ISO 16063-44:2018

Overview

ISO 16063-44:2018 specifies instrumentation, procedures and reporting requirements for the calibration of field vibration calibrators (FVCs). It establishes how to make FVC output traceable to national or primary standards and how to express results and uncertainty. The document covers laboratory calibration of FVCs (not their use for in situ calibration of transducers, which ISO 16063‑21 addresses) and includes normative guidance on uncertainty (Annex A) and informative material on FVC configuration and application (Annex B).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Calibration scope: Instrumentation and step-by-step procedure for calibrating FVCs; excludes FVC use to calibrate transducers and in situ procedures.
• Required instruments:
  • Reference transducer and amplifier (calibrated by comparison method; expanded uncertainty < 2 % magnitude)
  • True‑RMS voltmeter (expanded uncertainty 0.3 % at reference frequency)
  • Frequency counter (expanded uncertainty 0.05 %)
  • Distortion meter or FFT analyser (relative expanded uncertainty ≈ 10 %, evaluate up to 5 harmonics)
  • Dummy masses and appropriate mounting hardware
• Environmental and mechanical conditions: Room temperature (23 ± 10) °C, relative humidity ≤ 75 %, vibration noise at base < 0.1 m/s2 RMS; rigid stable base and correct mounting per ISO 5348.
• Measurement and calculations: Record transducer chain RMS voltage, frequency and distortion at each selectable FVC setting. Calculation relations provided for converting acceleration, velocity and displacement (e.g., v = a / (2πf); s = a / (4π2 f2)) and acceleration RMS is obtained from measured voltage divided by reference sensitivity.
• Uncertainty and reporting: Annex A describes uncertainty estimation; typical expanded uncertainty of acceleration is about 3 % under laboratory conditions. Reports must include environmental data, mounting description, reference transducer details, voltmeter/distortion analyser settings, calibration results and uncertainties.

Applications

• Traceable calibration of handheld and bench field vibration calibrators used for in situ checks.
• Quality assurance for vibration monitoring, condition monitoring, and maintenance programs.
• Establishing calibration baselines for FVC manufacturers, calibration laboratories and service providers.

Who should use this standard

• National and accredited calibration laboratories
• Metrology and vibration test engineers
• FVC manufacturers and technical support teams
• Field service technicians performing equipment verification for plant maintenance, structural vibration testing, and ISO 8041/ISO 8042 compliance checks

Related standards

• ISO 16063‑21 - vibration calibration by comparison to a reference transducer (for transducer calibration)
• ISO 2041 - vibration and shock vocabulary
• Cross‑references: ISO 8041‑1 and ISO 8042 (application contexts mentioned in the introduction)

Keywords: ISO 16063-44:2018, field vibration calibrators, FVC calibration, vibration calibration, reference transducer, calibration uncertainty, FFT distortion measurement.