ISO 16063-22:2005

Overview

ISO 16063-22:2005 - Methods for the calibration of vibration and shock transducers - Part 22: Shock calibration by comparison to a reference transducer - defines instrumentation and procedures for secondary shock calibration of rectilinear transducers (e.g., accelerometers) by comparison to a reference acceleration, velocity or force measurement. The standard covers time-dependent shock pulses with pulse durations from about 0.05 ms to 8.0 ms and a peak dynamic range spanning roughly 100 m/s² to 100 km/s². It establishes how to obtain shock sensitivity (relationship between transducer output peak and acceleration) and provides uncertainty guidance for calibration laboratories requiring traceability (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17025).

Key Topics and Requirements

• Scope and limits: Procedures for secondary shock calibration of rectilinear transducers; not intended for dynamic force transducers used in modal analysis.
• Shock pulse range: Applicable half‑sine and time‑dependent pulses within the specified duration and peak ranges.
• Calibration methods & apparatus: Detailed requirements for anvil shock calibrators (pendulum, dropball, pneumatically operated piston), Hopkinson bar techniques (acceleration, velocity or force comparison), and associated equipment (oscilloscopes, waveform recorders, data processing).
• Mounting and mechanical tolerances: Requirements for polished, flat mounting surfaces (Ra < 1 µm), flatness control (within a few µm), and hole perpendicularity tolerances to preserve reference transducer performance.
• Transducer resonance control: The transducer’s natural period should be less than 0.2 times the half‑sine pulse duration to avoid resonance-induced errors.
• Uncertainty of measurement: Expanded relative uncertainties are specified (coverage factor k = 2, ≈95 %). Typical guidance: pendulum, dropball and pneumatic methods can achieve uncertainties around 5 % under reference conditions; Hopkinson bar methods have different typical uncertainty levels depending on comparison technique.
• Data processing & reporting: Procedures for time‑history acquisition, signal processing (filtering, windows) and standardized reporting of calibration results.

Applications

• Calibration and validation of shock accelerometers and shock transducers for industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, defense and research.
• Establishing traceable shock sensitivity for test equipment used in component drop testing, shock survivability, and environmental qualification.
• Routine secondary calibration services in accredited metrology laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025).

Who will use this standard

• Calibration laboratories and metrology institutes
• Transducer manufacturers and test houses
• Quality managers and engineers responsible for shock testing and traceability

Related standards

• ISO 16063 series (Part 1, Part 13, Part 21, etc.)
• ISO 2041 (vibration and shock vocabulary)
• ISO 5347-22 (resonance testing)
• ISO 18431-2 (signal processing - time domain windows)

Keywords: ISO 16063-22:2005, shock calibration, reference transducer, accelerometer calibration, pendulum calibrator, dropball, Hopkinson bar, uncertainty, traceability, ISO 17025.