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• As smart factories rely on interconnected systems and the internet, robust cybersecurity
measures are essential to protect against potential cyber threats and data breaches.
8. Human-Machine Interaction (HMI):
• Smart factories emphasize seamless interaction between humans and machines.
• Advanced human-machine interfaces, including touchscreens, augmented reality (AR),
and virtual reality (VR), enable operators to monitor and control processes more
effectively.
9. Lean Manufacturing Principles:
• Smart factories often incorporate lean manufacturing principles to optimize efficiency
and minimize waste in the production process.
10. Supply Chain Integration:
• Smart factories are integrated with suppliers and customers through digital systems,
enabling seamless coordination and real-time information exchange.
11. Flexibility and Scalability:
• Smart factories are designed to be highly flexible and adaptable to accommodate
changes in production requirements and market demands.
• They can scale up or down production volumes quickly and efficiently.
12. Continuous Improvement and Learning:
• A smart factory fosters a culture of continuous improvement and learning, using data
insights to drive ongoing optimizations.
• The structure of a smart factory is continually evolving as new technologies and
advancements emerge. The emphasis is on leveraging data, connectivity, and
automation to create a more intelligent, efficient, and sustainable manufacturing
environment.

3.4 Sensing systems to improve monitoring and control

Sensor systems are the components of a processing machine that perceive various physical
quantities and their variation over time. Depending on the type of physical quantity, there can
be temperature sensors, vibration sensors, force sensors, pressure sensors, speed sensors,
motion sensors, light sensors, etc. The sensors mounted on a machining or forming equipment
perceive two sets of physical quantities: a set composed of the technological process parameters
of cutting or plastic deformation and a set composed of the state parameters of the respective
equipment. The sensors take the instantaneous values of the respective physical quantities and
transfer them to transducers whose purpose is to convert the values of the respective quantities
into values of some electrical parameters (current, voltage). These values are then converted
into digital quantities that can be "understood" by a computer. Software applications are
installed in that computer that are capable of analysing and processing the received digital
signals. The result of these operations is a signal of a certain form that is used either for simple
monitoring or for controlling certain processes. The data provided by the sensor systems is
usually stored in the cloud together with the reference data used in the comparison. They are
accessed and downloaded from the cloud when they are needed in any operation.

Minimal structure of a digital measurement system (DMS)
A minimal structure of a DMS consists of transducers, instrumentation system and observer. The
instrumentation system has the main goal to process the information gained from a
measurement system without alterations of the data. The next step consists of transforming the

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