MTConnect: Different Devices, Common Connection Changing ...

FEATURE STORY
Remember, MTConnect is not an application. MTConnect is a
standard that connects manufacturing equipment to applications.
shows up on your browser because
the MPMA has a web server that
answers your requests and sends
information back to your browser.
The two primary technologies that
make all this work are http, which is
how your browser communicates with
MPMA’s web server, and XML, which
is the actual language passed to your
browser that represents the data being
displayed. MTConnect basically works
the same way.
MTConnect puts a very efficient
and secure web server in front of
manufacturing equipment.
Agent.MTConnect.org, a machine
tool simulator running on the
Internet, provides information
about the machine tool’s physical
components and what data (alarms,
spindle speed, feed rate, etc.) can be
retrieved.
One of MTConnect’s key design
aspects is that, when information comes
back to the application, it includes a
reference to a dictionary that specifically
defines the physical components and
the data items. The beauty of this
approach is that all software speaks
http and XML, so it is very easy for
MTConnect- enabled applications
to speak to your manufacturing
equipment. A good example of this is
using a spreadsheet to get information
with MTConnect. While you likely
would not use a spreadsheet to monitor
your shop floor, the point here is that
MTConnect makes it very easy to get
the data in a format other applications
can easily use.
The MTConnect Institute
Companies, organizations,
and even individuals can join the
MTConnect Institute for free.
Additionally, it is free to deploy the
MTConnect protocol. MTConnect also
adopts the open source philosophy,
offering collaboration for multiple
end users. We do this because we
strongly believe a common protocol is
the technology equivalent of a “rising
tide lifting all ships.” In other words,
everyone wins when manufacturing
equipment can easily be connected.
MTConnect Institute members
may take the MTConnect protocol
and bundle it with their software or
manufacturing equipment. They are
free to sell it or include it free with their
software or systems.
Today, only 4 to 5 percent of
machine tools around the globe are
monitored. MTConnect is changing
that and impacting manufacturing in
countless ways. You cannot manage
what you cannot measure and
MTConnect is making it very easy for
shops and plants to get manufacturing
equipment data—to better manage their
business in an intelligent fashion.
Many shops and plants that have
embraced MTConnect. Joel Neidig,
technology manager for ITAMCO, has
made his shop MTConnect-enabled.
Mr. Neidig has written a mobile
MTConnect application that he gives
away for both the iPhone and Android
phone platforms. He and his company
use this app so they can check their
plant anywhere at any time. Others can
take it and improve the app with the
idea of sharing those improvements
with all. This is a classic open source.
MTConnect has improved productivity
for ITAMCO because you cannot
manage what you do not know. You
know by monitoring your shop and
taking action with that information.
ARC Technology Group wrote an
interesting article titled, “MTConnect
Standard for Machine Tools Drives
Sustainable Manufacturing for US
DoD.” As the author, Himanshu Shah,
writes, “The Title 10 program has
been taken on as a strategic initiative
to further DoD activities and policies
that promote the development and
application of advanced technologies
to manufacturing processes, tools, and
equipment. While the program does not
include specific metrics, it is intended to
‘… improve the manufacturing quality,
productivity, technology, and practices
of businesses and workers providing
goods and services to the DoD.’”
Comments from those inside
DoD have been made that, perhaps,
MTConnect should be a standard for
their department. That’s because open,
royalty-free and open source technology
already has been proven to help DoD
become more productive (saving
both time and money). Why should
these lessons learned not be applied to
manufacturing for DoD?
Where is MTConnect Today
in its History?
We are in our third release with
MTConnect, with many exciting
things taking place. We had our first
ever [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting
Manufacturing Conference, which was
a huge success. We have made 23 hours
of videos available on a number of
topics, including help for the first-time
MTConnect user, end-user discussions
on lessons learned, and how to write
MTConnect-enabled software. Be sure
to visit MTConnect.org to learn more.
At the MTConnect Institute our
mantra is “MTConnect is Different
Devices, Common Connection.” As the
president and chairman of the board
for the MTConnect Institute, my final
message is that MTConnect is REAL,
it is a revolution in manufacturing, and
you should investigate it today to help
improve productivity in your shop.
A great place to ask questions
regarding shop floor monitoring and
MTConnect is at the new
http://MTConnectForum.com.
PM
DAVE EDSTROM is president and chairman
of the MTConnect Institute. He can be
reached at davidallenedstrom@gmail.com.
September | October 2012 PRECISION MANUFACTURING | 23