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What is Drift Analysis and Why is it Important to Your Quality Program?

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One of the questions we get most often is “how frequently should I calibrate my equipment?” Unfortunately, this is something that we cannot answer for you, as it is a decision that must be made considering a number of factors. Check out this article to learn more about determining calibration frequency. However, one important factor is how often the equipment needs to be adjusted or is found to be out of tolerance. A great way to track this over time is using drift analysis which we CAN help you with!

What is drift analysis?

Drift analysis is the process of charting the as-found data for your equipment over time. By doing this you can easily see which pieces of equipment are consistently staying in tolerance and which need to be adjusted. Using this data you can make a more informed decision about calibration frequency. For instance, if you see that a piece of equipment routinely needs to be adjusted, you may want to increase frequency to ensure that it doesn’t go out of tolerance between calibration cycles. This will help you to reduce your risk of using an out-of-tolerance measurement device, which in turn can help to raise the quality of your product. On the other hand, if you find that a piece rarely or never needs to be adjusted, then you can potentially move out your calibration cycle which will save you time and money. The key is to make a data driven decision so you feel confident in the quality of your measurement data.

So how do I get started?

The great news is that Cross Precision Measurement is here to help! As a Cross calibration customer, you have free access to GageSuite, our comprehensive, user-friendly calibration management system. Beyond giving you instant access to the complete calibration and repair history for each piece of equipment, GageSuite now gives you drift charts for each piece of equipment. GageSuite uses real data from your calibration events to create charts showing your equipments’ drift trends over time. These charts can be easily viewed within the equipment record, giving you the information you need to make informed decisions about calibration frequency, maintenance, and eventual replacement.

What is Drift Analysis and Why is it Important to Your Quality Program? 1

GageSuite uses real data from your calibration events to create charts showing your equipments’ drift trends over time.

Log into GageSuite today to view your equipment’s drift analysis charts. Don’t have access, no problem. Register to get access to your GageSuite account today. If you’d like to discuss your drift charts in more detail or just have questions about calibration, contact us to speak with one of our precision measurement professionals.

See how our precision measurement team can help improve quality, increase efficiency, and reduce risk.

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In the meantime, enjoy these fun facts…

Did you know… Cross Company is an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). Our ESOP started in 1979 and as of 2006, we are 100% employee-owned! Learn more about our ESOP and how that benefits both team members and our customers.
Did you know... the precision measurement group at Cross was founded in 1939 by our current CEO's grandfather, Jim King. That's a whole lot of calibration!
Did you know... A fingerprint weighs about 50 micrograms. We know, we weighed it! The residue left from a finger can actually make a difference in weight results which is why we wear gloves when we calibrate weights. For reference, a sheet of paper is about 4.5 grams, that’s 4.5 million micrograms.
Did you know… Cross Company has grown significantly since our start in 1954. Over the years we've acquired 26 companies! Today, our five groups have expertise in everything from industrial automation to precision measurement, and industry knowledge going all the way back to 1939.