Sensors calibration for Metrology 4.

0
1st Roberto Benitez Mr. 2nd Roberto Benitez Jr. 3rd Cesar Ramirez 4th Jose A. Vazquez
General Director Commercial Manager Research and Innovation Dept. Research and Innovation Dept.
ETALONS, S.A. DE C.V. ETALONS, S.A. DE C.V. ETALONS, S.A. DE C.V. ETALONS, S.A. DE C.V.
Monterrey, Mexico Monterrey, Mexico Monterrey, Mexico Monterrey, Mexico
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Abstract—Industry 4.0 includes a wide variety of sensors to

monitor different parameters along the process or to measure A. Calibration requirements
quality specifications, most of those sensors are electronically According to the VIM [1], calibration is: “operation that
integrated to the process control. Some ISO quality standards under specified conditions, in a first step, stablishes a relation
require that “where necessary to ensure valid results, measuring between the quantity values with measurement uncertainties
equipment shall be calibrated” [3]. In this paper we present the provided by measurement standards and corresponding
current system that our Calibration Laboratory is using to indications with associated measurement uncertainties and, in a
calibrate the electronic measuring sensors, installed in the second step, uses this information to stablish a relation for
automated process of several smart industries. The aim of this obtaining a measurement result from an indication”, this
work is to propose new technics for calibration, using the operation should be made according to a specific method or a
Internet and the worldwide network to provide a more efficient
calibration procedure, most of the times as an international
service and instant communication with the client. In the past,
recommendation. One of the ISO quality standards
the calibration results were presented in paper or electronic
documents. With the use of the new technics, the calibration
requirements is that “where necessary to ensure valid results,
results could be sent directly to the client data base, applying measuring equipment shall be calibrated, at specified interval,
Metrology 4.0. against measurement standards”. The calibration result should
be documented in a Calibration Certificate.
Keywords—calibration, calibration certificate, accreditation,
measuring sensor, field standard, on site calibration. B. Calibration Certificate
During the 1980´s, the calibration laboratories provided
I. INTRODUCTION calibration certificates (Fig. 1) focused on the traceability of
Along the history of the calibration services there had been the measurements by making references through primary
some recommended practices or standards to calibrate the laboratory report number. At that time, most of the instruments
process measuring and testing equipment. Before the ISO were sent to the calibration laboratory that in some cases was
standards were used to provide quality services or to be ISO far away of the plant or in another department of the factory.
accredited in USA, the calibration laboratories were using With the development of ISO standards, the calibration
military standards and in some other countries they were using requirements were more complete, and more calibration data
those standards only as reference. During the 1980`s the ISO was included in the calibration certificates.
standards became the most applicable references for quality
system certification and calibration laboratory accreditation.
Since the beginning of the calibration services, the calibration
certificates contain information about the status of the
instrument, depending of its type and the method used to
calibrate the instrument. With the technological advance, the
instruments became more sophisticated and accurate. In the
past, older measuring instruments were calibrated by analog or
mechanic reference standards. Industry 4.0 includes a wide
variety of sensors used to measure quality specifications, most
of those sensors are electronically integrated to the process
control or in some cases their indications are send by wireless
signal. In order to calibrate the electronic or digital sensors, it
is necessary to use digital or electronic reference standards.
Nowadays, some instrument manufacturers are providing new
reference standards to meet the Metrology 4.0 requirements.
The latest redefinition of the International System of Units (SI),
will demand new technics and calibration methods in order to Figure 1. Current Calibration Certificate
ensure valid results in quality measurements of products and
services.

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978-1-7281-0429-4/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE
Within the ISO requirements, the estimation of the meters, and some many others. Most of the time, these sensors
measurement uncertainty and the technical competence were send the information to the main panel control via wire or
required. Also, the ISO standards required that the calibration wireless. The information that comes from the smart sensors is
laboratory should be ISO accredited. Another requirement of presented in the control panel, and it could be send to a
the ISO quality standards was the accreditation of the corporate computer or to a mobile device, by this way, the
calibration service providers [2]. When the industrial information shown in the control panel, could be sed to any
globalization took place and the computers were introduced for place in the same plant or to some other facilities far away,
administration activities and automation of the production even facilities that are located around the world. Even though
process, the quality systems required to maintain the “records the smart sensors are accurate measurement instruments, those
of the calibration activity for all gauges, measuring and test sensors should be calibrated in order to ensure valid results, at
equipment, needed to provide evidence of conformity of specific intervals, and against measurement standards traceable
product to determined requirements”. to the SI.

C. Mechanic and analogic measuring instruments II. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

Before the electronic era, most of the measuring Having 39 years of experience providing calibration
instruments operated by complicated mechanisms or passive services to industry, we found the necessity to calibrate
elements, as an example we can mentioned the bimetallic temperature measuring sensors in a more efficient way. With
thermometers (Fig. 7). These instruments could be removed the use of traditional standards to calibrate temperature sensors,
from the system and they could be sent externally for we needed to move the Dry Well Standard that had to be
calibration. In the same way, many other instruments could be connected to the power outlet (Fig. 3). According to the
sent for calibration. The calibration service provider for calibration procedure for temperature sensors, it is necessary to
mechanical and analogic measuring instruments built big place the sensor inside of the Dry Well and then compare the
facilities to keep the reference standards that most of the times indicated temperature of both instruments. Most of the times,
were large equipment, and those facilities were also far away the control panel where the calibration technician reads the
from the process plant. Only few factories developed their own Sensor´s temperature is located alt a great distance from the
calibration laboratories having a limited scope that did not Dry Well, reason why the communication is done via radio or
cover all their measuring instruments. Even more, the mobile phone to register the indicated values. Analyzing the
laboratories of the calibration service providers should be ISO issues this could cost, we designed an equipment that could
accredited. improve the results and provide a more efficient calibration
method. The first step we did, was the integration of an
D. Electronic or digital measuring instruments autonomous power unit, formed by one dc battery, one dc-ac
Nowadays, the smart factory uses electronic or digital converter, one energy charger, and the Dry Well Calibrator
sensors (Fig. 2) to measure the different parameters in their (Fig. 4). After the power unit was assembled, a wireless
manufacturing process. Resistance Temperature Device (RTD) sensor was attached to
the power unit. The RTD sensor has the capability to connect
to the network and to have control of the temperature standard
and the transmission of the data to the user or the calibration
technician, a software application was developed and
customized for this purpose [5].

Figure 2. Smart Temperature sensor

Everyday new smart sensors are developed, and mobile

applications (App´s) are used to control or to monitor the
manufacturing process. One of the current applications of the
Metrology 4.0 is in the brewery industry (Fig. 8). In order to
monitor and control the process and the conditions of the
product, since the incoming material up to the final product, it
is necessary to have different types of instruments; weighing Figure 3. Smart Temperature Calibration Standard
devices, thermometers, pressure gauges, flow meters, level

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 III. CALIBRATION METHODS

A. Traditional calibration method

The traditional method to calibrate temperature sensors
consists in a Dry Well calibrator with an integrated temperature
indicator, a control panel, radiofrequency mobile devices or
cellular phone, two calibration technicians and a text processor.
The Dry Well calibrator should be connected to the power
outlet in order to function. The control panel is the screen
where the operator monitors the process temperatures.
Procedure
Figure 4. Basic elements of the standard
1.- Two calibration technicians are set in place, technician A
With this system we calibrate the temperature sensors that next to the sensor under calibration, technician B in the control
are installed in some brewery plants in Mexico and we started panel.
using it to calibrate smart thermometers located at pharma
warehouses. 2.- Technician A looks for the nearest power outlet to connect
the calibrator and set the first temperature value of calibration.
3.- Technician A introduces the temperature sensor in the Dry
Well calibrator.
4.- Technician B receives via radiofrequency or mobile phone
call the temperature value of the Dry Well and takes the
temperature value of the sensor shown in the control panel.
5.- Technician B writes down both values in a text processor.
6.- Technician A sets the second temperature value of
calibration and gives the value shown in the calibrator to
Technician B.
7.- Technician B writes down both values and continue in the
same way for all other values of calibration.
8.- At the end of the process the Calibration Certificate is
Figure 5. Smart temperature standard issued and sent to the customer as an electronic document.
Smart factories are growing in different areas as
automotive, healthcare, food and beverages, aeronautics and
some others. Smart cities also will need to measure water
supply, energy, gas, transportation, etc. All these
measurements will need to be ensure for legal trade.

Figure 7. Former Temperature Calibration Standard

Figure 6. Smart factory concept

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Some disadvantages of this method are the necessity to have using in the past, made the calibration of those sensors
two calibration technicians to calibrate each temperature complicated, that was the reason why we developed a wireless
sensor, that means that this procedure is expensive and time on site temperature calibration system.
consuming, also it is quite difficult to have an electrical cord
connected to the power outlet that can cause an accident or IV. CONCLUSION
electrical shock. Another disadvantage is the possibility to
make errors during the data transcription or during the verbal With the development of this wireless temperature
communication through radios or mobile call. calibrator (Fig. 5) we have the advantage that it is not
necessary to be connected to any power outlet, not having
B. Proposed calibration method losing cables on the floor, that means that the calibrator is
perfect to verify sensors in difficult to reach places. With the
The proposed calibration method to calibrate temperature two ways wifi communication between the Calibrator and the
sensors consists in a totally wireless Dry Well calibrator with mobile smart phone (Fig. 6), the calibration technician can
an external Temperature Standard, a software application to upload immediately the calibration results to the customer data
transmit via wifi the temperature value to a mobile device. This system instead of the former procedure that has been taken
system is operated by one calibration technician. The software more than two day to delivery to the customer. With this
application permits to send the calibration data automatically to wireless on site calibration system, we demonstrate that the
the customer data base. requirement of the measurement assurance program of the
Procedure smart factories could be met with the application of the
Metrology 4.0. In the future, with the use of quantum
1.- The calibration technician sets the sensor to be calibrated measuring units and the practical results of projects like “The
inside of the wireless Temperature Calibrator. NIST on a Chip” [7], we will have reference standards
2.- The calibration technician sets the programed steps in the integrated in small units. In ETALONS we are currently
Dry Well for the values to be calibrated. developing a wireless on site calibration standards for pressure
and mass.
3.- The calibration technician moves to the process control
panel and by using the software application starts to collect the REFERENCES
values indicated in the control panel and the correspondent
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and general concepts and associated terms (VIM) 3rd edition.
4.- At the end of the process the calibration technician can send [2] ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General requirements for the competence of
all the data directly to the customer data base. testing and calibration laboratories Third edition 2017-11
[3] AUTOMOTIVE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM STANDARD
The main advantages of this system are: to have a complete IATF 16949:2016 – Quality management system requirements for
wireless temperature calibrator supported by rechargeable automotive production and relevant service parts organizations. 1st
battery pack that keeps in operation for at least 12 hours before Edition, 1 October 2016.
the next recharge is needed. This system is operated by only [4] IEC 60050-300:2001, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary —
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Part 311: General terms relating to measurements — Part 312: General
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one year without any failure. Workshop on Metrology for Industry 4.0 and IoT, Brescia, Italy, April
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Chip Portal” https://www.nist.gov/pml/productsservices/nist-chip-portal.

Figure 8. Smart industry

With these systems, it is possible to monitor every part of
the manufacturing process from any place inside or outside of
the process plant, even in some other part around the world.
The smart sensors that the Industry 4.0 is using to monitor the
process measurements, require new accurate and smart
calibration standards. The temperature standards that we were

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