The laboratory offers calibration and measurement services for diametral and linear samples, ensuring traceability to the International System for dimensional measurements on a millimetre scale.
The Moore measuring machine used at INRiM is a 1D comparator equipped with laser interferometers for the X axis and linear encoders for measuring the displacement of the Y and Z axes. The measuring system consists of an interferometric set-up based on a double-pass differential interferometer with flat mirrors. The two reference mirrors of the interferometer are fixed to the Z stage, which moves the mechanical probe vertically, thus compensating for any measurement errors due to thermal variations or mechanical deformations. Thanks to the symmetrical structure of the measurement and reference beam paths, the Abbe condition is satisfied both vertically and horizontally when the measurement zone is located at the median position of the interferometer beams.
In its current configuration, the measuring station can accommodate samples with a diameter of up to 200 mm and a height of approximately 100 mm, as well as linear objects up to 420 mm in length.