Improving the performance of factory equipment is the goal of the National Center for Manufacturing Science's Smart Machine Pilot Project (SMPP). The project, which already counts a number of businesses and government agencies as members, has added Advanced Technology Services Inc. (ATS), Peoria, Ill., to its lineup.
ATS provides managed services for productionequipment maintenance, ITinfrastructure support, and industrial-parts repair for manufacturers. It joins Red River Army Depot, Cherry Point NADEP, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Cincinnati Lamb, a Midwest engine manufacturer, and the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in the pilot project.
Member companies will install equipment to monitor the status and health of many manufacturing processes. They will also equip machines at various sites with the capability to automatically and consistently report their performance. Autonomous software processes will monitor data to identify anomalies and report pending problems to operators and management.
"We are proud to be collaborating with the SMPP team to advance ways for American manufacturers to reap more efficiencies," says ATS President Jeffrey Owens. "By providing more intelligent access to the information gleaned from manufacturing equipment, ultimately manufacturers will be able to drive profitability and maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace."