Go inside Fluke's electrical metrology lab - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2012, 04:37:34 pm
content: looks interesting. A video is in the first picture.http://www.tmworld.com/article/521484-Go_inside_Fluke_s_electrical_metrology_lab.php?cid=Newsletter+-+TMW+Digest

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 18, 2012, 04:48:54 pm
content: Ahh...I feel like Animal the muppet in a drum shop.One of these. a few of those...

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2012, 05:24:20 pm
content: You should see hwat hapens if you request Agilents Voscal service ...VOSCAL : Volume On-Site Calibration. tis is done for large accounts where shipping equipment in and out is uneconomical. Agilent sends a mobile calibration lab on-site...When i was at alcatel we had this once a year. a big-rig 18 wheeler would drive up , plunk itself in the parking lot , unfold the rear staircaise and hook up to a three phase outlet...Done. they'd let the container sit overnight so all equipment could heat up and then they'd have a go at it. We had over 1000 machines that needed cal. theses guys sat there for 2 weeks on end.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2012, 05:43:05 pm
content: I go to the local Metrology lab every 2 years to get my masspieces calibrated. You find all sorts of stuff there, confiscated because it is not conforming to specs, or is downright dangerous. I will have them out to do on site calibration in August.

author: casinada
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 18, 2012, 05:59:38 pm
content: Those cables and connectors look substandard

author: chickenHeadKnob
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 03:25:19 am
content: Hi folks, EEVblog and forum seem to a some kind of nexus for people interested and knowledgable in test equipment so I ask this question: What sort of cheap and accurate calibration gear is available or 'makeable' for a hobbiest style budget bench? I see that frequency/time is possible with those surplus rubidium standards Dave covered, what about volt and microcurrent standards?Thanks

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 04:46:32 am
content: Quote from: free_electron on April 18, 2012, 05:24:20 pmI was scheduled to get a tour of that this month, but they are getting a shiny new mobile cal lab later in the year, so postponed until then.Dave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 04:49:51 am
content: Quote from: robrenz on April 18, 2012, 04:37:34 pmOnce again, I was supposed to be there in Everett this month and get that tour, so missed out :-(Dave.

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 02:21:55 pm
content: Thanks for the link, robrenz, its good to see how they do things. It would be great if Dave gets to walk through, he has a natural eye for making superb video and focusing on things that matter.

author: nukie
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2012, 12:08:49 am
content: I believe we have the Agilent truck in Australia.

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2012, 12:17:27 am
content: Quote from: robrenz on April 18, 2012, 04:37:34 pmI love this. The video is about a calibration rack to characterize a Fluke calibrator that is used to calibrate the calibrators on the production line which in turn are used to calibrate the calibrators they are making to sell to calibration labs so that they can calibrate various instrument which I would assume would include Fluke calibrators.Richard.

author: robrenz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2012, 12:52:54 am
content: Richard, The most important concept I gained from the article was a $2000 piece of test equipment with $50000 of charcterization history. The history (assuming showing long term accuracy and stability) is where the value is in instruments and standards

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 21, 2012, 01:04:16 pm
content: Its also why when you see used eBay equipment, one of the better ones are from metrology labs, regardless of age. You may not have a copy of the tracking data kept for its entire lifetime at the lab, but you know its been well cared for, kept in good environmental conditions and characterized. If it happens to still be in cal, its very likely truly traceable to NIST or your equivalent.The next one are military, aerospace or its subcontractor companies, because their metrology labs are very anal about calibration, so the equipment you get from them are likely well kept too. Industrial and private companies are iffy unless they do business regularly with the Feds or DoD, such as Fluke and Agilent.Quote from: robrenz on April 21, 2012, 12:52:54 am