David McPhail Inteviewed at FabTech on Manufacturing Talk Radio - Discusses MTConnect and Memex Automation

David McPhail did a great interview at FabTech last week on Wednesday the 12th on Manufacturing Talk Radio! 

David does a fantastic job educating the hosts on MTConnect as well as Memex Automation's ability to talk to ANYTHING on the shop floor. David puts everything in the language that everyone inside or outside of manufacturing can easily understand and appreciate.  David talks about MTConnect at the beginning and really gets into specifics at the end of the interview.

I thought the interviewers did an outstanding job in the types of questions asked as well as the follow up questions.


David starts speaking at the 129 minute mark on Wednesday.  David's segment is about 25 minutes in length.

David brings out a very important metric.  If you ask a shop or plant what their utilization is, invariably they will state something in the area of 65%.  When you actually come in and measure it, the number is more like 27% to 32%  That is a HUGE difference! As David states, "if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it."

David McPhail and Dave Edstrom on IMTS TV

This interview at IMTS 2014 was done by Whitney Brown of AMT with David McPhail and me.  Whitney always does a great job in her interviews and her writing.

MES Increases Machine Availability for Mazak in American Machinist

This is a great article  by David McPhail, President and CEO of Memex Automation, in American Machinist titled, "MES Increases Machine Availability for Mazak" and I especially like Brian Papke's quote below:

http://americanmachinist.com/enterprise-software/mes-increases-machine-availability-mazak?page=1

"Mazak’s IT department started the efficiency drive by implementing the MTConnect protocol to determine machine availability with maximum accuracy, using Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) as a standard measurement. “This total embrace of MTConnect is intended to make a statement,” stated Mazak president Brian Papke, who personally drove the project. “We want to be a leader in both promoting and implementing MTConnect. We want our example to show the importance of moving toward data-driven manufacturing.  MTConnect is an essential part of what makes data-driven manufacturing possible.”

At the end of the article, Brian Papke has an incredible quote on the importance of MTConnect:

"In remarks at IMTS 2014, Brian Papke once again emphasized the importance of data availability to the success of the enterprise: "The implementation of MTConnect is one of the simplest and fastest ways to improve productivity and increase machine utilization,” he said. “Mazak's MTConnect implementation provided the highest ROI for any capital investment because of the significant increase in utilization of equipment for a very moderate expenditure.”
 

 Mr. McPhail brings out the long history that I have had with the great folks at Mazak. It has been a real honor and privilege to work with Mazak.

"Memex Automation’s Dave Edstrom, who was instrumental in creating the MTConnect vision in 2006, as well as was being the president and chairman of the MTConnect Institute for three-and-a-half years, joined Memex in January 2014 as its first chief technology officer and has worked with Mazak for years on MTConnect."

The numbers are extremely impressive:

With MERLIN, the machine tool builder’s manufacturing complex quickly and cost-effectively isolates productivity issues, maximizing efficiency

• +42% OEE
• -100 hours overtime
• +400 hrs/month more throughput

Memex Automation's MERLIN Being Demonstrated by Mazak Optonics as a Value-Added MTConnect-Based Solution

November 11, 2014 09:00 ET Press Release

NOTE: Below is the press release on Memex working with Mazak Optonics.  This event was a HUGE success!

Memex Automation's MERLIN Being 

Demonstrated by Mazak Optonics as a 

Value-Added MTConnect-Based Solution

ATLANTA, GA and BURLINGTON, ON--(Marketwired - Nov 11, 2014) -  FABTECH 2014  -- "The implementation of MTConnect is one of the simplest and fastest ways to improve productivity and increase machine utilization. Mazak's MTConnect implementation provided the highest ROI for any capital investment because of the significant increase in utilization of equipment for a very moderate expenditure," said Mazak President Brian Papke.

Papke personally drove the project to implement the MTConnect protocol to determine machine availability with maximum accuracy at his company's Kentucky-based North American headquarters -- an 800,000 sq. ft. complex that produces a variety of multi-axis turning and milling machines at a rate of 200 units per month. An article recently published in a manufacturing productivity magazine reported that Mazak achieved a 42% increase in equipment utilization in its Kentucky plant.
Astrix Networks Inc., operating as Memex Automation (TSX VENTURE: OEE) ("Memex" or the "Company"), is the global leader of manufacturing M2M productivity solutions. Memex was invited by Mazak Optonics to jointly demonstrate MERLIN (Manufacturing Enterprise Real-time Lean Information Network) with Mazak's laser cutting systems at FABTECH 2014, Booth 3525. The joint demonstration will showcase MERLIN's ability to connect all manufacturing machines to management, report plant-wide capacity utilization, and increase production and income from operations in real-time.

Mazak Optonics is the laser-cutting systems division of Yamazaki Mazak Corporation and the third division to demonstrate MERLIN as a value-add MTConnect-based solution. MERLIN was demonstrated by Mazak at IMTS in Sept. of this year, and at Germany's EMO Hannover metalworking technology tradeshow in Sept. 2013.

"The availability of key data is crucial to managing operational performance. The combination of MTConnect and MERLIN will deliver performance details including dashboards that open up tremendous real-time visibility for both individual machines and the entire shop floor," stresses Marc Lobit, General Manager Sales Support of Mazak Optonics.

MTConnect is an open, royalty-free machine communications standard intended to foster greater interoperability between manufacturing devices and software applications. Introduced at IMTS 2008, Mazak executives recognized its potential to facilitate plant-wide integration and enhance automation.

Memex Automation's Chief Technology Officer Dave Edstrom was instrumental in creating the MTConnect vision in 2006, and was the President and Chairman of the MTConnect Institute for three-and-a-half years prior to joining Memex in Jan. 2014.

"We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with Mazak through our joint demonstration with Mazak Optonics at FABTECH," said David McPhail, CEO of Memex Automation. "MERLIN is an MTConnect-based solution that universally connects all machines to management and shows manufacturers how to make more production, generating IRRs of up to 400%."

About Mazak Optonics
Mazak Optonics Corporation is a major supplier of laser-cutting systems, offering 50 laser models and leading the industry in the implementation of emerging laser technologies. The company's 50,000 sq. ft. North American Headquarters are located in Elgin, Illinois, and feature a 30,000 sq. ft. laser technology center housing up to 18 machines for demonstrations and training. Mazak Optonics is part of Yamazaki Mazak Corporation (Oguchi, Japan), the global leader for the manufacture of machine tools and systems for the precision machining of metal parts, including CNC turning centers, horizontal and vertical machining centers, Multi-Tasking machining centers, turnkey cells and software solutions. The North American Headquarters for Yamazaki Mazak are located in Florence, Kentucky. For more information on Mazak Optonics' products and solutions, visit www.mazakoptonics.com, emailsales@mazaklaser.com or call 847-252-4500.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation (TSX VENTURE: OEE) is the leader of manufacturing Machine to Machine (M2M) productivity solutions and the measurement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness ("OEE") in real-time. OEE is the measurement of plant-wide capacity utilization. MERLIN (Manufacturing Enterprise Real-time Lean Information Network) generates OEE enterprise-wide, machine by machine. On April 15, 2014, PEM awarded the Company the 2013 Plant Engineering & Maintenance Award for Best Company Under 50 Employees. Frost & Sullivan awarded MERLIN its 2013 Technology Innovation Leadership Award for Machine Monitoring. Microsoft picked MERLIN to be its mid-market ERP machine connectivity solution. Okuma America Corporation, a world leader in CNC machine tools, announced in April 2014 that Memex Automation became a Partner in THINC. For more information, please visit: www.memex.ca.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contact Information

• 
  For more information, please contact:Sales:
  Memex Automation Inc.
  John Rattray
  VP Sales and Marketing
  Phone: 905-635-0590
  Email: Email Contact
  
  Press:
  market2world communications inc.Paul Brent
  Senior Communications Strategist
  Phone: 613-256-3939
  Email: Email Contact
  

Colbert Calls Out the Science Denying Republicans

The Republicans are now hiding behind the "I am not a scientist" when the are asked about the biggest threat to our planet, which is global climate change.  Thank god for Stephen Colbert calling out these idiot science deniers.  Below is a snippet that appeared at HuffPo:

"You don't have to worry about global warming anymore, because the Senate sure won't," Stephen Colbert quipped on Thursday's "The Colbert Report."

Colbert slammed many Republicans' position on climate change after they gained a majority in the U.S. Senate in Tuesday's election. Environmental groups are fearful that progress on climate change and other environmental issues will suffer under the new Senate.  

As Colbert pointed out, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), who literally wrote the book on climate change denial, is poised to take control of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Colbert described Inhofe's 2012 book, The Greatest Hoax, as being "like Harry Potter for people who thought Harry Potter had too much science in it." 

Like many others in the media, Colbert called out Republicans for using the "I'm not a scientist" defense when asked about humans' contribution to global warming.

If this quote by Inhofe does not scare the hell out of you, I don't know what possibly can:

Eliason: Senator, we’re going to talk about your book for a minute, you state in your book which by the way is called The Greatest Hoax, you state in your book that one of your favorite Bible verses, Genesis 8:22, ‘while the earth remaineth seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease,’ what is the significance of these verses to this issue? 

Inhofe: Well actually the Genesis 8:22 that I use in there is that ‘as long as the earth remains there will be seed time and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night,’ my point is, God’s still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous. - See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/james-inhofe-says-bible-refutes-climate-change#sthash.LyDy2Zu9.dpuf 

Most Powerful Quote on MTConnect ROI - Brian Papke of Mazak

This is the most powerful quote on MTConnect ROI I have ever heard.  The quote is from Brian Papke, President of Mazak USA, and it came on Monday September 8th, 2014 at an IMTS press conference.

"The implementation of MTConnect is one of the simplest and fastest ways to improve productivity and increase machine utilization.  Mazak's MTConnect implementation provided the highest ROI for any capital investment because of the significant increase in utilization of equipment for a very moderate expenditure.”

No one has been more important nor better supporter for MTConnect than Brian Papke and Mazak.

It should also be noted that Mazak uses our (Memex Automation) MERLIN product for monitoring their plant in Florence, Kentucky.

Elon Musk at MIT on the Importance of Manufacturing

I, as most of planet earth, am fascinated by Elon Musk.  When I read that he was being interviewed at MIT, I had to watch. 

He is asked a question on manufacturing and I thought he gave a fascinating answer.

Here is the link to the interview and if you just want to hear the question and Elon's answer on manufacturing, you can go 45 minutes and 11 seconds into the interview to hear both.


The questioner mentions the large push that President Obama has done with manufacturing in the United States and asks what other companies can do to keep manufacturing in the United States.

The most interesting comment I felt that Elon Musk made was when he said (note I listened to this and wrote this and this is not a transcript), "Very often people think of manufacturing as a kind of some rote process of making copies which actually it is not, but it is building the machine that makes the machine.  If you think the machine is important, well building the machine that makes the machine is also extremely important.  And, more often than not, what I have found is that the manufacturing is harder than the original product. For example At Tesla we can make one of a car very easily, but to making 1,000 cars with quality and reliability and where the cost is affordable is very hard.  It is maybe ten times harder than making one prototype, maybe more."  He then goes on to say, "I really think a lot more smart people should get into manufacturing. It is kind of fun. It sort of got a bad name for awhile, but it is really interesting."

With the importance of manufacturing, I bet the importance of using MTConnect would also be critical!

Mazak Optonics and Memex Jointly Demonstrate at FabTech

This is a very important announcement because it shows how Memex Automation's MERLIN continues to help Mazak companies.

As the snippet below from the Market Wired article titled:

Mazak Optonics and Memex Jointly Demonstrate at FabTech How to Increase Production and Income From Operations With MTConnect-Based MERLIN

"Yamazaki Mazak is the global leader in the design and manufacture of highly productive machine tools and automation systems. Mazak Optonics is the laser-cutting systems division of Yamazaki Mazak Corporation and the third division to demonstrate MERLIN as a value-add MTConnect-based partner solution. MERLIN was demonstrated by Mazak at IMTS, September 2014, and at EMO, Hannover, Germany, in September 2013.

Mazak USA purchased MERLIN to manage its plant in Florence, KY, published in Automation.com a 42% increase in equipment utilization, and offers MERLIN on its price list.

"We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with Mazak and to demonstrate our combined capabilities to their extensive customer base and distribution channels," said David McPhail, CEO. "MERLIN, as a forward and backward compatible MTConnect-based solution, universally connects all machines to management in real-time, measures plant-wide capacity utilization and shows manufacturers how to make more production, generating IRRs of up to 400%," said McPhail.

"The availability of key data is crucial to managing operational performance. The combination of MTConnect and MERLIN will deliver performance details including dashboards that open up tremendous real-time visibility for both individual machines and the entire shop floor," stresses Marc Lobit, General Manager Sales Support of Mazak Optonics."

United Airlines Red Carpet Free Drink Tickets Should NOT Expire :-)

The CEO of Memex Automation, Dave McPhail, was in town this past week.  He was traveling to Chicago on Wednesday morning.  He mentioned that he would be in the Red Carpet Club.  I had some free drink tickets and gave them to Dave.  He said that there was no way they would take the free drink tickets because they appeared to be so old. I said that they should accept them even though they were at least 15 years old.  I was wrong, Dave McPhail was right and below is the photo of the United Red Carpet Club bartender ripping up my free drink tickets.  Lesson learned for me is that you should use free drink tickets at least every decade :-)

OEE Analytics

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PRODUCT LINKS          SUMMER PROMOTIONS       Machine Monitoring (OEE)     Memex OEE -ROI Calculator      MT-connect Adapters     RFID Asset Managment      CNC Memory Upgrades     DNC Solutions     CNC PCMCIA Cards             High Speed File Server      Tape Reader Replacements (BTR)        Data Shuttles       Memex Blog                                                                                                       Plants Practicing Advanced OEE Analytics are TWICE as Profitable as Non-Practicing Peers   Meet the noted author and practitioner, Robert Hansen, at IMTS 2012, where he will make regular 15 minute presentations about how your business can be more profitable.   "Financial OEE: The Methodology for Increased Profits"   BOOTH E-3368 Everyday at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, and 3:00 pm.     Robert Hansen wrote the book  "Overall Equipment Effectiveness: A Powerful Production/Maintenance Tool for Increased Profits" Published by R.C. Hansen, New York, NY: Industrial Press, 2001.   He will introduce OEE as a tool, OEE Performance Curves, SMART Goal setting techniques, OEE Value Stream Modeling and Analysis.  He will also demonstrate how the resulting Benefits Table provides a road map for Leadership Teams to prioritize use of Improvement Resources for COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.  A Practice Factory Case Study will be shared.   Why is this important to you?   Studies have indicated that Manufacturing Organizations that have been practicing Analytical Champions are TWICE AS PROFITABLE as their non-practicing peers.  Financial OEE Education provides Advanced OEE understanding to your organization in a few weeks, whereas traditional OEE application can take a few years.   OEE is a visual metric of Total Productive Manufacturing, integral to LEAN.   Please visit Robert Hansen's website at www.OEE-College.com for more information on his Financial OEE narrated training modules.   Learn more about OEE applicability at Memex Automation here.   Find us at IMTS at Booth E-3368.  For an interactive map - click here. Presentations at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm.     If you would like to book your specific meeting time, please call 1-905-635-1538 and ask for Carolene, or email us .        Sincerely, The Memex Team.       Memex - A Trusted Name in Shop Floor Productivity for 20 Years! Manufacturing Connectivity Solutions   Memex Automation Inc. 200 – 3425 Harvester Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7N 3N1 Phone: 866-573-3895      Website: http://www.memex.ca This communication is intended to be informative and helpful. If you would prefer it be directed to another individual within your company please feel free to forward directly or advise the sender.   If you do not want further emails from this source, please click on the unsubscribe link below. Follow Us on Facebook and LinkedIn. Unsubscribe here.

Memex IMTS Marketing

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Attention: David A Edstrom   PRODUCT LINKS   Machine Monitoring (OEE)     Manufacturing Execution System (MES)     Dynamics AX Connector     MERLIN ERP Connector     Book a webinar     Memory Upgrades     DNC Solutions     Tape Reader Replacements (BTR)     CNC PCMCIA Cards     Data Shuttles     Memex Blog             Link Manufacturing Execution System (MES, OEE + DNC)   Memex   Manufacturing Execution Real-time Lean Information Network.   IMTS 2014 - A Great Success!     Manufacturers need automatic real-time machine data. Connect to any machine on the shop floor Increase your companies profitability Increase your shop floor efficiency, often in the 10% - 50% range Get an ROI payback in 3 - 6 months And become a world class manufacturer Memex Automation Inc. had the opportunity to demonstrate its MERLIN MES solution to the many 1,000's of attendees who walked into booth E-3368 at IMTS. MERLIN was also the  only MES on display at  the Mazak & Okuma booths.   If you missed seeing MERLIN in action at IMTS Then we can show you directly in your office.   Please call Sales at 905-635-3041 or email john.rattray@memex.ca.   As proof that MERLIN is helping the top machine builders in the world succeed, take a look at Mazak's business case. Within three months of the implementation of MERLIN throughout its Florence, KY plant, Mazak increased its own machines' utilization by 42%. Mazak published its experiences and business case in Automation.com (Mazak Uses MERLIN MES and MTConnect at Kentucky Plant). As well they saw reduction in hours of overtime per month, a return of 400 hours of outsourced work and removal of unnessary optional stops, all direct cost savings as reviewed in Modern Machine Shop (Data-Driven Manufacturing Moves Ahead at Mazak).  Mazak's Vice President of Manufacturing, Ben Schawe, gives a detailed video presentation about how his team implemented MERLIN and generated a breakeven within weeks.   Industry leaders such as Dave Edstrom, CTO of Memex Automation (and previously Chairman of the MTConnect Institute) and Bob Hansen, author of the definitive book on OEE, were also in attendance and helping out at the Memex booth.     Dave Edstrom giving an interview to IMTS-TV. View the Video   To see more of Memex Automation at IMTS 2014, check out Dave Edstrom's blog, Photons and Electrons.   New Monitoring Hardware! The Ax760-MTC 100+ data elements into MTConnect   Memex Automation announced its new hardware board at IMTS 2014 - the Ax760-MTC. It produces MTConnect data directly from the machine. It has a universal software utility and attaches to Fanuc control through the I/O Link or any other control through it's16 digital inputs. Plug and play into Fanuc I/O Link Webserver based configuration Passive listening, easy install   If you can measure it, then you can manage it. The Future is Here! The final analysis from IMTS 2014 is that the tide of manufacturing has turned in North America.  With a growing call for boosting productivity across the nation, companies are actively searching for a real, robust monitoring solution.  Memex Automation brings a game changer to Manufacturing Operations Management, providing visibility on your machines based on actionable, accurate data.  "Our core competency is enabling manfuacturers to be productive" says David McPhail, President and CEO of Memex Automation.  "Our motto is 'shop floor to top floor' and by providing an off-the-shelf, productized system, Memex paves the way for manufacturers to deploy an erterprise solution that is both supportable and affordable."   Enable Lean at Every Machine!   Call John at 1-866-573-3895 or email john.rattray@memex.ca       Memex A Trusted Name in Shop Floor Productivity for 24 Years!   Memex Automation Inc. 200 – 3425 Harvester Rd., Burlington, Ontario, L7N 3N1 Phone: 866-573-3895      Website: http://www.memex.ca This communication is intended to be informative and helpful. If you would prefer it be directed to another individual within your company please feel free to forward directly or advise the sender.   If you do not want further emails from this source, please click on the unsubscribe link below. Follow Us on Facebook and LinkedIn. Unsubscribe here.

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