IoT applications aren’t just for Tier 1 suppliers anymore.
When we connect machines, we generate very large amounts of information. But what we do with that information can determine the success or failure of any modern manufacturing project.
ENGINEERING.com recently visited Mazak’s Discover 2015 event to learn more about the company’s partnership with Cisco and Memex and what Mazak’s SmartBox means for machine connectivity.
Bryce Barnes, senior manager of the machine and robot segment for Cisco IoT, was kind enough to speak with us about how even smaller manufacturing operations can utilize the competitive edge that connectivity brings.
Watch the video above or read the Q&A below for highlights of the interview.
James Anderton (JA): Bryce, we can generate huge amounts of information from large sensor nets and industry machines now, but when we connect them together, what do we do with that information?
Bryce Barnes (BB): It could be as simple as wanting green light time. A great example of that is: I have a bunch of machines and I have two different companies providing me with castings that I have to machine. One casting takes 10 percent longer than the other and if I know the green light time, I can go back to my casting partner and say “Why do you have so much extra material on this casting?” It’s often as simple as that and we can do so much more.
In the communications industry, the digital revolution in manufacturing is the same story: we’re combining technologies. We’re taking security, connectivity, analytics and computing and combining them on one box now and attaching that to a machine.
Mazak is calling it the “SmartBox” and this allows us visibility into what the machines are doing; we can optimize it, we can look at spindle health, look at tool health, we can understand operator performance and we can optimize the machine in a completely different way than if it was unconnected.
JA: Manufacturers are very protective of proprietary manufacturing information, methods and techniques done in their facilities. Obviously security is the first thing that pops into their minds when you start networking large amounts of machines together. How do we address that issue?
BB: In order for everything to work it has to be open, but at the same time it has to be secure. The old model of “just don’t connect it” just doesn’t work anymore.
So what we have with the number of technologies here, we can actually connect the machine and keep it isolated at the same time. We can keep its address and identity secret and still move data off of it.
We have technology that can not only do that but inspect the traffic, restrict the traffic and we can do so in ways that allow the system to be open. We can embrace open standard protocols, like MTConnect for example, to do that data movement.
JA: We know this works if you’re a big company like General Motors or Boeing, but the question is: can this reach down to small, 10- to 20-person shop environments?
BB: Absolutely. That’s actually the sweet spot in the market. They’ll be the fastest adopters of this and see the greatest return on their investments.
It’s not unusual to have a 20- to 30-[person] machine shop invest $100,000 in this communications package and get a 300 percent rate of return. This translates into a three to four month return on your investment and then it’s all margin after that. This is an incredible opportunity for the small shops of America to really revolutionize their manufacturing.
JA: How would small to medium size shops begin, who do they approach to get this process started?
BB: Mazak is a great example.
Mazak has their SmartBox and the SmartBox not only goes on Mazak machines, but any machine. So you have the SmartBox and the communication solution built in. Users buy software from Memex, connect them via the Ethernet connectivity provided and you’re off to the races. It’s really a turnkey package that’s meant to be plug-and-play.
For more information, visit www.mazakusa.com.
