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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
Need to get a Ralston digital gauge calibrated? There are a lot of benefits in having the manufacturer perform regular calibrations and now that we provide A2LA accredited calibration services in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards, there’s no reason to go anywhere else. No one knows our gauges better than we do, so if additional maintenance is needed, we’re the most qualified to handle it.
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