15 Days Until Early Bird Registration Ends For [MC]2 MTConnect Connecting Manufacturing Conference

Since its introduction to the manufacturing industry, the MTConnect standard has been revolutionizing the way manufacturing equipment and devices "talk" to each other on the shop floor. Anyone in the manufacturing industry can benefit from learning about this important standard. That's why you must attend [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference will have something for everyone, from distributors to end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to professors, to students, and to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect. [MC]2 offers both business and technical tracks, hands-on technical workshops, panel discussions on the use and benefits of the standards, as well as a showcase of commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how MTConnect, as Modern Machine Shop said, is enabling tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.  Those attending will return with new knowledge and skills so they can engage in a deeper dialogue on manufacturing productivity, as well as a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. Register now! This is an event like no other.

15 Days Until Early Bird Registration Ends For [MC]2 MTConnect Connecting Manufacturing Conference

Since its introduction to the manufacturing industry, the MTConnect standard has been revolutionizing the way manufacturing equipment and devices "talk" to each other on the shop floor. Anyone in the manufacturing industry can benefit from learning about this important standard. That's why you must attend [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference will have something for everyone, from distributors to end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to professors, to students, and to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect. [MC]2 offers both business and technical tracks, hands-on technical workshops, panel discussions on the use and benefits of the standards, as well as a showcase of commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how MTConnect, as Modern Machine Shop said, is enabling tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.  Those attending will return with new knowledge and skills so they can engage in a deeper dialogue on manufacturing productivity, as well as a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. Register now! This is an event like no other.

20 Days Until Early Bird Registration Ends For [MC]2 MTConnect Connecting Manufacturing Conference

Since its introduction to the manufacturing industry, the MTConnect standard has been revolutionizing the way manufacturing equipment and devices "talk" to each other on the shop floor. Anyone in the manufacturing industry can benefit from learning about this important standard. That's why you must attend [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference will have something for everyone, from distributors to end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to professors, to students, and to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect. [MC]2 offers both business and technical tracks, hands-on technical workshops, panel discussions on the use and benefits of the standards, as well as a showcase of commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how MTConnect, as Modern Machine Shop said, is enabling tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.  Those attending will return with new knowledge and skills so they can engage in a deeper dialogue on manufacturing productivity, as well as a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. Register now! This is an event like no other.

Lessons Not Learned...

Very interesting article by Bob Woodward in today's Washington Post:

Below is a small snippet:

"A key lesson of the 9/11 decade for presidents and other national security decision makers is the importance of rigorously testing intelligence evidence: poking holes in it, setting out contradictions, figuring out what may have been overlooked or left out. It is essential to distinguish between hard facts and what is an assessment or judgment.

The so-called slam-dunk case that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction illustrates the failure. If anyone should have learned this, it is former president George W. Bush and former vice president Dick Cheney."

First Day of IMX and MTConnect

Paul Warndorf and I are at IMX this week and talking about MTConnect and [MC]2. Since its introduction to the manufacturing industry, the MTConnect standard has been revolutionizing the way manufacturing equipment and devices "talk" to each other on the shop floor. Anyone in the manufacturing industry can benefit from learning about this important standard. That's why you must attend [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference will have something for everyone, from distributors to end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to professors, to students, and to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect. [MC]2 offers both business and technical tracks, hands-on technical workshops, panel discussions on the use and benefits of the standards, as well as a showcase of commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how MTConnect, as Modern Machine Shop said, is enabling tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.  Those attending will return with new knowledge and skills so they can engage in a deeper dialogue on manufacturing productivity, as well as a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. Register now! This is an event like no other.

21 Days Until Early Bird Registration Ends For [MC]2 MTConnect Connecting Manufacturing Conference

Since its introduction to the manufacturing industry, the MTConnect standard has been revolutionizing the way manufacturing equipment and devices "talk" to each other on the shop floor. Anyone in the manufacturing industry can benefit from learning about this important standard. That's why you must attend [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference will have something for everyone, from distributors to end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to professors, to students, and to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect. [MC]2 offers both business and technical tracks, hands-on technical workshops, panel discussions on the use and benefits of the standards, as well as a showcase of commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how MTConnect, as Modern Machine Shop said, is enabling tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.  Those attending will return with new knowledge and skills so they can engage in a deeper dialogue on manufacturing productivity, as well as a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. Register now! This is an event like no other.

Ten Year Anniversary of 9/11

I am flying on 9/11 to Las Vegas to speak and work at the IMX Conference.  The pilot made some very nice comments on what happened ten years ago today.

This is what I remember from that day ten years ago. My wife, Julie, shared her thoughts with me as well.  The day was divided into three parts.  The first part was a perfectly normal business day.  The second part was after the planes hit the towers, the plane hitting the Pentagon and a plane that went down in PA.  The third part was after we got the call from VA state police. 

• I was scheduled to be at a conference at the "shopping bag" (the structure looks like a large shopping bag)  building in Tysons Corner VA.  It is the highest point in the entire DC area.
• The sky was a perfect blue.
• I was reading email when emails started coming in about NYC and planes.
• I got a call (and I forget who) that just said, "Turn on the TV".
• I decided not to go to the conference.
• Neighbors gathered next door in Rick Allen's driveway.  Everyone was in shock.
• When the second plane hit, it became crystal clear that this was not some random event.
• That afternoon there were two military fighter jets that were 180 degrees apart and making large loops around Dulles Airport -- which is ten minutes from my house.
• When our sons came home they told me what had happened at school that day.  One by one, parents were coming and taking their kids out of school.  The strong rumor was that the United States was under attack.  My sons wondered why we did not come and get them.  To be honest, it never occurred to me to go get them.  Why? Schools were not being attacked, large office buildings and military sites were.
• I remember President Bush taking the high road and going out of his way to not blame this on a single religion.  

 

The second part was when I answered the phone at 11:45am and it was VA state police asking to speak with Julie Edstrom.   The trooper said they had found Julie's dad on the sidewalk in Annandale and taken him to Fairfax Hospital's Emergency Room.  Julie went to Fairfax Hospital and found out her dad had a massive heart attack and a stroke.  After Julie got there, Fairfax Hospital went into security lockdown mode and no one could enter or leave.  Fairfax was being prepared to deal with the casualties from the Pentagon.  

It turned out Julie's father had gone for a walk after he saw what was happening in NYC - his hometown.  He was born and raised in Brooklyn.   He was a brilliant man who had an engineering degree from RPI and JD (Juris Doctorate) from GW.   He was General Counsel at Electronics Industries Association. (EIA).  He was uniquely qualified as being BOTH an engineer and a lawyer.   He always wanted to be a firefighter, but his parents refused to let him.  When Princeton offers you a full scholarship at 16, I can understand why your parents might think that their son had a few more avenues to try in life.  I remain convinced that watching the towers go down with 3,000 people inside, as firefighters were going in, was simply too much for his weakened heart.

Here is what Julie sent me with her recollections from 11:45am on September 11^th, 2001.

After I received the phone call at 11:45am from the Fairfax County police officer who told me that my father was in Fairfax Hospital, I made my way in the hospital.  There was so much traffic, that it seemed like it was rush hour.  I finally made it there after about an hour on the road.  I rushed into the emergency room at the hospital to inquire about my father.  As I entered, it was eerily quiet in there; nobody in the waiting room, which was very unusual for this hospital.  I asked at the front desk about my father, but they had no record of him being admitted through the emergency room.  They suggested I try calling other hospitals, suggesting maybe he had been taken elsewhere.  I did try to call other hospitals, but I couldn’t get through on the phone.  I thought I would just try driving to the other hospitals to see if I could find him.  As I was leaving the emergency room, I noticed maybe 50 gurneys lined up in the hallway, empty, but at the ready.  I thought it seemed strange, but then found out later that Fairfax Hospital was ready to act as one of the trauma centers for the victims of the Pentagon.

As a I made my way outside, I saw a Fairfax County police officer.  I told him about my phone call and the name of the officer who had called me.  He radioed the officer who told him that my father had been directly admitted to the Critical Care Unit at Fairfax.  I went in and finally found him.  He had apparently gone out for a walk around 10:30am that morning and suffered a heart attack and stroke, and he had a bad gash on the back of his head from when he fell.  After 911 was called, the paramedics worked on him for about 35 minutes and finally got his heart beating again.  The doctor at the hospital told me that he was unresponsive at this time, but they were going to run several tests.  I stayed in the hospital for several hours, waiting, watching the news of the events of the day. 

Finally, I left and went to his condo.  When I went in, the television was still on, tuned in to the news.  His books of the building of the World Trade Center were open and on the sofa.  There were also a lot of his FDNY books out.  He was originally from Brooklyn, and studied to become a Civil Engineer as well as a lawyer.  He was also a huge New York City fire buff and had a lot of books and logs from the FDNY.  I believe that watching the buildings crumble and knowing how many firefighters were in there was just too much for him to bear.  That’s probably why he went for a walk.

As she always does, my wife was the pillar of strength.  Julie's mom had died in 1994 and her grandmother was staying with Julie's aunt.  Julie had to make all the decisions with her dad with input from me.  It was absolutely crystal clear that Julie’s dad was completely brain dead, would never recover and without life support – he would not make it.   I will never forget when the decision was made to pull Julie’s dad off life support.  The Dr. comes into the room, verifies that Julie wants life support removed.  Fairfax Hospital did $35,000 worth of tests to verify the obvious.  After the Dr. signs the form he leaves.  The head nurse then explains to us what will happen next.  The nurse goes into a very detailed explanation how she will give Julie’s dad a shout to block out any pain and then order of life support devices that she will turn off.  I then ask the question, “let me see if I have this right.  The Dr. signs off and then he WALKS out of the room and it is the NURSES who actually pull the plugs?”  The nurse looks at me and gives a simple, “yes.”  I then reply, “unbelievable….”

Ray Johnson is not included in the count of those who died because of terrorist attacks on 9/11, but he absolutely should be.  He died of a broken heart watching his beloved New York City being attacked and watching the NYC Firefighters going up the stairs when everyone else was coming down the stairs.

Ten years later are we safer?  Yes.  Is the degree to which we are safer worth ALL of the US soldiers lives, soldiers coming back missing limbs and the TRILLIONS of dollars spent?  No.  To be clear, I really think that the current generation of soldiers will go down as the NEW greatest generation and maybe even THE greatest generation.  Four and five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan are unbelievable.

Thanks to VP Cheney we rushed to judgment in Iraq for no damn reason whatsoever.   It blows my mind that Cheney shows no regret at all.   Time to get the hell out of Iraq and Afghanistan.  Put the money back into our intelligence agencies and the United States infrastructure.

The number one thing that just makes no sense to me is how ANYONE could push back against the Firefighters who now have a variety of diseases because of what they inhaled and/or touched at ground zero.  It is incredible to me that people would challenge them in their time of need. Thank god that Jon Stewart of The Daily Show personally got involved to help get the necessary funding to help the Firefighters through the 9/11 First Responders Bill.

23 Days Until Early Bird Registration Ends For [MC]2 MTConnect Connecting Manufacturing Conference

Since its introduction to the manufacturing industry, the MTConnect standard has been revolutionizing the way manufacturing equipment and devices "talk" to each other on the shop floor. Anyone in the manufacturing industry can benefit from learning about this important standard. That's why you must attend [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference will have something for everyone, from distributors to end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to professors, to students, and to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect. [MC]2 offers both business and technical tracks, hands-on technical workshops, panel discussions on the use and benefits of the standards, as well as a showcase of commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how MTConnect, as Modern Machine Shop said, is enabling tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.  Those attending will return with new knowledge and skills so they can engage in a deeper dialogue on manufacturing productivity, as well as a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. Register now! This is an event like no other.

A Stack of CDs from Earth to 50,000 Miles Beyond the Moon

Brian Vastag of the Washington Post wrote a very nice article on one of the recurring articles on the analog to digital timeline with some nice graphics.

                        Exabytes: Documenting the 'digital age' and huge growth in computing capacity

"That daily digital activity contributes to a churning information tsunami. Humans generate enough data - from TV and radio broadcasts, telephone conversations and, of course, Internet traffic - to fill our 276 exabyte storage capacity every eight weeks, Hilbert said. Of course, most of the digital traffic is never stored long term, evaporating into the ether."

Above was one of the more interesting statistics in the article.

2011 Top Shops Modern Machine Shop Survey

AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology, is sponsoring Modern Machine Shop's Top Shops Survey.

Modern Machine Shop and AMT have been partners for a very, very long time.  I have met most of the Modern Machine Shop (MMS) and they are just fantastic people.  It is very cool that MMS and AMT have teamed together for this Top Shops survey. 

Find out more:

» Top Shops Zone on MMS Online

» Top Shops Special Digital Edition

Mazak and [MC]2

I was extremely happy to see this article discussing Mazak's participation in the upcoming [MC]2 which appeared in Aerospace Manufacturing and Design. 

HUGE Thanks to Brian Papke, Neil Desrosiers and the entire Mazak team! 

Mazak To Participate In MTConnect

Contract Manufacturing, Industry News

Mazak To Participate In First Ever MTConnect Conference Event will provide a clear understanding of the MTConnect protocol and how it increases machine tool utilization and productivity.

Manufacturing Group September 6, 2011

Mazak has been an ardent supporter of MTConnect since its inception several years ago, and that initiative continues with the company’s participation in (MC)2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, the first ever MTConnect conference.

The event, scheduled for November 8 – 10, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency in Cincinnati, Ohio, is one that will focus on both the business and technical aspects of MTConnect – fostering conversations about implementing the standard, as well as the increased productivity and return on investment it can provide today’s manufacturers.

“Mazak recognizes the significance of the MTConnect protocol, which is why we are participating in the (MC)2  event and why all our new machines areMTConnect enabled,” says Brian Papke, president of Mazak. “MTConnect’s value to our customers is in the ability for them to establish extensive and open channels of communication for plug-and-play interconnectivity between devices, equipment and systems to improve operational efficiency and optimize productivity. MTConnect is a marvelous opportunity to improve machine tool utilization, and we encouragemanufacturers to take advantage of the MTConnect Conference.”

(MC)2 will offer many benefits to a wide range of attendees, including end users, equipment suppliers, software developers, distributors, independent software vendors and consultants. In addition, everyone from C-level executives to students to those who just want to gain a better understanding of MTConnect is welcome to attend.

Attendees will learn from the experts during conference tracks that will be both technical and business oriented. Technical tracks will place a strong emphasis on the “hands-on” side of MTConnect, while the business tracks will focus on quantifying increased productivity. Additionally, (MC)2 will showcase commercially available products that use the MTConnect standard.

For more information and to register for (MC)2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, log on to http://www.mtconnectconference.org.

  MTConnect: Different Devices, Common Connection

  MTConnect: To Measure Is To Know

25 DaysDays Until Early Bird Registration Ends For [MC]2 MTConnect Connecting Manufacturing Conference

Since its introduction to the manufacturing industry, the MTConnect standard has been revolutionizing the way manufacturing equipment and devices "talk" to each other on the shop floor. Anyone in the manufacturing industry can benefit from learning about this important standard. That's why you must attend [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference will have something for everyone, from distributors to end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to professors, to students, and to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect. [MC]2 offers both business and technical tracks, hands-on technical workshops, panel discussions on the use and benefits of the standards, as well as a showcase of commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how MTConnect, as Modern Machine Shop said, is enabling tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.  Those attending will return with new knowledge and skills so they can engage in a deeper dialogue on manufacturing productivity, as well as a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. Register now! This is an event like no other.

ITAMCO's Modern Machine Shop Big Gears Article

Mark Albert, Editor in Chief for Modern Machine Shop, wrote another great article (he always does) on ITAMCO called Gearing Up to Make Big Gears.

The article discusses ITAMCO's new precision grinding room which covers 33,000 square ft. and has two overhead cranes have been installed, one with a 40-ton capacity and another with 10 tons.  It is amazing that ITAMCO is now able to cut external gear grinding on workpieces as large as 160 inches in diameter and internal gear grinding on workpieces as large as 120 inches in diameter.

You have to check out the article and especially blow up the amazing photos that Mark took as well.

Below is from Mark's excellent article where he speaks with Joel Neidig of ITAMCO on how ITAMCO uses MTConnect -- which is very cool!  Joel is a real thought leader in manufacturing as well as with the MTConnect Technical Advisory Group.  I highlighted below how ITAMCO can monitor 30 different types of CNCs using MTConnect.

Remote Machine Monitoring in Hand

Click Image to Enlarge

ITAMCO’s iPhone app for MTConnect makes remote machine monitoring handy.

Two of the newest machine tools at ITAMCO, the Niles grinders are the company’s first to use MTConnect as the communications protocol for remote monitoring. They will serve as prototypes for implementing a company-wide machine monitoring capability. Joel Neidig says plans call for all of the company’s CNCs to have MTConnect adapters that format internally generated data and codes to MTConnect specifications.

 This formatting enables an MTConnect “agent” on the shop’s network to retrieve data, organize it, and make it available to software applications such as the company’s homegrown shop-data collection system and job scheduler. Although 30 different types of CNCs are currently in use at ITAMCO’s two locations, MTConnect makes it possible for all of them to output data in a common “language.”

 

An early proponent and supporter of MTConnect, Mr. Neidig has been active as a member of the MTConnect Technical Advisory Group. He’s also taken the standard a step forward by creating several applications for networkable handheld devices, such as the iPhone and Android. “These apps can be used to dial up the network address of a machine tool’s CNC and access data available through the MTConnect adapter,” he explains. For example, one app enables him to scroll to various screens—such as the one from his iPhone shown here—to view machine status and performance data.

 

He can also use the iPhone to open the CNC’s live camera viewer to see what is happening inside the machine. “As long as I can access the global phone network with my iPhone, I can monitor our MTConnect-compliant machines from anywhere in the world, right in my hand,” he says.

 

Mr. Neidig will present his company’s experiences with MTConnect at the upcoming MC²conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 8-10, 2011 (MTConnect.org/MC2). He plans to review his iPhone apps and explain how they provide highly mobile machine monitoring.

Free [MC]2 Pass For MTAG Member Who Registers Five Customers

 I sent this out today to the MTConnect Technical Advisory Group (MTAG) and wanted to share it here as well.


Paul Warndorf and I were talking at lunch today with John Turner about [MC]2.  John said, "why don't you offer one free pass for every MTAG member that gets five customers to register for [MC]2?"

We quickly agreed that John Turner is a genius and that we should do this.

So, for every five customers that an MTAG members gets to register that MTAG member will get one free [MC]2 pass to use as they see fit.

To make it easier to track, please have your customers put your company name in the [MC]2 conference code box.  If they forget to, just let us know which customer(s) registered and we will verify it.  How this will work is we will reach out to you when we see it in our daily registration reports.  We will then reach out to see how you want to use your free [MC]2 pass.  If you like, you can give us a heads up so we know that you have five customers that will be registering soon.   The five customers do not have to be from the same company, they just need to be customers and not MTAG members.

Attached is a very nice two page [MC]2 Flyer you can send to your customers.   Also attached are two html files you can put on your website as well as jpg of the [MC]2 extremely cool logo.  

We also have sponsorships available as well!

 

Let's get as many customers as we can to [MC]2!  

Thanks,

--Dave

Dave Edstrom

President and Chairman - MTConnect Institute 

  MTConnect: Different Devices, Common Connection

  MTConnect: To Measure Is To Know

Baltimore Gran Prix 2011

On Saturday, my father and I went to the first ever Baltimore Gran Prix.  Above you can see that my father had other interests besides just checking out race cars :-)  

This was a learning experience year for us as I waited too late and did not have grandstand seats.  Here are my personal lessons learned:

• This strategy worked out fine in 2002 when we went to the DC Gran Prix that was in the RFK parking lot where there were no buildings and the site lines were fine.  At Baltimore, the course went through the Inner Harbor area in the city where the site lines were very limited except for the straightaways.    Getting grandstand seats as high up as possible near the main straightaway and in front of a large screen would be good.  You basically need to pick your viewing point and this would be the best.
• We parked at the Port Covington parking lot which worked out really well since it was free and a 10 minute ride to the C gate.
• We went up into the bridge over the convention center to watch the cars come by on the main straightaway as well as a nice view of the large screen showing the race - plus it was air conditioned.
• Go visit the Corvette Racing area that is past Camden Yards and to the right after you walk by the stadium and the long building.
• Go over the bridge and checkout the actual paddocks would be cool.
• Walk around the entire inside paddock area to check out the different views
• No need getting there too early.  Get there an hour or so before the ALMS GT race would be a good plan.
• Bring the Boise noise canceling headphones and extra of the ear plugs for anyone with you as they sell out.
• Buy any merchandise ahead of time as they sold out of everything there.
• Bring a packback with whatever water size they will allow and something to eat that is not too obvious when you get searched.
• Bring a nice camera
• Try to figure out what station it is being broadcast on so you do not have to pay for one of the expensive rental racing headsets
• 
  

Above is me and my father in front of a C6R Corvette race car.

 

 Above is Danica Patrick signing autographs.

Above is the ZR1 100th Anniversary Edition.

 The above two pictures are the text for the ZR1 supercharger and the supercharger itself.

 Above and below is the ZR1 frame.

On the photon below right is Zora Artkus Duntov (white hair on the right), Corvette's first Chief Engineer.  At the bottom of the picture below is the famous #3 Corvette that won the 1960 24 Hours at LeMans.

27 DaysDays Until Early Bird Registration Ends For [MC]2 MTConnect Connecting Manufacturing Conference

Since its introduction to the manufacturing industry, the MTConnect standard has been revolutionizing the way manufacturing equipment and devices "talk" to each other on the shop floor. Anyone in the manufacturing industry can benefit from learning about this important standard. That's why you must attend [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference will have something for everyone, from distributors to end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to professors, to students, and to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect. [MC]2 offers both business and technical tracks, hands-on technical workshops, panel discussions on the use and benefits of the standards, as well as a showcase of commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how MTConnect, as Modern Machine Shop said, is enabling tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.  Those attending will return with new knowledge and skills so they can engage in a deeper dialogue on manufacturing productivity, as well as a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. Register now! This is an event like no other.

The Passing of Mary Gardner - John Gardner's Wife of 43 Years

You can not find a better friend or a better person than John Gardner.  It was with great sadness when we all heard that John's wife of 43 years passed away on August 31st.    John worked together at Sun Microsystems for a long, long time.  I am posting this on my blog as I know a number of former Sun Microsystems employees read this blog and I am hopeful to see a large contingent of Sun employees this Saturday the 10th at 11am at St. James’ Episcopal Church, 1020 W. Lafayette Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217.

Below is what Joy Warfield passed on from John.  Please share this with anyone who knows John to help support him and his family during their time of need:

Mary Antoinette Kidd Gardner, daughter of the late James Ammons and Alice Young Kidd, died peacefully on August 31, 2011.   Mrs. Gardner, a retired Microbiologist with Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC and active community advocate, leaves to cherish her husband, John E. Gardner, of 43 years:

• daughters, Dawna Gardner and Krystyll Gardner
• grandchildren Alexis Gardner Wood and Nicholas Edward Gardner
• sister, Cynthia Alexander
• brother, Keith Kidd
• and a host of family and friends.

A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, September 10, 2011 at St. James’ Episcopal Church, 1020 W. Lafayette Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217. The family hour begins at 10:00 am, the service begins at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, contributions maybe made online or mailed directly to Spelman College – In memory of Mary Kidd Gardner, Class of 1967).

Directions to St. James' Episcopal Church

---

From the South:
Take I-95 to Exit 53 (I-395 -- Downtown Baltimore.) Follow the signs to Martin Luther King Blvd. Go about 1.5 miles on MLK Blvd and turn left onto Rte. 40 West/Franklin Street. Stay in the right lane, i.e. do not take the underpass to Rte. 40 W. At the second light, turn right onto N. Arlington Ave. Go four blocks to the church at the corner of N. Arlington and W. Lafayette Avenues.

From the North:
From I-95, take I-695E to I-83 S. towards Baltimore). Take the North Avenue/Mt. Royal Ave exit. Cross N. Avenue and proceed straight on Mt. Royal Ave. to Lafayette Avenue and turn right. Proceed approximately one mile to the church at the corner of W. Lafayette and N. Arlington Avenues.

From the East:
Take Route 40W into Baltimore (Orleans St.) Continue on Rt. 40W across Martin Luther King Blvd. Stay to the right on Franklin Street. At the second light, turn right onto Arlington Ave. Go four blocks to the church at the corner of N. Arlington and W. Lafayette Avenues.

From the West:
Take Route 40E towards Baltimore. Where Rte. 40E and Edmondson Avenue split, stay to the left on Edmondson Ave for approximately one mile. Turn left onto N. Arlington Avenue and drive three blocks until you reach the church at the corner of W. Lafayette Avenue.

29 Days Early Bird Registration [MC]2 MTConnect Connecting Manufacturing Conferece

Since its introduction to the manufacturing industry, the MTConnect standard has been revolutionizing the way manufacturing equipment and devices "talk" to each other on the shop floor. Anyone in the manufacturing industry can benefit from learning about this important standard. That's why you must attend [MC]2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference, November 8-10, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference will have something for everyone, from distributors to end users, to manufacturing technology builders, to software developers, to C-level executives, to professors, to students, and to anyone who just wants to really understand MTConnect. [MC]2 offers both business and technical tracks, hands-on technical workshops, panel discussions on the use and benefits of the standards, as well as a showcase of commercially available products utilizing the MTConnect standard. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the experts to really understand how MTConnect, as Modern Machine Shop said, is enabling tremendous productivity gains in manufacturing.  Those attending will return with new knowledge and skills so they can engage in a deeper dialogue on manufacturing productivity, as well as a much better understanding on what it takes to compete in 21st century manufacturing. Register now! This is an event like no other.