Certificate of Calibration
A certification from NIST can be a NIST Certificate of Calibration, which means that the product has been tested and approved to be at a certain level of accuracy.
Certificate of Compliance
NIST Certificate of Compliance is another type of certification that means the product tested was found to be within the stated tolerance, but no adjustment to the item is possible. Certificates of compliance are typically given to products such as glass tube thermometers or hydrometers.
Traceable Certificates
NIST Traceable Certificates mean that the product being tested was not compared to the NIST SRM. Instead, it was tested against another product that has already been compared to an SRM.
For example, a NIST SRM thermometer would check another thermometer. The second thermometer will receive a certificate of compliance according to NIST standards if the proper paperwork is done. Traceability requires the establishment of an unbroken chain of comparisons to stated references.
It is the responsibility of the provider of the traceable product to support the claim of traceability. Still, it is up to the user of the product to determine how legitimate the claim is.
Note: NIST certification does not mean that NIST endorses, approves, or recommends any product, manufacturer, supplier or user of any NIST certified equipment.
Gauges, Thermometers, & Calibrators Repair Services
NIST Certification and Recertification
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) develops standards to establish conformity and enhance the quality of products.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory federal agency under the Department of Commerce. It is the National Measurement Institute (NMI) for the United States. They support and develops measurement standards and technologies to improve efficiency, facilitate trade, and enhance the quality of life.
Mission
NIST's mission is to provide certified Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). SRMs are used to confirm how accurate and specific measurements are, to complete instrument calibrations, and to encourage the development of new methods of measurement. They are also used to maintain measurement traceability in the US. With every SRM, NIST offers a Certificate of Analysis and a Material Safety Data Sheet (if applicable).
NIST only certifies products that have been tested against an SRM and meet the specific requirements for that product.