4. Parts samples; product samples

4.1 Sample parts

If we're talking about reference, in industry, a sample is rarely eternal. Aging, handling and light can sometimes limit the life or reliability of this reference object. Care must be taken to manage these samples so that calibration remains as reliable and consistent as possible. If, essentially, you need to use an appearance or color sample, one of the most reliable procedures is to have at least 2 (but often more) samples deemed identical; one will serve as a working reference and the other(s) will be stored as well as possible and will be taken one after the other, after the previous standard has been recognized as degraded. Care should then be taken to replenish the stock before the samples are no longer available for comparison with primary samples....