Test Equipment

About Test Equipment

Test equipment refers to any asset that is used to perform a calibration. Examples of test equipment include documenting process calibrators, pressure gauges, and thermometers. Test Equipment records store information about the test equipment that you use to perform calibrations.

Before you perform a calibration, you should create a Test Equipment to represent each asset you will use to perform the calibration. When you do so, you must also provide certification information for each piece of test equipment.

A Test Equipment is used to:

  • Track certification status of Test Equipment. Before you perform a calibration, you must identify the device that will be used (i.e., the test equipment) by entering the manufacturer and serial number of the device. The GE Digital APM system will use that information to identify the Test Equipment for that device, and then determine if the specified device is certified or not according to the value stored in the Certification Status field in that record.
  • Provide test equipment information for a calibration event. You can link up to three Test Equipment records to a Calibration in order to provide information about the test equipment that was used to perform a particular calibration. The Test Equipment section on the Calibration Event datasheet contains three columns (i.e., Test Equip 1, Test Equip 2, and Test Equip 3), where each column represents a single Test Equipment, and each row represents a field in the corresponding record. These fields are populated when the Test Equipment is linked to the Calibration.

Test Equipment Certification

Test equipment certification is typically performed by a third-party organization in order to prove that the standards used by the test equipment to perform calibrations are accurate and valid with regard to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or other standards organizations. For example, if you are using a piece of test equipment to calibrate the clock on another piece of equipment, you must certify that the test equipment clock is accurate with regard to the standard time. The third-party organizations that perform these certifications often use a process that is in compliance with the standard ISO/IEC 17025. Information about the test certification is stored in Test Equipment History records. You can also attach a reference document to each Test Equipment History.

To ensure that the test equipment remains accurate, it should be re-certified on a set time interval (e.g., once a year). If the test equipment is not re-certified within the defined time interval, it will be considered out of certification. If you enter the most recent certification date and certification interval in a Test Equipment record, it will automatically determine whether that asset is currently certified, and that information will be stored in the Certification Status field. Test Equipment History records store the certification history of a piece of test equipment, and are linked to the corresponding Test Equipment record for that asset.

Although the GE Digital APM system does not require you to use a certified device, it is recommended that you use a certified device to perform calibrations.

About Reference Documents

Reference documents allow you to associate files or websites with a record in the GE Digital APM database. For example, while performing an inspection, you might take pictures of the asset that you are inspecting and save them on your local machine or company network. Then, while recording the inspection details in a General Inspection record in GE Digital APM, you can link those images, as reference documents, to the General Inspection record, so that when other users open the General Inspection record, they will be able to view the images.

In Calibration Management, a reference document could be a certificate for the test equipment issued by a calibration laboratory.

Each time you associate a reference document file with a record, a Reference Document record will be created and linked to that record. You can link Reference Document records to any record belonging to a family for which the Has Reference Documents relationship has been defined via the Configuration Manager. The GE Digital APM system supports two different types of reference documents:

  • Internal Reference Documents: Reference document files that are stored in the GE Digital APM database.
  • External Reference Documents: Reference document files and websites that reside outside of the GE Digital APM database and are referenced in a Reference Document record. Internal reference documents can be accessed only by users who have permission to access the location in which they are stored. Other users would be able to view an external reference document that is stored in a public location, such as a network drive.

Create a Test Equipment

Procedure

  1. Access the Calibration Management Overview page.
    Tip: You can also access the Calibration Management Overview page for a hierarchy level.
  2. In the workspace, select the Calibration Tools tab.

    The Calibration Tools section appears, displaying a list of Test Equipments and Standard Gas Cylinders.

  3. In the upper-left corner of the section, select and then select Test Equipment.

    A blank datasheet for the Test Equipment appears.

  4. As needed, enter values in the available fields.
  5. In the upper-right corner of the datasheet, select .

    The Test Equipment is created.

What To Do Next

Access a Test Equipment

Procedure

  1. Access the Calibration Management Overview page.
    Tip: You can also access the Calibration Management Overview page for a hierarchy level.
  2. Select the Calibration Tools tab.

    The Calibration Tools section appears, displaying a list of Test Equipments and Standard Gas Cylinders.

  3. In the Tool ID column, select the link for the Test Equipment that you want to access.

    The details of the selected Test Equipment appear on a new page, displaying the Test Equipment Details, Test Equipment History, and Reference Documents sections. By default, the Test Equipment Details section appears, displaying the datasheet for the selected Test Equipment.

    Note: As needed, you can modify the values in the available fields, and then select to save your changes.

Access a Reference Document for a Test Equipment

Procedure

  1. Access the Test Equipment whose Reference Documents you want to access.
  2. Select the Reference Documents tab.

    The Reference Documents section appears, displaying a list of reference documents that are linked to the Test Equipment.

    Tip: For more information, refer to the Reference Documents section of the documentation.

Delete a Test Equipment

About This Task

Important: Deleting a Test Equipment also deletes all the associated Test Equipment Histories.

Procedure

  1. Access the Calibration Management Overview page.
    Tip: You can also access the Calibration Management Overview page for a hierarchy level.
  2. Select the Calibration Tools tab.

    The Calibration Tools section appears, displaying a list of Test Equipment records and Standard Gas Cylinders.

  3. Next to each Test Equipment that you want to delete, select the check box.
  4. In the upper-right corner of the section, select .

    The Delete Test Equipment(s) dialog box appears, asking you to confirm that you want to delete the selected Test Equipment.

  5. Select OK.

    The Test Equipment and all the associated Test Equipment Histories are deleted.

Create a Test Equipment History

Before You Begin

Procedure

  1. Access the Test Equipment for which you want to create a Test Equipment History.
  2. In the workspace, select the Test Equipment History tab.

    The Test Equipment History section appears, displaying a list of Test Equipment Histories.

  3. As needed, enter values in the available fields.
  4. In the upper-right corner of the page, select .

Results

  • The Test Equipment History is created.
  • The most recent certification date among those found in Test Equipment Histories linked to the Test Equipment is populated in the Last Certification Date field of the Test Equipment.

What To Do Next

Access a Test Equipment History

Procedure

  1. Access the Test Equipment that is linked to the Test Equipment History.
  2. In the workspace, select the Test Equipment History tab.

    The Test Equipment History section appears, displaying a list of Test Equipment Histories.

  3. If needed, modify values in the available fields.
  4. In the page, select .

Results

  • The changes made to the Test Equipment History are saved.
  • The most recent certification date among those found in Test Equipment Histories linked to the Test Equipment is populated in the Last Certification Date field of the Test Equipment.

Delete a Test Equipment History

Procedure

  1. Access the Test Equipment that is linked to the Test Equipment History that you want to delete.
  2. Select the Test Equipment History tab.

    The Test Equipment History section appears, displaying a list of Test Equipment Histories.

  3. In the upper-right corner of the section, select .

    Next to each Test Equipment History, a check box appears.

  4. Next to each Test Equipment History that you want to delete, select the check box.
  5. In the upper-right corner of the section, select , and then select Delete.

    The Confirm Delete dialog box appears, asking you to confirm that you want to delete the selected entities.

  6. Select Yes.

Results

  • The Test Equipment History is deleted.
  • The most recent certification date among those found in Test Equipment Histories linked to the Test Equipment is populated in the Last Certification Date field of the Test Equipment.