Bios Flow Measurement Blog

Definer 1020 Introduces Flow Calibration For Up to 500 Liters Per Minute

BUTLER, NJ - Bios today introduced the Definer 1020, the latest and highest- capacity application of its Proven DryCal technology. The Definer 1020 is a gas flow calibrator with a range of from 5 to 500 liters per minute - up to 10 times the volume of any other piston-prover device on the market.

The innovative Definer 1020 provides flow professionals with an automated piston calibrator that is portable, easy to operate and precise, according to Harvey Padden, founder and president of Bios and developer of the unique DryCal technology.

"The Definer 1020 is a true primary flow standard," he explained. "It's has a precision of 0.25 percent per reading, traceable to standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and accredited by the NVLAP. Moreover, people in calibration labs or complex process controls can actually move the Definer 1020 easily, unlike the old, cumbersome bell provers they've relied on for more than a century. It's easy to operate, too."

The reliability and convenience of the Definer 1020 will allow calibration labs to expand into flow measurement, in response to the growing importance of accurate high-volume gas sampling in keeping complex process-control systems operating at peak efficiency. It will soon become a fundamental piece of equipment for any flow laboratory.

"I have an inventor's pride in what the Bios team of engineers has accomplished with the 1020," said Padden. "And the market has responded very well to our other applications of DryCal technology for industrial hygiene and safety, environmental protection and sophisticated laboratory and workplace needs. I believe we'll see the same response with our latest innovation."

The Definer 220 introduced by Bios last year is portable and primary, and proved highly popular with environmental professionals as a good check standard for the dynamic gas calibrators in ambient air monitors. In addition, the Definer 220 won the 2007 Product Innovation Award from Flow Control magazine.

Proven DryCal Technology is a liquid-free gas flow measurement system that doesn't rely on soap bubbles for measurement, oil or mercury to form a gas-tight seal, or non-primary thermal mass flow readings that must be backward calculated to obtain volumetric flow.

Bios also is ISO 17025 accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), the third-party accrediting body of NIST.

Additional information regarding the Definer 1020 and other Bios products can be found at www.biosint.com.

ISO 17025 v. ISO 9000 – What’s the Difference?

Years ago, there was a television commercial featuring a shabby looking mechanic in a run down garage who said, “Cool, I’ve always wanted to work on a transmission.” The message was clear. Why trust your car and family safety to someone who is not an expert? Go to someone you know can do the job – a transmission specialist.

The same rule of thumb applies to verifying the accuracy of your instrumentation – why go to someone who has not taken the time and effort to perfect their calibrations, someone whose own claims are open to question? Questions about the accuracy of your equipment can often lead to many thousands of dollars (or more) in litigation fees when there is no proof that the accuracy and dependability of your conclusions are based on set standards and procedures. This is where ISO 17025 comes into play.

There are ISO accreditations for different fields; these are quality standards set by the International Standards Organization. ISO 9000 is the accreditation standard for manufacturing facilities. ISO 17025 is the one that specifically applies to accuracy of calibration. To receive this accreditation, laboratories must meet rigorous requirements in areas of operation, including but not limited to, certification by a third party, professional training, customer and technical support and estimated uncertainty, which is the mathematical description of errors associated with any given measurement. This trail backs up the laboratory’s accuracy claims, which are also verified by comparison of the lab applying for the accreditation with other national and international laboratories. You can rely upon the fact that using instrumentation from an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory will guarantee that your equipment is calibrated to the highest standard.

Bios International is one of the few manufacturers with its own ISO 17025 laboratory, and our precision levels of 0.25 percent are traceable to standards from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and accredited by the NVLAP. As they say, “It doesn’t get any better than this”.

Bios International’s ISO 17025 accreditation by NVLAP of NIST, along with our technical papers and interlab comparisons, is available on our website at www.biosint.com.