From unmined data to actionable information Where’s your data? If you are like most manufacturers, the answer is likely all over the place. A machine here. A tool there. A probe over there. Modern manufacturing facilities produce reams of data—but most goes unused. It’s time to connect the data dots in your shop and turn wasted data into actionable information that can help you improve productivity. There are simple machine monitoring solutions that are zero-cost, according to Dr. Kyle Saleeby, a research engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) who was a recent guest on the Tom and Lonnie Chat with Dr. Tom Kurfess from Georgia Tech and Dr. Lonnie Love of ORNL. With no-cost implementation and no-cost monitoring, these interfaces are truly a no-brainer. What do you need to connect the data dots? Just three things, Saleeby explains: A machine tool with MTConnect capability. Saleeby used the Mazak five-axis machine as an example, but most machine tools made in the last 15 years will have the capability. A computer with an internet connection. Google sheets. That’s it! Getting Started Setting up the process is easy as well. Using MTConnect, a free, open-source data standard, you can translate data directly from your machine tool into a useable format. The data are then transferred to a standard computer where a programming tool like Node-Red can provide visual connections. Finally, the data set is input into google sheets and used to create a user-friendly dashboard. A Clear Picture Dashboards can visually display vital information on tool usage, output, and efficiency. Dashboards could also be created comparing or contrasting different tools, or combining several tools, sensors, or data points to evaluate whole processes. Users can track part-centric, process, or machine data, as well as overall shop metrics over the course of weeks. The customization options are endless. “Google Drive is very powerful, and it’s free,” Saleeby says. “A free Google Drive account provides 15 Gb of data and Google sheets does not count against the data quota. You can also set it up so that as new data comes in, old data are deleted, so you will never exceed maximums.” As an added bonus, by using a web-based program, users can access their data from any computer, anywhere in the world. Connect more; do more “This basic set-up for machine monitoring is just getting your feet wet,” Saleeby says. “You can do so much more once you have the simple infrastructure in place. You can add auxiliary sensors, cameras, and probes to get more data points, as well as additional computational capability to generate more information about how to make your operations better, faster, and more consistent.” Of course, as you start to connect machines, you also have to consider cybersecurity concerns. Shops must institute basic cybersecurity hygiene from the beginning. This includes using separate networks for machine tools and computers, never plugging personal devices into machine tools, and monitoring and maintaining network security. More information on cybersecurity is available in AMT’s podcast series. For more insights on modernizing your operations, tune into all the Tom and Lonnie Chats on IMTS+.
Connect the data dots in your shop with no-cost solutions. Get the tips you need to turn wasted data into productivity gains from industry insiders.
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