AMT names MTConnect Technical Advisory Group.
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Press Release Summary:
Working with AMT, MTConnectSM Technical Advisory Group will produce open communications standard for advanced manufacturing equipment. Open and royalty free to insure widest possible acceptance and utility, MTConnect will allow devices and systems to send out data that can be read by any other device using same standard. MTCTAG members are reviewing MTConnect Draft Standard, which is in its final stage of preparation.
Original Press Release:
MTConnect Technical Advisory Group Named
McLEAN, VA - Fourteen companies are participating in the MTConnectSM Technical Advisory Group (MTCTAG), working with AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology, to produce an open communications standard for advanced manufacturing equipment, AMT announced today.
The MTCTAG represents global advanced manufacturing technology providers as well as end-users. They are creating an XML-based (Extensible Markup Language) open standard for advanced manufacturing data communications, with the assistance of computer-industry experts and researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The MTCTAG voting members are:
MAG Americas
FANUC Robotics America, Inc.
Advanced Production Systems, representing I/Gear Software
Digital Testing Laboratory (DTL), representing Mori Seiki
Remmele Engineering, Inc.
GE Aviation
Advanced Assembly & Testing
TechSolve, Inc.
GE Fanuc Automation Americas, Inc.
The MTCTAG observers are:
Bosch Rexroth Corporation
Siemens
General Motors Corporation
Okuma America Corporation
Paul R. Warndorf, AMT's Vice President - Technology, said that any company that wants to participate on the MTCTAG may contact him at pwarndorf@amtonline.org.
Warndorf said the MTCTAG members are reviewing the MTConnect Draft Standard, which is in its final stage of preparation. The voting members will determine when the standard is ready for general release and industry use as Version 1.0. Currently, Draft Standard Version 0.9.10 is available for review via download at www.mtconnect.org.
"MTConnect will allow devices and systems to send out data that can be read by any other device using the same standard," Warndorf said. "MTConnect will be open and royalty free to insure the widest possible acceptance and utility. To aid in the implementation of the standard, there is example code located on the website that can be used as-is, modified to suit special needs or reverse-engineered. Users will also be able to create their own software that meets the requirements of the MTConnect standard.
"It's our expectation that the interoperability afforded by MTConnect will allow many third-party solution providers to develop software and hardware to make the entire manufacturing enterprise more productive," he said.
Nearly 30 companies are participating in the development of MTConnect, which will be publicly demonstrated for the first time at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2008 that will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago from September 8-13.
John B. Byrd III, President of AMT, said the association's investment of more than $1 million to support MTConnect development will help achieve the productivity gains demanded by manufacturers throughout the world.
"We believe that MTConnect will revolutionize manufacturing and enable manufacturing companies to achieve productivity levels that could only be dreamed of in the past.
"We are pleased that AMT could play a role in helping develop this new open manufacturing standard, and we look forward to seeing how our industry uses MTConnect to innovate and create the next great leap in manufacturing."
Contact: Steve Morrison
Direct: 703-827-5275
