Advances In Temperature Calibration Procedures

By Ehren Kiker, Pressure and Temperature Product Manager, Endress+Hauser

Recent developments eliminate the need for unnecessary calibrations and speed up the time it takes to do calibrations in the field.

Critical processes in the pharmaceutical and biosciences industries often require frequent calibration of temperature instrumentation. Calibration typically requires shutting down a process every six months or so to remove and replace an instrument (Figure 1), then taking the instrument to a lab where it may prove to be calibrated within specs.

Recent developments in temperature sensor technology now make it possible for a sensor to determine if it actually needs calibration, thus eliminating unnecessary lab calibrations. When a sensor does need calibration, other new developments cut the time needed for a calibration in half.

In this article, we’ll look at the need for frequent calibrations in the life sciences industry, what’s involved, and how sensor technology is making calibrations easier and less expensive.