FAQs

Please feel free to contact us at kcat@kern-sohn.com.

For submission to the calibration laboratory:

Please send your measuring device(s) to the following address:

KERN Calibration GesmbH
Calibration laboratory
Gewerbepark 8
6142 Mieders
Austria

Please enclose your complete order documents.

You are not bound to a specific date – simply send your measuring device(s) when it suits your production schedule. Once calibration has been completed, your measuring device(s) will be returned to you together with the calibration certificates. Should repairs, adjustments or similar be necessary, we will contact you.

For on-site calibration:

Please contact us at kcat@kern-sohn.com

Calibration:
Accuracy verified worldwide by a laboratory accredited according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025. Traceability to internationally recognised standards.
The calibration certificate according to Akkreditierung Austria confirms both the metrological properties of the test equipment and the general requirements for test equipment monitoring.

Verification:
Testing for verification error limits (tolerances). National regulations apply – for consumer protection. EU directives apply to placing on the market. Subsequent market surveillance is regulated at national level.

Further differences between calibration and verification can be found here.

As a calibration laboratory, we cannot provide any clear guidelines regarding the recalibration interval for testing equipment.
Changes to the equipment depend on the type itself, the manner in which it is used, the environment and, of course, your accuracy requirements.
Typically, one starts with a recalibration interval of 12 months (or less in the case of extremely demanding use).
After the second recalibration, it is already possible to determine whether the test equipment is stable and whether the recalibration interval can be increased to 24 months, for example.
Of course, accidental defects or damage are always possible. The maximum recalibration interval assigned after several years is therefore more a question of business risk.

Accreditation is a procedure whereby an authorized body (e.g., in Austria, Akkreditierung Austria) grants formal recognition of a specific competence. The accreditations of KERN Calibration GesmbH can be found here.

Calibrations by accredited laboratories give users certainty about the reliability of measurement results, increase customer confidence, and boost competitiveness on the national and international market. They serve as the metrological basis for measuring and test equipment monitoring within the framework of quality management. With KERN, you have a competent partner at your side who reliably meets all these requirements.

The measurement uncertainty is determined individually for each scale according to a precisely defined test procedure and documented in the calibration certificate. It depends on various internal and external factors. The measurement uncertainty of a measuring device is an objective measure of its accuracy and thus a correct statement for its use.

Calibration “as found/as received” is the determination of the current condition of the scale before any possible interventions such as adjustment or repair.
This means that calibration is performed in the current condition of the scale, even if the values are not within tolerance. These values are recorded during calibration “as left/as returned” and shown in the calibration certificate.

The “as left/as returned” calibration represents the calibration and recording of the measured values after any interventions such as adjustment or repair.
This means that the measured values after this intervention are shown in the calibration certificate.

The distinction between accuracy and sensitivity is described in detail in Ph.Eur. 2.1.7.
In summary:
The “accuracy” of a scale display (“is the displayed value correct”) is influenced by several parameters of the scale:
* Repeatability: Values fluctuate randomly
* Linearity: double load does not necessarily mean double display
* Off-center load: position of the weight influences the display
* Sensitivity: essentially the adjustment of the balance / slope of the characteristic curve