Ohio Department of Agriculture

With the new quality guidelines affecting Ohio's industries, the Metrology Lab has seen a very large increase in the workload. To continue to give quality service in a timely manner, some guidelines have been established. Laboratory fees are $80.00 per hour and there is a minimum 1/2 hour charge for all orders.

Scheduling

Shipping

Standards Condition

Scheduling a Calibration Date

Before sending any work to the Ohio Metrology Laboratory, you must first call the lab and make your initial request via phone. All work will be scheduled as soon as possible after the initial request, depending on the schedule of the lab. After the lab has determined the amount of time it will need to process your request, you will be provided a calibration date. If you need to ship any items to the lab, please make sure they arrive prior to your scheduled calibration date.

If there are any specific requirements, such as:

1. Artifacts are sent to lab by one company, but the certificate is to be issued to another company

2. Certificate is to be sent to one address, but the invoice sent to another address

These instructions need to be included with the artifacts when they arrive at the lab.

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Shipping Items for Testing

1.	All items should be securely packed and shipped before shipping. Any item ten pounds or more should be shipped in wooden crates, not cardboard. The Metrology Lab is not responsible for items not shipped properly. Cardboard shipments are accepted for the smaller items, but larger items should be double boxed and secured. Items should be individually wrapped, or protected with appropriate packing materials. Foam peanuts are not acceptable.
2.	If you are shipping small weight kits, be sure to secure them in the closed position with latches, rubber bands, tape, boxes, or bags. Missing milligram weights can be lost if the kit is not securely closed delaying your calibration test.
3.	Fifty (50) lb. weights, 25 kg weights whether shipped or delivered, should be stacked on full size pallets whenever possible. A forklift is available for pallet delivery.
4.	Return shipment of small boxes (150 lbs. or less) will usually be shipped via UPS. Current UPS shipping and insurance charges will be added to the invoice along with the calibration charges.
5.	If artifacts are being tested, it is the customer's responsibility to advise the metrology lab of the monetary value for appropriate insurance amounts. This value should include the cost to replace the artifacts as well as the cost of recalibration. If an insured value is not written on the packaging slip, the laboratory reserves the right to make a judgment on the value of which to insure the package and assumes no liability in excess of the insured amount.
6.	The laboratory will not accept items shipped by truck that are "freight collect."
7.	Return shipping arrangements should be made with the metrology lab at the time of the initial phone call and scheduling. Utilizing the owner's freight account, or shipping the weights back "freight collect", are the preferred and recommended methods. The metrology lab can also bill you for the return shipping through UPS, as mentioned in Step 4 above.

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Standards Conditions

All standards that are delivered to this laboratory need to be clean and, where required, painted. Cleaning and/or repair of standards in the metrology lab will add considerably to the calibration costs.

Mass Standards
Volume Standards

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Mass Standards

1.	Precision weights must arrive 2-3 days in advance to acclimate.
2.	Weights should be clean and in good repair. Except for weights that have been submitted to the laboratory in the past and have shown that they can maintain tolerance, all weights submitted must meet the requirements of NIST HB 105-1.
3.	An ethanol-dampened rag cleans stainless steel weights well.
4.	Interior of cases for weight kits should also be wiped down or vacuumed.
5.	Cases should be sound with secure latches.
6.	Cast iron weights should have no evidence of rust, loose paint or adhering debris.
7.	Cast iron weights should be painted with a light coat of aluminum paint. (Allow adequate drying time.)
8.	Do not use epoxy or enamel paints.
9.	During colder months, large cast iron weights should be kept indoors the night before calibration to keep them as close to room temperature as possible when arriving. We cannot calibrate weights that are wet from rain or "sweating."
10.	Companies bringing in large weights (scale trucks) for calibration the same day should be here by 8:00 a.m.
11.	Weights should be identified with a permanent stamp or mark into the surface of the weight. Stickers are not allowed and will be removed.
12.	Handle your analytical weights carefully. Tolerances are small, so dirt or abuse can throw them out of tolerance.

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Volume Standards

1.	Large volume provers and five gallon test measures must come in clean and painted if made of mild steel with no strong odors or evidence of hydrocarbons.
2.	Any vessels with obvious residues will not be tested.
3.	Be sure the prover has working valves, a clean glass gauge tube, and a readable gauge plate.
4.	Be sure the mechanism for adjusting the prover can be moved freely.
5.	Provers and test measures will not be tested if they come in with leaks, dents, or badly corroded interiors.
6.	If any of the above conditions are found, there will still be a charge involved for our setup and scheduling time (minimum 1/2 hour).
7.	Five-gallon test measures called "non-reference" or "station standards" do not meet NIST HB 105-3 and cannot be tested. These are the ones with a glass plate set right in the neck of the test measure.

If you have any questions regarding the calibration services at the Ohio Metrology Laboratory, please call the Metrology Section at (614) 728-6290 or e-mail us at weights@agri.ohio.gov.

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