ACCREDIA-ACCREDITED CALIBRATION LABORATORY
Fratelli Rotondi is an ACCREDIA-accredited calibration laboratory in accordance with UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025, in the Length metrology area, for verification of the performance of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs).
Accreditation expands the services that Fratelli Rotondi has provided for many years in industrial metrology, adding to the design, manufacture, servicing and verification of measuring machines the ability to carry out activities within the scope of accreditation with technical competence recognised by ACCREDIA.
VERIFYING THE PERFORMANCE OF A MEASURING MACHINE
A coordinate measuring machine is designed to determine dimensions and geometric characteristics with very high levels of accuracy. However, for the data obtained to be used with confidence in quality control and production processes, it is not enough for the machine simply to operate correctly: its actual metrological performance needs to be known and verified over time.
Wear, work carried out on the machine, relocation and changes in operating conditions are just some of the factors that may make a new verification necessary. In addition, individual companies’ quality systems may include procedures requiring the instruments used for measurements relevant to the product and process to be kept under control.
Performance verification uses defined procedures to determine how the CMM performs and provides documented results that can be used to assess its suitability for the measurements for which it is used.
WHAT ACCREDIA ACCREDITATION MEANS
ACCREDIA is Italy’s single national accreditation body, designated by the Italian Government. Accreditation of a calibration laboratory to UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025 demonstrates that the laboratory has the technical competence, procedures, equipment and organisation required to perform the specific activities included in its scope of accreditation. For Fratelli Rotondi, accreditation covers the Length metrology area and verification of the performance of coordinate measuring machines.
One of the essential aspects of accredited verification is metrological traceability. The results obtained are linked, through a documented chain of comparisons, to recognised metrological references, taking into account the uncertainties associated with the different measurements.
The result of the activity is reported in the calibration certificate, which documents the values measured and the related uncertainties in accordance with the requirements applying to activities performed under accreditation.
This allows a company using a CMM to base its assessments on documented, technically comparable data and to have the documentation required for the metrological management of its measuring instruments.
FROM THE MEASURING MACHINE TO METROLOGY SERVICES
The laboratory’s work is carried out within a company that has operated in the measuring machine sector since the 1960s and directly handles their design, manufacture, installation, maintenance and upgrading.
This experience means Fratelli Rotondi technicians understand not only the verification procedures, but also the machine to which they are applied. A CMM is a system made up of mechanical components, electronics, sensors and software, together with environmental conditions, all of which contribute to the final measurement result; identifying abnormal behaviour therefore also means being able to investigate its possible causes and distinguish a metrological problem from a mechanical, electronic or application-related issue.
That is why the accredited service forms part of a broader range of support services for measuring machines: when necessary, Fratelli Rotondi can combine verification with maintenance, technical support and CMM upgrades, while of course keeping activities carried out under accreditation separate from other technical services.
Our scope of work is not limited to machines built by Fratelli Rotondi: for years, the company has also worked on CMMs from other manufacturers, both for routine servicing and for maintenance, retrofit and verification.
WHEN TO REQUEST ACCREDITED VERIFICATION
The need for and frequency of verifications depend on how the machine is used, the applicable quality requirements and the procedures established by the company.
A verification may be appropriate as part of the normal periodic CMM inspection programme, after work or modifications that may affect its performance, following relocation of the machine, or when documented metrological results are required for audits, quality procedures or relationships with customers and suppliers.
It is also important to distinguish verification from routine maintenance. Technical work can restore a machine to optimum operating condition; metrological verification, by contrast, is used to determine and document its performance. These are different activities, but they can complement each other when the aim is to maintain the reliability of the entire measuring system over time.
To check whether our accreditation service is applicable to your measuring machine or to request information on how we can carry out the work, contact us today.