Renting Temperature Calibrators

Which temperature calibrator one should rent or buy depends greatly on the type of the instrument being calibrated, and the required accuracy. There are several different temperature calibrators available on the market, each with specific applications, benefits and trade-offs.

Dry block rentals

Dry blocks (or dry / metrology wells) are the most versatile of temperature calibrators. They come in different accuracies and sizes, allowing for easier portability and more flexible applications. A great benefit of dry blocks is  their capability to move relatively quickly between different stable reference temperatures, allowing for quicktesting of different temperature points on one unit with one calibrator. The price of the dry block is usually mostly dependent on the accuracy and the range. Other factors to consider are the speed at which the desired stable temperature is reached, the stability, and the equality of temperature across the entire measurement well (radial and vertical uniformity). Some dry blocks require inserts of the right size to accommodate the measured temperature probe. Transcat can send out different inserts with your rental so be sure to ask for the right one(s).

• Most dry blocks have an internal reference temperature measurement unit, that helps the temperature source stay stable. For higher accuracies, a specified reference probe is sometimes required (usually a PRT probe), which needs to be shipped with the unit. If you require high calibration accuracies, please let us know the accuracy and the range so that we can ship the appropriate temperature reference probe.
• All the dry blocks that Transcat rents have data output capability via a serial port.
• While dry blocks are the most versatile of temperature calibrators, their drawback is in temperature uniformity and stability. If you require extremely high temperature uniformity, you might consider a temperature calibration bath.

Transcat rents dry blocks from different manufacturers, including the 9142 series Fluke Calibration (prev. Hart Scientific) Field Metrology Wells, the CTC (industrial grade accuracy) and RTC (reference standard accuracy) series from Ametek.

Temperature calibration bath rentals

A temperature calibration bath is extremely stable and maintains very uniform temperatures across the entire well. They require special liquid, usually silicone oil to operate. The type of silicone oil is defined by the temperature range, and the oils should not be mixed after first use. All baths require reference temperature probes to ensure that the well temperature is accurately maintained.

The drawbacks of calibration baths:

• Portability - baths are usually heavy and the oil needs to be drained or sealed before the unit is shipped.
• Flexibility - temperature calibration baths are designed to maintain one very stable temperature for a long time. They are not designed to rapidly change temperatures. Often, customers use several different baths pre-set at different temperatures to speed up the process.
• Safety: spilled hot oil poses a burn risk to humans, as the oil sticks to the skin.

Transcat rents the Trancat / Fluke Calibration 6102 Micro Calibration Bath. If you wish to rent a different bath, please call us.

Infrared (black body) calibrator rentals

IR target calibrators are used to calibrate infrared (IR) thermometers. They consist of a uniform emissive black plane (the black body), which the UUT IR thermometer measures. Black body calibrators differ on the accuracy of the maintained temperature, the size of the emissive plane, the speed of changing stable temperatures, and the uniformity of the temperature maintained across the plane.

In general, bigger black bodies allow for faster and more accurate calibrations, as they allow calibrations from further away and there is less risk of the IR measurement cone seeping off the plane. On the other hand, the bigger the plane, the harder it is to maintain uniformity and the slower it is to change temperatures.

Transcat rents the Fluke Calibration (previously Hart Scientific) 4180 and 4181 Precision Infrared Calibrators.

• What is the unit being tested? Is it a standard thermometer or probe, or is it an infrared (IR) thermometer?
• What is the range that needs to be measured?
• What is the needed accuracy?
• How many different temperature points will need to be measured and how fast do you wish the unit to switch from one to the next?
• How stable and uniform does the calibrator need to maintain the reference temperature?

When in doubt - call Transcat or click here to request a Rental Quick Quote or ask us a question.