Who needs calibration?
Historically, regular programs of machine-tool calibration have been limited to large users in, for example, the aerospace industry. But, says Optodyne’s Wang, many medium-sized job shops are now being pressed by customers to perform calibration on a regular basis. “Some shops have been able to stay in business by not bidding for jobs requiring process certification, and instead doing business with more traditional customers,” he says. “But parts used by many manufacturers, many of whom are multinational companies, come from around the world. To ensure interchangeability of these parts, their quality needs to be uniform regardless of where they are made.” Rogers says many shops can benefit from a regular calibration program, and, he adds, current calibration equipment is within the reach of most manufacturers in terms of cost. “People may buy five machines from a given manufacturer. What they find out is, they don’t all perform the same,” he says. “Calibration allows the buyer to look
