Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine 24-1 - 30

All-Around Approach for
Reliability of Measurement
Data in the Industry 4.0
Giulio D'Emilia, Antonella Gaspari, Emanuela Natale,
Giuseppe Adduce, and Sandro Vecchiarelli

T

he concepts of Industry 4.0 and " Factory of the Future " move the factory itself towards a completely
inter-connected framework, including its supply
chain, able to create autonomous flow of data and information
for reliable decision making. The achievement of objectives
connected to these concepts is expected to strongly improve
the efficiency, reliability and competitiveness of the factory organization, with reference to all of the involved activities [1].
Although many engineering aspects are obviously of interest, metrological issues assume a relevant role in this scenario
[2], [3], due to many reasons:
◗◗ The application of sensors based on new low-cost technologies, like MEMS as an example, allows us to realize
new measuring solutions, based on embedded, miniaturized, digital devices and/or on sensor networks [4]-[7];
furthermore, these set-ups make the interaction between
the instrument and the process tighter, asking for a clear
identification of the specific needs of measuring and
production issues [1];
◗◗ Reliable synthetic results are needed even though a huge
amount of data is available; that requires very careful
monitoring of the effect of using advanced algorithms
to process data for assessment of the quality of information; probably, different layers have to be considered for
measurement data processing and synthesis (edge and
cloud layer, etc.), [8];
◗◗ Managing the security and integrity of data during their
whole lifecycle, with respect to all of the situations and the
actors involved, is a duty to be faced from a completely
new point of view, taking into account the increased
connectivity and new scenarios of data processing, sharing and storing [9], [10];
◗◗ The approach to satisfy " old " and new requirements for
the measuring management system: traditional requirements like uncertainty assessment and traceability of
measurements are still valid [11], while the boundary
identification of the measurement system and the capability of separating from an operational point of view
measuring equipment and the production process, in

30	

order to keep the measurement process under control,
should be probably re-discussed [12]-[14];
◗◗ People involved in the management of the measurement
assets of a company should be aware of the new issues,
with reference to hardware and software innovations and
to the new environmental operating conditions; and
◗◗ Technical and economic consequences of implementing the updated set up have to be considered together,
in order to allow us to realize integrated and practicable solutions; in fact, only in this way will the novelty of
this scenario realize all of the predictable advantages, in
particular in Small or Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
The interest of industrial operators in many cases is not
completely spontaneous with reference to some of the above aspects such as, for instance, the uncertainty assessment in field
operations. Nevertheless, more and more industrial sectors
managed by quality management systems, by sector quality
standards (e.g., aerospace and automotive industries) and by
good manufacturing practices (e.g., pharmaceutical industry)
need to carefully consider the uncertainty evaluation, in order
to accomplish the conformity assessment requirements.
Literature analysis highlights two main areas of interest:
◗◗ a metrological approach, which is mainly interested in the
aspects connected to the assessment of measurements at
the field level and of the data processing results; and
◗◗ a second one, mostly connected to the requirements of
legal metrology, focused on having data stored, transmitted and processed in a secure way, without the possibility
of any malicious intrusion or tampering.
If the first area of interest is considered, the topics reflect on
handling of digital sensors and sensor networks, including:
◗◗ synchronization, in particular in dynamic applications
[1];
◗◗ identification of the real operating conditions of embedded sensors [15], [16];
◗◗ in line and on-line calibration of digital sensors, also
taking into account the need to reduce the cost of services
according to the reduction of cost of sensors themselves
[4], [5];

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February 2021
Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine 24-1

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