Accreditation & Traceability
Calibration you can defend in an audit.
Understand the accreditation scope, measurement traceability, stated uncertainty and certificate evidence behind every calibration result.
- L1SI / national metrology institute
- L2Accredited reference standard
- L3METRILAB working standard
- L4Your instrument
Accreditation record
The record, as issued.
- Accreditation standard
- ISO/IEC 17025:2017
- Accreditation body
- [Accreditation body]
- Certificate / scope number
- [0000.01]
- Initial accreditation
- [Year]
- Current revision
- [Rev. XX] · [YYYY-MM-DD]
- Laboratory location
- [Laboratory location]
- Scope status
- Current (example)
- Primary service type
- Calibration
All fields are template placeholders — replace with the values on your accreditation certificate.
What accreditation means
Competence that is assessed, not declared.
ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is a formal, independent recognition that a laboratory can produce valid results for a defined scope. It is granted per parameter and range — not for the laboratory as a whole.
Competence
Methods, personnel, equipment and the quality system are assessed by an independent accreditation body — and re-assessed on a fixed cycle.
Traceability
Measurement results connect through an unbroken chain of comparisons to recognised national or international standards.
Uncertainty
Measurement uncertainty is evaluated for each accredited method and reported with the result where applicable.
Read with the scopeAn accreditation certificate is only meaningful together with its scope: the list of parameters, ranges and calibration and measurement capabilities (CMC) that were assessed.
Traceability chain
From SI units to your instrument, link by link.
Each level is calibrated against the one above it. Uncertainty accumulates down the chain, so every link is documented with its own certificate and stated uncertainty.
SI / national metrology institute
Realisation of SI units; primary standards and international key comparisons.
Accredited reference standard
Our primary references, calibrated externally by an NMI or accredited laboratory.
METRILAB working standard
Multifunction calibrators and working standards used on customer work.
Customer instrument
Calibrated against L3; the result carries its own stated uncertainty.
Relative uncertainty bars are illustrative, not to scale.Certificate references are template placeholders.
Full accredited scope
What is accredited, to what capability.
Representative template data — not an accreditation claim. Replace with your published scope.
16 rows
Method ML-E-001Direct comparison against a multifunction calibrator; on-site to 100 V.
Method ML-E-004Measured with an 8½-digit reference DMM.
Method ML-E-012Calibrated traceably; outside the accredited range.
Method ML-D-002Gauge-block comparison, flatness and parallelism of faces.
Method ML-D-005Outside, inside and depth functions.
Method ML-T-001Comparison in stirred liquid baths and dry blocks.
Method ML-T-006Climatic-chamber comparison at selected points.
Method ML-P-002Comparison against a pressure controller.
Method ML-P-004Deadweight tester reference.
Method ML-Q-001Procedure aligned with ISO 6789.
Method ML-Q-003Traceable calibration; accreditation for this range on request.
Method ML-M-001Subdivision and comparison weighing.
Method ML-M-004Repeatability, eccentricity and linearity at the place of use.
Method ML-F-001Dead-weight and reference load-cell comparison.
Method ML-R-002Traceable calibration of level and frequency accuracy.
Method ML-R-005Calibration factor at selected frequencies.
No rows match. The published scope PDF lists every parameter — or send us the requirement.
Certificate anatomy
Fourteen fields of evidence on every certificate.
An example certificate with each element numbered. Select a field in the list to locate it on the document.
mark]
- 01CustomerName and address of the customer.
- 02Instrument descriptionType of instrument calibrated.
- 03Manufacturer / modelIdentifies the exact instrument design.
- 04Serial numberUnique identification of the unit.
- 05Calibration dateDate the measurements were made.
- 06Method / procedureThe documented procedure used.
- 07Environmental conditionsTemperature and humidity during calibration.
- 08As-found dataReadings before any adjustment.
- 09As-left dataReadings after adjustment, if any.
- 10Measurement uncertaintyExpanded uncertainty and coverage factor.
- 11Standards usedReference equipment and its calibration status.
- 12Traceability statementHow results link to national standards.
- 13Accreditation markOnly on results within the accredited scope.
- 14Authorized signatoryThe person who approved the certificate.
Accredited vs traceable
Both are traceable. Only one is within scope.
Traceable calibration can still use the same laboratory standards and methods, but may fall outside the accredited scope for a specific parameter or range.
YesDepends on parameter / requirementNo
Measurement uncertainty
What uncertainty tells you.
A result is only complete with its uncertainty: the interval within which the true value is expected to lie. Each contributor is evaluated, combined, then expanded to a stated level of confidence.
U = k × uc
- uc
- Combined standard uncertainty — root sum of squares of all contributors
- k = 2
- Coverage factor, approximately 95 % confidence for a normal distribution
- U
- Expanded uncertainty, as reported on the certificate
Illustrative values for template use. Bars are scaled to U.
Quality system
Audit readiness is a routine, not an event.
The controls behind the accreditation, and the evidence each one leaves for an auditor.
- Document
- QM-04 · Quality register
- Revision
- [Rev. XX] · [YYYY-MM-DD]
- Owner
- [Quality manager]
FAQ
Questions from quality and compliance teams.
An independent accreditation body assesses a laboratory against ISO/IEC 17025 — the international standard for testing and calibration competence — and grants accreditation for a defined scope of parameters, ranges and uncertainties.
No. Only parameters and ranges listed in the current scope are accredited. Traceability for other work must be confirmed. Available and Consult Lab are not accreditation claims.
Both link results to recognised standards. Accredited calibration is, in addition, within the scope assessed by the accreditation body and may carry the accreditation mark.
It is the range within which the true value is expected to lie, at a stated level of confidence. It is usually reported as expanded uncertainty U with a coverage factor k = 2, corresponding to approximately 95 % confidence.
Scope PDF not supplied. The scope document lists every accredited parameter, range and calibration and measurement capability (CMC), with its revision and date.
Customer and instrument identification, date, method, environmental conditions, as-found and as-left results, uncertainty, standards used, a traceability statement and the authorised signatory.
Certificates and the supporting scope revision are examples of audit evidence. This template does not supply customer certificates or historical records.
Search the scope table on this page or the scope PDF. If a range is not listed, send the requirement and we will confirm whether it can be covered accredited, traceably, or not at all.
Need calibration within a specific accredited scope?
Send the instrument, range and required accreditation level. We’ll confirm capability, scope, turnaround and service options.