Pipettes are used to measure small amounts of liquid accurately in scientific analysis. Calibration involves checking the equipment’s accuracy by setting pipette volumes and weighing the resulting liquid against the expected weight. Pipettes need to be calibrated regularly and can be checked daily using a scale and water. Professional calibration services can also perform more complicated checks to ensure the pipette is suitable for further use.
Pipettes are tools used by laboratory analysts to accurately measure small amounts of liquid. Accuracy is important in scientific analysis as it is integral to a test that the materials used are used in known quantities. Calibrating an equipment simply means that the equipment has been checked to ensure that it is functioning correctly and accurately as intended. Common methods of calibrating pipettes involved setting pipette volumes and weighing the resulting liquid drawn from the pipette against the expected weight. Once this is within an acceptable margin of error for the laboratory, the pipette passes calibration.
Experience in precision tooling is required to manufacture pipettes for the scientific and industrial markets. Basically, a pipette is a way to separate a specific volume of liquid, which can be several milliliters, down to volumes as tiny as ten microliters. Every pipette is designed to be accurate and the user should know that the pipette is very accurate and has not become damaged or worn.
Although pipette manufacturers manufacture the tools to be accurate within a chosen range, sometimes the tools break or lose functionality. Analysts therefore often perform a pipette calibration on their pipettes. The time scale between pipette calibration times depends on the rules of the particular laboratory or industry and the accuracy of the test may also differ. Often, an analyst will perform a short calibration each day before using a particular pipette, but the pipette has to undergo a much more complicated calibration every few months.
Simple calibrations, such as those performed daily, usually involve a scale, some water, and the pipette. This involves weighing specific volumes of water and comparing their weights on the scale with the expected weights based on the settings on the pipette. Typically, the required settings are chosen by the laboratory and commonly these represent a low and high volume at which the pipette can be set. For example, a pipette designed to be accurate between 1 mL and 5 mL might require calibration volumes of 1.5 mL and 4 mL.
The analyst extracts the necessary volumes with the pipette and places the water on a container placed on the weighing scale, which must have been previously calibrated so its accuracy is indisputable. She then waits for the balance to stabilize and register the weight of the liquid dispensed from the pipette. This process is repeated with one or more volumes of water. Sometimes a calibration procedure requires wetting the pipette tip with water several times to ensure that the correct volume is drawn. After recording the weights, the analyst can verify that the actual weight of the water is within acceptable error limits for that pipette.
Professional calibration services can also perform more complicated pipette checks. Because these types of pipette calibrations tend to take longer and are more accurate, they can be more expensive to perform. However, they ensure that the pipette still performs within initial tolerances and is suitable for further use.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
