Optical and tactile single scanning probes usually are used in dimensional metrology
applications, especially for roughness, form, thickness and surface profile measurements.
To perform assessments with nanometre level of accuracy, specific ultra-high precision
machines have been developed by the National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) such as the LNE,
VSL, METAS, SMD, generally in collaboration with industrials and academics partners. Such
developments are not devoted only to NMIs but many industrials develop and commercialize
their own ultra-high precision machines as the IBSPE and TNO companies. All these machines
provide optical and tactile precise measurements and cover a large domain of application
such as the form’s characterization of optical lenses. In this paper the performance and
capability of ultra-high precision machines of some National Metrology Institutes (LNE,
VSL, SMD and METAS) and industrials companies (TNO and IBSPE), involving together in the
IND10 European EMRP project titled “Optical and tactile metrology for absolute form
characterization”, will be detailed. Theirs probing systems and accuracies levels will be
evoked. Relevant results especially for measuring optical lenses will be also presented
and discussed.