MTConnect Institute Seek New Members

The MTConnect Institute, an organization that seeks to promote manufacturing system interoperability, is looking for new members to assist in developing and promoting the standards and materials required to fully implement MTConnect.

MTConnect is an open, royalty-free standard designed to improve the ability to collect data across manufacturing technologies. The goal is to develop standardized communication protocols that ultimately will allow devices, equipment and systems to output data in a common format that can be read by any other technology using the same standard. In terms of improving interoperability between machine tool CNCs, factory-management software and other devices and systems, it is similar to what has been achieved in the information technology arena, according to AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, which began development of the standard in early 2007.

Membership in the MTConnect Institute is open to any individual, company or organization interested in participating in the standard’s impelementation. Four levels of membership are available: Founding Sponsor, Institute Partner, MTConnect Institute Technical Advisory Group (MTCTAG) Member, and Registered Member. Each level provides different benefit levels within the institute.

“The aim of the MTConnect standard is to utilize existing open standards such as XML and HTTP to provide a common means to communicate with manufacturing equipment and enable the development of capabilities in new and existing technologies not currently achievable,” says Paul Warndorf, vice president-technology at AMT-The Association For Manufacturing Technology. “This in turn will permit providers to enhance their product offerings that address opportunities to better improve manufacturing efficiencies and productivity.