The contribution of sensor-based equipment to life cycle assessment through improvement of data collection in the industry

Within the paradigm of “Industry 4.0”, data collection and management acquire new relevance. In this context, the introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the manufacturing field allows to develop information systems able to offer the possibility of using a large amount of data collected from heterogeneous sources in real time. The information thus obtained is functional not only to the attainment of an industrial development but also for evaluation and improvement of its sustainability. For example, the benefit obtainable for the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology from the new digital configuration is represented by a greater specificity of data that wireless sensors networks (WSN) measure and transmit in a continuous way. This paper explores the benefit of using a sensor for the evaluation of the environmental impact, in particular for LCA, in an Italian company producing chemical formulations. The machinery electric consumption directly measured data is compared with the same data estimated with mathematical models. It highlights how much different approach of data measurement and calculation can affect the LCA results. The detection of the energy variable related to a single machine for a particular process, which has been described in the paper, represents a first step towards the implementation of a WSN, proposed by Scatol8 srl, to be used to produce in a more sustainable way.