ISO17025 calibration for oscilloscope modules now available from Yokogawa’s European lab

Sampling rate, resolution, bandwidth and isolation are among the specifications engineers consider when selecting a data acquisition system. Once the instrument is being used in a laboratory or on a production line, however, another question becomes increasingly important: can you demonstrate that its measurements remain reliable and traceable? For organizations operating under strict quality requirements, this question often arises during:

• A quality or accreditation audit
• A customer traceability request
• A certification or compliance project
• An investigation following an unexpected measurement result
• The introduction of a new internal quality procedure
• A requirement to prove the reliability of historical measurement data

In these situations, a standard ISO9001 calibration may not be sufficient. The organization may need an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration certificate that provides independently recognized evidence of measurement traceability and calibration competence.

What's new

Yokogawa’s European Standards Laboratory in Amersfoort has made the calibration for the isolated oscilloscope and data recorder modules available under RvA registration K164.

The ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration is now available for the modules’ DC voltage and frequency measurements. Bandwidth calibration remains available under Yokogawa’s ISO 9001 quality management system.

This does not mean that these modules could not previously be calibrated. Users can now obtain ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration for selected input modules directly from Yokogawa’s European laboratory, without sending the equipment to a third-party calibration provider.

ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation provides formal recognition that a calibration laboratory is technically competent to perform specific calibration activities.

The laboratory’s procedures, reference standards, measurement methods, uncertainty calculations and quality controls are independently assessed by an accreditation body. The resulting certificate provides documented traceability to recognized measurement standards and reports the results within the laboratory’s accredited scope.

Accredited calibration is not required for every measurement application. However, when it is specified by an auditor, customer, certification body or internal quality system, it is usually a mandatory requirement rather than a preference.

This is particularly relevant for organizations working in areas such as:

• Automotive testing
• Aerospace
• Power electronics
• Certification and compliance laboratories
• Regulated manufacturing
• Quality-audited research and development
• Production environments with strict traceability requirements

A capability few commercial labs in Europe offer
Yokogawa’s European Calibration Laboratory is among the commercial laboratories in Europe able to provide ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration at this level for selected input modules.

Because the service is provided directly by Yokogawa, customers can keep the instrument, its modules and the associated calibration support with the original equipment manufacturer. This can simplify service coordination and reduce the need to route equipment through an additional calibration provider.

Modules now included in the accredited scope

More than calibration certificates
The expansion of the accredited scope reflects Yokogawa's ongoing investment in calibration capabilities. The European Calibration Laboratory in Amersfoort provides:

• ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration under RvA registration K164
• Current transducer calibration up to 1200 A, including phase calibration suitable for both current and power measurements
• Power meters up to 100 kHz & Energy calibrations up to 1 kHz
• Tailor-made calibrations for specific customer requirements

These services help engineers maintain measurement traceability while supporting internal quality systems and external audits.

Confidence throughout the measurement lifecycle
Calibration is not only a maintenance activity. It is part of the evidence used to show that measurement results can be trusted throughout an instrument’s operational life.

With the ISO/IEC 17025 accredited scope for the oscilloscope & data recorder modules (known as ScopeCorders), Yokogawa enables more customers to obtain accredited calibration directly from the European Calibration Laboratory. For organizations where documented traceability and independently verified calibration are part of everyday engineering practice, this provides a straightforward way to keep both the instrument and its calibration with a trusted measurement partner.

If you use a DL950 ScopeCorder and would like to know whether your input modules are covered by the accredited scope, our European Standards Laboratory can help.

Contact our European Standards Laboratory or get in touch with your local Yokogawa representative.

This material maybe not be reproduced without express permission from Yokogawa, please contact: PrecisionMaking.EU@yokogawa.com