Ralston Instruments Achieves ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accreditation

In January of 2023 we were granted ISO 17025:2017 accreditation, which means our calibration lab now meets the global standard for calibration laboratories. It’s an important milestone in our company’s growth and we don’t take this lightly. Here’s a little background about what this accreditation is, and what it means to you.

What is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accreditation?

First issued in 1999 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation is considered the most important standard for calibration and testing laboratories around the world. It is achieved through a voluntary, third-party review process that takes into account validity of test methods, measurement traceability, maintenance of test equipment, testing environment, handling of test items, quality assurance of test data, and technical competence of the staff. Laboratories that are accredited to this international standard have demonstrated that they are technically competent to produce accurate and reliable test data.

The Accreditation Process

Reaching this milestone was no simple feat. Our Quality Management System (QMS) was thoroughly evaluated by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to ensure technical compliance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017. They examined our documented workflows and procedures, training processes, calibration methods, and uncertainty calculations. After this initial accreditation, they will continue to conduct regular audits to verify ongoing adherence to the requirements of the standard. The entire process took months and required the focus and discipline of our entire staff. Having a system operated by competent people and reliable equipment is a critical part of delivering consistency, and ultimately that’s what this accreditation is all about.

What Does This Mean for You?

Our ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation is tangible proof of the quality standards we hold ourselves to, with accountability to a third-party organization to reinforce those standards and back up the validity of our claims. You benefit from:

• Traceability - This accreditation requires an unbroken, traceable chain of results back to the International Standards for pressure and temperature. This means all information regarding our processes and quality control procedures is carefully tracked, with clear documentation of this traceability. We provide these results in detailed calibration certificates with data and measurement uncertainty at each point.
• Reduced Need for Assessment - The strict traceability requirements lend credibility to our quality control systems and processes. When you purchase a Ralston gauge or other calibration instrumentation, you don't have to pay for expensive calibration services. It comes with an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited certificate right out of the box.
• Continuous Improvement - Though continuous improvement has always been one of our goals, we are now required to track testing trends and regularly implement new industry best practices. This means when you purchase Ralston products, you have the assurance that they were engineered in an up-to-date, quality testing environment with technically competent staff.
• Demonstrated Confidence - Overall this accreditation assures our customers that we have an effective management system, our equipment is calibrated appropriately, and we have the technical competence to perform testing on our instrumentation. It gives you an added level of confidence in the quality of the Ralston Instruments name and all our pressure and temperature calibration instrumentation.

Quality Calibration Equipment - The Ralston Way

While it is possible to maintain careful quality assurance without formal accreditation, ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation provides evidence to both our users and resellers that we live up to quality standards. This means a lot to us. It means when you purchase equipment from Ralston Instruments, you can rest assured that it was engineered and manufactured in a facility with an effective management system, on equipment that is calibrated appropriately, and by a world-class staff with the technical competence to perform the necessary testing. It means you’re using a quality product with a name you can trust.