Improving Small & Medium Manufacturer Productivity with IoT Driven Smart Manufacturing
Project Lead: Advanced Manufacturing International
Partners: LECS Energy, Tech Solve, Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC), Manufacturers Resource Center, Polysciences, Highwood, Nolte Precise Manufacturing
Member % Cost Share: 50%
CESMII % Cost Share: 50%
Duration: 6 Months
Problem Statement
Improving Supply Chain resiliency and overall manufacturing impact will only occur if Small and Medium Manufacturers (SMMs) adopt Smart Manufacturing (SM). However, most SMMs are challenged to adopt SM technology because of 1) high costs; 2) lack of capability to implement and sustain SM solutions, and 3) inability to manage real or perceived security risks.
Project Goal
Demonstrate how a low cost, easy to implement, and secure IoT platform based on open standards can enable 3 diverse SMMs to adopt SM technology. Combined with linkages to the CESMII platform, we will show how to enable smart manufacturing in SMMs with diverse processes but similar needs, namely, to use real time data to maximize throughput and quality. This will provide fast financial benefit and a foundation for future value.
Technical Approach
Implement an open-standards based IoT edge gateway to provide productivity analytics directly to the plant floor. Leverage SM Profiles, MT Connect adapters and the CESMII SMIP to transfer that data to the cloud platform to bring real time visibility and improved decision making to the SMM management teams. Create SM profiles for the IoT device as well as the SMM processes.
Deliverables/Outcomes/SM Marketplace
- Demonstration of the Low Investment Manufacturing System (LIMS) IoT platform and associated dashboards for tube filling processes at Polysciences.
- Demonstration of the LIMS IoT platform and associated dashboards for CNC machines at Highwood USA.
- Developed and demonstrated a CESMII SMIP profile for the LIMS IoT device.
- Delivered source code and hardware schematics for all technologies developed during project execution.
- LIMS IoT Device Profile
- CNC Machine Profile
- Tube Filling Machine Profile
- MTConnect Custom Edge Adapter
Potential Impact
- $300K+ direct impact from these implementations; each SMM should have at least 3X additional
opportunity within their factories - Demonstration of lighthouse SMMs to SMM community and MEP’s
Benefits
- SM profile for edge device and demonstrated integration with CESMII SMIP platform
- SM profile for at least one of the SMM processes; develop same for other two if time and budget permit
- Demonstration of generic applicability of SMIP to SMM community
