Summary of Electronic Balance Calibration Proficiency Testing in Taiwan

Abstract

Proficiency testing is an established way to demonstrate a laboratory's measurement capabilities. Accredited laboratories are usually requested to participate in proficiency testing conducted by the laboratory accreditation organizations in their countries. The Center for Measurement Standards / Industrial Technology Research Institute (CMS/ITRI) has long been committed to measurement technologies and statistical engineering in Taiwan and is one of the Proficiency Testing Providers (PTPs), with an accreditation number of P002, accredited by Taiwan Accreditation Foundation (TAF). This paper summarizes the result of a 2014 Electronic Balance calibration proficiency testing scheme, number PT2014-KC05, held from November 10, 2014 till December 12, 2014 in Taiwan. Fifteen laboratories participated in this proficiency testing, identified by A, B, C, D... to read the result in the summary report. Because there was no central laboratory, the pilot used robust statistics to calculate the assigned value and expanded uncertainty of all participating laboratories' results. Through statistic analysis, the |En| values of each participating laboratory is smaller than one. This implies that all the participants' results are satisfactory with respect to each other and that the measurement capabilities of laboratories performing electronic balance calibrations are very consistent in Taiwan.