The fact is, some equipment just isn’t made for high-accuracy industrial use. Many consumer-grade tools are perfect for home and low-impact projects but will quickly fail under harsh industrial conditions. This is especially true in high-accuracy situations.

Main Quality-Related Issues:

• Cheaply constructed equipment will wear faster and is more likely to fail calibration due to drift. 
• Just because equipment can display a value does not mean they are correct. Low-resolution equipment extended past its abilities can give a false sense of accuracy.  Any resolution greater than the manufacture’s recommendations has a high degree of uncertainty and is basically an educated guess on the part of the instrument.
• Due to cheaper components, the zero value of lower-quality measuring equipment has a higher tendency to creep after holding a measurement for an extended time.

Just like changing a car’s oil, all machinery requires preventative maintenance to maintain performance over time.  Even high-quality equipment will deteriorate without proper care from time to time. Precision measuring instruments are no different.

Best Maintenance & Care Practices Include:

• Keep your equipment clean. Dirt and grime build-up can slowly change your measured values over time. A simple clean between uses can work wonders to keeping your equipment in working order.
• Regular calibration and adjustments ensure your equipment is reading accurately. Calibrations Certificates also provide useful information for tracking equipment performance and predicting measurement trends.  
• Proper equipment storage in protected temperature-controlled environments can mitigate the risk of accidental damage or warping. 

Another common cause of inaccurate readings can come from operator error. These errors are typically distributed to improper methodology or operator apathy. Fixing apathy falls upon the HR department, but the poor methodology can usually be fixed by implementing training or creating comprehensive measurement procedures.

Common Causes of Operator Errors include:

• The first step to a good measurement procedure is to have a procedure in the first place. Detailed procedures can guide your team through the proper measuring and care steps required for consistent accurate measurements.
• Rough handling such as jamming an object into place or dropping an object can quickly damage components and throw off measurements. Precision equipment should always be treated as if it’s made of glass.
• Although proper technique varies between measurement devices, poor placement can throw off readings. Typically the goal is to maximize the surface area contact between the object being measured and the measuring equipment.  
• For certain types of force measurements such as mass, gauges need a moment to gain steady readings before recording a value.

Workspaces are a common source of easily avoidable errors. In an ideal world, all measurements would be made in an independent and perfectly controlled environment. Since this is nearly impossible, the goal should be to provide the most stable environment possible interference-free environment possible.

Achievable Workspace Improvements:

• Most equipment is designed for use in a particular position. When applicable, measurements should always be made on a flat level surface.
• To mitigate vibrations that cause eradicate measurements, equipment should be placed on a stable workspace such as a surface plate with the appropriate stands and support.
• Keep your work area clear. A congested workspace can cause unintended interferance.

Environmental factors can be a silent influence on your measurements. Unless your process requires a high degree of accuracy, most environmental influences may not be substantial enough to justify the additional cost of a climate-controlled lab. However, there are few changes that can be done in most situations to reduce measurement errors.

• Especially relevant for dimensional measurements, the measuring equipment’s temperature and the temperature of the object it is measuring should be the same. This can be accomplished by allowing both objects to acclimate to an environment before performing measurements.
• Air drafts are another common source of environmental disturbance. This can be fixed by installing draft shields or repositioning equipment away from open doors, fans, and AC ducts.

At their core, all electronic indicators are retrieving some type of electrical signal and interpreting that signal into understandable values. As digital gauges become more common and RF emissions increase, signal interference is becoming a more prevalent issue.

Common Causes of Signal Interference: 

• Poor continuity caused by a broken cable or loose or dirty connections is one of the most common issues we see during equipment repair. Keeping cables away from high traffic areas or properly shielded in conduit can prevent potential issues.
• Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) is caused by certain spectrums of radio waves interfering with circuitry and displays. The first step is to determine the source of RFIs then either move your equipment or shield it from the source of interference.
• Static Build-up can introduce unintended electrical charges into your sensitive gauges. A few preventative measures include anti-static mats and clothing, equipment grounding, and ionizing bars.

The final influencer isn’t actually an issue with the measured value or the measurement equipment.  It’s a feature of the object being measured. Although the values may actually be correct at the time of measurement, some objects change over time which gives the illusion of a measurement error. Unfortunately, many of these effects can be difficult to avoid, but there are certain tactics to account for their change.

• Moisture content can have a dramatic impact on a material’s tensile strength, weight, and dimensional measurements. Although difficult to completely mitigate, moisture analyzers can identify moisture content and help you account for its effects.
• Certain traits such as temperature and dynamic weight can be hard to measure as they tend to fluctuate. Pairing rapidly updating sensors with stabilization software can help nail down these values.
• Relatively soft materials can sometimes bend or deform during movement or while being measured. Keeping such material on a solid surface and applying consistent pressure can help achieve more uniform results.