Industrial performance depends above all on the accuracy and reliability of assets: components on which metrology plays a strategic role. Too often seen as merely a technical support function, metrology nonetheless deserves special attention. Industrial measurements directly affect product quality, regulatory compliance and the effectiveness of maintenance operations. Once integrated into the CMMS software of the company, metrology secures processes and increases decision reliability.
Metrology: instrument reliability for more reliable decisions
Metrology refers to the set of methods, tools and standards related to measurement. More concretely, in industry this discipline covers the management of measuring instruments used throughout the production, inspection or maintenance cycle. Assets such as temperature sensors, pressure gauges, multimeters or comparators are all valuable metrology tools.
It is therefore easy to understand that the reliability of these instruments determines the reliability of the decisions based on their data. Ensuring measurement quality at the source avoids production defects, non-conformities or accidents. Metrology is thus an essential link in the industrial chain, constantly evolving to support businesses.
Why does the management of measuring instruments play a major role in industry?
At the dawn of Industry 5.0, metrology guarantees product quality, and above all compliance with an increasing number of standards. The industrial sector, which is heavily regulated, cannot tolerate imprecision.
Moreover, the discipline is constantly evolving to handle the huge volumes of generated data. Rather than blurring the quality of analyses, this data must be impeccably reliable. Only this reliability enables manufacturers to fully control their processes.
Risks if deviations go undetected
Undetected measurement issues can have serious consequences, potentially including:
- Manufacturing defects not identified in time, which increase scrap rates or delivery non-conformities.
- Excess raw material consumption, if dosages or tolerances are poorly measured.
- Damage to assets, if operating parameters are not properly controlled.
- Regulatory non-compliance, particularly in sensitive sectors such as food, medical, aerospace or automotive.
- Significant economic losses, linked to poor quality, product recalls or loss of production control.
By contrast, proper metrology management will mean:
- Cost control : metrology costs, and also, by direct consequence, production costs
- Risk management
- Environmental compliance
If metrology once focused only on scheduling and calibration, manufacturers must now adopt smart management of their fleet of measuring instruments to improve performance. Metrology therefore now covers the entire measurement process, taking into account human and environmental factors in how measurements are carried out. In practical terms it enables:
- Knowing precisely the state of the instrument fleet (location, availability, calibration status, recalibration dates),
- Scheduling verification and recalibration operations according to production constraints,
- Tracing all interventions and ensuring the history of each instrument to meet quality requirements (ISO 9001, IATF, etc.),
- Reacting quickly in case of detected drift or questionable measurements.
CMMS + Metrology: a strategic integration
This is where the convergence between metrology and CMMS comes in. A seamless integration between the two solutions effectively unifies the management of production assets and measuring instruments, supporting overall reliability.
The DimoMaint tool easily integrates with metrology-specific modules or platforms such as Deltamu. This integration offers many advantages such as:
- Tracking of measuring instruments within the same environment as industrial assets.
- Reactive and customized management of calibration campaigns
- Automatic alerts for recalibration deadlines or detected non-conformities.
- Complete traceability of verifications, calibrations and interventions carried out on instruments, according to applicable standards or the specific criteria of each manufacturer
- Collaboration between maintenance and metrology teams
As a result, operators save real time and gain greater freedom to optimize processes. Calibrating at the right time and at each stage of the production cycle limits activity to what is strictly necessary, eliminating the over-quality that many manufacturers can no longer afford.
Towards more reliable, smarter maintenance
Integrating metrology into the CMMS illustrates a paradigm shift now well understood by manufacturers: maintenance enriched to become the guarantor of measurement quality, and therefore of decisions. Thanks to the Metrology/CMMS pairing, manufacturers can align their maintenance strategy with their quality requirements.
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