibration services for materials testing systems with capabilities that are continuously expanding.

Our calibration laboratories are accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) under Lab Code 200301-0, a signatory of the International Laboratory Accredited Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ILAC MRA). This accreditation covers both the factory and field calibrations carried out globally.

View Our NVLAP Lab Code 200301-0 Scope of Accreditation

More Information on the Types of Calibrations We Offer

Calibration vs. Verification

Calibration and verification are commonly used terms across many scientific disciplines and industries with varied, yet similar, meanings. In addition, the connotation of the two terms has changed and evolved over time. So closely related, these terms are often used interchangeably by mistake.

The process of calibration is the comparison of the customer’s device to a reference standard the Field Service Engineer uses. For force, it would be the customer’s load force weighing system (load cell and electronics) against the Field Service Engineer’s working standard. For displacement, the process is the comparison of the customer’s displacement measuring system to the Field Service Engineer’s working standard. We do a comparison of the two devices and determine the difference between them, to achieve a measurement result (commonly referred to as the error). A calibration does not make any assessment of Pass or Fail.

Verification takes the measurement result (the error) from the calibration and checks it against the standard to see if it meets the standard’s requirements. In other words, verification classes the machine based upon the error identified and other criteria from the calibration. The verification determines if the device being calibrated meets the requirements and makes a statement of conformance, Pass or Fail.

Calibration FAQs

Largest Commercial Deadweight Test Stand In North America

Instron’s Calibration Lab houses the largest commercial deadweight test stand in North America. We have invested in a certified deadweight stack to ensure that our calibration services provide the greatest possible accuracy.

Because of this commitment to accuracy, Instron’s calibration services not only meet internationally accepted standards but also routinely exceed them.

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What Is Accreditation?

Laboratory accreditation is an independent, third-party evaluation of a laboratory’s competence to perform calibrations within its Scope of Accreditation. An integral part of the accreditation process is the technical evaluation of the laboratory’s capability, which includes confirmation that the laboratory provides measurement results traceable to recognized National Measuring Institutes (NMI), such as the NPL in the UK, NIST in the USA, and PTB in Germany.

Although there are a number of organizations that approve calibration laboratories, only the bodies that are members of ILAC are recognized as having an international standing.

Alignment Test

Force Calibration

Speed and Displacement Verification

Calibration Certificates

We believe that providing calibration certificates in a digitally encrypted format provides you with all the benefits and flexibility of electronic files as well as confidence in the integrity of such documentation. Many calibration organizations may offer electronic/digital calibration certificates, but few offer digitally encrypted calibration certificates.

What Are Digitally Encrypted Calibration Certificates?

Digitally encrypted calibration certificates are electronic files that have an encrypted algorithm embedded and hidden within the file. If such files are altered, a message is displayed within the document to warn the viewer.

Instron calibration laboratories only provide digitally encrypted calibration certificates. When a calibration certificate is approved, we apply a digital signature, which looks like a normal signature. If the document was to be altered, the signature block would display a warning message to indicate a change has taken place since the digital signing.