MT CONNECT
“ Data is the new oil in a factory ” according to Dr Stephan Biller , CEO of Advanced Manufacturing International and Board member of MTConnect , which drives seamless communication between manufacturing devices
The factory of the future will depend on seamless communication between devices , and this is exactly what notfor-profit organisation MTConnect Institute is offering .
“ Data is the new oil in a factory ,” said Dr Stephan Biller , CEO of Advance Manufacturing International ( AMI ) and Trustee of MTConnect , who outlines how the company is helping to create connected factories through their common device language and communication .
MTConnect is an open , royalty-free standard that provides a semantic vocabulary for manufacturing devices . In practice , it is used for factory floor monitoring , Overall Equipment Effectiveness ( OEE ) calculation , predictive analytics or maintenance , manufacturing cell integration , scheduling and routing , and Enterprise Resource Planning ( ERP ) integration .
“ The factory of the future depends on stronger communication among devices , speaking freely which is what MTConnect offers ,” said Biller who pointed out the systems allow machines within manufacturing to know what other machines are doing - whether they are on-site or thousands of miles away in another part of the US .
“ The factory of the future depends on stronger communication among devices , speaking freely , which is what MTConnect can offer ”
DR STEPHAN BILLER CEO OF ADVANCE MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL AND TRUSTEE OF MTCONNECT
“ Key performance indicators ( KPIs ) in a factory include productivity , quality , costs , on-time delivery , sustainability , and safety . MTConnect ’ s tools will create a seamless environment and resilient future which will help reduce energy , such as water or heating , and improve the sustainable footprint of a factory ,” said Biller .
In essence , MTConnect is building its success on the following attributes :
• Simple
• Free
• Open
• Powerful
MTConnect has been developed by the industry and supported by AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology which is focused on promoting the MTConnect Standard . “ As a member of the board of trustees , I help guide the decision making of what standards to develop next ,” said Biller who was recently elected to The National Academy of Engineering ( NAE ) in recognition of professional excellence in engineering . He was elected for leadership and advancement of manufacturing
236 August 2021