Product tools · Inspection stage
BetaCalibration validity check: confirm every test instrument was in calibration on the day it was used
The Calibration Validity Check confirms that every instrument used in inspection and testing was in calibration on the day it was used. It matches each instrument on your test reports to its calibration certificate by identity, then checks dates, range and traceability. Quality teams get cited findings, because an expired instrument can invalidate the test.
Calibration Validity Check is in beta. Request access and we onboard each team ourselves: we run your first real documents with you and check the results together.
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What goes in and what you get out
What goes in
- Calibration certificates (required, several files)
- Instrument register (optional)
- Inspection / test reports (required, several files)
What it checks
- Check validity at date of use
- Check calibration traceability chain
- Flag certificates expiring soon
What you get out
- One line per instrument use: the test, the instrument, the certificate matched and its validity on that date
- A quote from the test report and the certificate behind each finding
- Gaps sorted by type: expired at use, no certificate, wrong serial, range, no traceability, expiring soon
- CSV or JSON export for your calibration log or the record book
Who uses it: QA/QC engineers, Test and inspection engineers, Metrology or calibration coordinators, Project managers.
20 questions about the Calibration Validity Check
What is a calibration validity check?
It confirms each instrument used in a test, such as a pressure gauge or a thermometer, had a valid calibration on the day of the test. You match the instrument's identity on the test report to its calibration certificate and compare the dates. If the calibration had expired, the test result may not be accepted and the test may need to be repeated.
What does the Calibration Validity Check do?
It reads your inspection and test reports, lists every instrument used and the date, and matches each one to a calibration certificate by its exact identity. It then checks the certificate was valid on the date of use, covers a suitable range and shows traceability. It also flags certificates expiring soon. Every finding quotes the report and the certificate.
Which documents do I upload?
Two are required: the calibration certificates and the inspection or test reports that name the instruments used. An instrument register is optional and helps match instruments by tag or serial number. The tool reads PDF, Word, Excel and CSV files, so a PDF certificate and a spreadsheet register both work.
How do you check calibration validity by hand?
Go through each test report and note every instrument's tag or serial number and the test date. Find each instrument's calibration certificate and check the calibration and due dates cover the test date. Check the serial matches exactly and the range suits the test. On a large order with many gauges and reports, this is slow and easy to get wrong.
Why does an expired calibration invalidate a test?
A calibration certificate is the evidence that an instrument read correctly. Once it expires, there is no proof the readings were accurate on the day. Most specifications and quality systems require instruments to be in calibration at the time of use. An inspector who finds an expired gauge on a pressure test report can reject the test, which then has to be repeated.
Will the check accept a certificate for a similar instrument?
No. It never accepts a certificate for a different instrument. The certificate's serial number or identity must match the instrument named on the test report. A certificate for another serial, even of the same model, is flagged as a mismatch. Similar-looking identifiers alone are not enough, so the check reports an unclear match for review rather than assuming it.
What is calibration traceability?
Traceability means an instrument's calibration links back, through an unbroken chain of calibrations, to national or international measurement standards. A certificate usually shows this by naming the reference standards used and the lab's accreditation, often to ISO/IEC 17025. Many customers require traceable calibration. A certificate with no traceability statement is flagged, because the result can't be tied to a recognised standard.
What are the most common calibration mistakes on test reports?
Common ones are a gauge whose calibration expired before the test, a test report that names an instrument with no certificate, a certificate for a different serial number, and a gauge whose range doesn't suit the test pressure. Others are certificates without a traceability statement and date formats that are misread, such as day and month swapped.
What gauge range does a pressure test need?
It depends on the code and the customer. For example, ASME Section VIII asks for test gauges with a range of about twice the test pressure, and never less than 1.5 times or more than 4 times it. Other codes and specifications set their own rules. The check compares the gauge range on the certificate with the test pressure and the rule in your documents.
Does the check flag certificates that are about to expire?
Yes, with the default setting. It flags certificates that expire soon, so you can recalibrate instruments before upcoming tests. This is separate from the main check, which looks at validity on the date each instrument was actually used. An instrument due the day after a test was valid for that test, but is flagged for what comes next.
What does an inspector expect to see for calibration?
An inspector expects every instrument on a test report to be identified by tag or serial number, with a calibration certificate that was valid on the test date, traceable to recognised standards and suitable for the range. Many will ask to see the certificates at the test itself. They also expect the certificates in the manufacturing record book for each test.
What does the customer specification say about calibration?
It usually requires instruments to be calibrated, traceable to national standards and valid at the time of use. It may set gauge ranges, accuracy classes or calibration intervals, or ask for certificates to be included in the record book. Some point to a code, such as ASME Section VIII for pressure tests. The check reads the rules your documents state.
What do I get back from the Calibration Validity Check?
You get one line per instrument use: the test, the instrument, the certificate matched and whether it was valid on that date. Gaps are named: expired at use, no certificate, wrong serial, unsuitable range, no traceability or expiring soon. Each finding quotes the test report and the certificate. You can export the results as CSV or JSON.
How does it deal with different date formats?
A date such as 03/04/2026 can mean 3 April or 4 March, depending on the country. The check reads dates as written and quotes them in each finding, so your reviewer can see the source date. Where the format is unclear, confirm the date by hand. Using one clear format, such as 3 Apr 2026, across reports and certificates avoids the problem.
Does the Calibration Validity Check calibrate instruments?
No. It checks the paperwork. It does not calibrate instruments, test their accuracy or replace your calibration lab or metrology process. It tells you which test reports rely on instruments with missing, expired, mismatched or untraceable calibration, so your team can decide whether a test must be repeated or an instrument recalibrated.
What are the limits of the Calibration Validity Check?
It only checks the documents you upload. If a test report doesn't name the instrument used, it can't be matched and is reported as missing. It reads what certificates state; it doesn't judge whether a calibration was done well. Scanned documents depend on scan quality. The tool is in beta, so we review each team's first runs with them.
How does calibration relate to the MRB?
Test reports in the manufacturing record book only hold up if the instruments behind them were in calibration. A reviewer checking the MRB will follow each test to its instruments and their certificates. Finding an expired gauge at handover can mean repeating a test on finished equipment. Checking calibration during inspection avoids that late surprise.
Who usually runs a calibration validity check?
Usually the QA or QC engineer who signs off test reports, or the person who manages the calibration register. Test engineers use it before a witnessed test, and project managers before handover. At smaller makers one quality manager often does all of these. The aim is the same: every test backed by a valid, matching certificate.
Is the Calibration Validity Check available now?
The Calibration Validity Check is in beta. You can request access, and we onboard each team ourselves: we pick real test reports and their calibration certificates, run the check with you, and review the results together. That way you see how it handles your records before you rely on it. Document Review, our production tool, is generally available.
Which tools come before and after the Calibration Validity Check?
Before it, the NDE Coverage Review checks each weld has its examination evidence, and the Inspection Readiness Check confirms stages were ready to proceed. After it, the FAT Readiness Check prepares the factory acceptance test, which also depends on calibrated instruments. At handover, the MRB Traceability Verification checks the test, instrument and certificate chain again.
Where it sits in the order lifecycle
Related standards, guides and templates
Try the Calibration Validity Check on your own documents
Tell us which documents you want to check first. We set up your workspace and run the first package with you.