Can We Trust the Temperature?

When we think about measurements, what comes to mind? Just that term typically evokes distance of some sort. Our clothes are generally “measured” by size, which is really just distance. Some of us just have more distance than others! And, our sizes reflect that. Or we measure the size of our televisions. And again, some people have more distance between the corners of their TV than others. Many things in life are measured in this way.

However, one of the most frequently measured physical quantities is temperature. In fact, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), temperature is probably the second most measured physical quantity in our modern world… after time.

Without even thinking about it, we talk about temperature every day. Simply saying “it’s hot outside!” acknowledges that temperature exists and affects our daily life.

Measuring temperature is the primary focus at FireBoard. Our very first product, the FireBoard (aka FireBoard 1 or FBX11) was solely developed and used to measure temperature. The current FireBoard product line continues to measure temperature at the core, but also integrates those measurements with control. This expands the functionality of many of the FireBoard products. However, at the core of all we do is still one thing: measuring temperature accurately.

But, how do you know that what the FIreBoard is reading is accurate?

This is where calibration becomes a critical part of the manufacturing process.

Every FIreBoard thermometer is calibrated using precision test equipment that has itself been calibrated by a third party laboratory, CMC Calibration in Farley, MO. FireBoard has worked with CMC for years as part of the calibration process. 

The test instruments CMC uses are tied to an established chain of measurement standards. Each link in that chain can be compared to increasingly precise reference standards. This documented chain is called traceability. This process provides confidence that temperatures reported by FireBoard products fall within their specified accuracy.

FIreBoard has two products that automatically ship with certificate of calibration cards which are NIST traceable. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) is a government agency, part of the Department of Commerce, that exists to make sure measurements, standards, and technical systems are consistent, accurate, and trustworthy. Temperature is just one area that NIST oversees and governs. Having a government standard allows thermometers in Kansas City to compare in measurement terms to a thermometer in Seattle to one in Amsterdam. 

NIST traceability is common and often required in commercial applications. The cards included with the FireBoard 2 Pro and the FireBoard Spark certify that the readings are accurate and that calibration can be traced back to NIST standards. The remaining FireBoard products are still calibrated using the same processes and certification can be provided for customers needing that verification.

Temperature is something we measure so often that it is easy to take for granted. But whether you’re cooking barbecue, managing a commercial kitchen, monitoring food storage, or controlling a process, a few degrees can matter. Devices that have been properly calibrated give confidence to the people using them.

At FireBoard, that accuracy isn’t an afterthought. It’s built into the way our products are designed, tested, and manufactured. Because when your FireBoard gives you a temperature, we want you to be able to trust the measurement behind it.