Measurement Environment
Periodic Inspections and Instrumental Errors
Like any other machine, continued use of a measuring instrument leads to wear in various parts such as the gears and measurement surfaces. This may make it impossible to maintain the accuracy of the measuring instrument.
The accuracy of a measuring instrument is called its "instrumental error." Because instrumental error has an effect on variations in the measured values, it is absolutely necessary to check for problems through periodic inspection (periodic calibration).
