Learn about how next-generation production monitoring delivers insight into unattended operations.
About the presentation Unattended operations are the holy grail for today’s precision manufacturers. Running computer numerical control (CNC) machines without needing additional workers means more output for the factory. The downside is events can happen when no one’s around, and without an observer, it becomes an exercise in sleuthing to determine the cause for issues and stoppages. Unfortunately, first-generation production monitoring requires operator input to provide context around machine downtime and interruptions in production. When operators are required to enter reason codes to deliver understanding about machine states, manufacturers implementing unattended shifts are blind to a lot of issues that happen when nobody’s watching the machines. Next-generation production monitoring systems offer the perfect solution. By connecting to CNC machines and using the data directly from machine controllers, next-gen production monitoring solutions use machine learning to make sense of data in real time. Now, manufacturers can see what happened in an unattended shift for every part produced and downtime or stoppage that occurred. In this session, attendees will learn how next-gen production monitoring delivers insight into unattended operations, including the ability to monitor production in real time.
Meet your presenter Greg McHale founded Datanomix on the premise that the 4th industrial revolution would require turnkey products that integrate seamlessly with how manufacturers work today. He brings enterprise data skills to a market ripe for innovation. McHale held engineering leadership positions at several venture-backed companies and is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
About the company Founded in 2016 in New Hampshire, Datanomix offers automated production intelligence for precision manufacturers. When we started Datanomix, we met with dozens of manufacturers who were trying to use data from their equipment to optimize operations. Not one company was getting what they wanted out of their existing monitoring systems ? information was either too complicated and cumbersome, or too simple and not insightful. To add insult to injury, the user interfaces on those systems made it look like those companies just didn’t understand manufacturers. Based on their input, we built a system that was designed with a few key principles:
? The system would require no human input for the data to be useful
? The information provided by the system would be actionable right now
? The system should be a “member” of your team, capable of providing answers and insights in the way you think about your business
How sustainability affects your bottom line, tips for obtaining project financing, ways to attract millennials to your workforce, and how to brace for the impact of the silver tsunami.
United States manufacturers are at an important crossroads for innovation. Technology is accelerating at an incredible pace and mid-sized manufacturers must modernize operations to stay competitive. Real-time actionable data from machines is the most valuable ‘currency’ for modern manufacturers by helping them remain agile, implement sustainable practices, and increase efficiency across production lines.
In response to this industry need, FactoryEye North America, a division of Magic Software Enterprises Ltd., hosted a seminar at the Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, Ohio, and included Manufacturing Works, Tech-Clarity, Feyen Zylstra, and Bennit. Cleveland is home to nearly 8,000 manufacturers and is one of the most sought-after states for reshoring efforts, so FactoryEye considered it the perfect location for a thoughtful discussion on how to tackle modern industry issues.
FactoryEye showcased their Industry 4.0 prowess and discussed best practices for manufacturers implementing their own smart manufacturing solutions. At this exclusive event, the industry panel of experts discussed important topics such as: how sustainability affects your bottom line, tips for obtaining project financing, ways to attract millennials to your workforce, and how to brace for the impact of the silver tsunami of workers leaving manufacturing. There were several themes that we discussed in detail at the conference (View a recap online).
Implementing smart manufacturing on the shop floor Jim Brown, president and founder of Tech-Clarity kicked off this event as the keynote speaker and shared a recent research study outlining benefits that manufacturers can gain from smart manufacturing solutions.
“One of the things we did in the manufacturing industry, is that we stepped down from this higher-level view of a digital transformation, and we asked a wide variety of manufacturers how important you think the implementation of smart manufacturing or Industry 4.0 is to the long-term success and profitability of your manufacturing business?” Brown says. “When 19% of those surveyed say it is critical and another 28% think that is it really important, then what we are seeing is that this is not just another trend that is going to come and go. But people are starting to say, if you don’t get this next step in Industry 4.0, you are not going to be ready for what comes beyond that and the continuation of this process.”
Real-time data analysis One of the key benefits of implementing Industry 4.0 into the manufacturing process is having the ability to track what is actually happening on the shop floor in real-time.
Jake Hall from Feyen Zylstra says, “We worked with one manufacturer that had Individual machines that weren't tied together to a central network. So, they had all these machines that were producing their own components and parts, but the manufacturer never knew where their bottleneck was within those processes.
“When were those machines down? How many parts did they actually produce per hour? We were able to implement an inductive automation that allows them to better track every single individual machine and then build a network that allows them to act on that data, to address issues that are doubt.”
When asked about the different ways that manufacturers can improve productivity by implementing smart manufacturing, Tim Stuart, president of Visual Decisions says, “When looking at maintenance issues, manufacturers ask, ‘How can you provide autonomous maintenance instructions to the operators on the day that they're supposed to? How can you get a machine that's currently down, up and running faster again? How can you prevent that downtime from happening in the first place?’
“Whether that's through normal, preventative maintenance activities that are informed and optimized by the data or whether it's through predictive maintenance technologies from an operator perspective of producing parts and so forth, how do you give them the proper work instructions? The goal is to eliminate variation from the process as much as possible that will also help quality as you go through and produce more.”
Are you accurately measuring scrap? Nancy Finnegan, vice president of Sales, FactoryEye, says, “One common theme we see across manufacturing is how do we measure scrap and rework. We see that as one of the most manual areas of capturing data in the industry throughout the production process.
“It's very interesting. One company we worked with had recorded their scrap as 3% for almost two decades straight. It was almost folklore. This is what our scrap is. But when we started to pull in those data parameters, we really started to understand that it was nowhere near 3%, but closer to 8%. Having access to real-time data helped them to correlate the data between what they thought they were producing and what they were actually producing and the actual quantity of their waste.
“And from there, we really started to analyze, which processes needed to be reworked and how they could bring that scrap back into the bottom line,” Finnegan concludes.
Implementing Industry 4.0 FactoryEye’s passion for spreading smart manufacturing insights through its Strategic Partner Program and in-person seminars is here to stay. FactoryEye’s commitment to smart manufacturing initiatives for mid-sized manufacturers will continue across the United States, bringing Industry 4.0 knowledge to a new generation of workers.
“FactoryEye is there to help, no matter what stage a manufacturer is at, or what equipment they have on their floor,” says Ken Patsy, president and executive director of Manufacturing Works. “We’re big believers of learning and sharing ideas, and we find that companies like helping each other out, so we facilitate that.”
Learn how to use technology to fill the experience gap created by the machinist shortage.
About the presentation Manufacturing shops have been facing a shortage of experienced manufacturing professionals for years. While the push to develop additional paths through education and training is underway, what can shops do in the meantime to collect and protect their current machining expertise while meeting increasing demands for speed, quality, and innovation? One solution is adopting advances in technology to develop smarter machining processes. Advancements in manufacturing include verification, simulation, optimization, and more. These advancements have made it easier for shops to verify toolpaths, simulate machine movement to avoid crashes and unexpected behavior, and verify NC programs and feed rates. This ensures cuts are performed at optimal levels without breaking the cutter or causing undue wear – all without requiring NC programmers and machinists to have expert machining experience. The presentation explores the benefits of using software to establish "smarter" manufacturing processes and enable more quality production with fewer resources.
Meet your presenter Gene Granata, director of product management, joined CGTech in 1992. With more than 30 years of CNC manufacturing experience, Granata is responsible for planning development of CGTech’s flagship software product VERICUT and associated CAD/CAM and Tooling interfaces. Prior to his role as director of product management, he was the technical support manager. He wrote technical documentation, designed many general-purpose and customized training courses, and provided manufacturing consulting services to hundreds of companies in several industries.
About the company Headquartered in Irvine, California, CGTech specializes in numerical control (NC/CNC) simulation, verification, optimization, and analysis software technology for manufacturing. CGTech was founded in 1988. Since then, our main software product, VERICUT®, has become the industry standard. With offices worldwide, VERICUT software is used by companies of all sizes, universities/trade schools, and government agencies.
The facility offers a state-of-the art showroom with various machines under power, dedicated training spaces, and expanded space for parts inventory.
The grand opening of Kitamura Machinery’s new U.S. corporate headquarters on June 7, 2022, was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony officiated by Dr. Akihiro Kitamura, Ph.D., Eng., president & C.E.O. of Kitamura Machinery Co., Ltd., Mayor Paul Hoefert from the Village of Mt. Prospect, and Hiroshi TAJIMA, consul-general of Japan in Chicago. Distributor partners and vendors were on hand to tour the new facility and participate in the festivities along with additional members from the Village of Mt. Prospect and the Mt. Prospect Chamber of commerce.
The new facility offers a state-of-the art showroom with various machines under power for customer demonstrations, dedicated training spaces, expanded warehouse space for over $13 million worth of parts inventory and increased office and conference room space all designed to provide additional sales and service capabilities to meet the growing customer demand for the expanding line-up of Kitamura Machining Centers throughout the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and South America.
“As the US office celebrates its 40-year anniversary this year, this investment is about meeting the growing demand for the Kitamura product from our customers and dealers, and I am very proud of the Kitamura USA team” Kitamura said in remarks during the opening. “This new location will facilitate an increase in customer services and a larger on-site support staff to support future growth of Kitamura machining center sales.”
Kitamura Machinery’s new U.S. corporate headquarters is located at 451 Kingston Court, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056.
Learn how smart technology such as RFID tool management and adaptive tool monitoring is changing the world of manufacturing.
About the presentation For this presentation, we’ll discuss the innovative technology and collective solutions changing the face of manufacturing. From RFID tool management to adaptive tool monitoring to automated tool compensation and offset adjustment, we’ll discuss the data-driven solutions available to optimize and automate each step of the manufacturing process. Some of the immediate benefits from implementing the technologies for discussion include process automation and unmanned operations, error elimination, setup and cycle time reduction, real-time monitoring of all tools, data analysis, and shop floor connectivity.
Meet your presenter In 1986, after working in the CNC machining industry for many years, President Rob Caron, (P.E.), identified a gap in the CNC tool monitoring and machine control market. He started his own company in the basement of his home to pursue the development of these conceptual technologies. Caron Engineering has a 12,000ft2 facility with more than 35 employees, and a dynamic product line of smart manufacturing solutions that are unmatched in the industry.
About the company At Caron Engineering, our mission is to transcend the industry standard by developing advanced sensor and monitoring technology to optimize performance, productivity, and profitability. As an employee-owned entity (ESOP), we work together to bring the best possible service and quality to our customers. It’s our goal to provide leading smart manufacturing solutions to reduce cycle times, promote unattended operation, drive down tooling costs, and minimize expensive damage to machines and work-holding. Our people are in the business of developing “Adaptive Solutions for the Future of Manufacturing” through strong leadership, foresight, and diligence. At Caron Engineering, innovation is what drives us.