In Vietnam, the core difference between accreditation (Verification and calibrationCalibration) lies in its legality, purpose, and implementation process.
Inspection It is a mandatory legal requirement to ensure safety and accurate measurement in business, healthcare, security, and other fields, while calibration It is a voluntary technical activity that helps maintain the accuracy and reliability of equipment for internal quality management purposes.
1. Verification
Legal aspects: It is an activity obligatory For measuring instruments listed in the "Group 2 Measuring Instruments Catalog" issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology, in order to ensure safety and public interest (e.g., commercial scales, electricity meters, medical equipment in the catalog).
Purpose: Assess and verify the conformity of measuring instruments with the standards. statutory technical requirements for measurement (National technical regulations or standards) prescribed by competent state agencies.
Procedure: Following a strict inspection process, as stipulated by the government agency, the results are usually as follows: Obtain (stamped or certified for legal use) or Failed.
Adjust: This process only assesses conformity and does not include adjusting the equipment (if there are errors outside the permissible limits, the equipment will be rejected or require repair).
In Vietnam, the authority to issue equipment inspection certificates belongs to... The testing organizations have been designated or licensed to operate by the competent state management agency..
The governing body and designation of these organizations depend on the type of equipment and the specialized management area:
The General Department of Standards, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ) is under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST): This is the leading agency responsible for state management of metrology. The General Directorate designates qualified organizations to perform verification of Group 2 measuring instruments (items requiring mandatory verification).
The units that typically conduct the testing include the Centers for Technical Standards, Metrology and Quality (e.g., Quatest 1, Quatest 2, Quatest 3).
Ministry of Industry and Trade: Managing and designating organizations to conduct technical safety inspections of electrical equipment and tools operating in hazardous environments or equipment with stringent safety requirements.
Ministry of Health: Managing the safety and technical performance testing of medical equipment listed in the catalog published by the Minister of Health.
Ministry of Transport (Vietnam Register): Managing and licensing vehicle inspection facilities, emission testing centers, etc., to conduct technical safety inspections of vehicles.
2. Calibration
Legal aspects: Characteristic voluntary (Except for certain standard measurement cases used for verifying Group 2 measuring instruments). Or as required by the ISO/UL/CE certification body…
Purpose: Determine the relationship between the measured value of a measuring instrument and the measured value of a known (higher accuracy) measurement standard, in order to assess the error and technical and measurement characteristics of the equipment.
Procedure: Follow international standards (commonly ISO/IEC 17025) or manufacturer's standards. The result is a calibration certificate Specifying the error margin and measurement uncertainty is not legally binding in commercial transactions or public safety.
Adjust: This may include adjusting (calibrating) the equipment to achieve the desired accuracy, if necessary.
The following organizations are authorized to issue equipment calibration certificates: Calibration certificates can be issued by any laboratory or organization with sufficient technical competence and the necessary standard measurement equipment. The value and reliability of the calibration certificate depend on whether the unit is accredited, according to several organizations and associations such as ANAB, ilac-MRA, etc.
Common calibration certification bodies include:
Centers for Technical Standards, Metrology and Quality: Similar to testing, these centers (Quatest 1, 2, 3 and local branches) have accredited calibration laboratories, which typically issue highly reliable calibration certificates that are widely accepted.
Private Calibration Laboratories: Many private companies and organizations establish calibration laboratories.
Important: For calibration certificates to be legally valid in international transactions or when demonstrating competence to partners and clients, these laboratories need to be Accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 standards. by the Accreditation Office (BoA) under the General Department of Standards, Metrology and Quality or other international accreditation organizations. Certificates from these organizations bear an accreditation symbol (e.g., VILAS).
Equipment manufacturer: Some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) may offer on-site calibration services, ensuring accuracy according to manufacturing standards.
A detailed comparison between Verification and Calibration in Vietnam is summarized as follows:
Characteristic
Verification
Calibration
Legal nature
Mandatory (for group 2)
Voluntary (mostly)
Legal basis
Vietnamese Law on Measurement
International standards (ISO, ASTM) or manufacturer's standards
Main purpose
Confirming compliance with legal requirements regarding measurement (ensuring public safety and fair trade).
Determine the error, measurement uncertainty, and maintain the accuracy of the equipment.
Applicable objects
Measuring instruments group 2 (commercial scales, electric meters, blood pressure monitors, etc.).
All measuring instruments and measurement standards (used in production, research, and quality control).
Result
Obtain or Failed (Inspection stamp, certificate).
Calibration certificate (Specify the error and measurement uncertainty in detail).
Adjustable
This excludes adjustments (evaluation only).
This may include adjusting (calibrating) the equipment.
Accredited calibration laboratory (e.g., according to ISO/IEC 17025 standards).
Factories are perfectly capable of calibrating their own equipment.This is called "internal calibration" or "secondary calibration". The unit needs to prepare the appropriate equipment for recalibrating the product.
A standardized measurement system is necessary: The factory needs to invest in master standards that have a higher accuracy than the equipment requiring calibration.
ESPEC Japan SH Series temperature and humidity test chambers use hygrometer calibration.
Measurement standards must be traceable: These internal standards obligatory They must be periodically sent for calibration by an accredited external unit (as mentioned in section 1) to ensure traceability to national/international metrology standards.
The HIOS Torque Checker HP Series is used for calibrating and adjusting electric screwdrivers, torque screwdrivers, and torque wrenches.
Trained personnel: Technicians performing internal calibration must be qualified and properly trained.
The process is clear: Standard calibration procedures must be in place, with complete documentation and record-keeping in accordance with quality management standards (e.g., ISO 9001).
You can definitely contact them. Semiki Instrumentation Co., Ltd. To purchase equipment for calibration purposes, Semiki is a professional supplier of precision measuring equipment and standard measuring instruments in Vietnam.
SEMIKI offers a wide range of equipment from reputable manufacturers, suitable for setting up in-house calibration labs at factories.
Headquarters (Ho Chi Minh City): 12th Floor – Tower A2, Viettel Building, 285 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, Hoa Hung Ward, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City.
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