Fluke opens new era for digital multimeter calibration

These new instruments will replace Fluke’s stalwart 5502 and 5522 models which have served engineers for the past 20 years.

Enhanced accuracy is the watchword for the new calibrators.

The 5560A, which targets high-end, bench-top 6.5 digit-DMMs, like Keysight Technologies’ 34401 DMMM or Fluke’s 8846 DMM, can calibrate these instruments stand alone without any additional equipment.

Says Wim Sibon, Fluke Calibration Technical Sales Manager for Electrical Calibration in Europe, “The 6650A has a test uncertainty ratio so that’s the amount of times the calibrator is better than the device under test, is 4 to 1.”

“That’s a major breakthrough,” he contends, “as existing calibrators can’t do that, and you need additional equipment for the accuracy.”

“It can also do 30A, up from 20A on current calibrators, it has inductance so it can calibrate LCR meters, and it has a completely new ground-up design, and a much easier user interface,” adds Sibon.

“The instrument is very easy to control,” he continues. “If you know a little bit about calibrators, you are able to operate the unit within a couple of minutes. It is a very intuitive user interface.

The 5560A comes with a 7.5-inch touchscreen, Visual Connection Management terminals and an optional accessory for efficient digital multimeter (DMM) calibration with minimal or no lead changes.

The rugged and portable calibrator can also be automated using MET/CAL Calibration Management Software.

Among the key benefits to users of the 5560A are minimal training requirements and reduced maintenance as well as the ability to calibrate a wider range of equipment using a single calibrator. These all contribute to significant reductions in cost of ownership for calibration laboratories. The 5560A is also protected against expensive damage caused by incoming voltages or overload conditions.

In its quest to offer calibration laboratories the next generation of advanced tools, Fluke Calibration has also launched the 5550A Performance Multi-Product Calibrator which enhances the highly popular multi-product 5522A to provide a better match for a customer’s existing DMM workloads. The 5550A greatly improves the accuracy delivered by the 5522A 5.5-digit DMMs as well as offering greater functionality.

Featuring an intuitive graphical interface, the 5550A can calibrate the most popular handheld DMMs with increased test uncertainty ratios (TURs) and clamp meters to 1500 A with continuous current output of 30A.

The 5540A Multi-Product Calibrator is another new addition to enhance Fluke Calibration’s improved range. It extends the capabilities of the 5502A with better performance levels, making it an ideal solution for on-site or mobile calibration of the most demanding field instrumentation workloads. The 5540A calibrates handheld 4.5-digit resolution DMMs with increased TURs and clamp meters to 1500 A with continuous current output.

Improvements in comparison to the 5502A include an increase from 20 A to 30 A of continuous current output and cutting waiting times during heavy usage. A wider range of thermocouple types and a new easy-connect thermocouple connector widens the temperature workload coverage of the calibrator. The 5540A can be fully calibrated with a Fluke 8588A 8.5-digit Reference Multimeter plus one shunt for the highest current range.

Wim Sibon concludes: “In recent years, we have experienced increasing demand from laboratories for greater accuracy in their calibrators while also wanting multi-product solutions that free up bench space and keep costs down. The 5560A calibrator provides exactly what the market requires and will deliver a significant boost to the productivity of calibration laboratories around the world. This will enable our customers to cope with the demand for more accurate measurements but with a less experienced workforce.

“Fluke Calibration is committed to providing calibration laboratories with the widest workload calibration capabilities and our latest additions to the range will enable lab technicians to expand their existing workloads with confidence. The 5502A and 5522A have been the workhorses of calibration laboratories for many years and we are delighted to take their capabilities to a whole new level with the 5540A multi-product and 5550A performance multi-product calibrators. Backed by more than 50 years of continuous engineering improvements, our comprehensive range of powerful tools are the result of lifelong dedication from some of the best calibration experts in the world. At Fluke Calibration, we are passionate about measurement science.”

The new calibrators are available direct from Fluke in the UK, and from Fluke and its channel partners in EMEA.