Surface Plate Calibration, Reconditioning & Resurfacing Services

Many quality departments in manufacturing settings have numerous calibration partners to coordinate. With countless metrological artifacts to keep compliant, scheduling calibrations can become a time-consuming and complex task. Precision Solutions alleviates these scheduling and compliance challenges by serving as your singular partner for calibration services. We’ve spent years building a calibration service network with other ISO 17025 Accredited laboratories so your calibrations can be scheduled with one moment of outreach.

We work with quality and operations teams at manufacturing companies to ensure that their metrology equipment, including granite surface plates, is compliant year-round. While many metrology companies offer dimensional calibration services (hand tools, height gages, gage blocks, etc), few also provide ISO 17025 Accredited granite surface plate calibration and lapping. We encourage you to review our Accredited scope to see our in-house capabilities with surface plates. Contact Precision Solutions if your audit is approaching and you need an Accredited certificate of calibration in-hand as soon as possible. We will be there in your time of need to keep your metrology equipment supplied, functioning, and compliant.

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Causes of Granite Plate Calibration Variation

Granite surface plates are often utilized to help capture fine dimensional measurements. When taking fine dimensional measurements, even the most abstract environmental factors or minor mishaps during usage may cause granite plates to become out of tolerance. Some examples of factors that will adversely impact the flatness of the granite’s surface include:

• Application of adverse cleaning solutions
• Unstable temperature and humidity conditions in the laboratory
• Thermal expansion caused by environmental factors such as direct sunlight
• Damage from moisture temporarily pooled on the surface
• Abrasion and wear from testing
• Balancing issues caused by an improper base
• Dust and Debris settled on the surface*

*Often, particulate matter in the air can settle on the granite surface plate and create abrasion. Because most dimensional testing occurs with fixturing and mounted dimensional equipment such as digital or dial indicators, evidence of abrasion is often concentrated around a small area of the surface plate where repeated measurements occur. With regular use in the same area, the granite surface plates can fall out their specified flatness tolerances. To minimize the effects of dust-exacerbated abrasion, we recommend covering your surface plates when they are not in use.

Why It’s Important to Calibrate Surface Plates

All quality departments desire accurate measurements – and accurate measurements require regularly calibrated equipment. Surface plate manufacturing companies generally do not make specific recommendations for surface plate calibration cycles as the right calibration cycle varies for every department depending on their volume of use and how well the granite surface plates are cared for.

Quality departments in manufacturing settings utilize surface plates to capture accurate dimensional measurements. Often, these measurements are in place to verify that manufactured products are produced within specific customer parameters. Without a regular calibration cycle, team members in quality lab settings may take inaccurate dimensional readings that are out of tolerance; in so doing, they may approve or reject manufactured products based on inaccurate data. This can lead to recalls or increased production costs. A granite surface plate that is out of tolerance may be hard to identify.

While many metrology labs and calibration companies can calibrate dimensional measurement instruments, such as height gages, few can also calibrate and provide lapping services for granite surface plates. At Precision Solutions we provide not only dimensional calibration but also granite surface plate calibration and lapping so all of your quality lab’s calibrations can be executed with one request.

What if I Am Not Using Granite for My Surface Plates?

At Precision Solutions Inc., we strongly recommend you use granite rather than another substance like cast iron, ceramic or steel. Materials other than granite are more susceptible to rust, corrosion, warping or other deformations over time that can affect the accuracy of the device and require recalibration and resurfacing. Granite also lasts longer and is smoother, more precise, more resistant to magnetism and temperature changes, and is easier to care for.

Granite Surface Plate Calibration and Lapping

Precision Solutions, located in Quakertown, PA, offers granite surface plate calibration and lapping services designed to bring plate measurements within their specific grade tolerances. Our calibration and lapping process includes the following steps:

• As applicable, confirm surface plates have reached room temperature within federal specifications for soak-time.
• Clean and polish the surface.
• Check for excessive wear.
• Gather accurate, repeat measurements to check for localized variation across the surface, recording maximum high and low deviations.
• Conduct testing to measure the overall flatness of the surface via one of two calibration methods: electronic levels or laser interferometer.
• Use lapping techniques to restore the surface plate to be within grade-specific flatness tolerances.

Surface Plate Reconditioning & Resurfacing Services by Our Certified Technicians

At Precision Solutions, we understand lapping surface plates. Our capable staff has a fully equipped service vehicle that includes everything needed to perform a fast, efficient on-site calibration that will meet your quality requirements, regardless of surface grade.

Upon completion of your surface plate calibration service, you’ll receive a Calibration Certificate listing the grade and any work performed to restore flatness. Your certificate will also detail the “as found” and “as left” conditions.

In addition, we offer reliable managed calibration services to ensure you never miss a scheduled calibration.

All Surface Plate Calibration Services Feature Our Benchmark Customer Care

Our commitment to customer care sets Precision Solutions apart from our competitors. To us, this means doing whatever it takes to meet your expectations and finding ways to enhance and add value to your business. We take pride in being experts on every product and service we offer and looking for a “win-win” solution in everything we do. We’ll work hard to earn — and keep — your trust.

Contact Us to Schedule Surface Plate Calibration Services in Eastern PA, New Jersey, New York & Delaware

If you use surface plate testing devices in your business, you will agree that the accurate measurements are crucial. Even slight deviations can be extremely costly to many businesses. At Precision Solutions, we understand this. Testing and calibration is our business, and our No. 1 priority is to make sure you are confident in your measurements.

When you call Precision Solutions Inc. for surface plate lapping and calibration, you’ll know we will leave you with a device that generates measurements you can count on, so you can continue your business with confidence. The benefit of knowing you are working with an experienced calibration expert who can examine your device and take any steps necessary on-site to get it measuring properly cannot be emphasized enough.

We can also discuss with you the specific calibration needs for your device. This way, we can schedule future recalibrations with you and let you know when it is time to recalibrate again. Once you have us on your team, you’ll never have to worry about whether or not it’s time to recalibrate your devices.

Those who have used our services for years can attest that our experience and efficiency are unmatched in this industry, and we are ready to put all our skills to work for you today.

Our surface plate calibration services are available to businesses in the Lehigh Valley and Delaware Valley regions, as well as throughout New Jersey and PA Counties Montgomery, Bucks, York, Philadelphia, Chester, Lancaster, Berks, Lebanon, Lackawanna, Luzerne and beyond. We are also available in New York and Delaware by special request. Give us a call today at 215-536-4400 for more information or to schedule your service.

“Once again, thank you on everyone’s behalf for certifying the weight of the new current world record for “largest chicken” at 24.18 pounds and establishing that fact beyond anyone’s reasonable doubt. It was the most critical and important part of the accomplishment that started with his hatching at Moyer’s Chicks in Quakertown to a final determination of the chicken’s actual exact weight/size. We really dont think that we could have asked for anything more professional, thorough or competent as how Precision Solutions handled the entire process and necessary documentation.”

– Sue and Don Ritter, Absolute Pastured Poultry