Measurement System Basics

The Evolution of International Standardisation

• Metrological traceability follows international standards established by international

research organisations such as the International Committee for Weights and Measures
(CIPM) as well as national standards established by research institutes in each country.
With the globalisation of the economy, conformity with such standards is in high
demand.
• Under the International Committee for Weights and Measures, a research organisation
called the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) is working on basic
research into the International System of Units (SI).
• Complying with international standards has become imperative amid the globalisation
of manufacturing activities. Today, internationally and mutually approved metrological
traceability is essential for dimensional measurement results to be recognised as being
universal regardless of where they were generated.
International System of Units

SI prefixes (symbols that indicate integral multiplications of 10)

Exponential Value to multiply the

Symbol Symbol
representation unit by

SI base unit
Mega M 1 × 106 1,000,000
Material Name Symbol
KiloLength k Metre 1 × 103 m 1,000

- - 1 × 100 1

Centi c 1 × 10-2 0.01

Milli m 1 × 10-3 0.001