From our base at Cambourne, we are able to provide a testing and calibration service for weights and measures equipment.

Our relocation in 2004 to a purpose built laboratory at Sackville House, Great Cambourne is part of an ongoing process aimed at improving our service.

Our laboratory continues to provide a testing and calibration service for a variety of equipment, including weights, measures of length, capacity measures and weighing equipment.

Our procedures ensure we are able to provide consistent quality and traceability to national standards.

As part of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service, we offer our services to customers within the county, but we will also gladly accept work from and provide a service to customers based outside Cambridgeshire.

The laboratory is also responsible for maintaining local & working standard weights, plus testing equipment used by the Trading Standards Service for enforcement of the Weights and Measures Act 1985. This equipment is used at trade and business premises to verify the accuracy of weighing and measuring machines to ensure legal compliance.

Mass laboratory
Our mass laboratory room is environmentally controlled and provides stability in temperature and humidity to ensure accuracy and consistency in all calibrations.

Before any calibration work is carried out all submitted equipment is placed in the mass room for at least twenty-four hours to acclimatise to the environmental conditions.

For weight calibration the mass laboratory is equipped with sophisticated mass comparators and a precision balance to enable weights to be calibrated up to the Organisation Internationale De Metrologie Legale (OIML) accuracy of M1 level.

The accuracy classes are as follows:

Classification tolerance at weight size

Tolerance at weight size
M 1 ± 50mg at 1 kg ± 1mg at 1g

M 2 ± 150mg at 1 kg ± 3mg at 1g

M 3 ± 500mg at 1 kg ± 10mg at 1g

We are able to calibrate weights within the following weight denominations:

M 1 classification and below: 25kg to 1mg.

A comprehensive certificate of calibration accompanies work, that is traceable to National Standards.

Weight adjustment service
Weights in regular use can be found to change in value. Weights submitted for testing are often found to be outside the permitted tolerances for their specific classification. If required, most weights can be adjusted to meet customer’s specifications and/or legal metrology requirements.

Preparation of weights to remove any loose dirt and or chipped paint can also be arranged

Weight identification
Weights found to be without any means of identification can be marked to identify individual weights to coincide with customer requirements and importantly give clarification for the calibration certificate.

Other areas of calibration
We are also able to offer calibration of capacity measures, measures of length and certain measuring templates.

The capacity measures are calibrated by a gravimetric method. Again a certificate with traceability to national standards accompanies any measure submitted for calibration.

Best value review
The laboratory underwent a best value review, during which a customer satisfaction survey indicated that the laboratory provides a high level of performance and gives a service that is valued by the business community, local companies and the Trading Standards Service.