Industrial metrology

In almost every commercial transaction, measurements are involved. To ensure equal treatment among all parties, it is necessary to consider these measurements as “acceptable.”

Consumer goods must provide good value for money while also being safe. Thus:

  • food products must be free from any dangerous substances (toxins, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, etc.);
  • products must undergo reliable processing and accurate labeling.
  • The weight of goods must be determined accurately in order to ensure fair financial transactions.

Let us take the example of a transaction based on the measurement of quantities of oil transported through a pipeline: the sums of money involved can be enormous, and even a tiny measurement error can make a huge difference in the invoice. If one of the parties does not have the ability to carry out accurate measurements, it risks being disadvantaged, not to mention the potential loss of tax revenues for the State.

Governments enact laws or adopt standards and technical regulations in order to protect both producers and consumers, at both national and international levels. According to estimates by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), nearly 80% of world trade is subject to standards or regulations. However, without a rigorous measurement system, these standards and regulations may become technical barriers to trade (TBT), likely to generate higher costs, hinder the free movement of goods, or require repeated testing.

Even in non-regulated commercial sectors, the essential compatibility of components and systems requires consistent and uniform measurement methods. It is common for components to be manufactured in one country and then assembled with parts or systems produced in another country. Moreover, the number of components whose manufacturing begins in one country and ends in another is increasing. Clearly, none of this can function without a global and uniform measurement system.

TRADE: A RIGOROUS MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

A rigorous measurement system is essential to obtain calibration and testing results recognized internationally. The key factors of such a system are:

  • traceability to the International System of Units, or SI (scientific metrology),
  • regulations concerning measurements and measuring instruments (legal metrology), and
  • confidence in testing and measurement results through certification, standardization, accreditation, and calibration (industrial metrology).

Given the crucial role of measurements in meeting requirements and conformity assessment, the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) established a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA), and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) established the OIML Certification System (OIML-CS), which serve as frameworks for demonstrating the consistency of measurements and tests at the international level.

The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) coordinate the international network of national metrology institutes and national legal metrology authorities. This network provides the necessary support to ensure the quality of measurements in trade.