The management of measurement processes – key to robust and cost optimal production of high quality products

Chair of Metrology and Quality Management, Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Steinbachstr. 19, Germany

^* Correspondence: J.Lose@wzl.rwth-aachen.de

Received: 15 December 2009
Accepted: 5 February 2010

Abstract

Today’s production industry has to face considerable challenges. Decentralised and cross-linked production processes lead to a highly complex production control and a worldwide financial crisis causes drastic movements in demand. To succeed in business under these conditions, production needs to be transparent. One key factor to increase transparency is the management of measurement processes. The management of measurement processes focuses not only on the measurement process itself that enables the decision on the conformity of a measurand but, beyond that, it considers the acquisition of knowledge throughout the production process, its validation, processing and feedback into the process chain. With proof of measurement process capability, the determination of the optimal trade-off among measuring and production process, the adjustment of optimal working points and tolerances is achieved. The management of measurement processes allows obtaining a maximum benefit from metrology under the consideration of technical, organisational and economical boundary conditions.