Valuation of measurement uncertainty for product assessment
When evaluating products and processes of all types, high-quality measurement technology is a prerequisite for making decisions and managing risks.
A new method of calculation has recently been developed by SP Measurement Technology for dealing with uncertainty in the assessment of conformity.
Uncertainty may increase the risk of erroneous decisions, for example, that an acceptable product is refused or a non-conforming product will be accepted. This is particularly true where the test result is near a specification limit.
Risk assessments
To facilitate the decision-maker in assessing risks, an indication of measurement uncertainty is more clearly expressed financial terms. In a so-called "optimised uncertainty methodology, overall costs are modelled as a sum of costs for the measurements balanced against the costs for the consequences of wrong decisions.
Areas
This work can be applied in principle to all decision making, but examples of published applications of relevance to manufacturing concerns including petrol measurement; exhaust gas emissions; and a course for the automotive industry for body dimension measurement.
Figure: Optimised measurement uncertainty