Acoustic Calibrator Achieves Germany's PTB Approval

Casella CEL (UK), global specialist in industrial hygiene and occupational health monitoring equipment, has announced that its compact CEL-120 acoustic calibrator has recently achieved Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) approval.

The PTB is Germany’s National Institute for Natural and Engineering Sciences and is the country’s highest technical authority for metrology, similar in standing to the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL).

Launched a year ago, the CEL-120 is believed to be one of the world’s smallest acoustic calibrators and is designed to facilitate the highly accurate calibration of Sound Level Meters in the field.

Casella’s CEL-620 Sound Level Meter is already similarly approved and will now benefit from being paired with the CEL-120 making it ideal for workplace noise monitoring.

Ben Henson, Casella Measurement’s General Manager comments: “The CEL-120 sailed through the raft of testing without a hitch and we were never in any doubt that we would get the approval.”

Type approval, although not required in the UK, is also ‘on the agenda’ in Spain where the Measuring Instruments Directive 2004 is locally implemented to include noise measuring instrumentation.

Testing included checking the acoustic and environmental performance against the requirements of IEC 60942:2003.

Calibration is an essential procedure when conducting any type of noise survey both before and after each measurement sequence. The process ensures that instruments are providing consistently precise readings necessary for monitoring to ensure compliance with workplace and environmental noise regulations.

Fully compliant with IEC 60942:2003 and ANSI S1.40:2006 standards, Casella’s new CEL-120 acoustic calibrator, which measures just 75mm x 54mm x 37mm, incorporates the latest digital technology to ensure exceptionally stable acoustic performance, as well as dual calibration level (Class 1 version) of 94dB and 114dB at 1khz.

For added ease-of-use benefits, the CEL-120 features a simple keypad for intuitive control, permitting calibration level changes as required. When used with instruments such as Casella’s well proven CEL-620 series of sound level meters, calibration routines start automatically as soon as a calibration tone is detected.

A MEMS (MicroElectrical-Mechanical System) microphone and a digital feedback loop maintain the acoustic pressure in the cavity at the required level. An indicator shows if the sound level meter microphone is incorrectly inserted into the cavity, A MEMS (MicroElectrical-Mechanical System) microphone and a digital feedback loop maintain the acoustic pressure in the cavity at the required level. An indicator shows if the sound level meter microphone is incorrectly inserted into the cavity, removing any potential for calibration error. An energy-saving automatic power off function helps ensure batteries last for up to two years.