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What is the difference between a DAKKS and NIST certificate?

What is calibration?

Let’s start with the basics and explain what calibration is.

Calibration in measuring technology means to determine the measurement deviation of the respective measuring device. In contrast to adjustment, calibration does not involve any intervention on the measuring device. If a measuring device with direct reading is calibrated, the measurement deviation between the indicated measured value and the actual value is recorded. For material measurements, eg masses, the difference between the labeling and the actual value is determined. In measurement setups, the measurement deviations between the actual output value and the required value are documented, which the signal should have with an ideal transfer characteristic and a defined input value.

DAkkS calibration (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle - DAkkS)

In the standard family DIN EN ISO 9000 and DIN EN ISO / IEC 17025, traceability to national standards is required for a DAkkS calibration. With traceability, the representation of the measured value (or a material measure) is compared with the respective standard of the measured variables.

The German Physical and Technical Measurement Institute (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt – PTB) is the highest technical government body for measurement. The PTB maintains and develops the national standards. It guarantees international comparability with other state institutes.

Due to a DAkkS calibration of measuring and test equipment and the traceability of the measurements to national standards, a reliable registration of the process variables is guaranteed.

What is a NIST certificate? National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory federal agency that develops measurement standards and technology. NIST creates and certifies standard reference materials (SRMs) that are used for calibration, verifying accuracy and tracing measurements. For each SRM, NIST has an Analysis Certificate of Analysis.

For NIST certification, a product is tested against an SRM to ensure it meets the requirements. After passing this test, the product can be sold with a NIST certificate. There are 3 types of NIST certification. The first is a NIST calibration certificate, which indicates that the product was found to be within the accuracy tolerance or was modified to be within that tolerance.

The second is a NIST Certificate of Compliance, which means that the product’s test results were within the stated tolerance, but there is no way to adjust the device. The third is a NIST Traceable Certificate, which is when the product has been tested against an item with a traceable paper trail back to a NIST SRM.

NIST certification does not represent a recommendation or endorsement of a product. It can also add up to several hundred dollars off the price of a product. However, a certified product has a clear advantage. A NIST certificate means that the product has been thoroughly tested for accuracy.