Going with the Flow: What You Need to Know About Melt Flow Testing for Thermoplastics

At home, a properly calibrated oven may help you replicate your grandma’s famous chocolate cake (and cook up some warm memories in the process). On a much larger scale, industrial furnaces and ovens—operating at a wide range of temperatures—are used to dry, cure or bake materials, parts, components and coatings in industries ranging from aerospace to food service to pharmaceutical.

From metal car parts that need tempering before they hit the road to baked-on coatings that make aspirin easier to swallow, precise oven temperature measurements are a must in manufacturing scenarios. And anywhere that precise measurements matter, calibration is key.

What is Calibration & Why is it Important?
Any measurement device, instrument or equipment will become less accurate over time, including the furnaces and ovens used daily by industry. Faulty furnace temperature readings could lead to improper or incomplete drying, curing or baking (hardening). As a result, manufactured parts may not function as designed and could even put health and safety at risk, depending on the industry. For example, an uncalibrated oven may not properly sterilize medical equipment or cook food to the necessary temperature.

Consistently creating quality products requires routine calibration of industrial ovens to ensure that equipment operates at the required temperature for the process, heat is distributed evenly and temperature monitoring is accurate. In many industries, such as aerospace, strict regulations are in place to verify compliance.

The ability to accurately measure high temperatures — a field known as pyrometry — is critical to the reliability of heat-treating and other industrial processes.

If the calibration process uncovers discrepancies between reported and actual oven temperatures, components may need to be adjusted, repaired or cleaned to return the equipment to optimal performance. The frequency of calibration depends on factors such as the type of device or instrument and industry regulations.

Beyond safety and quality, calibration benefits a company’s bottom line by reducing the risk of manufacturing errors and costly product failures or recalls. Proper calibration can also help companies extend the life of manufacturing equipment and avoid compliance issues.

Calibration You Can Count On
With decades of experience, IIA is a leading provider of pyrometry testing with oven calibration and certification. Our technicians are skilled in performing testing that paints a comprehensive picture of industrial ovens and furnace systems. Our oven calibration/pyrometry services include System Accuracy Tests (SAT) to confirm temperature control system readings and Temperature Uniformity Surveys (TUS) that assess the consistency of temperatures in qualified work zones, as well as operating temperature ranges.

Our team has a full understanding of all regulatory requirements for oven calibration and pyrometry, including standards outlined in AMS2750 and the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP). We understand that individual regulatory requirements apply for each examined part and process, and our knowledge helps keep your company in compliance.

At IIA, all calibrations are traceable to the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) and comply with ISO/IEC 17025. As the international standard for testing and calibration laboratories, ISO/IEC 17025 provides customers assurance that accredited labs are competent to perform accurate and impartial calibration.

For many companies, industrial ovens are vital to daily operations, and downtime can be costly. In the field and in the lab, IIA is committed to providing a fast turnaround on calibration jobs to minimize disruption to your operations.

We’re Here for You — Today & Tomorrow
Without oven calibration, there would be greater risk of product defects, equipment malfunctions, and safety hazards. IIA has the team and technology to meet your oven calibration needs today and tomorrow. As a leader in Lab Services, we will continue to embrace the latest calibration tools and technologies to meet the ever-growing need for greater accuracy and efficiency.