Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/14/2010 -- Manufacturing journalist TR Cutler contributed a feature article about the importance of using real-time data to assess, measure, and improve factory floor performance in the October issue of CMA Management Magazine. The article titled, “Internetworking the factory floor proves strong value proposition,” is guaranteed to capture the attention of manufacturing management senior executives.
CMA Management is a dynamic business magazine designed to help senior management professionals make informed decisions and give them a strategic advantage. Published by CMA Canada, CMA Management is circulated to more than 35,000 CMAs and 10,000 CMA candidates and students.
In the article, John Rattray, a senior executive with Memex Automation suggests, “Modern machine tools remain largely closed ‘islands of automation’ whose isolation hinders the establishment of a fully connected, enterprise-wide information system.”
Operations on any factory floor are linear (or sequential) in nature, with one event usually dependent on a preceding one and with considerable variation in time consumed. Machining, according to Cutler’s article, is currently a start-stop-wait-repeat process. Interneworking allows manager either to reduce or eliminate those wait periods or to exploit them by making key machine tool productive during those gaps. “Access to real-time data, including the monitoring of specific factors such a spindle load and cutting temperature, as well as DNC program loading is necessary to accomplish this type of integrated systems optimization, according to Rattray.
Last month at the International Manufacturing Technology Show, the MTConnect Institute proposed the establishment of the Legacy Machine Tool Connectivity Working Group (WG). This group will be essential in addressing the very important issue of providing best practices and overall guidance for the physical connectivity of the thousands of legacy machine tools in manufacturing shops around the globe. The group will be lead by David McPhail, President & CEO Memex Automation Inc., and John Turner, Director of Technology for FA Consulting and Technology, as the co-chairs and consist of manufacturing equipment providers, ISVs, consultants, and users.
About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex Automation products are “Automating the Automation” allowing a manufacturer to increase productivity and decrease costs. Memex Automation focuses on delivering value with Real-Time Machine Monitoring and Control, which utilizes OEE+DNC solutions that boost efficiency by up to fifty percent with minimal capital investment. Memex Automation is based in Burlington, Ontario.
Memex, Inc.
http://www.memex.ca
John Rattray
jrattray@astrixnet.com
1-866-573-3895