Celebrating 150 years of the Metre Convention

The 150th anniversary of the Metre Convention in 2025 celebrates international collaboration in metrology. The Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) has adopted “Measurements for all times, for all people” as the theme, highlighting metrology’s role in driving progress and innovation.
Over the past century and a half, metrology has evolved, incorporating changes to make it more stable and reliable. A notable example is the 2019 revision of the SI (Systeme Internationale) Units, redefining the kilogram, Ampere, Kelvin, and mole. The field of metrology is almost ancient, though, and not just a twenty first century phenomenon. In ancient Egypt, the standard unit of measurement of length was a cubit, which was equal to the length of the Pharaoh’s forearm, added to the width of his palm. Metrology has traversed a long and interesting journey starting from the age of first principles, then the golden period of the mechanical marvels, leading to the advent of electronics, and later digital, and now we are poised to experience contactless metrology.
Let us take the example of the automotive industry, and the regular car you drive. The dimensional accuracy of brake discs is critical to prevent brake failures. Industrial metrology techniques, such as surface measurement and contour measurement, are used to measure the dimensions and surface finish of brake discs, ensuring the safety of drivers and passengers on the road. This is just one example of how industrial metrology impacts our everyday lives.
This is but one example of how metrology is not an arcane subject for laboratories but affects us every day. Simply put, metrology is the scientific study of measurement. More pertinently, it is the application of such study to improve our lives.
Metrology is not just for academics; it’s closely tied to everyday life. Recent advancements include data-driven metrology for real-time analysis and quality predictions, non-contact measurement techniques like confocal microscopy and optical interferometry enable high-speed, high-precision inspections.
As metrology integrates with Industry 4.0, smart measuring instruments and IoT devices enable continuous monitoring and adaptive adjustments, ensuring robust quality control with minimal human intervention. Fully automated metrology systems will drive efficiency and cost savings in the future.

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Leading this push towards the future in India is Mahr Metrology India Pvt Ltd, a 100% owned subsidiary of Mahr GmBH. They offer a wide range of dimensional metrology solutions, including simple callipers, form and surface measuring machines, and non contact measuring systems, to name just a few making them a significant player in the Indian Metrology Industry.
Starting as a small family business in the Swabian town of Esslingen, Mahr GmBH has exemplified innovative metrology, and set quality and assurance benchmarks for over 160 years. Not many people know that Carl Mahr, founder of Carl Mahr Holding GmbH in 1862, made one of the very first calipers in 1868. Back then, it was called a caliber.
But let’s get back to the future. The future of dimensional metrology is expected to be driven by advancements in automation, data analytics and precision engineering. As industries demand increasingly accurate measurements, Mahr is evolving and pivoting to integrate SMARTt technologies that enhance speed, accuracy, and efficiency.
From traditional precision engineering sectors like ICE (Internal Combustion Engines) and power transmission to new-age domains like semiconductors, electronics, mobile telephony, medical implants, Optics, and even aerospace and defence, Mahr offers state-of-the-art cutting-edge solutions like MahrSurf 3D, OptoSurf and Mahr Engineered Solutions. For India to become a global manufacturing powerhouse, investments in quality assurance is key. This is where Mahr comes in to support the biggest Indian companies in their quality excellence journey.
Since 2021, Mahr in India has been revamping their applications engineering team and augmenting the distribution network to be more accessible to customers. They have created a chain of SMART application centres across the country, and each such centre has a fully equipped experience centre attached to provide customers a hands-on experience. Mahr follows the credo of the 5Cs: Co-create Solutions, Customer Engagement, Customer Closeness, Competent Sales Team and Committed Channel Partners.
Internally, these efforts have reaped results in the form of a 2.3 times growth in business since FY 20-21. Externally, the industry is looking at Mahr with renewed respect, and validation has come in the form of peer recognition. The most recent feather in their cap was the award for Best Business Agility they won at the International Business and Education Awards 2024.

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The future seems to be very exciting for metrology in India, and Mahr is positioned to derive maximum value.

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You can learn about the products and services of Mahr at their website, or get updates about their latest progress on LinkedIn.
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