How an accurate, reliable calibration solution could supercharge your business [Podcast]

Whether you work in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, or any other field that relies on precise measurements, an accurate and reliable calibration solution is crucial. Accurate calibration is a critical component of quality control, compliance, safety, and cost efficiency. So, what is the best way to guarantee accurate measurements, reliable data, and traceability?

Two Beamex experts recently guested on the Process Industry Informer podcast to discuss this fascinating topic. The episode includes a real-world example of one major Beamex customer that has cut costs while boosting efficiency by adopting a centralized, standardized process for recording, storing, and analyzing calibration data.

Calibration Consultant Michael Frackowiak and Director of Sales for the UK & Ireland John Healy at Beamex sat down with host Dave Howell for a fascinating talk about the key role that calibration plays in industrial processes and how the Beamex calibration ecosystem helps customers to simplify and enhance their calibration processes.

Listen to the podcast: 

You can also find this podcast on the Process Industry Informer website

Table of content

Getting calibration right is fundamental to a successful, safe business

Discussing the role that calibration plays in the industry, Frackowiak highlights that getting calibration right is as important as getting your product quality and on-site safety right – and that products alone are not enough. “In the end, calibrators are just boxes; to get the most from them, customers need support, expertise, and knowledge.”

“Beamex’s purpose is to provide the customer with a better way to calibrate,” Healy explains. “We are working across many different industries, some highly regulated like pharma, where tolerances and calibration requirements are strict. Many conversations we have revolve around how to move away from error-prone manual recording of calibration data towards a more automated approach. These conversations are the starting point to find out what they need from their calibration process.”

Evolving regulations are an opportunity to identify areas for improvement

As standards and regulations evolve across different industries, Beamex takes the opportunity to meet face to face with customers, for example at its annual Pharmaceutical User Forum, to discuss what these changes mean in practice. “The insights we gain from these kinds of forums are invaluable in terms of learning how we can better support customers moving forward,” Healy says.

Making sense of the flood of calibration data

Data generation and analysis in process industries has exploded in the last decade. Operators are gathering more data than ever before about their processes as they seek improvement opportunities. How does Beamex help customers make sense of this flood of data? “Working out what to do with the massive amounts of calibration data being generated is a huge challenge for many industries,” Frackowiak points out. “As calibration experts we want to help take the load off customers’ minds. They shouldn’t need to think about calibration data. We give them the calibrators, the software, and the back end – everything they need to make sense of the data and make good decisions based on it, faster,” he continues. “The calibrators we provide take care of the accurate measurement, but where we add real value is with the ecosystem around calibration as a process, as a decision-making support tool.”

A centralized asset data resource for National Grid

As part of the podcast the panel discussed Beamex’s collaboration with National Grid, which uses Beamex CMX Calibration Management Software to centralize asset data in a single system. “In a nutshell, this case was about helping National Grid work out the best way to extract, interpret, and make the best use of the data they had been gathering,” Frackowiak says. “This was a really exciting journey on both sides,” Healy says. “The end goal was a centralized, standardized solution for gathering, storing, and analyzing data on asset performance at their gas compressor sites. The data islands they had made it very difficult to accurately assess asset performance, and there was no standardized calibration procedure across the sites.”

“Our solution for National Grid has three main components,” Frackowiak says. “There are the calibrators themselves, the software, and then our expertise and training to guide the customer through the implementation process. This third element is what helped us map out and design a system that would meet the customer’s needs precisely.”

“The operational team at National Grid saw the value of doing things the Beamex way – the time and hassle doing things this way would save them,” says Healy. “When management could see the cumulative impact of this across multiple sites and the huge benefits of having true visibility over their asset data, they were quickly onboard too.”

Using the Beamex system, National Grid has seen a saving of 4,000 hours per year performing calibrations, resulting in millions of pounds of financial savings.

Beamex is there every step of the way

Discussing the complexities of these kinds of customer cases, Frackowiak continues by emphasizing how Beamex’s approach sets them apart in the market. “These kinds of projects take time, but we are there to be the partner for calibration excellence, supporting the customer at every step of the transformation process. This is what makes Beamex far more than just another technology provider. We are a trusted partner, a trusted advisor – we are the calibration specialists who are looking 5, 10, even 15 years ahead together with the customer through the Beamex calibration ecosystem.”

Listen to the podcast: 

You can also find this podcast on the Process Industry Informer website

Discuss with our experts how a calibration solution could supercharge your business