M

ore efforts need to be taken to develop calibration and metrology laboratories in Indonesia as local manufacturers become more aware of the importance of calibrating their products and measuring devices to compete in the global market, experts say.

The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said Indonesia had only 500 metrology laboratories and 120 calibration laboratories, far lower compared to other countries. Australia, for example, had more than 4,000 metrology and calibration laboratories 10 years ago, LIPI said.

Calibration is the process of comparing a metrology device with another more accurate instrument.

Mego Pinandito, the director of LIPI’s calibration instrumentation and metrology (KIM) research center, said manufacturers’ capacity to produce quality products depended heavily on the correctness of their measurement processes, starting from selecting raw materials, the production process and final product testing.

He said that to guarantee the quality of the measurement processes, manufacturers needed metrology devices that were properly calibrated. True values of physical measurements such as weight, length, temperature, time and voice vibration should be properly maintained.

“It is important for us to be able to make sure that 1 kilogram really is 1 kilogram,” Mego told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the 37th Scientific Presentation and Conference on Calibration Instrumentation and Metrology recently held by the institute.

He said more health clinics should develop their own metrology laboratories to ensure the correctness of equipment, such as thermometers and medicine scales.

Only five health facility monitoring agencies (BPFK) have been established by the Health Ministry, hampering efforts to calibrate all medical equipment needed to deliver quality healthcare services.

In Indonesia, calibration and metrology laboratories provide calibration and metrological services for products and equipment to about 400 clients each from both the private sector and state-owned
companies.

LIPI’s KIM research center calibrated products and equipment for 623 companies between 2008 and 2009, making it the best calibration laboratory nationwide.

“We already have an adequate number of metrology laboratories. However, more laboratories should be accredited by the National Accreditation Committee [KAN],” KIM researcher Ghufron Zaid said.

More resources should be allocated to developing more accredited calibration laboratories, he added.

National Standardization Agency (BSN) head Bambang Setiadi said products and measuring devices calibrated by accredited laboratories would be accepted globally since KAN accreditation was recognized worldwide.

“It is important to improve the competitiveness of our products globally, especially as the region gears up to form the ASEAN Community in 2015,” he said.

— JP/Elly Burhaini Faiza