Understanding calibration certificates

Application note 57

Understanding calibration certificates

Introduction

Most Megger test equipment is supplied complete with a
full 12-month calibration certificate included in the box.
After carrying out suitable risk assessments you may
determine that the 12-month period should run from the
date of purchase, rather than the date the instrument was
originally tested. To facilitate this, Megger calibration
certificates have a box within which the instrument
commissioning date may be entered. This date should be
evidenced by a copy of the official sales invoice for that
instrument.
Re-calibration will then be required within 12 months of
this commissioning date.

Calibration checking equipment

There are test boxes available such as the MTB7671/2 that
can check the calibration of low voltage installation test
equipment by testing them against known values. These are
not a calibration method but by checking the tester at more
frequent intervals than the annual calibration, a trend can be
spotted to alert the user to changes in the instrument that
require investigation.
Some scheme providers request evidence of test
equipment’s accuracy and consistency so by recording
results when using a check box is the easiest way of
evidencing this.
It is not only low voltage installation testers that can be
checked, Megger manufacture a CB101 calibration check
box for use with up to 5kV insulation testers to check
accuracy. Four resistors are connected in the unit to enable
a wide range of values to be checked.
Megger oil tester calibration can also be confirmed using the
digital voltage checkers, VCM80D for voltages up to 80 kV
and VCM100D for voltages up to 100 kV.
Calibration shunts are available for checking calibration on
low resistance ohmmeters. These four terminal calibrating
resistance standards feature a conservative current rating to
ensure against overheating. Each calibration shunt provides
two current terminals with knurled Allen-head cap screws
and two potential terminals with slotted screw heads.
It is important to have the calibration checked on the
calibration checking equipment to ensure continuing
accuracy and traceability to national standards. This is
usually performed every 12 months.

Check Box Description Part Number

MTB7671/2 BS7671 low voltage tester Check Box MTB7671-EN-BS
CB101 5kV Calibration Box 6311-077
VCM80D 80 kVOil Test Set Calibration Check Box 1001-801
VCM100D 100 kVOil Test Set Calibration Check Box 1001-105
Calibration Shunt Shunt 10 Ω 0.001A 249000
Calibration Shunt Shunt 1 Ω 0.01A 249001
Calibration Shunt Shunt 0.1 Ω 1A 249002
Calibration Shunt Shunt 0.01 Ω 10A 249003
Calibration Shunt Shunt 0.001 Ω 100A 249004
Calibration Shunt Shunt 0.0001 Ω 500A 249005

Calibration certificates

Megger as a manufacturing company provides three types of
calibration certificates as can be seen below. The first
certificate is an example of the certificate that is supplied
with many of the Megger products, the second is an
example of a certificate issued by Megger’s calibration
laboratory on recalibration of a tester or on calibrating an
instrument that is supplied without a certificate and the
third is an example of a UKAS (United Kingdom
Accreditation Services) certificate, which meets the
requirements of ISO17025.
 Understanding calibration certificates
Application note 57

Example 1 Certificate supplied with many Megger products

Calibration
equipment
information
Date of purchase
should be written
here and evidenced
by a copy of the
invoice

Amount of
variance This column
acceptable says if the
from instrument is
applied within the
value tolerances

Range
under test This column
states the
accuracy of
the equipment
used for
calibration
 Understanding calibration certificates
Application note 57

Example 2 Certificate supplied on recalibration and calibrating an instrument that is supplied

without a calibration certificate

Page 1 of 2

Date of
calibration

Details of
calibrated
instrument

Details of
calibration
equipment
used
 Understanding calibration certificates
Application note 57

Page 2 of 2

Range
under test

Variation Applied Instrument Percentage of This column

permissible value displayed reading states the
from the value variance accuracy of
applied value within the the equipment
permissible used for
tolerance calibration
 Understanding calibration certificates
Application note 57

Example 3 UKAS certificate

Page 1 of3
UKAS
certificate
number

Date of UKAS
calibration accreditation
number

Identifies
Calibrated calibration
instrument equipment
details used

Calibration
environment
 Understanding calibration certificates
Application note 57

Page 2 of3

Range
under test

Applied Instrument This column

value displayed states the
value accuracy of
the equipment
used for
calibration
 Understanding calibration certificates
Application note 57

Page 3 of3

UK UNITED STATES OTHER TECHNICAL SALES OFFICES CERTIFICATION ISO

Archcliffe Road Dover 4271 Bronze Way Valley Forge USA, College Station USA, Sydney Registered to ISO 9001:2008 Cert. no. Q 09250
Registered to ISO 14001-2004 Cert. no. EMS 61597
CT17 9EN England Dallas TX 75237-1019 USA AUSTRALIA, Täby SWEDEN, Ontario CANADA,
T +44 (0) 1304 502101 T 800 723 2861 (USA only) Trappes FRANCE, Oberursel GERMANY, Aargau
USB_AN57_en_V02
F +44 (0) 1304 207342 T +1 214 333 3201 SWITZERLAND, Kingdom of BAHRAIN, Mumbai
www.megger.com
UKsales@megger.com F +1 214 331 7399 INDIA, Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA, Chonburi
Megger is a registered trademark
USsales@megger.com THAILAND