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The machine tool is the workhorse of the metal cutting manufacturing processes, but the consensus is that machine tools are widely underutilized in both highly automated and job shop facilities. According to ARC Advisory Group research and conversations with industry experts, 25 to 40 percent of available machine tool time is actually used for material removal. Many manufacturers operate blindly, rarely able to pinpoint the root cause of low utilization rates. However, progressive manufacturers seek to identify the cause of poor machine and operator performance. Manual data collection is often the first approach used to collect manufacturing metrics, but productivity improvements require real-time monitoring and data-driven management decisions. The MTConnect standard, developed for the machine tool industry, has emerged to help resolve this problem.
The conundrum for the machine tool industry is that machines are replete with a vast amount of runtime production data, but each machine builder utilizes proprietary internal data representations with proprietary communication methods. Thus, machine monitoring, condition monitoring, and production management software require a multitude of unique interfaces to extract information from machine controllers on the shop floor.
By providing a common standard, MTConnect enables "plug-and-play" interconnectivity between devices, equipment, and systems. An open and royalty-free standard, MTConnect functions through both hardware and software adapters, facilitating effective data monitoring for machine tools through the Internet. During a session at ARC Advisory Group's 19th Annual Industry Forum in Orlando, Florida, attendees learned how MTConnect has lowered the cost for integrating machine tools with in-formation management systems used in manufacturing operations.
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Keywords: MTConnect, Machine Standards, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, Machine Tools, Discrete Manufacturing, ARC Advisory Group.