Accredited Timer and Stopwatch Calibration Services

In critical processes ranging from pharmaceutical sterilization to aerospace flight testing, “a second” must be exactly a second. At DRS Technologies, we provide expert timer calibration services to ensure your time-keeping instruments provide the reliability required for regulatory compliance and process control. Our laboratory utilizes high-stability frequency standards and GPS-disciplined oscillators to verify your devices with millisecond precision.

Why Time-Base Stability is Critical for Compliance

Most modern timers rely on quartz crystal oscillators. While generally stable, these crystals are susceptible to “aging” and thermal drift, which can cause a timer to run fast or slow. In medical environments or food processing, an uncalibrated timer can lead to inadequate sterilization or failed safety audits. Regular calibration by DRS Technologies ensures your equipment meets ISO 9001 requirements and provides a legally defensible record of measurement accuracy.

Our Technical Timer Calibration Process

Our metrology specialists employ the “Direct Comparison” or “Totalize” methods to verify your instrument’s performance:

  1. Time-Base Frequency Verification: We measure the internal oscillator frequency using non-contact sensors to ensure the “heartbeat” of the timer is accurate to within parts-per-million (ppm).

  2. Multi-Point Interval Testing: We test the timer across various durations—from short bursts (seconds) to long-cycle runs (hours)—to ensure linearity and eliminate cumulative errors.

  3. Physical/Digital Trigger Audit: For stopwatches and industrial timers, we verify the switch latency to ensure the start/stop mechanism does not introduce mechanical delays.

  4. Environmental Stress Verification: We assess how temperature fluctuations affect the timing accuracy, which is critical for devices used in field or industrial settings.

  5. Certification and NIST Traceability: Every service includes a detailed calibration certificate featuring “As-Found” and “As-Left” data, calculated uncertainty, and documented traceability to the NIST primary standard.

Specialized Support for Timing Instrumentation

We provide professional calibration for a wide array of time-measuring technology:

  • Digital and Analog Stopwatches: For athletic, industrial, and laboratory timing.

  • Laboratory Timers: Multi-channel benchtop units used in chemical and bio-processing.

  • Process Controllers: Integrated timers in industrial machinery and PLC systems.

  • Medical Timers: Verification of exposure timers in X-ray and sterilization equipment.

  • Universal Counters: High-frequency timing and pulse measurement tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is “NIST Traceability” in timing?

NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) maintains the primary atomic clock standards for the United States. Traceability means that the reference standard used by DRS Technologies to calibrate your timer has an unbroken chain of comparisons back to these primary atomic clocks.

How often should a stopwatch or timer be calibrated?

The industry standard for professional timing equipment is a twelve-month calibration interval. However, if a timer is used in high-precision laboratory experiments or is subjected to frequent mechanical shocks, a six-month interval is recommended.

Can I calibrate my own timer using a cell phone?

While cell phone clocks are generally accurate for daily use, they are not considered “controlled standards” for industrial or medical audits. Professional calibration at DRS Technologies provides the uncertainty budget and accredited documentation required to pass ISO and regulatory inspections.