How often should your instruments be calibrated?
Typical starting intervals for 50 common measuring instrument types, with the range seen in practice. Each guide covers the relevant standards, what shortens or lengthens the interval, a procedure outline and the sources behind every claim.
Calibration intervals are a risk-based decision for the instrument owner: guidance documents such as ILAC-G24 and OIML D 10 describe how to set and adjust them. Use these numbers as starting points, not compliance requirements.
Dimensional
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Bore Gauge | 12 mo | 3-24 mo |
| Caliper | 12 mo | 3-24 mo |
| Coating Thickness Gauge | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Dial Indicator | 12 mo | 1-24 mo |
| Feeler Gauge | 12 mo | 6-12 mo |
| Gauge Block | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Height Gauge | 12 mo | 3-24 mo |
| Micrometer | 12 mo | 3-24 mo |
| Surface Plate | 12 mo | 6-36 mo |
| Surface Roughness Tester | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Tape Measure | 12 mo | 6-36 mo |
| Thread Gauge | 12 mo | 3-24 mo |
| Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
Force / torque
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Force Gauge | 12 mo | 3-12 mo |
| Load Cell | 12 mo | 6-26 mo |
| Torque Tester | 12 mo | 6-12 mo |
| Torque Wrench | 12 mo | 6-12 mo |
| Universal Testing Machine | 12 mo | 6-12 mo |
Hardness
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Durometer | 12 mo | 6-12 mo |
| Hardness Tester | 12 mo | 12-18 mo |
Pressure / vacuum
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Manometer | 12 mo | 3-24 mo |
| Pressure Gauge | 12 mo | 3-24 mo |
| Pressure Transmitter | 12 mo | 3-60 mo |
| Vacuum Gauge | 12 mo | 6-12 mo |
Temperature / humidity
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Thermometer | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Hygrometer | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Infrared Thermometer | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Liquid-in-Glass Thermometer | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Temperature Data Logger | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Thermal Imager | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Thermocouple | 12 mo | 1-24 mo |
Electrical
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Clamp Meter | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Digital Multimeter | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Insulation Resistance Tester | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Oscilloscope | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
Mass / volume
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Balance | 12 mo | 6-12 mo |
| Calibration Weights | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| Industrial Scale | 12 mo | 1-12 mo |
| Pipette | 12 mo | 3-12 mo |
Flow
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Flow Meter | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
Time / frequency
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Stopwatch | 12 mo | 12-24 mo |
| Tachometer | 12 mo | 12-24 mo |
Acoustic / vibration
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Level Meter | 12 mo | 12-24 mo |
| Vibration Meter | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
Chemical / analytical
| Instrument | Typical | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Gas Detector | 6 mo | 3-12 mo |
| Moisture Meter | 12 mo | 6-24 mo |
| pH Meter | 12 mo | 6-12 mo |
| Refractometer | 12 mo | 6-12 mo |
The interval is the easy part. Keeping 200 of them is not.
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