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Calibration Glossary

Browse our glossary of calibration-related terminology.

Beamex / Dictionary

Random error

Random error is the result of a single measurement of a value, minus the mean of a large number of meas­ure­ments of the same value.

Repair

Repair is the process of returning an un­ser­vice­able or non­con­form­ing item to serviceable condition.

Repair (minor)

Minor repair is the process of quickly and eco­nom­ic­ally returning an un­ser­vice­able item to serviceable condition by doing simple work using parts that are in stock in the calibration lab.

Reported value

One or more numerical results of a calibration process, with the associated measurement uncertainty, as recorded on a calibration report or certificate.

Scope of ac­cred­it­a­tion

For an accredited calibration or testing laboratory, the scope is a documented list of calibration or testing fields, parameters, specific meas­ure­ments, or cal­ib­ra­tions and their best measurement, uncertainty.

Self-calibration

Self-calibration is a process performed by a user for the purpose of making an IM&TE instrument or system ready for use.

Spe­cific­a­tion

In metrology, a spe­cific­a­tion is a documented statement of the expected performance cap­ab­il­it­ies of a large group of sub­stan­tially identical measuring instruments, given in terms of the relevant parameters and including the accuracy or uncertainty

Standard (document)

A standard (industry, national, government, or in­ter­na­tion­al standard; a norme) is a document that describes the processes and methods that must be performed in order to achieve a specific technical or management objective, or the methods for evaluation of any of these.

Standard (measurement)

A standard (measurement standard, laboratory standard, calibration standard, reference standard; an étalon) is a system, instrument, artifact, device, or material that is used as a defined basis for making quant­it­at­ive meas­ure­ments. 

Standard operating procedure (SOP)

A term used by some or­gan­iz­a­tions to identify policies, procedures, or work in­struc­tions.

Standard reference material

A standard reference material (SRM) as defined by NIST “is a material or artifact that has had one or more of its property values certified by a technically valid procedure, and is accompanied by, or traceable to, a certificate or other doc­u­ment­a­tion which is issued by NIST

Standard uncertainty

The uncertainty of the result of a measurement, expressed as a standard deviation. (GUM, 2.3.1)

System owner

The person responsible for the avail­ab­il­ity, and maintenance of a com­pu­ter­ised system and for the security of the data residing on that system.

Systematic error

A systematic error is the mean of a large number of meas­ure­ments of the same value minus the (probable) true value of the measured parameter

Test accuracy ratio (TAR)

In a calibration procedure, the test accuracy ratio (TAR) is the ratio of the accuracy tolerance of the unit under calibration to the accuracy tolerance of the calibration standard used.

Test uncertainty ratio (TUR)

In a calibration procedure, the test uncertainty ratio (TUR) is the ratio of the accuracy tolerance of the unit under calibration to the uncertainty of the calibration standard used.

Tolerance

A tolerance is a design feature that defines limits within which a quality char­ac­ter­ist­ic is supposed to be on individual parts; it represents the maximum allowable deviation from a specified value.

Traceable, trace­ab­il­ity

Trace­ab­il­ity is a property of the result of a measurement, providing the ability to relate the measurement result to stated references, through an unbroken chain of comparisons each having stated un­cer­tain­ties.

Transfer measurement

A transfer measurement is a type of method that enables making a measurement to a higher level of resolution than normally possible with the available equipment.

Transfer standard

A transfer standard is a measurement standard used as an in­ter­me­di­ate device when comparing two other standards.