Design and development of sensors, measurement systems, and measurement methods in the NDE 4.0 framework.

The concept of Industry 4.0 has revolutionized the manufacturing sector by integrating advanced technologies, real-time monitoring and data analysis to improve production processes. This thesis highlights the critical role of quality control in Industry 4.0, employing IoT sensors, artificial intelligence and data analytics for early defect detection. The focus is on continuous and comprehensive inspection using non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) methods. This thesis addresses the challenge of developing methodologies aligned to NDE 4.0, employing low-cost sensors for on-line and real-time measurements. In particular, the study explores eddy current methods for thickness estimation overcoming limitations through optimization techniques. Furthermore, the application of dimensional analysis is introduced to reduce the complexity of NDT&E problems. Finally, the detection and characterization of atmospheric corrosion was in-depth analyzed, introducing an innovative sensor optimization. The research contributes valuable insights and methodologies for efficient quality control in the context of Industry 4.0.