Conformity assessment of measuring equipment as part of calibration on the example of instruments measuring geometrical product specifications
摘要
Conformity assessment of measuring equipment (also referred to as verification) can be provided as part of the calibration procedure by accredited calibration laboratories in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories upon request. However, in practice, this task often involves significant difficulties associated with the insufficient expertise of laboratory personnel in probability theory and theoretical metrology, as well as the lack of clear and unambiguous rules on how to assess conformity. Therefore, it is necessary to develop guidelines for accredited calibration laboratories containing both theoretical explanations and specific decision rules for measuring equipment and/or specific measurement fields. The article considers the conformity assessment of measuring equipment of any kind as a whole and its separate elements: requirements for the equipment; decision rule; risk of a false accept/reject; measurement uncertainty. The rules for performing conformity assessment for geometrical product specifications, regulated by ISO 14253 series, are analyzed. Using calibration of a caliper as an example, the author considers three conformity assessment options, which differ in the applied decision rules and methods of measurement uncertainty estimation. Inconsistencies between the statements of conformity given for different conformity assessment options are noted; the practical applicability of the three considered options is analyzed. The obtained study results, including recommendations on the choice of a conformity assessment option, can be useful in the development of decision rules by accredited calibration laboratories engaged both in the measurement of geometrical product specifications and other measurement fields, as well as can enhance the expertise of specialists involved in the conformity assessment and verification of various objects.