The goal of this project is to identify opportunities to develop and implement advanced manufacturing technologies to streamline — and gather data about — tooling used in research and development (R&D).
An R&D group has multiple machine tooling options. But material is expensive, so efficiency is crucial. This makes it essential to know such information as when tooling is available, in-machine setup parameters, and identification characteristics.
Another problem is that when new tooling leaves inventory, it is very tough to track and identify.
The team from Montana-based Very will focus on tooling inventory and travel for a series of press machines to understand machine use, environment, and capabilities to identify what data can be captured during operations. This will be done with a site visit, by interviewing key personnel, and through an understanding of available connectivity.
Captured data will then be stored and available for processing by workers during a project, such as the operator on the floor or an engineer in a different building.