MTConnect Hits 100 Members!

Big week at the MTConnect Institute this week as we hit 100 members!

Machining Journal Article on MTConnect

There is a very nice article on MTConnect at Machining Journal for July 10th, 2012 by Brian Lane.

In the article, Brian states, "In its 2012 Benchmarking survey, Modern Machine Shop (MMS) asked its Top Shops about methodologies and technologies they are using to stay ahead of the curve. In addition to trends in cutting and precision technology, high-tech solutions to machining challenges and the use of advanced CAD/CAM software for part programming, MMS, in its survey, discovered that over half of the Top Shops are operating Ethernet-connected machines. Meanwhile, 8 percent of these shops are using the MTConnect communications protocol."

Joel Neidig: Manufacturing Thought Leader

Joel Neidig: 

Manufacturing Thought Leader

Jul 11, 2012

By Dave Edstrom

NOTE:  I wrote this for the July 11th, 2012 IMTS Insider.

One of the genuine privileges of working in manufacturing is when you run into someone that is a true thought leader and a game changer. It is even more inspiring when that person is young. Joel Neidig is a Technology Manager at ITAMCO and is a role model for what we want young people in manufacturing to aim for. Actually, he is a role model for anyone.

I first met Joel at an MTConnect Technical Advisory Group (MTCTAG) meeting and immediately realized that he was very different from anyone that I had ever met before in manufacturing. He grew up as a third generation employee in the company that his grandfather and uncle started. Joel started telling me about all the cool things that his company was doing. He went on to describe how much his company appreciated MTConnect. He said that MTConnect was exactly what his company had been looking for and he wanted to personally help out. Joel is the type of person whose passion is contagious. He speaks with so much knowledge and excitement about MTConnect as well as what they are doing at ITAMCO that people get energized just having a conversation with him.

Joel was the first person to write as well as open source an MTConnect mobile app. When folks ask me, “Dave, is MTConnect real?” I don’t say anything. I pull out my iPhone, I pull up Joel’s free MTConnect app, pull up a machine tool some place on planet earth, remotely monitor exactly what that machine tool is doing and say, “there’s an app for that.” Yes, MTConnect is very real and it is changing manufacturing around the globe. You can go get your free MTConnect app today for Apple or Android thanks to Joel.

When I suggested that we have an MTConnect conference, I had a high degree of confidence in its success because of the tremendous talent of the MTCTAG members. This is the secret sauce of MTConnect — the brains and passion of the many, many manufacturing and software experts that built MTConnect from the ground up. That was the basis for the first-ever [MC]2, MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference.

One of the most difficult areas for [MC]2 2011 was the hands-on labs. This was a real challenge because it was 6 hours of hands-on software programming labs and it was something that was very atypical for a manufacturing conference. Most manufacturing conferences are a lineup of speakers with no hands-on programming component to them. Finding talented software programmers who are willing to give up their time to help out is incredibly difficult in the manufacturing arena. I did not have to ask Joel; he volunteered. Joel and I worked together to create the 2-hour lab called MTConnect 101: Fundamentals of MTConnect Workshop. This is available today at MTConnect.org for anyone who wants to learn about how MTConnect really works. We also have hands-on labs titled MTConnect Architecture: Understanding and Building MTConnect Agents and Adapters Workshop, as well MTConnect Hello World: Building Your First MTConnect Application Using the SDK Workshop.

Joel was the lead and I was really just his helper. The truth was that Joel did not need my help or anyone’s help for that matter; he already knew MTConnect inside and out as well as how he wanted the lab to flow. All of the hands-on labs ended up being a huge success, and all of them have been watched many times on MTConnect.org — and are available today to watch for free.

Joel and ITAMCO hosted the June 2012 MTCTAG Meeting at their Plymouth headquarters in Indiana. Joel and his father Gary, Vice President at ITAMCO, were the perfect hosts for our meeting. We were given tours of a couple of their plants. ITAMCO is clearly a state-of-the-art company. After the tour ended, Joel gave all of the MTCTAG members a working version of ITAMCO’s iBlue, the world’s first industrial Bluetooth transmitter. iBlue lets you wirelessly acquire, record, and share material information by connecting to your computer or smartphone device. The mobile application allows users to check material hardness, temperature, and collect data with an easy-to-use interface.

This is not an endorsement or advertisement for iBlue. The point I am making is that it was brilliant that Joel and ITAMCO would give out a new piece of hardware to the MTCTAG to test out. I cannot think of a better way for a company to get the word out on a new product, as well as get great feedback, then by giving it out to the group whose mission is to change manufacturing productivity by easily enabling connectivity with MTConnect.

I have three sons and it is easy to find someone who has led a long and full life and point to that person as someone my sons should model their life after. It is much more challenging to find a young person and say, “this is someone you should look up to, learn from and try to model your life after.” There are some professional athletes who go out of their way to state they are not role models. I have never understood that point of view. Joel Neidig is both a role model and a manufacturing thought leader who just happens to be young.

The great American computer scientist Alan Kay, who invented SmallTalk and Object Oriented Programming (OOP), once said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”  Joel is inventing the future at ITAMCO as well as his many contributions to MTConnect. I love to talk to Joel because it gives me a glimpse into where manufacturing is going. Joel is able to predict the future because he is helping to invent it. The future of manufacturing is very bright and very cool.  It will be both fun and educational to watch what Joel does next.

Academia Loves Stephen Colbert

Academia has fallen in love with Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report.  Here is a great article in the Washington Post's Style Section today.

Thanks to my father for texting me this.   He is a HUGE Stephen Colbert fan :-)

Below is a snippet from the article:

"There are dozens of scholarly articles, monographs, treatises and essays about Colbert, as well as books of scholarly articles, monographs and essays. A University of Oklahoma student even earned her doctorate last year by examining him and his “Daily Show” running mate Jon Stewart. It was called “Political Humor and Third-Person Perception.”

Julie and I went to the Rally To Restore Sanity to see Colbert and Stewart live.

Great Time At The Fannings In Deep Creek, MD

Julie and I visited Steve and Deborah Fanning in Deep Creek, MD on June 30th and July 1st.  We had a fantastic time at their beautiful mountain home.  Steve is President of Path To Progress and a DB god.  We work together on MTInsight. 
We had lunch at the lake and listened to music at the Honi-Honi Bar
That evening Steve put some streaks on the grill, I brought up a growler from Lost Rhino Brewery, that is across the street from our house, and we also enjoyed some 100 year old Grand Marnier.   Steve is well known as the world's expert on Grand Marnier.  Thanks Steve and Deborah!

We went ATV's through the mountains.  Above is Steve and Deborah and below is Julie and me.

Above is Steve and Deborah's neighbor. Bob, who is showing me the picture of the bear that followed him when he went for a walk one day.   One of the neighbors took the picture of the black bear.  Bob told me that he was not afraid because on more than one occasion he has had to wrestle a bear to the ground to prove who was the boss.

Above is Swallow Falls in the Deep Creek MD area.

Incredible Sports Cars at Great Falls on Saturday Mornings - Katie's Coffee

In the DC area, you should go to Great Falls between 7-9am to see the most amazing cars on planet earth.  Here are a few shots from a typical Saturday morning.

Above and below is a DeTamoso Pantera

Below is my all time favorite four door - the Aston Martin Rapide

Above is my 2011 Grand Sport

106 Degrees In Washington DC Today

Washington, DC was 106 degrees today at 5:40pm.  Julie and I were coming back from the Ocean City and we were in the Annapolis area, when I asked her to take a picture of the dash on our Quest.

From the Washington Post--> 5:40 p.m. update: The weather observer at National Airport reports the temperature did hit 106 for one minute. That would have tied D.C.’s all-time high, but it has to last for at least three minutes to count. So today’s official high will go down as 105, breaking the previous July 7 record of 102 in 2010. Also, Dulles tied its record high for the date with a high of 101, while BWI broke its record high for the date with a high of 103.

Arthur C. Clarke Predicts Life in 2012

In 1974, Arthur C. Clarke Predicts what life will be like in 2012 when computers are very small.

Why Monitor Your Shop Floor - My July 2012 Modern Machine Shop

This blog post is for those readers of Modern Machine Shop who saw the article I wrote in the July 2012 edition called:   Why Monitor Your Shop Floor 

The main page for MTConnect is here at MTConnect.org

MTConnect is a set of open, royalty-free standards and open source software intended to foster greater interoperability between controls, devices and software applications by publishing data over networks using the Internet Protocol.

 

MTConnect is a basic first step in linking shop floor technologies and moving towards the goal of seamless manufacturing operation. By establishing an open and extensible channel of communication for plug-and-play interconnectivity between devices, equipment and systems, MTConnect allows sources to exchange and understand each other's data. That common communication is facilitated by using widely accepted XML and Internet Protocol technology to provide managers with near real-time data from throughout a factory. 

Below is a great white paper on shop floor monitoring that compares a number of solutions:

MONITORING YOUR EQUIPMENT - APPLICATIONS

This is a study outlining currently available applications that utilize the MTConnect standard for interface protocol.  The MTConnect Institute conducted this study as part of the "Sustainable Aerospace Manufacturing Inititative" for the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT).  We are happy to say that both NCDMM and CCAT have allowed MTConnect to post this study for your review.

To review the study click Here.

I included a variety of information that you will likely find helpful as well.

GETTING STARTED WITH MTCONNECT - CONNECTIVITY GUIDE

The MTConnect Institute is pleased to announce the availability of a new document entitled "Getting Started With MTConnect - Connectivity Guide." This guide was created by the MTConnect Connectivity Working Group that is made up of members of the Technical Advisory Group of the Institute. The purpose of this guide is to answer the question, "How do I get started with implementing products in my manufacturing facilities that take advantage of the MTConnect standard."  This guide addresses both new and older manufacturing equipment and provides a very well thought out framework for getting stated on implementations.

You can download this document by signing in and going to the Download section of the web site then clicking on 'Instruction and Guidelines'.

To review or download this guide click Here.

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Below is a mixture of videos, podcasts and articles on MTConnect.  The videos are mostly from the [MC]2 MTConnect Connecting Manufacturing Conference we had in Cincinnati, Ohio in mid November this past year as well as information on MTConnect membership.   The videos that list the individuals below the titles are of special interest and well worth watching as these are the industry thought leaders who spoke at [MC]2.

This is an MTConnect video is about 7 1/2 minutes long and it does a great job with the history of MTConnect and detailing exactly how we got to the first release.

History of MTConnect (article)

Introducing MTConnect (article)

What is MTConnect - A Business Perspective (video)
Dave Edstrom, President & Chairman of the Board, MTConnect Institute

NOTE:  If only have time to read and or watch one video, please watch the one above as it lays out all the fundamentals of MTConnect.

I wrote an MTConnect article for PRECISION Magazine that is titled MTConnect: The Holy Grail of Manufacturing and Why This Time is Different.  The article is in the May/June version.   My article is on pages 20 and 21 of the May/June edition.  
  

Getting Started with MTConnect (video)
David McPhail, President & CEO, Memex Automation Inc.
John Turner, Director of Technology, FA Consulting and Technology

Expert Panel: Monitoring Your Shop Floor Using the MTConnect Protocol (video)
 Panel Host: Mark Doyle, VP of Sales, I/Gear Online, LLC

Panel: How Do I Make Money and Save Time with MTConnect? (video)
 Dave Edstrom, President & Chairman of the Board, MTConnect Institute

MTConnect in Real Life - MTConnect Users Panel (video)
 Panel Hosts: Ron Pieper, Program Director-MTConnect Solutions, TechSolve, Inc.
Paul Warndorf, VP - Technology, AMT-The Association For Manufacturing

[MC]2 Videos at MTConnect.org  NOTE: There are close to 23 hours of videos on MTConnect.   There are lots of interesting videos here, including six hours on how to write MTConnect applications.

Thanks and Best Regards,

--Dave

Dave Edstrom

President and Chairman - MTConnect Institute 

  MTConnect: Different Devices, Common Connection

  MTConnect: To Measure Is To Know

CAD '12 Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Thanks to Dave McPhail, President of Memex Automation, I was invited to speak at CAD '12.

Above is Dr. Alan Spence of McMaster University and chair of CAD '12 giving me a plaque for giving a keynote.   I gave a talk titled, "How An Open Protocol Is Changing Manufacturing"

Al was a great host and I really enjoyed the CAD '12 Conference.  We had a fantastic dinner overlooking Niagara Falls with the other speakers.  Julie and I were able to sit with Dave McPhail and his wife Pauline, which was great.

Above is Dave McPhail who is giving the keynote before me and discussing the importance of monitoring.  Dave and Memex have been HUGE supporters of MTConnect.  Dave was co-chair of the most popular white paper we have at the MTConnect Institute - which is Getting Started With MTConnect: Connectivity Guide. 

Dave invited me to Memex's Headquarters and they put together a very nice welcome sign.  John Rattray, VP of Sales and Marketing for Memex, gave me a great demonstration of their products.  Dave took me around, showed me their manufacturing operations, software developers and their marketing as well as sales staff.   I also had the opportunity to speak with the entire Memex staff at Headquarters regarding MTConnect.  It was very much appreciated and I really learned a lot.  Thanks John and Dave!

Please notice the MTConnect on Memex's boards above!  Very cool!

The photo below was from our hotel room.  We had the 24th floor at the Marriott.  Best view ever!   Julie came along on this trip and we extended thanks to John Rattray's suggestion.  Great suggestion John!

Julie and I in front of Niagara Falls on the Canada side. 

Above is a movie from the "Behind The Falls" section of Niagara Falls.

We found three Subaru BRZ's in Niagara Falls.  These cars are getting incredible reviews.

Above is me in front of the location where Buffalo Wings were invented - The Anchor Bar.

Below is Julie, Julie's Aunt Mary Jane and Julie's cousin Liza Morehouse in Orchard Park.   This is my first time at Mary Jane's house.  We went out to dinner and had a fantastic time.  You can not find two nicer ladies on planet earth than Mary Jane Smith and Liza.

Amazing rainbows at Niagara Falls.

Julie and me in front of Niagara Falls

We had 6th row center seats for Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band. A GREAT concert at the Casino in Niagara Falls.  Below is Todd Rundgren.  The members included:  Steve Lukather (Toto), Gregg Rolie (Journey, Santana), Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Todd Rundgren, Mark Rivera and Gregg Bissonette

We just happened to be there for the first ever high wire walk over Niagara Falls by Nik Wallenda.  We saw this from our hotel room.

Below is Niagara on the Lake where we visited on our way to Toronto.  Dave McPhail suggested we check this town out and it was great!