Metrology and Measurement Standards: July 2025 Monthly Overview (Part 1)

Looking back at July 2025, the field of Metrology and Measurement—Physical Phenomena—experienced a notable set of standards publications that together set a forward trajectory for precision, interoperability, and operational safety in measurement-intensive industries. Across five diverse but interconnected standards, July’s output addressed panel instrumentation compatibility, the foundations of mechanical engineering via thread tolerances, evolving requirements for radionuclide quantification, environmental acoustics under aquatic conditions, and advanced techniques for safeguarding sensitive electronics from electrostatics.

For industry professionals—whether quality managers, compliance officers, engineers, procurement teams, or researchers—this retrospective overview brings clarity to the month’s technical output, highlights emerging priorities, and underscores where your organization fits into the evolving landscape.

Monthly Overview: July 2025

The month of July 2025 was marked by the publication of five pivotal standards in Metrology and Measurement—Physical Phenomena. This selection illustrates the sector’s forked focus: advancing mechanical and electrical measurement interoperability, strengthening the foundations for quality and safety, and integrating modern methods for environmental as well as process monitoring. Compared to previous months, July saw a wider cross-section of applications represented—from classic industrial instrumentation (EN IEC 61554:2025) to highly specialized domains such as underwater acoustics (ISO 7605:2025) and advanced process assessment against ESD in electronics (IEC TS 61340-5-6:2025).

A key theme: harmonization and interoperability. Standards such as EN IEC 61554:2025 continue the drive to universalize hardware interfaces, while others like ISO 2903-2:2025 cement the universal language for precision machinery. Moreover, several documents published this month are significant technical revisions or supersede prior editions, reflecting both the pace of technical innovation and the evolving demands of compliance frameworks worldwide. These patterns signal a steady movement towards greater accuracy, robustness, and harmonization across both legacy and emerging domains of measurement.

Standards Published This Month

EN IEC 61554:2025 – Panel Mounted Equipment – Electrical Measuring Instruments – Dimensions for Panel Mounting

Panel mounted equipment - Electrical measuring instruments - Dimensions for panel mounting

EN IEC 61554:2025 establishes a critical set of dimensional standards for indicating, recording, and control equipment designed for panel mounting. In practical terms, this standard ensures that panel-mounted electrical and electronic measuring instruments—regardless of the manufacturer—share a compatible system of mounting and cut-out dimensions. Its scope includes both electrical and electrically operated instruments, targeting all industries and organizations that design, engineer, or maintain instrumentation panels.

Key to EN IEC 61554:2025 is its explicit coverage of common instrument shapes (square, rectangular, round housings) and a normative approach to size designations, cut-out requirements, and tolerances. This second edition introduces several significant changes, including more size options, practical mounting information that supports both individual and common cut-outs, updated figures, and conversion of Annex A from informative to normative status. These changes enhance both the precision and applicability of the standard.

Organizations in process manufacturing, utilities, instrumentation supply, and equipment design are directly impacted. The standard’s harmonization also feeds efficiency and reliability into procurement and integration chains, positively affecting cost and system uptime.

Key highlights:

• Now includes expanded sizing options and updated tolerance values
• Applied to both new installations and retrofits, maximizing interchangeability
• Offers improved diagrams and practical mounting guidance

Access the full standard:View EN IEC 61554:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 2903-2:2025 – ISO Metric Trapezoidal Screw Threads – Tolerances – Part 2: Limits of Sizes

ISO metric trapezoidal screw threads - Tolerances - Part 2: Limits of sizes

ISO 2903-2:2025 is a foundational standard for mechanical engineering, focused on specifying the limits of sizes (major, pitch, and minor diameters) for ISO metric trapezoidal screw threads. The standard covers threads conforming to ISO 2902 profiles and defines size limits for seven tolerance classes (7H, 8H, 9H, 7e, 8e, 8c, 9c), enabling precision-fit components and robust interoperability.

Its sphere of influence encompasses all industrial sectors where mechanical movement, actuation, or structural integrity are critical—machine tool builders, heavy equipment manufacturers, automation integrators, and any precision engineering enterprise. By providing a common language and numerical boundaries for thread geometry, ISO 2903-2:2025 ensures that parts machined or procured internationally will fit and perform as expected.

This edition refines prior work by extending diameter and pitch tables and aligning calculation methods with updated ISO conventions. It also serves as an essential design and quality reference for organizations pursuing compliance with international product standards and regulatory requirements.

Key highlights:

• Explicit tolerances for all thread diameters and pitches in the ISO trapezoidal series
• Covers seven common tolerance classes for broad compatibility
• Supports both internal and external thread specifications for wide-ranging applications

Access the full standard:View ISO 2903-2:2025 on iTeh Standards

EN ISO 19361:2025 – Measurement of Radioactivity – Determination of Beta Emitters Activities – Test Method Using Liquid Scintillation Counting

Measurement of radioactivity - Determination of beta emitters activities -Test method using liquid scintillation counting (ISO 19361:2025)

EN ISO 19361:2025 provides a comprehensive technical protocol for laboratories and facilities involved in quantifying beta-emitting radionuclide activity in various sample matrices using liquid scintillation counting (LSC). The method’s versatility extends to aqueous, organic, and solid samples, with provisions for handling potential analytical interferences from other radionuclides.

The updated standard places significant emphasis on method selection, sample preparation, quench correction, calibration, and robust background determination. The technique’s applicability from 1 Bq/L to 10^6 Bq/L supports a wide array of environmental, medical, and nuclear quality control measurements. Laboratories performing environmental monitoring, nuclear facility decommissioning, or health physics are among those who must ensure compliance.

Notably, this edition aligns reporting and result expression with the ISO 11929 family, modernizing uncertainty calculations and thresholds for detection. This facilitates greater harmonization across regulatory borders and increases confidence in inter-laboratory data comparability.

Key highlights:

• Applies to nearly all matrices—liquid and appropriately prepared solid samples
• Supports robust controls for interference from co-existing radionuclides
• Updates technical protocols for compatibility with emerging global directives

Access the full standard:View EN ISO 19361:2025 on iTeh Standards

ISO 7605:2025 – Underwater Acoustics – Measurement of Underwater Ambient Sound

Underwater acoustics - Measurement of underwater ambient sound

ISO 7605:2025 sets out modern requirements and technical recommendations for the measurement and reporting of underwater ambient sound. The comprehensive approach covers everything from acoustic system performance and calibration to marine deployment techniques, raw digital data acquisition, and reporting standards. The stated objective is to move the field toward reproducible and comparable results, regardless of equipment manufacturer or investigator.

Environmental agencies, oceanographic institutes, the defense sector, and energy companies operating offshore are among the prime audiences. This standard enables them to design measurement campaigns with confidence and to interpret or exchange data across organizational or national boundaries. The coverage of sound pressure time series, spectral analysis, and recommended reporting windows (with a minimum study period of one day) is especially valuable given the increased international scrutiny of anthropogenic underwater noise.

Key highlights:

• Addresses equipment performance, calibration, and deployment specifics
• Structures the reporting and analysis of raw and processed data for maximum transparency
• Facilitates recognition of anthropogenic and natural noise for regulatory and research uses

Access the full standard:View ISO 7605:2025 on iTeh Standards

IEC TS 61340-5-6:2025 – Electrostatics – Part 5-6: Protection of Electronic Devices from Electrostatic Phenomena – Process Assessment Techniques

Electrostatics - Part 5-6: Protection of electronic devices from electrostatic phenomena - Process assessment techniques

IEC TS 61340-5-6:2025 provides a state-of-the-art reference for process assessment and ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) risk management in environments where sensitive electronic items are designed, manufactured, or handled. This technical specification delivers in-depth methodologies, measurement techniques, and instrumentation guidance necessary to characterize and remediate risks posed by charged personnel, conductors, ESDS (electrostatic discharge sensitive items), and insulating materials.

This document updates and replaces the prior PAS from 2022, incorporating considerable technical revision. Target industries include electronics manufacturing, packaging, testing, assembly, inspection, as well as industrial automation sectors—essentially, any stakeholder involved in ESDS product life cycles. Crucially, it clarifies the distinction between measurement and program management, sharpening the focus on risk assessment flows and robustness at both component and process levels.

Key highlights:

• Introduces detailed ESD risk assessment methodologies for a variety of scenarios
• Provides exhaustive instrumentation and measurement guidance for ESD hazards
• Completely supersedes and revises the provisional 2022 edition

Access the full standard:View IEC TS 61340-5-6:2025 on iTeh Standards

Common Themes and Industry Trends

A review of July 2025’s publications reveals several enduring themes in Metrology and Measurement—Physical Phenomena:

• Interoperability and Dimensional Harmony: Both EN IEC 61554 and ISO 2903-2 seek to smooth integration of hardware and components, ensuring legacy and modern equipment work together without costly custom adaptation.
• Advanced Environmental and Process Monitoring: Standards like ISO 7605 and EN ISO 19361 demonstrate an intensified focus on environmental stewardship and safety. The expansion of underwater acoustics and radiological measurement protocols reflects regulatory expectations for more comprehensive monitoring, especially in sensitive or high-consequence environments.
• Protection of High-Value Electronics: IEC TS 61340-5-6 directly targets the escalating complexity of electronics manufacturing, offering a robust framework for ESD control—a critical risk area as devices grow more sensitive and process speeds increase.
• Data Quality and Traceability: Across several documents, there is an explicit recognition of the importance of robust calibration, uncertainty estimation, and auditable reporting frameworks, meeting the needs of traceability, liability management, and international regulatory scrutiny.

Compliance and Implementation Considerations

Professionals impacted by these standards should adopt a multi-pronged approach:

1. Gap Analysis and Prioritization: Assess current processes, designs, and measurement systems against the requirements in each relevant standard. For instance, panel manufacturers should evaluate panel cut-outs in light of EN IEC 61554’s new size tables, while environmental laboratories should ensure their protocols reflect EN ISO 19361 updates for uncertainty and reporting.
2. Training and Competence: Implement targeted training for engineering and quality teams on revised specifications—especially in measurement uncertainty, ESD risk, and environmental data management.
3. Procurement and Integration: Wherever possible, specify compliance with applicable standards in procurement documents for both hardware (instrumentation, mechanical parts) and services (sampling, calibration, reporting).
4. Timeline for Transition: Factor in the transition periods specified in normative annexes, noting implementation and withdrawal dates for conflicting national standards (e.g., EN IEC 61554). Anticipate lead times for equipment recertification or process adaptation.
5. Auditing and Documentation: Enhance or update audit protocols to reflect the traceability, calibration, and record-keeping requirements introduced (or strengthened) in these publications. This is critical for both regulatory inspections and internal risk management.

For organizations beginning compliance efforts, resources such as technical guidance notes, accredited calibration laboratories, and industry workshops are invaluable in expediting implementation.

Conclusion: Key Takeaways from July 2025

July 2025 represented a month of meaningful progress for the Metrology and Measurement—Physical Phenomena sector. The standards published are distinguished by a strong focus on interoperability, environmental and process control, and the robust quantification of risk and uncertainty. Engineering, laboratory, and compliance professionals should prioritize:

• Reviewing and adopting the revised specifications in EN IEC 61554 and ISO 2903-2 for hardware integration
• Updating laboratory measurement and reporting protocols to align with EN ISO 19361 and ISO 7605
• Implementing best-in-class ESD risk assessment as defined in IEC TS 61340-5-6

Remaining up to date on these standards is not merely a regulatory formality—it is increasingly a competitive necessity. It drives interoperability, reliability, and risk mitigation in a market that is only growing more technically rigorous.

For those aiming to explore further, visit iTeh Standards for detailed access to the full texts and supporting resources for each document covered in this overview.