Compilation of the 38
submissions of MTConnect Challenge Phase 1.
Submission
1: Machine Teamwork
MTConnect will enable machines to work together to accomplish
production goals and communicate with supervisors.
Submission
2: Machine
Reporter
Data is only half the solution. People need tools and clear
visual representations of their data to make informed and effective decisions.
Thanks to MTConnect the domestic manufacturing industry has a flexible and
stable protocol from which to access and collect important manufacturing
intelligence data but unfortunately many of the current tools to read and
report such data require significant time or a significant financial
investment. With Machine Reporter we intend to help manufacturers and their
employees reduce costs and optimize manufacturing performance by providing a
customizable and affordable multi-platform mobile application capable of
accessing MTConnect-compatible devices or MTConnect device data and generating
a variety of real-time actionable reports. Machine Reporter will be capable of
generating real-time reports from raw MTConnect data, archiving such data,
generating historical analysis tools, and exporting the data reports for remote
review and/or cloud storage. With the Machine Reporter application, any
individual should be capable of accessing their manufacturer’s local network
and generating productive device reports from raw MTConnect data files with no
additional network software or changes necessary to the manufacturer’s
infrastructure.
Submission
3: Machine
Capability Connector (MCC) Tools
The ability to query any Machine Tool on a network about its
capability to hold specified feature tolerances would be revolutionary to the
manufacturing process, replacing trial and error efforts with informed
decision-making. IQL's Machine Capability Connector Tools would provide this
ability, as well as the software needed to both collect the required data and
to aid in applying the results.
Submission
4: The
Real Time Skills Assessment Tool
An MTConnect Application that monitors and documents the
performance of technicians in real time and provides recommended training.
Submission
5: MTConnect
Simulator for Developers
An MTConnect Simulator that can simulate one or more machines
and can run G-Code part programs which can be used by Developers to create and
test new MTConnect applications.
Submission
6: Tools
& Features
The Tools & Features Application will monitor the
machining process, the tooling process, the gauging process, via MTConnect and
provide the ability to make informed accurate process altering decisions.
Submission
7: Intelligent
Documents
Manufacturing Documents which display real time data from
machines via MTConnect and update based upon the status of the machine or
process.
Submission
8: Machine
Forensics Tool
Manufacturing’s version of the airline industry’s “black
box.” A way to monitor machines and be able to store all information about a
process and later allow a technician to review exactly what occurred and
actually simulate the routine.
Submission
9: LinkCycle:
Using Data Science to Bridge Resource Management and Process Management
Manufacturers must ensure bottom-line profitability, which is
a challenge that is confronted at all levels—from executive decision making
down to machine-level process optimization. Data informs decision making at
every level, from resource and cost accounting within Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) systems down to process-specific variables. Information systems
at the corporate and process level are difficult to integrate, because of the
high cost of: 1) installing resource metering hardware, 2) integrating it with
software, and 3) analyzing the output to inform decisions. Thus, using
resources in an optimal way becomes challenging, and for most manufacturers, a
missed opportunity. LinkCycle is a software-as-a-service platform that takes
ERP data for overhead resource costs (such as energy, materials, water, etc.)
and applies a proprietary methodology to provide a disaggregation of how
overhead resources flow into all the production lines. This identifies
opportunities for optimizing resource consumption and cost. This guides the
effective deployment of device-specific monitoring systems. Bridging the gap
between ERP data and process MTConnect data reduces the barrier that
organizations face to adopt process monitoring systems. The benefits are
illustrated through the case of Rubbermaid, who used LinkCycle to identify key
machines to monitor for productivity and cost improvements.
Submission
10: Monitoring
and Control of Chatter Conditions with MTConnect
The MTConnect standard can be used to communicate machining
process information regarding chatter conditions to the machine operator and to
other machines to take automatic action for chatter avoidance. Chatter is the
propagation of destructive vibrations in the tool-work piece interaction. It is
an undesirable phenomenon that can reduce part quality and increase tool wear.
These consequences result in higher costs to replace damaged parts and tools as
well as increasing the amount of machine downtime which can reduce the company’s
overall productivity. Currently, machine operators are able to correct for many
machining errors due to their experience with the machine. Unfortunately as the
experienced operators grow older, companies will hire new and relatively
inexperienced operators. Without the same level of experience, new operators
may not be able to meet the same quality levels. Once chatter can be detected
audibly, damage to the work piece may already have occurred. Therefore, an
early identification and communication method with the machine tool is
warranted to easily monitor and control the machine in the event of dynamic
part damage. The proposed idea will provide a means to monitor and control
cutting conditions to reduce and prevent chatter in the machining process and
downstream processes within the machining system.
Submission
11: Manufacturing
Enterprise Architecture (MEA)
MEA was created to address the data and information needs of
the entire manufacture operation. MEA is based on the MTConnect® standard and
uses the Solution Family Application Platform to enable data collection from
all machines, share and distribute data and information to all participants,
from operators to planners and managers, and to create information that is
actionable and facilitates decisions in support of operations and continuous
process improvements.
Submission
12: 3D
Factory Monitor and Simulator Tool
This tool is a 3D Factory interface which monitors machines
in real time and allows a user to navigate the factory to perform virtual
troubleshooting and maintenance routines. The user can then switch to
simulation mode to change settings and other details prior to actually
performing them for real.
Submission
13: Machine
Process Analyzer
The Machining Process Analyzer (MPA) will extract and utilize
information readily available from a CNC and applied sensors to identify
anomalies in a repetitive machining process. The MPA will record key process
variables, provide analytics, compare current values and patterns to
established historical norms, and identify shifts and trends that would
indicate impending part quality nonconformance risks. From this analysis, the
user of the MPA would be able to determine appropriate process improvement
areas, tooling improvements, or other factors to lead to a reduction in
manufacturing costs and improvements in yield and quality.
Submission
14: MachineDoc
Prognostics System
The MachineDoc Prognostics System (MPS) will calculate a
single, integrated machine health indicator providing a go/no-go indication for
the technician to start the production process with the expectation that the
machine will produce good parts. MPS will also identify and report abnormal
machine conditions prior to failure and calculate the remaining useful life for
the machine to produce parts within quality constraints such as surface finish
and dimensional accuracy.
Submission
15: A
MTConnect Enabled Platform for Machine Tool Component Health Prognosis and Tool
Condition Monitoring
The
maintenance cost and losses in productivity with unplanned downtime for machine
tool components such as spindle bearings and ball screws could be reduced if
one could proactively take action prior to failure. In addition, cutting tools
and inserts are expensive to replace when they are still in good condition, but
replacing the tools too late can be costly due to scrap and re-work. The
proposed health monitoring application will use MTConnect to extract controller
data and pattern recognition algorithms to assess the health condition of the
spindle and machine tool axes. The health assessment approach is based on
running a routine program each shift in which the most recent data patterns are
compared to the baseline data patterns. An online tool condition monitoring
module is also proposed and uses controller data such as the spindle motor
current, with other add on sensors (vibration, acoustic emission) to accurately
estimate and predict tool wear. By collecting data using the MTConnect
standard, the platform aims to have widespread adoption in factories. In
addition, with the added transparency of the machine tool health information,
one can take proactive actions before significant downtime or productivity
losses occur.
Submission
16: Student
Scheduler
Our Idea is to create student scheduler for Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute which will allow the students to schedule time on a
particular machine in order to have sufficient time to produce a product that
the students designed. The purpose of this scheduler is minimally supervised
multiple independent process implementations. The Real Time Student Scheduler
will fulfill a need that RPI has and at the same time introduce the students to
MTConnect in a context of what they might see in the industry after they
graduate.
Submission
17: Cloud-based
EMI Solution
Machinery has long been a staple and critical enabler
throughout the manufacturing industry, yet deriving valuable data generated by
machines into operation reports has been lacking and oftentimes, an after the
fact exercise. This discrepancy is not because companies do not recognize its
importance, but is due to the lack of conformance in the structure of how data
are generated from machine to machine, making any attempt to centralize and
mine machine generated data a significantly costly integration exercise. MTConnect’s
effort to standardize machine-generated data and improve interoperability of software
and devices enables truly scalable commercial package manufacturing solutions
to be built and, thereby, enabling a cloud-based enterprise manufacturing
intelligence solution to be marketed and deployed. To date, any attempt to
provide a manufacturing intelligence solution would either lack critical
machine-generated data or require a tremendous amount of customized data
normalization and integration work. Together with MTConnect’s standardizations,
recent advancements in big data analytics techniques, and the rise of cloud and
mobile computing, Composite Apps proposes that we develop a cloud-based EMI
service that any organization can cost-effectively implement.
Submission
18: MTEquipmentTracker
Implementation
of a full scale Equipment Management system is often out of reach of mid to
small sized manufacturers. Tracking of equipment inventory, service events,
spare parts, and maintenance schedules are often tracked in simple
spreadsheets, if at all. Accuracy of manual tracking methods is generally poor.
MTEquipmentTracker offers an affordable alternative to a full Equipment
Management solution. Using MTConnect, MTEquipmentTracker records and reports
machine and component level information automatically. MTEquipmentTracker
provides plant managers with a precise picture of what is deployed on the
floor, when it was deployed, and assets that have failed.
Submission
19: Gamification
of Manufacturing
Using crowd sourcing and gamification, the proposal is to
build a framework and platform to empower users to create unique and novel
solutions to manufacturing processes and problems. This will require creating a
platform for simulating, scoring and sharing solutions among users. Aspects of
scoring, rewards, gifting, social sharing, challenges and teamwork play heavily
in the design of the gamafiaction side. The simulator will approximate the
manufacturing processes and allow the users to create novel solutions which can
then be extrapolated back into the real world. The interface will be crafted to
be fun and engaging, like a game. The platforms will be mobile and web based
desktop.
Submission
20: Enhanced
PLC-based Remote Diagnosis System using MTConnect Protocol
With
rising competition abroad, US manufacturers are looking to reinvest
manufacturing capabilities to counterbalance costs by increasing productivity.
How to increase up time and achieve a near-zero-down-time performance is
increasingly critical for manufacturers. Currently, most machine breakdown
issues can be quickly diagnosed based on PLC ladder diagram. Many manufacturers
believe that PLC plays an important role for finding root causes and further
for troubleshooting of manufacturing equipment. Currently, PLC image
transmission or screen sharing are used to enable remote PLC monitoring.
However, due to its drawbacks such as remote control limitations, distorted
images, and high bandwidth requirement, it is difficult for machine OEMs to
remotely check PLC status on demand and provide troubleshooting knowledge
effectively. To solve this problem, an enhanced PLC-based remote diagnosis
system based on MTConnect protocol is proposed to provide a fast recovery for
machine breakdowns. In the proposed system, only selected parameters are
transmitted to remote side and a PLC ladder diagram will be generated using
graphical monitoring module. This method provides more bandwidth and a
time-efficient way in comparison with the traditional methods. The proposed
system can dramatically reduce machine OEMs’ costs on troubleshooting and at
the same time increase manufacturers’ up time and productivity.
Submission
21: Machine
Monitoring & Big Data
The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the capability
of MTConnect and Big Data analysis to conduct shop floor machine monitoring and
analysis, accurately and inexpensively. The availability of collecting machine
data via the MTConnect protocol, visual data acquired by cameras and from
multiple business systems will enable accurate analysis of machine utilization
and shop floor efficiency. Current shop floor machine data collection struggles
with finding out why the machine is not running from a plethora of diverse
reasons. The conflict resides in requiring the machine operator to manually
input the reason for why the machine is not running. When the data used for
analysis is dependent of manual input, the resulting report is compromised and
cannot be trusted for production decisions. Shop managers want to know the
foremost reason why the machine is not running and implement a fix. An
application which executes unobtrusively and reports accurate analysis is of
high value.
Submission
22: PROVEN
PERFORMANCE BIDDING (PPB)
PPB
is a new methodology that brings collaborative interaction between customers
and manufacturers (suppliers) working together to promote Value Adding
Manufacturing Excellence. Implementing PPB results in a Win-Win-Win scenario
for the Buyer, the Supplier and the General Public. Lower prices, higher
profits, less waste, faster delivery result from PPB which is beneficial for
all.
Submission
23: WIDE
AREA PRODUCTION SYSTEM (WAPS)
The
Wide Area Production System (WAPS) combines MTConnect compatible Manufacturing
Intelligence Software (MIS) with manufacturing machines and equipment of all
kinds that are equipped with MTConnect standards compliant data interfaces to
interact with innovative machine vision optics, low-cost pallets, and pallet
transport systems to form a robust and mostly 24/7 unattended production
control and monitoring system. WAPS implements MTConnect standards in a manner
that is innovative, achievable, practical, and measurable. It is an open system
that provides all standard MTConnect functions such as data collection,
formatting for easy interpretation by all decision makers, manufacturing
support services, maintenance, logistics scheduling, administration, etc. WAPS
is up scalable, virtually without limits, by adding MTConnect standards
compliant machines and plug-and-play hardware and software modules from all
qualified vendors. For quality control, WAPS performs Coordinate Measuring
Machine (CMM) style checking of part dimensions with The National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable accuracy before they are removed from
the machine. WAPS is affordable for small enterprises by starting with a few
legacy machines that have been retrofitted with MTConnect standards compliant
interfaces and a core of MIS.
Submission
24: MT
Connect Cell Communication Hub
With manufacturing cells becoming more complex and the need
for faster methods of manufacturing increasing, keeping cell operators supplied
with the right information at the right moment has become critical to success.
Our goal is to create a cell communication system capable of supporting an MT
Connect standard application which will enable real time communication of key
process events to a cell central location. Both primary and secondary
manufacturing equipment will report these key moments to a touch screen
interface and heads up display for use by the cell operator. Having this
information provided will serve to bridge the gap between worker and equipment
creating a more unified, real time approach to work instruction.
Submission
25: Using
MTConnect for Real Time Part Tracking and Creating of Lean Manufacturing Tools
By implementing MTConnect, companies put themselves in a
position to capture part and process information overtime into an archived
history of how things are done in the factory. This information is what is
necessary to help make future decisions regarding how to do things more
effectively and efficiently. This concept describes how support tools can be
created automatically.
Submission
26: Smart
Factory Through MTConnect
The purpose of this work is to introduce a smart, web-based,
cross-browser, cross-platform (mobile/desktop) and customizable machine
monitoring and management application (with 2D/3D end-user interfaces) that
uses MTConnect protocol in order to: 1. Create visibility and transparency in
the production environments, 2. Improve machine utilization and production
efficiency by managing production metrics, 3. Identify machine faults/warnings
for predictive maintenance, 4. Reduce lead times in responding to alarms and downtime.
The proposed application is intelligent in that it will not
only display real-time and historical machine data, but also process and
analyze this data in order to extract useful features through smart algorithms.
Submission
27: Green
Machine
The “app” developed from this project will incorporate the
use of MTConnect targeted at minimizing the amount of energy a machine tool
uses during machining through the employment of “adaptive control” technology
and the optimization of various machine tool parameter settings. Critical
machine tool data will be obtained off of a selected machine tool in a robust manufacturing
environment through the use of MTConnect. The machine tool data envisioned to be
collected will include energy consumed, feed rate, spindle speed, tool
condition, coolant temperature, coolant flow volume, depth of cut, material
being machined, tool insert type, etc. All of this data will be analyzed “real
time” and the “app” will generate instructions on which parameter
settings/adjustments should be incorporated to yield the least amount of energy
consumption and the shortest machine cycle time for the given operation. The
resulting cost savings will allow the manufacturer to reduce costs which could
be passed on to the customer or retained for higher profit. Additionally, the
resulting lower carbon footprint could be incorporated into the manufacturers
marketing strategy.
Submission
28: A
New Paradigm for Laser Tool Setting
Efficient discrete-part production by multi-axis milling
requires that the limitations imposed by the process dynamics are respected at
the process planning stage. It is required that appropriate spindle speed-depth
of cut combinations are selected to avoid chatter, or unstable machining
conditions. Laser tool setters have been widely adopted to measure and update
the actual tool length at the time of program execution. While this can aid in
avoiding crashes and identifying broken tools, it encourages reduced rigor in
tool length control during the physical tooling setup. The tool length is
crucial for consistent dynamic behavior because the tool flexibility is
strongly dependent on this parameter. Variation in the tool length changes the
chatter-free depth of cut and the preferred spindle speed for stable machining.
Therefore, although the actual tool length may be successfully measured, it is
not guaranteed that this new length offers the same stability behavior as the
nominal length and the programmed operating parameters may no longer be valid.
This project describes improved use of laser tool setters to avoid chatter
using MTConnect and dynamic models.
Submission
29: Machining
Chatter Feedback Control Using MTConnect
The proposed project includes combined offline learning
control and event-based pseudo real-time control architectures based on
MTConnect's non-real-time data acquisition protocol across machine and
controller platforms. Combining the two in this project will allow hybrid
supervisory/real-time control to enable ``first time right'' manufacturing and
drive continuous improvement. The proof of concept will include regenerative
chatter reduction in a machining process as well as tool path optimization
based on post process measurement. The benefits of the proof of concept will
include improvements in machining efficiency, capacity, quality, finish and
tool utilization. The approach will become part of the undergraduate and
graduate instruction to encourage general understanding and propagation of the
concept. The primary benefit of the concept is enabling advanced control across
existing machines and platforms to support continuous improvement within
machine shops and across industries.
Submission
30: Agile
Product and Process Development using MTConnect
A knowledge-centric enterprise needs rapid communication
between engineering, planning and supply chain focused around specific
products. This is typically accomplished by an organizational structure
dedicated to managing new products through their life cycle. This paradigm
doesn’t extend well to high-mix low volume or agile production facilities. We
propose a solution for operators in the shop floor interfacing seamlessly with
MTConnect enabled machines to provide feedback to designers and manufacturing
planners with minimal effort. This will enable rapid process
improvements/redesigns and build an enterprise knowledge base for defects and
best practice identification. Our approach utilizes MTConnect to establish the
context of the defect, process improvement, or design suggestion. In software
parlance, “a stack trace” would be automatically created for operator feedback.
This can be packaged and emailed/made available for retrieval based on a
workflow established in the PLM system. Over time machine specific models
created through supervised learning will automate this function resulting in a
self-reporting intelligent machine tool.
The primary benefits of the proposed system would be to
accelerate product yield learning curve of enterprise in real-time. This is
accomplished by creating a higher level of supply chain involvement for product
refinement including cost reduction and improving manufacturing efficiency
Submission
31: ManuGit
Manufacturers in supply chains need a consistent and
ubiquitous software toolset to securely store, access, analyze and distribute
their MTConnect device data. Much like the software industry of 2004, domestic
manufacturing businesses find themselves with industry-standardized data yet no
agreed-upon tools or methods to efficiently manage such information. Without
these readily-available tools manufacturers are left with few options outside
of writing their own software or investing in expensive integration
consultants.
I propose the creation of a manufacturer-oriented application
built upon the popular “Git” software library, a free and secure technology
that revolutionized the way data was stored, accessed, updated, and distributed
across the entire software industry. MTConnect was built upon powerful web
standards such as XML and HTTP, the same standards that Git was built to
accommodate and enhance. With the creation of ManuGit, domestic manufacturers
will have full end-to-end MTConnect-based solutions with the stability,
performance, and flexibility of the very same technology powering data
management and collaboration for some of the world’s leading data-driven
organizations such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Linux.
Submission
32: Automated
predictive analytics for production scheduling by a novel simulation
optimization
In
manufacturing intelligence, predictive analytics is used for planning and
operations management, particularly for production scheduling.
In
production scheduling, simulation with heuristic rules and what-if analysis are
used to run several scenarios generating several results (schedules). This
process is highly labor-intensive and time-consuming, and therefore, a prime
candidate for automation. Our idea is to automate this process by merging
simulation with an approximate branch-and-bound optimization algorithm. Such
metaheuristic simulation optimization, more described and tested in a
referenced paper of this proposal, can be used for solving combinatorial
problems like production scheduling, supply chain optimization, resource
allocation, routing of war robots, scheduling military operations, or air
traffic management. In production scheduling, direct benefits of the proposed
automated predictive analytics are: higher quality of schedules (schedules are
shorter), the schedules are generated faster, and savings of labor-intensive
and time-consuming scheduling activities. These direct benefits lead to other
manufacturing benefits like increased throughput, maximized utilization of
resources (machines, people, tools, etc.), shorter lead times, improved
customer satisfaction (meeting due dates, on-time delivery), improved lean
manufacturing by reducing waste (waiting time, setup time, resource idleness).
Therefore, production cost is reduced, profitability is increased without any
capital investment, and sustainable manufacturing is supported.
Submission
33: Expanding
Manufacturing's Vision: MTConnect + Google Glass
MTConnect® lowers the barriers to Manufacturing Intelligence,
even to as complex a supply-side manufacturing chain as the Department of
Defense's network of suppliers. Google Glass—a Heads-Up Display, camera,
touchpad, microphone, email and internet connection built into a spectacle
frame—coupled with MTConnect functionality, will provide a view into the manufacturing
process that until now has been unattainable. The Google Glass user will be
liberated from laptops and hand-held smart devices and be able to travel the
entire shop floor, gathering and sharing machine data provided by MTConnect,
and accessing the internet for more information as he goes. The opportunities
inspiring the merger between MTConnect® and Google Glass are twofold. The first
opportunity is in the exploitation of Augmented Reality (AR). AR generates a
composite view for the user that is the combination of the real scene, as
viewed by the user, and a virtual scene generated by the computer with
additional information such as sound, video, graphics, GPS data, or, in this
case, manufacturing data via MTConnect. Google Glass becomes a natural extension
of MTConnect's view into machines, providing intuitive and user-friendly access
to manufacturing data.
Submission
34: AugMT: Augmented Vision with MTConnect
A problem exists in
manufacturing today since companies typically do not have access to significant
data from their production operations, or the data is tied to a traditional
hand held device that can be unwieldy in manufacturing environment. These
issues result in lost opportunities to optimize production, efficiently utilize
equipment, monitor product quality, and more. Our innovative, three part
approach (called AugMT) combines processed information from MTConnect data
streams with augmented reality technology available through Google Glass, a
head-mounted display that loosely resembles common eye glasses. The AugMT glass
software also allows feedback from the field user to push video and audio back
to the AugMT
service to be
disseminated to other users in the field and through the website. AugMT data
can be configured through the website interface to meet different user needs
regarding what MTConnect data is available versus what the user finds valuable.
AugMT is a web application combined with the Google Glass mobile device that
utilizes warnings, alerts, and barcode scanning to identify and capture
device-specific information and stores it in digital form for manufacturing
intelligence purposes.
Submission 35: Interactive Work Instructions
Shop floors are
undergoing the computing transformation that offices went through in 1990s.
Plants are moving away from paper based work instructions to electronic work
instructions. This helps attract an emerging workforce that is comfortable with
tablets and 3D visualization. Electronic work instructions however are
typically PDF versions of the paper work instructions with some embedded 3D. We
are proposing an MTConnect based Interactive Work Instructions (IWI) that would
add value beyond reducing usage of paper. IWI has various modules that interact
with the G-code executing in the machine tool controller to provide more visual
guidance for the operator of expected operational condition and deviations from
nominal plan. In our proposed implementation, MTConnect tool path data is used
to automatically scroll to the right page in the PDF work instruction, bring
real time simulation corresponding to the feature machined, and flag on any
drifts in the tool paths for operator intervention or material review board.
This information can be transmitted to an operator with a tablet near machine
tool or process engineer in a different location without any changes to the
system. The key benefits of this system are reduced operator errors and
vouchering time.
Submission 36: sim.MTConnect.org
An elegantly-simple
website that simulates and visualizes MTConnect interactions against a 3D map
of your factory.
Submission 37: TeamEngage Powered by MTConnect
Plant personnel at small
and medium sized manufacturing producers are rarely dedicated to a single
operations role. Managers in particular often engage in multiple job roles in a
single day, if not in a single hour. The ability for staff to collaborate
efficiently when issues arise is an important capability for managing a
cost-effective operation. It is in this context that MTConnect TeamEngage is
submitted for review. MTConnect TeamEngage is a plant operations collaboration
system focused on facilitating discussions around MTConnect data. TeamEngage
allows an ad-hoc group within an operations team to join a discussion and
communicate via web and mobile applications. The key feature of the application
is that conversations revolve around a snapshot of data from one or more
MTConnect devices.
Submission 38: Integration
with Microsoft Visio
MTConnect has been integrated with
Labview, Crystal Reports, Matlab, MS Excel and several web based displays but
no integration with Microsoft Visio. We propose to integrate MTConnect with
Visio through the creation of five intelligent stencil types described below:
Data acquisition stencils will connect
shop floor equipment such as Computer Numeric Controls to Visio and provide
real-time manufacturing data up-load capability. Data presentation stencils
will be common data display objects such as Pareto charts, histograms, control
charts, bar charts, strip charts, tabulated displays and will provide real-time
data display. Calculation stencils will provide common manufacturing
calculations and will be integrated with MS Excel for custom calculations.
Simulation stencils will allow the building of process models that can feed
annunciator stencils to raise alarms should the actual vs. simulated go outside
control limits. With this stencil set and drag and drop skills, manufacturing
direct personnel can use Visio to rapidly and inexpensively build MTConnect
real-time data display and annunciation systems. Since this is a MS Office
integration all of the reporting and presentation capability of MS Office will
be available. This proposal benefits MTConnect and International TechneGroup
Incorporated by each having a much larger penetration on the shop floor.
