Measuring up to Industry 4.0

ACCURACY is a crucial element in the race towards attaining Industry 4.0 status. This is where calibration plays a primary role. With the advent of the Industry 4.0 in Malaysia, SIRIM‘s National Metrology Institute of Malaysia (NMIM) is stepping up efforts to ensure that it can offer the support to industries looking to embrace the benefits of this new industrial revolution.

Calibration is, in essence, how standards are verified. In the smart manufacturing environment, it affirms the quality of a product by determining how the product measures up to and is in compliance with specified standards, whether national or international.

In the wake of Industry 4.0, a bigger and faster marketplace is emerging. Accurate measurements are becoming increasingly important for industries to enhance the competitiveness and marketability of their products. Consequently, new calibration techniques have to be explored to address arising needs.

A feasible approach to support the growing smart manufacturing ecosystem is remote calibration.

Traditionally, an industry player would have to physically bring their devices to NMIM‘s laboratory to be calibrated against its primary standards. This takes time and effort.

“The normal calibration process can take two to three weeks. What‘s more, some sensors and machineries cannot be disassembled. Therefore, there is a need for remote calibration to reduce disruption in the manufacturing process,“said NMIM senior director Dr Osman Zakaria.

The process can be conducted via Internet or radio frequency. This can help speed up the calibration process and minimise the company‘s production downtime.

What‘s more, remote calibration will allow the companies to generate the necessary reports without having to make a trip to the laboratory to collect them.

The authorised company personnel will just log into the relevant website and enter the password to retrieve the results of the calibration immediately.

“Because the calibration process is faster, the company will be able to increase its productivity,“said Osman.

Remote calibration is currently still in the testing stage in Malaysia.

“We need to ensure the accuracy of the data being transmitted and iron out the kinks. For example, how can we monitor and verify that the standards are conformed to?“said Osman.

Data credibility is another issue. The system has to be secure so that hacks, interference or software tampering do not occur. This is where good support infrastructure is needed.

At the moment, a few countries are adopting advanced calibration processes, such as Germany and the United States. These countries have established a good system that allows for the collection of big data needed for remote calibration.

As a developing country, Malaysia still does not have quality infrastructure to support the calibration process required for Industry 4.0 advances.

It is, therefore, imperative that the country constructs the necessary infrastructures to create an optimal ecosystem that is able to facilitate smooth communication between cyber and physical realms.

Among others, Osman cites the provision of 5G technology to speed up this communication process as an example.

“Training programmes are also essential to ascertain that our people are equipped with proper capabilities. This will ensure that the progression of our calibration services is aligned with Industry 4.0 developments,“he added.

Additionally, a comprehensive software system that is able to transmit the information gathered through the latest technology is needed.

“A lot of products have their own sensors. We have to make sure that these sensors can communicate within the ecosystem provided. This can be challenging for developing countries,“said Osman.

As the national measurement institute of the country, NMIM is very important to the business community and country with a vital role in upholding the primary standards.

This means that all other secondary laboratories are required to demonstrate their competence in carrying out secondary calibration processes. Therefore as a mandatory requirement, all secondary laboratories are required to send their standards to NMIM for calibration.

As a primary laboratory, NMIM‘s accuracy needs to be right on target.

“We are the highest ranked metrology institute in the country. As such, we have to be competitive and keep improving to be on par with other member countries,“said Osman.

Metrology players have to keep abreast with the latest industry developments and technology advancements.

At NMIM, this is essential to speed up the calibration process and maintain its relevance so as to meet industry needs in general and to support secondary laboratories.

“In order for NMIM to be able to support the calibration process at the secondary level, it is only logical that NMIM is equipped with superior technological capabilities to that of secondary laboratories.

“Compared to neighbouring countries, Malaysia is lagging behind and to attract foreign domestic investments, it is necessary for us to offer adequate support to multinational corporations,“Osman added.

As the country prepares for Industry 4.0, the calibration services offered have to be able to support the latest technologies.

“We need to move fast, otherwise we will be left behind,“he said.

Most importantly, funding is required to develop the physical structures required to embrace the latest technologies brought forth by Industry 4.0.

“With the right infrastructure in place, we will be able to ensure that the data generated by the devices are valid and accurate. This will allow us to be better prepared to support the country‘s efforts in embracing Industry 4.0,“Osman said.