End of Calibration Cycle

[Kanoa9321]

A local company is selling off some micrometers and they say the reason for selling is that they are at the end of the calibration cycle?

What exactly does that mean?

Does it mean that for a company that requires tools to be calibrated regularly, after x number of years the tool just cannot be used even if it was re calibrated correctly?

[WarrenD]

I've been in the calibration business for 45 years and have never heard of anything like that. The older the calibrated item is and the more history that is available (assuming there are not other problems) the more confidence you have in the device. In theory, having enough historical data will enable you to increase the calibration interval (or require you to decrease it) based on the data although most folks don't bother.

[SAG 180]

Maybe they are soooo worn they can't be calibrated any more and therefore the cycle ends.

[JRIowa]

My guess that it's for some sort of a financial reason.
They are no longer needed, so why pay to calibrate them.
Somebody has done a study and found that they start needing repair after X years.
They had an arrangement with the supplier to provide calibration for X years.
New equipment tax break.

When we sell stuff, it's called surpluss equipment. The description could be "This mother is flat worn out and repair parts cost more than what it's worth. We don't have any place left in the building for another POS machine so we're selling it."
JR

[JST]

Originally Posted by JRIowa

They are no longer needed, so why pay to calibrate them.

They had an arrangement with the supplier to provide calibration for X years.
New equipment tax break.

One of the above, most likely.

or they have zero base budgeting, and can't afford in that department to spend less (in this economy, still spiraling down, maybe not)

Calibration costs come out of budget areas that new equipment doesn't.

if you look at them you may have a better clue whether they are beat or they are just coming up for re-cal. I don't know how much it costs to pay for an outside recal on a mic, I just use gage blocks (which will need a cert someday), but I'd be suspecting they aren't cheap to do.

And, you didn't specify brand..... Cheap mics cost the same to cal, but aren't so expensive to buy. OTOH, they rarely come with what I would consider a valid cal cert. I prefer ones where the whole thing isn't obviously the product of a photocopier.

[Conrad Hoffman]

In my home shop I can own anything I want, if I can afford the initial purchase price. In business, if one is adhering to standards for calibration, the cost of a piece of equipment is far more than the initial purchase price. Equipment takes up space which has a cost, it needs calibration which has a cost and there's safety training and documentation to worry about. It turns out to be very expensive to have a lot of equipment around, due to the maintenance costs. Very often it's better to get rid of anything not being used, and buy it again if needed in the future. Seems counter productive to me, but that's the way the world works today. My guess is they just want to dump the stuff rather than send it out for calibration again.

[Kanoa9321]

I will just be using it for home use.

The Brand is Mitutoyo.