Calibration Reference Standard in line with NQA-1 -2008 1

[tosg]

Hello,

ASME NQA-1-2008 have a requirement for Reference Standards of Measuring and Test Equipment. Para. 302 of Requirement 12 shows "Refrence Standards shall have a minimum accuracy four times greater than taht of the measuring and test equipment".
Since all of our M&TE go to outside suppliers for calibration, I have contacted some of them but no one respond with positive feedback to provide documentary evidence of 4:1 ratio. Please tell me how I can solve this issue.

 

[vpl]

This sounds like an issue where you need to get your management involved.

Did your contract (purchase requisition/specification) with the outside suppliers specify that they had to meet NQA-1-2008? If so, then you might need a formal letter from your organization asking them to provide documentation to show that they meet the standard. Even better, if your management approves, would be a supplier audit by your quality assurance organization.

If your contract did not specify that the suppliers had to meet NQA-1-2008, then a slightly different approach is needed. Your company will need to formally inform the supplier (via written correspondence) that it has adopted the NQA standards. It must request the suppliers to formally reply that they meet this standard in order to allow future orders. This may result in an increase in the suppliers quotes.

If the suppliers don't reply to your company's formal request, you would need to find new suppliers that do meet the standard. If it was in the contract, and they're not meeting it, your company might have legal recourse. If it wasn't in the contract, then you'ld be required to renegotiate the contract.

Patricia Lougheed

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[JR97]

tosg,

The 4:1 rule is not unique to NQA-1. Most common calibration specifications including MIL-STD-45662 (para 5.2) and ANSI Z-540 (para 10.2.b) contain the 4:1 rule. Hopefully you imposed some calibration standard on your laboratory.

Another approach to evaluate the calibrations that have been performed is to look at the calibration certifications provided by the calibration laboratory. Hopefully it has their measurement accuracy listed for each instrument used to calibrate your equipment. If not, by all means ask them for those accuracies which are required to be reported by Z-540 para 13.2.m. Establish the accuracy of your instrument based on 4 times their accuracy. That may mean you need to limit where you use your equipment or work with your calibrator to use more accurate standards.

JR97

 

[tosg]

Dear vpl and JR97,

Thank you for the answer to the question.
I'll discuss with the supplier once again based on
your suggestions.

Thanks again.