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Mitutoyo is certified ISO/IEC 17025 in conforming to the U.S. automobile industry quality control system requirement item QS-9000 |
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The Kawasaki Calibration Center (Technical Service Division) of Mitutoyo Corporation, was certified ISO/IEC 17025 by the RvA NKO, a Dutch accreditation organization, on January 24, 2001. Established in 1981, the RvA is the oldest accreditation organization in Europe. It accredits not only domestic organizations, but also those outside the Netherlands, and the RvA's NKO is a section that accredits calibration laboratories. Mitutoyo's Kawasaki Calibration Center became an accredited calibration laboratory, in response to requests by companies registered for the U.S. automobile industry's quality control requirement item QS-9000. The QS-9000 requires that when a company uses a calibration agency, that calibration laboratory must be certified to be in accordance with ISO/IEC Guide 25. Today in the Japan Calibration Service System (JCSS), however, items for calibration are limited to the laser wavelengths, gage blocks, and standard scales. The expansion of items, to include measuring tools used by the customers, will have to wait until April 1, 2001, when the JCSS starts accepting applications for the examination for accreditation. While Mitutoyo's Tsukuba Calibration Center, Miyazaki Plant, Utsunomiya Calibration Center and Kiyohara Plant were already certified by the JCSS as accredited calibration laboratories and were preparing themselves to be certified for the additional items that would be recognized by the JCSS, the Kawasaki Calibration Center sought the accreditation by the Dutch organization, RvA NKO. It did this in order to fill the gap between the QS-9000 requirement and the expansion of the calibration certification items by the JCSS, and also to respond to the requests by the QS-9000 registered companies. The ISO/IEC Guide 25, giving international requirements for calibration agencies, was newly standardized in December 1999, and, as a result, ISO/IEC 17025 was issued. The Kawasaki Calibration Center is Mitutoyo's first calibration laboratory that has received the ISO/IEC 17025 certification by the RvA NKO. Mitutoyo's overseas calibration laboratories in Germany, England, and the Netherlands became accredited calibration laboratories when the company started the sales of gage blocks in the European market. In February 1997, the Miyazaki Plant was accredited as a certified calibration laboratory for gage blocks by the RvA NKO, which was considered the top authority for accreditation in Europe, so that it could issue calibration certificates, to be shipped with gage blocks, to assure a traceability recognized in Europe. The Kawasaki Calibration Center is the second domestic calibration laboratory that received a certification by the RvA NKO. The RvA is a member of the EA, the European co-operation for Accreditation. In November last year, it also signed a mutual agreement with the ILAC, the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation, thus recognizing accredited agencies and systems around the world, including the European countries and the Asia-Pacific. Given the accreditation of the Kawasaki Calibration Center, Mitutoyo can now issue internationally recognizable calibration certificates from the Kawasaki Calibration Center, as well as the Miyazaki Plant. [The following are the items for which the Kawasaki Calibration Center became accredited for calibrations:]
[For more information on the Kawasaki Calibration Center's ISO/IEC 17025 certification, please contact the nearest Mitutoyo sales office.] [GLOSSARY] ISO/IEC 17025 ISO/IEC Guide25 Requirements of quality system and technical capability for calibration agencies and laboratories. For an international accreditation, it is required to satisfy ISO/IEC Guide 25. In December 1999, newly standardized ISO/IEC 17025 was issued from the Guide. QS-9000 A quality system requirement standard for the automobile parts and material suppliers by the America's Big 3 (Chrysler, Ford, GM) and five companies in the truck industry. Those requirements particular to the automobile industry were added to the base of the international standard ISO9000. Since the America's Big 3 and the truck industry require their parts manufacturers to be QS-9000 registered, an increasing number of companies in Japan are also registering for QS-9000. Japan Calibration Service System, JCSS A traceability system established on November 1, 1993, accompanying the alteration of the Measurement Law. This system defines the traceability of length standards to the national standard, as well as accreditation of calibration agencies. EA Abbreviation of European co-operation for Accreditation. A cooperation of European accreditation organizations. ILAC Abbreviation of International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation. Established in 1977 to promote mutual agreement of the accreditation organizations in the world for calibration agencies and laboratories. |
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February 15,2001 |
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