Most Frequently Asked Questions About the Digital Calibration Certificate (DCC)

A Digital Calibration Certificate (DCC) is an electronic document in XML format that provides the results of a calibration in a standardized, machine-readable format.

The DCC structure was developed under the direction of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) with the aim of establishing an internationally standardized and recognized exchange format. The calibration results are made available in an XML file (Extensible Markup Language), which always follows the same structure regardless of the calibration laboratory and measurand.

A DCC offers new possibilities for the effective use of calibration certificates and calibration results in digital processes. It allows, for example, to automatically extract relevant data from calibration certificates, compare test equipment, monitor equipment performance over time, transfer data from a calibration certificate into a measuring instrument management system without manual effort, and easily use calibration data in other applications.

The DCC is offered to Sartorius customers for weighing instruments calibrated according to the EURAMET cg-18 guideline (e.g., DAkkS-accredited calibration certificates).

1. Automated data processing: The automatic readout and transfer of calibration data to test equipment management systems is made possible, reducing manual effort and input errors.
2. Standardized exchange format: The DCCs uses an XML file that provides an internationally recognized format, independent of calibration laboratory and measurand.
3. Increased Efficiency: The digital processing of calibration data leads to increased process efficiency, as data can be quickly and reliably integrated into other applications.
4. Long-term data tracking: The DCC enables the comparison of test equipment and the tracking of changes over time, which is beneficial for quality assurance and process optimization.

Sartorius provides the digital calibration certificate as an attachment to the PDF file of the analog calibration certificate.

Based on the freely accessible expert report Instructions on how to use the DCC schema to create a digital calibration certificate for non-automatic weighing instruments : Expert Report DKD-E 7-3 - PTB-OAR, you can integrate the data from the digital Sartorius calibration certificate into your applications

The exact schema of the DCC is freely accessible via the respective PTB website https://www.ptb.de/dcc/dcc.xsd 

The expert report (Instructions on how to use the DCC schema to create a digital calibration certificate for non-automatic weighing instruments : Expert Report DKD-E 7-3 - PTB-OAR) is freely accessible and can be downloaded from the DKD website. 

• Yes there are special tools needed to extract the relevant data out of the DCC.
• To fully integrate DCC in your processes individual programming is needed.
• There are freely accessible tools that convert the DCC data into a human-readable format, e.g. the free online “GEMIMEG Tool (V2)” provided by PTB.
• Sartorius is also working on developing tools that can be used to utilize data from digital calibration certificates.

Our experts from the metrology department will be happy to answer any questions you may have. They are available via metrology@sartorius.com

You can find further information via the website of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) Digital Calibration Certificate (DCC) - Wiki | Digital Calibration Certificate - Wiki