Accreditation

Accreditation is a rigorous certification process that ensures compliance with applicable standards. It enforces traceability and consistency across an entire calibration process. Accreditation is all about the capability and competence of a calibration process, as confirmed by an accreditation body. In the language of standards and metrology, the terms "competent" and "competence" denote the verified ability to carry out calibration procedures in compliance with applicable standards.

An accredited laboratory that performs ISO 17025 calibrations, for example, will have proven facilities and equipment and competent personnel—specific individuals empowered to do the ISO 17025 calibrations. Traceability is a requirement in accreditation.

Tektronix service facilities are ISO 9001-registered and/or ISO17025 accredited. All sites that offer calibration can deliver Z540 traceable calibration (in the U.S.) or the local equivalent.

In addition, five Tektronix calibration labs are accredited and can deliver ISO 17025-compliant calibration:

Tektronix Calibration Lab	Accrediting Body
Beaverton, Oregon, USA Traceability Map (PDF) Beaverton Certificate	A2LA
Beijing, China Beijing Certificate	CNAS
Cologne (Köln), Germany Traceability Map (PDF) Cologne Certificate	DKD
Taipei, Taiwan Taipei Certificate	TAF
Singapore Singapore Certificate	SAC-Singlas
Ninomiya, Kanagawa, Japan Japan Certificate	A2LA

Accreditation Facts

Every accredited lab has a "scope of measurements," documented on its accreditation certificate, defining the types of measurements the lab is certified for: DC voltage, resistance, etc.
ISO 17025 accreditation requires review and approval of every single measurement step in the calibration procedure—sometimes thousands of measurements.
Procedures submitted for accreditation by third-party calibration vendors may not be the same as those recommended by the instrument manufacturer.