This ISA author Q&A was edited by Joel Don, ISA’s community manager. ISA recently published the Calibration Handbook of Measuring Instruments by Alessandro Brunelli. In this Q&A feature, Alessandro highlights the focus, importance, and differentiating qualities of the book.

Q. Why were you inspired/motivated to write this book?

A. I wrote this book to help and direct industrial and laboratory operators involved in verifying and calibrating measuring instruments used in ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems, ISO 14001Environmental Management Systems, ISO 16949 Automotive Quality Management Systems and AS/EN 9100 Aviation Series Quality Management Systems, according to the general concepts for managing measurement equipment defined in the ISO 10012.

Q. How would you describe the book’s core value to readers? Why and how would they benefit by reading it?

A. The fundamental value for the reader of the book is to: be able to learn and use simple calibration procedures that are accompanied by functional instrument cards suitable for collecting calibration data; and quickly proceed to the metrological confirmation of the calibration instrument by manually compiling the instrument cards themselves or by automatically using the spreadsheets defined for that purpose.

Q. What are the most compelling challenges that the book addresses?

A. First of all, the book addresses the general issues related to national and international measures traceability, and addresses the calibration approach of measuring instruments needed to detect error and uncertainty of measurement. The objective is to evaluate compliance and applicability in real measurement conditions required by the process to be controlled.

Q. What makes this book different than other books on the subject? What differentiates it?

A. The book is very practical. It defines simple and practical procedures for calibration when measuring instruments and utilizing methods to demonstrate compliance. In clear terms, it covers the international system of units of measurement, international and national accreditation systems in the field of measures, and issues of traceability and uncertainty of measurement.

Part II of the book is divided into five distinct measurement sections: Physical, Chemical for Liquids, Chemical for Gas, Mechanical and Electrical. After addressing measurement performed in metrological and related normatives, the book explores main measuring instruments and the simple procedures to follow. When someone opens the book for key information on the instrument to be calibrated, it’s very easy to use.

Q. Are there any specific sections/aspects of the book do you feel are the most compelling to highlight in the press release?

A. Part I covers a lot of didactics, normatives and regulations, while Part II, in a highly practical approach, examines the foregoing different measures described. It outlines the main measuring instruments to calibrate the articolats calibration procedure in only 9 points and an easy-related instrument card that can be filled in both manually and automatically with spreadsheets inserted into the CD in format xls. In the CD, also available for the five types of measures are bleached instrument cards in doc format—ensuring practical use and modification for users and making them consistent with any company or laboratory measurement management system.

Q. Do you have any other comments to make about the book that can help highlight its value, benefits, advantages?

A. There are several points to emphasize.

• The book adheres to the calibration procedures of the International measurement unity System SI and applies to all international, European and national reference normatives.
• It’s quick and easy to follow the calibration procedures and instrument cards within the handbook; procedures are outlined on the left of the page and the relating instruction cards are on the right side of the page.
• The book makes it possible to assess the conformity of instruments using both analytical and practical methods—depending on the greater or lesser uncertainty of measurement of the standard used in the calibration process.
• Users now have the ability to automatically provide the conformity of the instrument to be calibrated with the spreadsheets that are included in the CD attached to the book.
• Lastly, the book gives you the ability to download, use and modify the instrument cards inserted into the CD for the various instrument to be calibrated.

These are the specific qualities that make the book a true “calibration handbook,” reflective of the fact that it combines my so-called How Much is Enough (HME) versus How Much it Serves (HMS) in compliance with metrological requirements imposed by the reference normatives for calibrating and confirming measuring instruments.

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Free Downloads
ISA Industrial Calibration Worksheets
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Calibration Handbook of Measuring Instruments book excerpt
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Calibration Uncertainty for Non-Mathematicians white paper

About the Author
Alessandro Brunelli graduated from the Higher Institute of Industrial Technology Mechanical of the Polytechnic (University) of Milan in 1974. He worked in the field of training and certification for industrial instrumentation for more than 40 years at an experimental laboratory before becoming a professor of mechanical and thermal measurement at the Polytechnic of Milan. As a technologist, Brunelli participates in the activities of national, European, and international standardization for mechanical and electronic equipment. He is responsible for the Italian National Unification (UNI) commission on “Metrology of Pressure and Temperature” and serves as secretary of the technical committee Italian Electrotechnical Committee (CEI) on “Industrial-Processes Measurement, Control and Automation.” During his career, he published many papers in the field of measurement and automation of industrial processes, including two monographs relating to humidity measurement and flow measurement; a series of five volumes on measurement and control in industrial applications; a volume titled Industrial Measurements: Physical & Mechanical; and recently a series of two volumes of the Instrumentation Handbook.

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