The main activity is the development, maintenance and dissemination of hardness scales.

The national scales are produced by primary sample machines (designed at INRIM), which realise the international definitions to the best of state of the art.

The scales manufactured at INRIM are all Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers and Knoop scales.

In addition, through measurement systems specially developed at INRIM, it is also possible to guarantee the traceability of measurements of the geometric characterisation of Vickers and Rockwell diamond penetrators.

At the highest level, dissemination occurs through the calibration of the standard durometers of the accredited laboratories and, subsequently, directly through the calibration of the primary reference blocks used by the accredited laboratories for the calibration of durometers in the industrial field.