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www.ADandP.media AD&P; ∕ MAY 2017 MTCONNECT The more industry keeps driving the standardization of shop-floor data, the simpler and more efficient a shop's business becomes. Imagine not only staying on top of the volumes of data a shop produces, but having machine tools "know" what the presetter and cutters "know" through the efficient exchange of data. Hours of setup, touch-offs and test cuttings could become a thing of the less-efficient past. Tribal knowledge or "how Joe does it" can make way for organized and systematized ways of manufacturing parts specific to each shop. Which is why Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. announced in March that it was introducing an MT Connect adapter for factory automation equipment. "We want to help our customers create a truly connected production line and our MTConnect adapter is a giant step forward in that process," said Steve Dumont, vice president, technical service and support, Mitsubishi Electric Automation. "Using our MTConnect adapter has the potential to boost overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) for those manufacturing leaders who are embracing IIoT [industrial internet of things]." Justin Kueker, business development manager, says automotive parts producers are particular targets. "Our C-Series controllers are particular suitable for cell production, where a great portion of our automotive business lives," he said. He points out their MTConnect adapters can connect with devices including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), servo drives, human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and robots But a one-size-fits-all solution is still on the drawing board. According to machine tool manufacturer Mazak ( mazakusa.com ), in a recent post on its site, "How to Troubleshoot 11 Common MT Connect Issues," adapter/ machine mismatch is the number-one issue with MTConnect issues. Different machines and even different models of the same machine require different adapters, so be sure to provide the machine tool's OEM with your machine model and software version to ensure you receive the correct adapter. The controllers of newer machine tools usually contain both an adapter (gath- ering native machine data) and an agent that converts data to XML for use by MT Connect client applications. Generally, an agent is not present in older controllers. If your data management application does not find XML data at the IP address and port where the machine tool agent is expected to be, an error will occur. If your machine does not have an agent, you will need to run a PC-to-host standalone agent on your network to communicate with the control via TCP. CONSISTENT WITH OTHER STANDARDS Even cutting tools can be data sources with MTConnect. Since ISO 13399 (Cutting Tool Data Representation and Exchange) already defines and stan- dardizes such cutting tool attributes as cutting diameter, edge angle, body diameter, overall length, functional length and functional width, among many others, MTConnect can simply adopt the ISO 13399 definitions and achieve a consistent language for exchanging data between machine tools, tool data management systems, presetters, and even CAD/CAM systems. Shops can literally monitor a customer's project from art to part, efficiently gathering data from every step. Expect more technology providers to get on board. According to the MTConnect Institute, the following companies offer machines, controls or devices that can output data in the MTConnect format: • Allen-Bradley (CNC) • Balluff • ControlLogix • DMG Mori Seiki • Doosan • Fagor • Fanuc • FINS • GF Agie Charmilles • Haas • Heidenhain • LinuxCNC • MakerBot • Makino • Mazak • Mitsubishi • Mitutoyo • MODBUS • NUM • Okuma • OPOS • PCDMIS • ROS-Industrial • Siemens • Sodick • Toyo Several Suppliers 45