Manufacturing machine monitoring solutions - FABTECH Booth #A3441
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Meet Manufacturing Demand at FABTECH 2021

Shop Floor Automations to Offer Manufacturing Machine Monitoring and Hardware Solutions to Increase Visibility, Productivity

With its recent announcement that it will be the first large-scale manufacturing trade show to return to McCormick Place in Chicago from September 13-16, FABTECH will once again make Chicago the epicenter of the North American metal fabrication industry. The event brings all aspects of the metal fabricating, forming, welding, and finishing industries together to showcase the technology, innovation, and solutions they provide.

Manufacturing machine monitoring solutions - FABTECH Booth #A3441

Schedule your demonstration of manufacturing machine monitoring solutions at the Shop Floor Automations Booth, #A3441, at FABTECH 2021

Shop Floor Automations (SFA), a manufacturing integrator offering hardware and software solutions to manufacturers and job shops throughout the United States, will be exhibiting the Scytec DataXchange machine monitoring solution at Booth #A3441 at FABTECH this year. This solution allows production environments to capture automated, real-time machine data for increased visibility of accurate cycle times, setup times, idle times, machine downtime and more. For manufacturers struggling to keep pace with demand as the United States recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, machine monitoring solutions, like DataXchange, can be the difference between a company’s ability to take on new work versus not.

In the May 2021 Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®, Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, stated, “Demand expanded, with the (1) New Orders Index growing at a strong level, supported by the New Export Orders Index continuing to expand, (2) Customers’ Inventories Index hitting another all-time low and (3) Backlog of Orders Index continuing at a record-high level.”

“Now, and well into 2022, manufacturers need to be able to make demonstrable impacts to machine uptime automatically to generate greater efficiencies to support existing work while increasing productivity for growth opportunities knocking on the doors of so many,” says Greg Mercurio, SFA President.

FABTECH facilitates connections between exhibitors and attendees in order to conduct business, share knowledge, and showcase the most advanced manufacturing equipment and technology in an unparalleled environment. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore three halls filled with cutting-edge technology, new product debuts, and firsthand product demonstrations from over 1,000 exhibitors.

Attendee and media registration for FABTECH 2021 is open now. Visit fabtechexpo.com to register and obtain additional show details. To schedule a DataXchange demonstration with SFA in advance of the show, contact us at www.shopfloorautomations.com.

How To Choose the Right Machine Monitoring Solution

An infographic for Smart Manufacturing, featuring a clip art image of a factory building surrounded by various aspects of smart manufacturing.

If you’re among the 12.28 million Americans who work in the manufacturing industry, you likely are constantly looking for ways to streamline your operations. Machine monitoring systems are a great way to do this by letting you remotely see what your machines are doing in real-time.

Here, we’re going to learn how you can choose a machine status monitoring solution that works for your business. Read on to streamline your CNC processes today.

Research Machine Monitoring Solutions

As with all business-related endeavors, you’re going to need to research machine monitoring solutions at length before making a purchase. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What specific functions do you need to monitor?
  • What data do you plan to monitor CNC machines on?
  • Are the monitoring solutions you’re considering compatible with both your CNC machines, saws, grinders, ovens, robots, etc?
  • What are your short-term and long-term goals that you want the machines to help you accomplish?
  • How will your prospective software solution help meet these goals?
  • How much are you willing to spend on a solution?
  • How long has the company been in business, experience with your equipment, and follow-up support?

Compare Prices and Stick to a Budget

This last question is extremely important when selecting a machine monitoring solution. You need to create a budget and find something that operates within it.

You want a high ROI from your monitoring technology, so find something that costs only around $50 per machine. This price will increase when you decide you want more features, but it’s a good place to start.

Decide Between Cloud-Based vs On-Premise Software

Like any SaaS solution, machine status monitoring technologies have multiple possible deployment options. Some people prefer to use on-site software because they feel that it will be more secure and accessible.

However, Cloud-based technology has multi-factor encryption and only allows authorized users access. It can also be reached from anywhere so you can monitor your machines from home or on your mobile device.

We recommend that you begin on the Cloud and move gradually towards on-site systems (if you still want to). However, we understand that everyone’s needs are different and that you need to consider the deployment option that you prefer.

Look Into the Features That Matter to You

There are a plethora of features that may matter to manufacturers choosing machine monitoring solutions. First, you’ll need to be able to access real-time data from any CNC machine. This is essential to ensure that your current analysis, metrics, and understanding of the machine’s function are always completely up-to-date.

You also will want a solution that can track multiple types of cycle time so you can get a well-rounded feel for how your machines are working. Make sure that you also are able to see your data results from anywhere at any time. You’ll want to report on them as the machines cycle, stop, and determine why the controller is slowed down.  Generating charts will also help you visualize the data to communicate the value of a system.

The bottom line is that you need to keep an eye out for the things that are most important for your individual software needs.

Get Started

Now that you know how to choose a machine monitoring platform for your business, it’s time to get started. Contact our sales team with any questions about monitoring your manufacturing plant’s CNC operations.

We offer month-to-month payment plans so that you can scale your monitoring solutions. This is in contrast with other monitoring software companies that only offer annual plans and have large upfront costs and proprietary hardware.

Our experts will point you in the direction of effective and affordable Cloud and on-premise monitoring solutions. We’ll also talk with you about your specific needs within your industry, so don’t hesitate to reach out.