Frequently Asked Questions

QSI offers a comprehensive range of ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration services, including:

• Dimensional Calibration – calipers, micrometers, gauges, height gauges, and coordinate measuring equipment

• Electrical Calibration – multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, and signal generators

• Force Calibration – load cells, torque wrenches, force gauges, and tensile testing equipment

• Mass Calibration – weights, balances, and scales

• Pressure Calibration – pressure gauges, transducers, manometers, and vacuum instruments

• RF & Microwave Calibration – signal analyzers, network analyzers, and frequency counters

• Temperature Calibration – thermometers, thermocouples, RTDs, and temperature controllers

• Time & Frequency Calibration – clocks, timers, and frequency standards

• Torque Calibration – torque wrenches, torque sensors, and rotary torque tools

Whether you need lab-based or on-site calibration, QSI has the expertise and accredited capability to support your quality management system.

Calibration frequency depends on several factors: the type of equipment, how frequently it is used, the precision required, manufacturer recommendations, and your industry's regulatory requirements.

As a general guideline:

• Most precision instruments in manufacturing and R&D environments are calibrated annually.

• Medical device manufacturers operating under FDA 21 CFR Part 820 or ISO 13485 often require calibration every 6–12 months, or after any repair or significant impact.

• Pharmaceutical and life sciences companies subject to USP, GMP, or FDA requirements typically follow more rigorous schedules, sometimes quarterly.

• High-use or portable instruments — such as torque wrenches on a production floor or calipers in a machine shop — may drift faster and warrant more frequent calibration.

A good rule of thumb: if an instrument is used daily, calibrate it at least annually or after any event that could affect its accuracy (a drop, repair, or out-of-tolerance finding). QSI can help you review your current calibration schedule and build an interval plan that fits your QMS or audit requirements.

Quality Surveillance, Inc. provides ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration services to a wide range of industries, including:

• Automotive – supporting dimensional, torque, and force measurement for production and quality control

• Construction Materials & Machinery – calibrating force, pressure, and dimensional tools used in testing and inspection

• Engineering & R&D – providing precise calibration for laboratory instruments and prototype testing equipment

• General Manufacturing – helping production facilities maintain measurement accuracy and audit readiness

• Medical & Healthcare – supporting FDA-regulated environments requiring traceable, documented calibration

• Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences – meeting GMP and regulatory compliance needs for critical process instruments

• Public Administration & Government – serving agencies requiring certified, traceable measurement standards

• Semiconductors & Electronics – calibrating sensitive electrical and RF equipment used in design and production

If you don't see your industry listed, contact us — QSI's broad scope of accreditation means we can support many additional applications.

Yes. QSI offers on-site calibration services for customers who need calibration performed at their facility rather than shipping equipment to our lab. On-site calibration is especially valuable for:

• Large or fixed equipment that cannot be easily removed from service

• Production environments where minimizing downtime is critical

• Customers with a high volume of instruments requiring simultaneous calibration

• Facilities with strict chain-of-custody or security requirements

Our on-site calibration is performed by the same trained technicians using the same accredited procedures as our in-lab work. Contact us to discuss your facility's needs and we'll work with you to schedule a visit.

Yes. Quality Surveillance, Inc. is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by The ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), a nationally and internationally recognized accreditation body.

ISO/IEC 17025 is the globally accepted standard for testing and calibration laboratories. Our accreditation means that QSI has been independently assessed and found competent to perform specific calibration activities to a defined, auditable standard — and that our measurement results are traceable to national and international measurement standards (NIST).

You can view our full scope of accreditation — including the specific measurement parameters, ranges, and uncertainties we are accredited for — on our Scope of Accreditation page.

ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is the gold standard for calibration laboratories — and it matters significantly for your equipment's measurement integrity and your organization's compliance posture.

Here's why it matters:

• Internationally recognized assurance: Accreditation demonstrates that QSI has been independently evaluated against a rigorous global standard, not just self-certified.

• Measurement traceability: Accredited labs are required to maintain an unbroken chain of traceability back to national standards (NIST), ensuring the validity and comparability of your calibration results worldwide.

• Audit readiness: Many quality management standards — including ISO 9001, ISO 13485, AS9100, and IATF 16949 — specify or strongly prefer calibration from ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories. Using an accredited lab simplifies your audit documentation and reduces findings risk.

• Documented uncertainty: Unlike non-accredited calibration, ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration includes stated measurement uncertainty on your certificate, which is a requirement for many regulated industries.

• Reduced risk of out-of-tolerance surprises: Because our procedures are rigorously controlled, calibration results from QSI are reliable, consistent, and defensible.

For regulated industries like medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences, working with an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab isn't just good practice — it's often a regulatory requirement.

Turnaround time for calibration services varies depending on several factors: the number and complexity of instruments being calibrated, current lab volume, whether your equipment requires adjustment or repair, and the specific measurement disciplines involved.

Because each job is different, we encourage you to contact us or include details in your quote request so we can give you an accurate timeline for your specific instruments and situation. If you have a deadline driven by an upcoming audit, production schedule, or compliance requirement, please let us know — we will do our best to accommodate time-sensitive needs.

To get started or discuss timing, submit a quote request at qualitysurveillanceinc.com/request-a-quote.

We understand that unplanned calibration needs — a failed instrument before an audit, an urgent production hold, or a last-minute compliance requirement — can't always wait. If you have a time-sensitive situation, please contact us directly and explain your deadline. We will do our best to prioritize your work and discuss available options.

Rush requests are handled on a case-by-case basis depending on current lab capacity and the type of instruments involved. Reaching out as early as possible gives us the best opportunity to accommodate your timeline.

Submit your request at qualitysurveillanceinc.com/request-a-quote and note your deadline in the comments.

Quality Surveillance, Inc. is located at 1200 Yarnell Place, Oxnard, CA 93033, in Ventura County — conveniently situated near Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and the greater Southern California region.

While we are based in Oxnard, QSI serves customers across California and beyond. Customers from outside our immediate area regularly ship instruments to our laboratory for calibration, and we return them with a fully documented calibration certificate.

We also offer on-site calibration services for customers who prefer calibration performed at their facility — whether locally or at a more distant location. Contact us to discuss your situation and we can help determine the most practical and cost-effective service option for your needs.